angel baby (heavy editing)

3.0

        Lia was getting ready to prepare dinner. Her son sat a few feet away sketching something on his sketchbook. Kathy stepped outside to get ingredients for the night’s meal. 
“Mom”, she heard her son whisper. 
Sure, Chris had spoken to her before one on one but she was surprised every time.
Keeping her smile at bay, she answered, “yes honey”
He didn't say anything for a few minutes as if he had forgotten he called to her. Lia was used to this by now. OK she wasn't but she knew there was nothing she could do.
Chris's autism has gotten a lot better compared to when he was young but he would have improved even better if only she had the money to take him to therapy.
"Where's my father?" He spoke out again.
Lia’s almost cut herself with the knife in her hands as she stopped abruptly.
For the next few seconds, she blanked out. 
Of all things she expected him to say, that one wasn’t part of them. 
He’s a curious boy but never that curious. 
She turned and faced him. He had an expectant look on his face. 
Lia sughed and walked to take the seat in front of him. 
“Um, your dad is…dead”, she lied. She didn’t exactly lie. She didn’t know. 
She immediately shook her head. 
“Wait, that’s not true”, she looked up at him and he was still staring at her with the same expectant look. She stretched out her hand to him. He immediately grabbed it. She almost let out a small cry. He really wanted to know. She was going to tell the truth. 

“Your father and I used to work at this factory. We were both young and kind of stupid”, she let out a small chuckle her mind going back to 18 years earlier. 
“He liked me and I liked him and one day, he got the courage and asked me out. We got drunk that night and we slept together that led me to conceiving you. It was the best and worst night of my life. The next morning, he was just gone. I couldn’t find him. I looked everywhere. It was like he just vanished from the face of the earth. I never got to introduce you to him”

She looked up to see his reaction. He still had the same blank look but something flashed in his eyes; disappointment. 

Lia felt her heart break. She was about to apologise when someone interrupted her. 

“Mother, we have a visitor”, Kathy announced from the door. 

Lia turned to face her son, “We’ll continue this later”

He nodded eagerly then went back to his sketching.

Lia smiled and stood up to kiss his forehead. 

Kathy entered at that moment with a strange woman. 

Lia immediately grew tense and let her guard up. She turned to look at Chris. He had his face turned the other way now.

The woman who stood in front of her looked rich and she didn’t trust rich people; she didn't trust people at all but  had it worse for rich people.

Dressed in a dress suit with her dark hair tied in a bun with minimal make up, the woman in her house was very beautiful.
“Hi, I’m Ms West but you can call me Lena”, she introduced herself with a smile. 
Lia was still on edge but she calmed down a fraction due to the smile. 

“I’m Lia. Call me Lia”

Lena smiled again before her eyes noticed Chris who was munching on an apple looking away from her.

“And you must be Chris”, she said to him. 

Chris ignored her and bit more into his apple as if it was the last meal he would ever have.
“He’s wary of strangers”, Kathy explained to Lena. 
“Oh, it’s Ok. I understand but I promise I come in peace. Your daughter Kathy led me here”
Hearing Kathy’s name, Chris turned. 
Kathy goes to Chris and whispered in his ear. His expression changed from confusion to understanding. 
Lia realised Lena was still standing. 
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t offer you a seat or anything. Please have a seat”
She directed Lena to sit on the only armchair in the room.
“It’s alright. I’m sure you weren’t expecting some weird woman to show up in your apartment”
“What? You’re not weird at all; I think you’re very beautiful”
Lia’s cheeks immediately turned crimson after what she said. 
Seriously, she didn’t just flirt with a woman she just met and in front of her kids.
I need some love in my life. 
Lena simply smiled. She was flattered and she thought Lia was an astoundingly beautiful woman. She would have made a move but the whole situation seemed inappropriate and she was there for a whole other reason. 
“Do you by any chance know Mrs Jessica Borghese?”
The little smile on Lia’s face immediately turned into a frown. 
Well would you look at that?