The Man from the Netherlands

Chapter 2: The Exes (What makes me not believe in love)

 It was a hot Friday, I went to my daughter's school to pick her up. This would be the last days I will see her before I go to Amsterdam. I bought her new clothes and a new pink-huge teddy bear, I know she'll like this. She's used to me going in and out of the country. She'll come with me soon anyway. I would love to travel with my princess. She has been the most beautiful girl I have ever known in my entire life. She has been the most precious gift I have ever received, though it was an accident to meet her biological father. I can still remember how much I want to die when I found out I'm pregnant with the most evil guy I have ever known. It was never easy for me. It was so hard, that all I can see is that my life was totally ruined by mistake. If I only knew from the very start that Schuyler wouldn't be my happy ever after then I shouldn't have dated him, it was so hard to cope up with the mistakes. I will make sure that I will never feel the same pain again, either my daughter. I arrived at my daughter's school just in time. I got out of the car and I looked for her. The memories of being rejected by the man I love is still going around in circles in my head when I saw Victoria talking to a man. Wearing a dark-blue long sleeves-collared polo and he look really decent. I know this guy, I can't be wrong, fuck! Oh no, not my daughter. "Victoria!" I shouted, my voice is raised just enough for all the people around to notice me. "Mommy!" she called, and I'm a bit relaxed that she run as fast as she could towards me as soon as she saw me walking to her. The guy who's now few steps away from me and he looks like frozen when he heard my voice. "Didn't I told you not to talk to strangers?" I asked her with a bit of harshness in my voice. I hold her arm up and squeezed her a bit tight which made her cry. " I didn't mommy! He was asking for my name and if I could come with him, but I said 'no'!" she exclaims while crying. I saw my hands squeezed too much of her arm so I released it and hugged her, and before the guy turns, I told her to hold my hand. " Let's go baby! Mommy's present is waiting for you!" I told her to also hide the tension. "You really raised a very wonderful child, Helene Amieya." A guy from behind us talks. "... too bad I said no to you when you got her. I shouldn't have said no." he continues. "... she's really alert, she didn't really wanna tell me her name. She is a very bright kid. And beautiful like her mother." He goes on and on and as he says those words my tears are beginning to fall, I'm still trying to hold them in but it's unsuccessful. I can hear he smiles with a conceited attitude when he said those. My mind and heart is wrangling, if I should continue walking or I would turn around and see the guy who abandoned us for five years. "Mom, do you know him?" I heard Victoria say, but I didn't really focused on that. "Yes! Your mom knows me better than I know myself." The guy answered. I stood still for that position for a very long time. "Mom. I should just get in the car. Be quick! I'm hungry." And Victoria released her hand from mine and run straight to the car. I even saw her climbed into the back seat and hugged the huge-pink teddy bear that was supposed to be my surprise for her. "She's so like you Helena, well-mannered, who would've know that you will be able to raise such beautiful girl, no doubt she's mine too, she has qualities I have too. Her lips and ears looks exactly the same. Aren't those what you love about me?" and right after he said that, I turned around and slapped him right to his left cheek. I wasn't even sure if the distance between us is enough to reach his face. But it's a good thing he was just right in front of me. I placed all my energy on my hand, enough to hurt him and makes his bottom lip bleed. "You are stronger than before. I missed that soft hand that used to hold my hand while walking." He teases, while wiping the blood stain in his bottom lip using his thumb. "what do you want?" at last, I found where my voice is hiding herself. I can see my subconscious froze for a bit in the back of my mind. My heart speaks for myself, why does this guy looks so good? My inner self shakes her head in frustration. I should've just kick him in the balls and walk away. But no, I have to know what does he wants from me and my daughter. "I thought you're dead." I said without looking at him. He laughed, a very evil-ish laugh. How can I miss his laugh? The memories of our happy times flashback so fast in minutes. I shake my head to wake me up from my day dream. "If you don't need anything I have to go, my daughter is waiting for me." And I turned my back at him and started walking. "I'm divorced, and I wanted to know if I can still go back. I have a lot of explanations to do. I know you would understand. We can start over again. Aimee, please." I can hear he is about to cry. "I stopped walking and without looking or turning my head on him, "Me and Victoria will be available tomorrow evening. We can have dinner after I bring her to her dentist." I really don't know why I agreed to see him, but maybe something inside me wants to hear his explanation for the whole five years that he never contacted me.---------------------------------------------------o0o----------------------------------------------------- "He looks like me, mommy." Victoria said I was shocked when she said that. "He's you father." I said while a start the engine, I am holding my tears back, hopefully she won't notice. "I know mommy." She answered and I was looking at her on the rear view mirror, she was looking at the huge-pink teddy bear while she plays with the bow tie on its neck. I don't know what to say, I know deep down her heart she always wanted to see her father. "I like this teddy mommy, thank you!" she looks at me, like she didn't know or witnessed anything a few moments ago. "Where would you like to have dinner?" "Anywhere, mommy." "Pizza?" "And shakes and ice creams." And puts a smile on her face. "Whoa! One by one sweetie, you won't want to have a tummy ache when you see daddy tomorrow." "I don't really need to see him." She almost whispers those words, and it crushes my heart hearing those. "...he hurt you so many times, and I don't like mommy to get hurt.", it's a good thing we haven't pulled into the traffic yet. So I was able to get out of the car first and opened the back seat door and hugged Victoria so tight. I wasn't able to hide my tears anymore. And burst out to my baby girl's neck. I can feel her hand through my hair. She is so strong, she didn't even cry when I pulled back myself from digging myself to her neck. " I will be the one to look after you, mommy, nobody can hurt you. And we won't need him." She said, which made me think that she's even stronger than me. For a five year old little girl to think mature. "But you also have to see him and meet him. He's still your father. Okay?" and she nod. "...but right now we need to eat first because mommy is hungry." "Me too." And my princess smiled. I pull away from her, closed the door in the back seat and get in to the driver's seat, put my seatbelt around me, placed the key in, turned it and the car is alive and we pulled into the traffic. We dined to this very nice pizza parlor, and while waiting for our orders, Victoria has been very playful this time. For the past 4 years that I wasn't able to see her gave us a gap, to which mothers should not give to her children. It has never been easy for me to be far from my daughter, but I just have to do that since I also need to earn for her. The drinks came and we eat while she continuously tells me her whole activity in school. I don't know if she does that just to keep the conversation away from her father's topic. Everything turned out well, until somebody with a familiar voice called my name, "Helena Aimayie Contez? 'he said, Victoria looked at the guy behind me, she smiles and waves at the guy which I think she recognizes. So I turned to my back and frown, I didn't thought of dealing with two exes today.---------------------------------------------------o0o----------------------------------------------------- Standing before us, is my first love, Matthew, he was my first boyfriend we started dating when I was in junior high, yeah we are still young that time but we are able to date and stay in a relationship for two years. I looked at Victoria and wonder why does she smile to this guy when she doesn't even know him, she still had that smile on her face as if she saw her crush. "Hi, Helena! What a pleasure to see you here? And she hands out his hand to me to give him shake hands, but I didn't take it. "... and hi to this beautiful young girl with you..." he turns his hand to Victoria, who seemed tantalized by how gorgeous this guy looks. "...your sister looks so shocked that she didn't give me a smile back." He said to Victoria. "She's not my sister." Victoria answered with a giggle. "Mommy he doesn't think you're my mom." She turns to me still holding Matt's hand while she giggles."Mommy?" Matt stare at me with a surprised look on his face. Again I can't find my voice so I nod, he sits down beside my kid, which was hypnotized by his charms and moved to her left so that Matt can sit beside her."Mister, don't I look beautiful like her to doubt that?" Victoria asked."Well you are as gorgeous as you're mom, and bright little girl too." He answered and smiling back at her. "... I think your mom lost her voice somewhere, what do you think?" he said but not looking at Victoria but right through my eyes.I cleared my throat, "Hi.. ugh.. Matt..." I said still trying to get distracted by how hot he looks right now. "Hello Helena? How have you been, it's been so long, 9 years?" he said, while he places both of his elbows on the table and put his hands together. "Yeah, 9 years." That's all I can say. "You have a very bright kid. I bet her father would be very proud of her." He complimented, he moved his eyes to my hands on the table searching for a ring on my fingers. Fortunately, our orders came, and I was able to remove my hands over and his too. "Would you like to eat? You can order too, my treat!" I suggested. "No, I'll pay for this." He said staring at me, while he gets the menu the server hands him, after placing his order, he took a slice of pizza with a tissue paper to hold onto and gave it to Victoria. " Thank you mister, and for treating us. Mommy loves to be treated." Victoria while eating the pizza. " I know." Matt said smiling. How can my daughter be so comfortable with him but not to her real father. Well, it's nice to see her this way, she has never went out with a guy with me.---------------------------------------------------o0o----------------------------------------------------- It's so nice to see Victoria this way, so comfortable, I know she's longing for a father that will treat her like a princess, I never knew she would need a father so bad. I thought me and my parents would be enough for her, but seeing her so happy with Matt makes me think being a mother isn't enough, though she told me she doesn't need anybody just me to stay with her. My heart melts every time she tells me I'm the only one she needs. I'll let her play with Matt for now, it seems like Matt likes playing with her too. This guy who used to be so thin and nerdy when we are still dating looks so damn hot but still nerdy right now. Matt plays with my Victoria and I catch him looking at me every time and then looks away and smile, which caused me to blush. Matthew find the perfect time to talk to me when Victoria plays on his mobile phone, "What happened Helena?" he asks while Victoria lie her head down to his lap. "I fell in love." I simply answered. "Where is he?" he speculatively asks. "Who?" I ask back, though I know what he's talking about. "Her father." He answered with a straight face, I know that look, from very playful to a very serious expression. He is still Matthew, my first love, he didn't change, just his physical appearance which is way better than before. "He is not in this country." I answered. "He's living abroad without marrying you?" There he goes, he got me there. "He abandoned us." My tears are filling up my waterline. From his bag he pulls out a pair of headset and placed it on his phone and placed on Victoria's ears. I know he did it on purpose. Victoria doesn't seem to notice that we want privacy of our conversation. "He abandoned us. I knew I was three months pregnant two months after we broke up. And when I told him, he said she isn't his." A tear fell on my left cheeks and wiped it as fast as I could, I'm not looking directly to him, my head is bowed and I'm looking at my tangled hands on my lap. "Why didn't you wait for me? I told you to wait cause I'll be back." "Don't you have anyone with you, that you have to barged in with us?" my voice was raised for a bit because of his unintentional trespassing in my life. "Answer me." He is still calm. "Because I don't have an assurance that you're coming back without that bitchy blonde girl with you. With how I look when we split up, I don't think you still want to go back to me." "With how you look when we split up, is the face I wanted to see and go back with." "You're just saying that. And, it's too late." "I didn't have anybody when I was studying, I was rushing myself to finish the university so that I can go back quickly." "It already happened. There's no point to argue this with you." We were surprised when we heard something fall. Matt got his phone from the floor and we notice that Victoria already fallen asleep, the pair of headset is still on her ears. He didn't remove it but I was surprised that he carry Victoria in his arms. He stood up, "We should take her home. She must be really tired." He stood up and went straight to the cashier, I followed him. "Can you do me a favor?" "What?" "Please get my card on my wallet." "Where's your wallet?" "Left back pocket." And he is referring to his pants' back pocket. I blushed. "You always do that before, even without my permission." He said and smiled, he successfully make me remember the old times when I used to ask him to buy me chocolates and he doesn't want me to eat more because I always get toothache because of sweets. And well, I got his wallet and hand his credit card to the cashier. After the payment has been made. We left the restaurant and head to the parking. "I'm coding, so I'm on my bike." "I have my car over there." "Would you mind if I go with you?" "Even if I don't want to, I know you'll insist." And I managed to smile. We walk towards my car and opened the back seat door, I placed the huge teddy bear on the other end of the back seat so that he will be able to place Victoria there. He got inside and put Victoria down. When he's done he get himself out off the car and as he rise outside, I smelled his fragrance. How can he still give me chills like this, it was over 9 years and I can still sense that we still know each other very well. "Helena, I still wanted to fix things up, I hope this wouldn't be the last time we'll talk." He said. I was looking at his eyes and got lost in it, that is why I'm not able to answer back quickly. Please, stay. As I saw him walk away towards his motorcycle, I felt a bit of pain inside me. "Matt, please stay." He stopped and turned to walk until he reaches in front of me. "Well, if you're not busy... or maybe not today... some other time will do..." I tend to rumble because he was staring back at me, and before I changed my mind he lift my face to meet his eyes, "I'd love to stay." We stared at each other for a couple of minutes. "...I'll follow you, I'll be using Hunter." He smile. I looked at him with a big question mark on my face. "Him." And he pointed his motorcycle. I gave him a understandable nod and get him into the car.-end of chapter 2-