angel baby (heavy editing)

13.0

(A/N: Happy New Year to everyone reading Oliver. I apologise that updates has been infrequent. I'll try to make up for it. Thanks to everyone who read and vote for this book. There are a lot of things I could do to improve this book and when I edit it later in the future, I will. Thanks so much once again. Stay safe and healthy.
This chapter is dedicated to kjh006 )

        The exhibition started a while ago. Chris wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole but it was impossible so he was all alone. Kathy was nowhere to be found, neither was his mother. She promised to be here. She broke her promise. He stood in a corner at the gallery as he played with his fidget toy. It was a squishy ball. He preferred Mr. Cubs but Kathy warned him against bringing out the old torn, worn out stuffed monkey in public because he wasn’t a child and in her word 'gross' . So the squishy would have to do.
Before he could blink, Evelyn appeared in his presence smiling more than usual. Chris knew his teacher was a person who had a lot of happiness in her but the one on her face was unusual.
“Chris, my boy, my talented genius. Everybody, at least the important ones are all intrigued by your painting. And we’ve decided to sell it to the highest bidder. Is that okay with you?”
Chris didn’t particularly care what happened with the painting. He barely put effort into it. He wanted to find Kathy.
“Have you seen Kathy?”
“Christopher, you’ll see your sister later. Your life is about to change forever. I bet Kathy will be really happy. Come on, everyone wants to meet the brain the genius piece of art”
“Have you seen Kathy? I really need to see Kathy”. He really needed to see Kathy.
Evelyn sighed.
“Okay, fine, I will, but first join the crowd, interact”
“I don’t want to”
“Chris, why not?”
“It makes me uncomfortable. Mom says I can’t tell emotions apart and I sometimes appear rude to people”
“Wow, that’s probably the most I’ve heard you speak. And yeah, I totally forgot you’re on the spectrum. I’m sorry”
“You didn’t do anything wrong”, he pouted. She didn’t do anything wrong.
Evelyn sighed again, “I’ve been too focused on the whole exhibition, and I didn’t bother checking the wellbeing of my student. I’m sorry I’ve pushed you to do something when you’re clearly uncomfortable. You know what? Screw the exhibition, would you like to go home?”
Chris eagerly nodded and smiled.
“Would you look at that? You should smile more, you cutie”, she softly squeezed his cheek.
“Come, I’ll get someone to take you home”
        Lia sat down at the doctor’s office lost in her thoughts. A few feet away, a woman she’d come to detest more sat with her husband who was holding her as if she were fragile. Lia wanted to roll her yes but realized how silly that would be. No matter how shady Jessica Borghese was, she had a great relationship with her husband and she respected that.
The big elephant sat in the room, almost choking it. What would happen now? So her son was switched at birth with their son. Where they going to be switched back?
Over my dead body, Lia thought.
Chris had lived with her for almost eighteen years. So they were not blood related, he would always be her son. Blood made people related, it was loyalty that made people family. 
  Who am I kidding? Lia thought.
She loved Chris more than life itself but she still wanted to know Oliver.
Oliver. Oliver was her biological son. She felt gob smacked as the realization dawned on her. She had seen him on TV many times.
Daniel, Jessica husband’s voice brought her out of thoughts.
“I think the first step to remedy all this is to tell the kids”
Oh god, how would Chris react to this? This would be the biggest change in his life. He didn’t handle changes well in the past. It was a miracle that he agreed to go to the art school without having any lash out. She still expected him to react one of these days. It was inconsistent like that but this, this could ruin him.
“How did this happen?” Jessica asked and Lia had the same exact question.
“It’s more common than you think actually. But usually, the mishap is often discovered a few months later, but this, 17 years, it’s quite unusual. Once again, we sincerely apologise. The doctors and nurses on duty that day will have a council to answer to”
If they still work here, Lia thought.
The whole situation was messed up.
         Later, Lia walked slowly out of the hospital. Her legs felt like overcooked pasta and her mouth felt like sandpaper. Nothing much was said after the doctor’s comment about the workers on duty that day facing the council. They all agreed to tell their children and a day they would all meet would be fixed later. The thought of telling Chris gave her a stomach ache. What would she do? How would he take this?
“Lia”
Another ache appeared in her chest.
She turned around to see the woman who walked briskly to catch her.
“Lena”
Once they were close enough, Lena smiled softly at her.
“Are you okay?” I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you”
Lia shrugged. It was difficult for her. It would be disastrous for Chris.
“Can I…Can I drop you off?”
Lia felt butterflies go off in her stomach.
“Uh, no thank you, I don’t want to bother you”
“It wouldn’t be a bother at all”, she smiled at her.
“Um, what about Jessica? I mean Mrs. Borghese”
Lena smiled even wider, “I’m off duty so I don’t think she would mind”
Lia doubted that. If she could avoid it, Jessica Borghese would rather associate with Elon Musk than associate with the likes of Lia, you know, poor people.
“Okay, sure”
“Alright, let’s go”
Lia nodded and they walked out of the hospital together.