A Love Lost

Chapter 44

The next week Hallie and Max had another session. Hallie wasn't sure it was going to work. Hallie and Max Jr. were sitting at the kitchen table. Hallie had just finished helping Max with his homework.

"Dad's not coming back is he?" Max Jr. asked.

"I won't lie to you." "I don't know the answer to that right now."

"What happened?"

"He did something wrong."

"What?"

"I can't tell you yet." "Since your sisters are busy this weekend, let's take a trip."

"Where?"

"I want to take you to Atlanta."

"Why?"

"It's really fun there."

"Ok, we can go."

"Great." "We're gonna meet up with a friend of mine."

"Who?"

"His name is Sam."

Later that night, after putting the girls to bed, Hallie was downstairs doing the dishes. Her phone rang

"Hello?" She said.

"You're taking our son to meet that bastard?!" Max said angrily.

"Yes, I'm taking my son to meet his real father." She said in a lowered voice.

"What are you gonna tell him?"

"Most of the truth, that you knew he wasn't yours the whole time."

"Please don't do this to me Hallie, please."

"You did this to yourself Max." She hung up.

So it wasn't obvious about why they were really there, after checking into the hotel, Hallie took Max Jr. sightseeing. After that they went to Sam's house. The same one Hallie had lived in when they were married. They'd just walked through the door.

"Hey you guys." Sam said coming up to them.

"Hi." Hallie said. She turned to Max Jr. "Max this is Sam."

"Hi." Max said.

"Hi Max." Sam said. "I've heard a lot about you." Sam knew he had to keep his emotions in check but he couldn't believe he was talking to his son.

"Do you still have the ring in the basement?" Hallie asked looking at Sam.

"Yeah."

"You have a ring in your basement?" Max asked.

"Yeah."

They all went down to the basement.

"Cool." Max said. "I train with my dad sometimes when we go to the arenas." "Do you know my dad?" He asked looking at Sam.

"Yes, we worked together in AEW." Sam said. "That's where I met your mom."

Sam took them all out to dinner. They were eating and talking.

"How do you like Atlanta?" Sam asked looking at Max Jr.

"It's pretty cool." Max said. "Mom seems like she really knows the area."

"That's because I used to live here." "Sam is my ex-husband."

"You were married before dad?" Max said surprised.

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"Well, I got pregnant but I lost the baby."

"I'm sorry."

"After that I didn't process my emotions very well and I was a total jerk to your mom." Sam said. "I left her."

"It's nice that you guys could stay friends."

The next day Sam took Max Jr. skating while Hallie hung around Sam's house. They got back at about dusk. Sam had a plastic bag in his hand.

"Did you guys have fun?" Hallie asked.

"Sam taught me a new trick." Max Jr said.

"Cool."

"I bought some steaks." Sam said. "I'm gonna grill them up."

After dinner they were all in the living room.

"Max, Sam and I have something to tell you." Hallie said. "After we tell you, what ever you're feeling is ok." "While I was dating your dad, I would occasionally still see Sam." "During a time I was seeing both of them, I got pregnant, with you." "We had a paternity test and it said your dad was your dad." "Then thirteen years later you and I sent our DNA into 23&Me." "When the test results came back, they said that your father is actually Sam." "That's why I took you to that DNA center to have it again and the results came back the same." "Your dad's not living with us right now because he knew all this time Sam was your father and never said anything." "When I found out I kicked him out."

"What about Melissa and Ashley?" Max Jr. asked.

"He's their father."

"Max I know you'll probably never think of me as your father and that's ok." Sam said. "I'm not going to push you." "I would just like some type of relationship."

"I wanna go home mom." Max went out, got into the passenger side of the car and got in. He started to cry. He felt so hurt and confused. Hallie got in the driver's side and hugged him.

"I know baby, ssh, it's ok."