Chapter Six

ALIYA’S POV

The loud noise of kids running around the front of the school building gave me a sense of déjà vu of how I had loved being a kid and how I missed the feeling of how I felt among, but I shook my head to distract myself from remembering the past. It was my past life. I have gone through hell since then and everything is looking up now.

Something else caught my attention and I looked around and then a feeling of despair hit me.

I now understood why Leo would come home every day and ask me about a father. He was surrounded by kids who had fathers that showed up for them, maybe every time, and he was always getting picked up by either his mum or her assistant.

No, he did not have to go through this, but I put him through this.

A tear dropped my face as a boy’s father carried him and twirled him in the air, giggling filled the air as he grabbed another leg, and he tried to carry her too.

I immediately wiped the tear from my face and took a step inside.

“I am enough. I am enough for my son.”

I always say that to console myself. I will need that a lot today. I kept walking, trying not to look at everything around me, then I heard kids laughing from one side. I looked there to see some kids around another.

“Where is your father?”

” I heard you don’t have one. ”

“No, my mum said his dad left mum because she is not a good person.”

“Don’t say that about my Mum.” That was Leo’s voice, that was my son’s voice. I tried to push forward, but the fight was getting huge but all of a stiffened, there was silence and everything stopped.

“Hello son, look who’s here.”

There he was, standing there in all his glory, walking towards Leo. He looked up at him as if he was his knight in shining armor. I mean, I cannot even blame him for this, he had stepped in to save the day.

“What is going on here? You kids can go and tell your parents that Leo has a dad and his dad is here.”

The handsome man, dressed in a tailored suit, his dark hair was styled on each side of his face and even though I was seeing a side if his face, I could almost imagine how handsome his face looked from the previous day appeared in my head.

“Mum, look who’s here!” 

Somehow, I think he has no idea he wasn’t even his real dad, or he doesn’t care, and he is just happy that someone came for him.

I hugged him and gave him kisses repeatedly on the top of his head. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am now. I am so glad you guys came. I almost thought you would not make it.” 

He kept on talking as he wedged himself between me and Dylan, who was surprisingly quiet. It suddenly made me wonder what he was doing here exactly. Does he have a kid here that he came to see? But this was not the time to say that.

“Thank you.”

I muttered to him and he smiled back. All through the visitation, I allowed Leo to take the lead and, somehow, I started to see why he really needed a father, but how was I supposed to go about that? 

I did not know him, he was a good person, but I don’t think they take down people’s names at those kids' places and even if they did, it has been seven years.

So many thoughts were going through my head and I could not take off the feeling that this would not end so easily.

I had to cancel my meeting so that I could be there for him because I knew he really needed someone to be around, and it cannot even be an outsider.

The event ended and Dylan headed for his car. Leo ran after him.

“You’re leaving? You won’t be coming home with us?”

I almost expected him to say he wasn’t his father. My heart was in my throat as I couldn’t say anything.

He stooped and looked at his shoulders, “My son, I will see you soon.”

A car then pulled up behind him, he stepped in and drove off right after winking at him.

I shook my head to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. Why is he doing that? Why exactly is he?

The boy did not even seem like he had any doubt left, and the next thing was just to get him food and head home. As soon as we got home, my phone beeped with an invitation to an event the following week.

I had been expecting the message for a long time, so I immediately called Elena to give her the good news and then began choosing what to wear to the event.

She gave me a lot of options, but I kept thinking it wouldn’t go because I wasn’t even sure what to wear. I had to meet some inventors and needed to make a good impression. If I do, there must be a chance that I might be expanding my business even more.

The day came, and I was dressed in a long beautiful blue sequin gown that had an open back and had a round neck.

It was beautiful indeed.

I looked around, I hadn’t seen anyone I knew. But as I grabbed a drink and looked towards the stage, that bright smile he gave Leo the other day came to face.

“You again,” he said as he grabbed a drink too and stood beside me.

‘ Why do I have the feeling that you are stalling me? ”

He asked, “I was about to say that to you too.”

“You look lovely.”

My cheeks colored up before the music started to play.

“Dance with me.”