The Chosen Son

Chapter 15

River

As I walked into the big house the guard told me that Dante wanted to see me in his office. I walked down the corridor as Jane ran up the stairs to see her mother. The guards waiting outside the door opened as I approached. Dante and my father were not in the room, so I walked over to the door that was in the corner of the room, which was a small room that Dante office where he did business in private. I knocked and enter the room to see my father and Dante laughing.

 

"River there you are, we are going to a charity my wife is a part of, I dug up one of my old suits, I think it will fit you nicely" he said pointing to a stack of clothing sitting on the empty chair next to my father "we will leave once the girls are finished getting dolled up, how was your first day of school" he said as he wrote some papers that sat in front of him, as my father nodded for me to sit.

 

"school was good, everything I expected a normal school to be like" I said as I sat and he started laughing

 

"it's a new experiences and I know it's not the most exciting job to do babysitting Jane, but I gave this job to you because you are the only person I believe that can handle and take care of Jane, the school will be out soon so you only have to tolerate for a few weeks" I nodded as he went back to writing "Jane will be 18 soon and married off soon after and you will have different assignment, but until then just try to get through this, I know it is difficult, but that is why I chose you" he said as he pushed the papers away in an irritated way.

 

"yes sir, I will do my best, I won't let you down sir" I said feeling nervous that maybe I did something that he was not pleased with.

 

"good, now when we go to the event tonight you and Jane will be taking a separate car then we are" he said gesturing toward my father "reporters are going to go frantic, first because they don't know who you are and second because you will be arriving alone with Jane. They're going to automatically assume that you too are together, so when they ask, tell them a version of the truth" Dante stood walked toward a bookshelf as he pulled a large square book, and started flipping through it.

 

I waited as he almost frantically searched until he stopped flipping pages and walked closer to where I stood and starched the book out toward me and I took it looking down to see it was a photo album. I looked at the photos that filled the book and was confused slightly by what I saw in a lot of the photos.

 

"take the book and go get changed, and have a story ready for when the press ask questions about whom you are and how you know Jane," I sat staring at the photos as he spoke so I nodded "good be down stairs in an hour, I'll collect the book from you later tonight when we get back it is clear that you need some time to remember things"

 

I nodded and got up leaving the room quickly as I thought about questions in my mind. I kind of thought Jane was a little dumb for not remembering us meeting, but clearly based on the photos I didn't even remember our first time meet accurately. I practically ran to my room as I closed the door and sat at the desk sitting the book next to the computer. Jane Room was empty and I figured she was still with her mom.

 

I looked back at the photo that made me smile, it was me as a very young toddler and an even younger blond curly hair little girl with giant blue eyes. We were sitting on a blanket holding hands smiling. I didn't remember this, but I guess I was just too young to remember this happening. I smiled looking at the other photo on the page of us playing at a park eating, are moms holding us in a pool together. I turned the page and almost froze at the site of one of the photo. Jane and I were older maybe around four, I could see both my parents and Jane mom in the background laughing around a table, but in the center was Jane with a big smile, with me holding her hand and kissing her cheek.