Scared To Love You Again

57

Leila

Almost a two weeks has gone by and Damian still hasn't woken up yet. My poor baby. Mama said she'll stop by in like an hour or so to check in on her son. Everyone including my father has brought Damian flowers and gifts along with Apollo bringing Mateo by so that he could see his... uncle. Despite the the mother of his child, they've made a beautiful baby together. Fernando couldn't bare to see Damian in his state so he would only stay for ten minutes and then took all the gifts that were given back to Damian's apartment. Thank God, because it was beginning to look like a typical hospital gift shop in here.

"Good morning, baby." I softly cooed to Damian, kissing his cheek. "How you feeling?" I placed a bag of his essentials in one of the chairs beside his bed. "I brought some of your things from the house. Your deodorant, your cologne, hair gel, razors, oh, and some cocoa butter Vaseline. No offense, but baby your lips is looking a little crusty with that tube in your mouth. It's alright, though. You know I got you." I rubbed some on his lips. "Can't have you out here looking all crazy."

I revert back to the television screen and realized they have him listening to the boring ass news channel. I grabbed for the remote and skipped over a bunch of nothing until I landed on Scary Movie 2. "Ooh, babe. One of our favorite movies is on." I sat back in the chair and just stared into Damian as he rested so peacefully. I looked all around at the monitors and tools surrounding him. The IV placed in his arm. "I can't wait til you come home, so I can feed you some real food." I wrapped my hand around his again. "What you think?" He lightly squeezed my hand, making my heart feel warm.

"I'm sure he'll love that." An unfamiliar voice drags my attention away from Damian to the door. An older man who looks very similar to Damian walks in. "He's, uh, always loved this movie." He chuckled nervously. "You probably don't know who I a-

"I know exactly who you are, Emilio." I said with heavy attitude. "I was already given the heads up about your unexpected arrival."

"Right. You must be Leila."

One of my eyebrows raise up in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you and Damian for a while."

"Oh. So in other words, you've been stalking us."

He stammers. "I.. well..."

"Why are you here, Emilio?"

"Well, um, isn't it obvious?" He smiled and motioned his hand to Damian.

I placed my hands on my hips.

He awkwardly scratches the back of his head. "He's gotten so big. He became a man after all."

"Always has been. No thanks to you. Now what do you want?"

"I want a relationship.. with my son."

"After everything you put him through? You think you can just waltz in here and demand a relationship from him. Why now huh? Because you feel bad? You want his money? Where the fuck were you when he needed you?"

"I didn't come here for his money. If I did, I would've popped up years ago."

"That's supposed to make it feel better?"

"No, but it's the truth. I was hoping..." he takes a step forward towards Damian's bed but I step in the way. Folding my arms in the process.

"You know you got a lot of fucking nerve coming here. Thinking Damian is just gonna fall under your command, because you said so. What? You're gonna beat him when he refuses your offer? He's not the same little boy you left all those years ago. You know... because of you... he has night terrors. It takes at least 15 to 20 minutes to pull him out of it. Where's the wife? She too pussy to face her demons?"

"She passed away five years ago."

"Mm. I'm sorry." I blankly let out with no intent of empathizing. Why would I show any sympathy for a woman who played along in his dreadful abuse.

"I know you're not, Leila. I'm not either." His words shocked me. "Honestly, it was a big weight off my shoulders when she died."

"What?"

"When I met his mother, I thought she was a saint. A blessing to my lonely life. We had our first born and then came Damian. I felt attached to him immediately when he first laid eyes on me. I vowed I would never let anyone hurt him."

I scoffed.

He continued. "I noticed one day, she was drinking so heavily. I assumed maybe it was about her postpartum depression, but this was something much different. I would find all sorts of drugs in her secret stashes, compartments, or whatever hiding places she had. I found them all. The bigger Damian grew the angrier she became, but I didn't understand why. We got into arguments where she would say I'd put him before her or how I was always spending time with him. That's what any parent would do, right? By the time he was three years old, she cried to me about how destructive he was becoming and that she couldn't control him. So, she sent me to resolve the issue."

"Issue? He was only three."

"I was aware." He sniffled. "I started taking the drugs as well shortly after. I was never taught to abuse and beat my children, but she believed in discipline. I loved my s-

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Mama shows up. "What you and that sadistic woman did wasn't love. You need to understand there's a line between discipline and abuse. If you loved him, why'd you leave him?" Mama's eyes trail behind us and she gasps.

I turn around to see what she's looking at and I'm startled as well when I find Damian's eyes open. They're red and staring directly at Emilio with lethal vengeance.

"Damian!" I squealed, crouching to his side.

"I'm gonna go get the doctor!" Mama shouted happily.

"Oh my God, Damian. Baby..." I hear the heart monitor go off as Damian's pulse increases as he continues to stare down his biological father. "No, baby. Look at me. Don't worry about him." I rest my hands on the sides of his face.

He doesn't budge.

I look back to Emilio. "You need to leave." He placed his hat on his head and disappears out of the room. Damian's monitor comes to his regularly steadied beeping.