C5 Chapter 4

***

“Look, Mommy! Look at my new notebook.” Jared took out a sketchbook from his backpack. “Uncle Jin gave it to me,” he said proudly.

Julianne smiled at him and flipped the sketchbook. He’s already painted on some of its pages. Julianne was amazed at the swirl of colors and details of his drawings.

“Your son has talent,” Adrienne said to her. “He can be a famous artist someday.”

“Yes,” Justin agreed. “Look at those details and the blending of colors. It’s quite advanced for a six-year old.”

Julianne stared at the pages in front of her. Even she was impressed by her son’s skill. And she knew he still has plenty of room for improvement. She was certain he’d be a great artist someday. It was in his blood. Another trait that Jas Mathieu passed on to his son.

“My family was so impressed with Jared, that my brother couldn’t help buying him some art supplies,” Adrienne told her.

“Really, Adrienne, he shouldn’t have. Your family is so nice.”

“Don’t fuss about it, Ian. They fell in love with your son.”

“Can you draw me, sweetheart?” Julianne asked Jared.

He laughed. “You’re joking, right?”

“Of course not. I know you can do it.”

“Someday. I’ll ask Uncle Jin to teach me.”

“Oh, he draws too?”

“Yes!” Jared beamed. “He’s very, very good!”

Adrienne giggled. “I’m afraid that when God spread talent in our family, he gave it all to my brother.”

“Excuse me, I beg to disagree,” Justin interrupted. “You are equally talented. Whose name was on the New York Times Bestselling List at least five times?”

“Jamila McBride?” Adrienne teased.

Justin grinned at her. “Yeah, I remember Jamila McBride.” He gave Adrienne a knowing smile that made her blush violently.

Jamila McBride was Adrienne’s pen name. There was a history to that name that only Justin and Adrienne knew about and they didn’t want to tell anyone.

“Well, maybe you’re right. Jin is good with lines and colors. I’m good with words,” Adrienne said proudly.

“Where are all my colors?” Jared went to his nanny and took a bag from her. He opened it to reveal a designer case with at least eight tiers of color pencils, crayons, paint brushes and watercolors.

“Look Mommy! I got all the colors!”

“Oh dear God! You must have at least three hundred colors in there. Are these all yours?”

“Yes! I’m so happy!” Jared replied happily.

Julianne inspected the case and read the brand. It was a designer brand too.

“Adrienne, this is too much. I looked at these pencil collections in Italy. They’re expensive!”

“I do not know the price tag of these things. And I didn’t buy them. Jin did.”

“These are worth at least three thousand dollars!” There was a time in Julianne’s life a couple of years ago when she wrote these on her wish list for her son. She didn’t have enough money then and she was jobless. But she promised herself that someday, she would save enough money to give them to Jared. Now, a man she hadn’t even met beat her to it.

“Three thousand?” Adrienne echoed, her mouth hanging open. “Well, my brother can be extravagant. And I told you, your son can be quite persuasive and charming.”

“I’m sure it didn’t even hurt his wallet,” Justin said. “Jin doesn’t care about money when it comes to family.”

“But Jared is not really…”

“Nonsense. He’s my nephew,” Justin cut her off. “If you feel bad about it, I’ll pay Jin back.”

“I’m sure my brother will not accept that,” Adrienne argued. “I told you. Jared is as much their family as my kids are. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Well then, thank your brother for me. I’ve never seen Jared this happy before.” Julianne felt a twist inside her chest. Not only was Jared deprived of toys and other material things when he was younger, he was also deprived of a father figure.

Mason had been there for them since Jared was born. So was Gian, Jordan and Justin. But Julianne always felt that Jared was looking for something more permanent.

“You don’t seem too happy about it, though,” Justin remarked. Julianne realized that her eyes appeared a bit teary.

“No. I’m happy with all the attention that Jared was getting. But I can’t help but feel that he’s still looking for a father figure.”

“Well, you can always get in touch with his biological father. See if he’s matured in seven years and is now ready to take on the role of being a father,” Justin said acidly. “Of course, you know that won’t stop me or Gian from beating him to the pulp, right?”

“Justin!” Adrienne slightly pinched her husband’s arm. Then she turned to Julianne. “Forget that moron. You do not need a man who developed a spine only after seven years. He’s too late. Maybe what Ian needs is to go back to the market and start dating again.”

Julianne almost choked upon hearing Adrienne’s suggestion.

“No, Adrienne. I can’t do that. I barely have time for my son. Your husband is a pretty meticulous boss.”

“Excuse me. I’m result-oriented. As long as you deliver what you promised, what you do with the rest of your time is up to you,” Justin said. “It’s not my fault if you keep raising the bar on my expectations. You’re just too good at what you do.”

“You need a break sometimes, Ian,” Adrienne said. “Tell you what, you’re really going with us to Paris. Clear all your schedules. I want no distraction. I’m going to introduce you to new friends and you can have the time of your life in Paris.”

“Have you forgotten already? The last time I had the time of my life in Paris, I ended up having a child in my belly,” Julianne quipped.

“Well, maybe this time you might end up with a husband and a stepfather for Jared,” Adrienne teased her.

“Whoa! That’s way too soon. I promised myself I would take it slow next time. I mean, if there will be a next time.”

“Now you regret falling for Jared’s father, huh? Who would have known he’s a spineless piece of shit, right?” Justin said.

“Justin!” Julianne hissed. “You do not know him. You do not know our story. You cannot judge him like that.”

“I don’t need to know him. All I know is that he left you to deal with your pregnancy alone. He didn’t even come to find you after Jared was born. That says a lot about what kind of a man he is. I, for one, would never let my son become a bas… become fatherless.”

Julianne could tell that Justin was still seething with anger. After all these years, Justin, Gian, Jordan and Mason would turn murderous at the thought of Jared’s father. And Julianne knew that it wasn’t fair because that beautiful man, who gave her Jared, didn’t even know that the magical night they spent together has borne a son.

“We do not need him. I’m working hard so Jared will have everything he needs. He may not have as much as his cousins, but I will make sure he will have enough,” Julianne said. And she knew that when she said those words, she was making a promise.

Julianne lost many things the day her father kicked her out of their house. She lost her trust funds, her bank accounts, her credit cards, her family. Since then, she had been living frugally. She let go of all the luxuries she’d been used to since she was born. She bought only what she and Jared needed.

Every financial support she received from her brother and her cousins, she saved for Jared’s education, his future.

Someday, she knew she would be able to provide enough for him. They would have their own house. Jared would be able to go to a good university so he could forge his own future.

“Jared may not have a father, but he has all of us,” Adrienne said, putting an arm around her husband’s waist, as if trying to calm his dark mood. Then she turned to Julianne. “You have us. You don’t need anyone else.”

Justin sighed and placed a kiss on Adrienne’s forehead.

“Well, you’re right. Jared has all the family he needs right here.”

“And he’s welcome in my family too,” Adrienne said. “Even Jin was completely besotted with him and I thought he had a heart of stone.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“Well, when Jin was younger, he was a playboy but he was also very charming and sweet,” Adrienne replied. “But recently, he just became careless. He disregarded people’s emotions. With women, for example, he wasn’t afraid to show them that there’s nothing in the future for them. That everything is temporary. They couldn’t expect him to fall for them at all.”