C6 Chaotic- Resemblance

The table is quiet, everyone is afraid to voice their thoughts and what happened the previous day. Damien cleared his throat and turned towards his parents. “I'll be going back today,” he said.

They both turn to him in shock “Why? I thought you came back for this?” His father asks him “You can't just give up your child and walk away” his father scolds him.

Damien looked at him with a straight face “That’s exactly what I plan to do. Lauren wants me out of the picture and if that's what will make her happy then fine”

“He’s not her child, he’s your son too. Take some responsibility” His father yells. His mother puts a hand on his arm to call her husband down.

“There’s no need to argue over this Gab,” she said to him “I’m sure he has a reason for coming to this conclusion” she squeezes his hand and he reciprocates.

“I understand exactly how he's feeling but, Nathan is going to win if you let this go…” his father continued, despite Paula’s warning glance.

“It’s not about Nathan winning,” Damien said through clenched teeth “It’s about Lauren’s happiness. I’m not going to ruin things for her” He finished.

His father stared at him for a while, understanding clouding his eye “Do what you think is right but know that a few years from now, that kid is going to hate you and think you didn’t love him enough to try and be in his life” he said. He took his wife by the hand and they left the table, leaving Damien with a fresh set of thoughts.

There was truth n what his father just said, he didn’t think he could bear it, the thought of his own son hating him, but he also couldn’t stand the thought of Lauren hating him for the rest of their lives.

He held his head as his thought became muddled again as he struggled to make a decision. He pinched the bridge of his nose and came to a conclusion. He would rather the son he didn’t have many memories of hating than have Lauren who he has loved all his life hate him.

He knew this wasn’t the choice his parents wanted him to make but they wouldn't understand what Lauren meant.

He called his personal assistant “Prepare the jet, we’ll be leaving in 10 minutes for Spain” he hung up, not even giving the man a chance to confirm that he got his instructions.

Damien entered his room, he didn’t need to pack anything, he was leaving the same way he’d come, with nothing.

He knocked on his parent’s door before pushing it open. He saw his mother lying in her husband’s arms, fast asleep and in love as ever. He has always imagined he and Lauren would end up like his parents, old, in love, and with each other forever.

Damien cleared his throat to get his father’s attention without waking his mum “I’ll be leaving, I've made up my life to stay out of their life” he said.

These were not the words his father wanted to hear but he nodded nonetheless “I hope you know what you’re doing” he said.

Damien nodded even though at this point he wasn’t even sure how to continue with his life.

The result arrived early. Too early if you ask Lauren. She held the file in her hands, thankful that Nathan already left before it arrived.

Sitting at the kitchen counter, she took three deep breaths before carefully tearing the file. Her eyes skimmed over the paper in her hand, her eyes landing just on the bold letter that was written on the right-hand side of the paper.

“Positive,” it said.

She threw the file on the floor. After everything, she had done to try and convince the doctor to make it a negative. Her efforts only proved futile. She yelled, trying to get all the frustration from her system.

“What am I going to do now?” she asked herself. Damien would e arriving soon to see the result. He had promised to leave her and Harry alone but what if that was a lie and the result changed his mind completely.

She pulled at her long strands of hair, if only she could pull it out. She went back to the room where Harry was sound asleep. She caressed his chubby cheeks.

“Whatever happens, just know I love you,” she said to his sleeping form. She bent down and kissed him, letting her lips linger on his cheeks for longer than necessary. She was about to lay beside him when the doorbell rang startling her.

Dread filled her when she opened the door and it was Damien but something about him felt different odd. “Hi” she squeaked. He said nothing, merely pushed himself through the door, walking in like he was the master of the house.

He saw the file laying on the floor and picked it up with a smile because he already knew what was inside the file.

“It’s positive,” Lauren said, to save him the stress even though any blind stranger would know the true outcome of the paternity test if they saw Harry and Damien together.

“Have you packed his bags then?” He asked, a sinister smile playing on his lips. Lauren took a step back, his words confusing her.

“Pack?” she asked to make sure she had heard him properly.

“Yes, he’s leaving with me. It’s clear whose son he is” Damien said and sat down, crossing his legs like their exchange was a show that he was clearly enjoying,

“You said you wouldn’t take him away” She shouted, tears spilling from her eyes. For the first time she wished Nathan was with her, he wouldn't let Damien take away their kid and tear their family apart.

“I know what I said,” Damien said, uncrossing his legs “But, people also change Lauren. It would be foolish to believe every word that comes out of people’s mouth”

Lauren stared at him in disbelief, her heartbreaking with every word he spoke. “Why…” she didn’t finish the question, she knew from the look on his face that his mind was already made up.

“So this is how you prove that you love me… by taking away the one thing that connects me to you,” She said, her voice defeated.

“The Kid,” Damien said simply, raising his brow. Lauren nodded her head, thinking of all the ways she was going to get her son back. She would let him go with Harry but once he left she was going to have to call her lawyer. She would fight for her child even if that’s the last thing she would ever do.

She entered their room and picked up his bag, then placed it at Damien’s feet, this was harder for her than she could ever imagine.

Her sobs threatening to choke her as she let her tears stream down her eyes. She carried Harry, the sleeping kid oblivious to the things going on around him.

“I love you Harry and I’m going to get you back with everything that I have” she whispered to him, so he wouldn’t wake up and have to witness what was transpiring between his parents.

When Lauren came out of the room, she met Damien’s outstretched arms as she gave him the kid. He cradled Harry to his chest and smiled. But it wasn’t that of a father finally holding his son. His smile felt like one who had won a battle and completed his mission.

“Take care of him” She pleaded as he turned to leave.

He turned back to her “Don’t tell me how to treat my child” and with that he left. It was like he took the life in her with him. she slid to the floor and let out a nerve-wracking cry that held so much pain.

She hit the floor with her wrist as she cried, what was she to do now? She didn't know how Nathan would react to it. It felt like he would be happy that Harry was out of the picture and he wouldn’t be reminded that Lauren and Damien had once been together.

Gathering herself in a last attempt to take her child back, she took her cars and ran out of the house. Throwing her car door open as she jumped in. if there was anyone that could convince Damien to give Harry back, it would be his mother.

It was a good thing they remained in touch. She was a woman so surely she would understand the pain that Lauren was feeling.

She sped down the road, thankful that there was no traffic with the evening rush that was yet to come in a few minutes. She sped into the driveway hopping out before her car came to a full halt.

She rapped at their door incessantly, praying that his parents were at home. Paula finally opened the door for her.

“Good lord child, what is wrong?” Paula exclaimed as she let Lauren in.

“HE…he…” she couldn’t get the words out amidst sobbing. Paula got her a glass of water which she gulped down immediately and rubbed her back in a calming motion.

“Now tell me, what happened to have you so riled up?” She asked again.

“Damien…” Lauren started

“What did he do?” Paula asked, her heart beating fast that Damien might have done something rash before finally leaving the city.

“He took Harry away” she finally said, breaking down in tears all over again.

Paula was confused for a couple seconds “He did what?”

“He came to the house and looked at the result. The baby is obviously his, but he promised not to take him away”.

“Damien would never do that,” Paula said, her face puzzled.

“But he did, all the promises he made to me meant nothing to him. it was like he was a whole new person. I couldn’t even recognize him, it was like the Damien I know was gone”

“Damien is at the airport,” Paula said

“What?”

“He’s at the airport Lauren, he left this morning. he told me he was going to leave you and your family alone and try to figure what he wanted to do with his life, he was quite broken up about it. There’s no way he came back to take Harry with him”

“HE was at the house, I know what I saw. If he really left for the airport then I have to go there and beg him to give Harry back, I can't lose my baby”

“I understand but you should have found a way to make him a part of Harry’s life, now the whole thing is a mess “Paula sighed, she was confused about what to do now and Gab wasn’t around, he would know what best to do in situations like the one they were in.

“This is exactly why I didn’t let him know” Lauren sobbed, “I knew he was going to take him away from him and that is exactly what he just did” She yelled “What cruel person takes away a child from his mother”

“You kept it from him,” Paula said sadly, placing a hand on her shoulder “You forced him to act this way, but this is no time to blame anybody. He was wrong, Hell! Both of you are wrong but right now what we have to do is fix this misunderstanding” She finished.

“How are we going to do that? Who said he left for the airport already”?

“Yes but we can still meet up, it's better than just sitting here and crying all day. When we get there what are you going to tell him?” She asked

Lauren wiped her face, thinking for a moment before she spoke “That I love him”.