The Broken Tale

Greece

The little boy's attitude completely changed as soon as his mother left. Ali sat, working on his laptop as Layla packed the things she bought into different suitcases and stumbled down the stairs while carrying the heavy bags down the three twirling flight of stairs alone. The little boy followed Layla up the stairs, his little foot steps tip toeing behind her.
"Those bags are really heavy!" He said as he saw Layla pick up the last suitcase.
"Is it? I don't think it's that heavy." Layla replied with a smile.
"Wow! Are you like the hulk?" Lloyd asked with eyes of admiration.
Layla smiled and bent down, she wrapped her arm around him and he threw his arms around her neck as she picked him up.
"You're so much taller than Mommy! It's more fun when you pick me up." He said, sticking his arms up the air as if he was riding the roar coaster, "but how are you carrying me and the bag?"
Layla gave him a kiss on his soft, rosy cheek.
"I can carry you no matter what, Lloyd." She said.
She set him down and set the bag next to the others. Ali was leaning against the wall, smirking at them with crossed arms. Lloyd ran to him and Ali immediately picked him with a grin.
"You're so tall, Daddy!" Lloyd laughed.
Ali messed with Lloyd's head of long, soft blond hair.
"You know what?" Ali said, holding Lloyd's little wrist.
"What?"
"You'll grow up and be just as tall as me in no time," Ali said, his smile was rare, it wasn't menacing, it was genuinely happy and full of love and tender towards his son, "and then we'll hang out together and you'll drive us around."
Lloyd clapped his hands joyfully, "I can't wait! But will Lali come with us too?"
Layla smiled at the adorable way he called her 'Lali.'
"Do you want her to come with us?" Ali asked, looking at Layla.
"Yes!" Lloyd answered excitedly but his enthusiasm died out quickly, "but Mommy says that she'll beat me if I ask to hang out with Lali."
Layla sighed, it hurt her how a little innocent child was being threatened with beating just for liking someone his parents didn't like.
"Is that so?" Ali asked suspiciously.
"Yes. And she says that I have to pretend to hard Lali. And she also told me to tell you that she's ugly. But I don't think Lali is ugly, she's pwetty!"
Layla awed at his pronouncistion of the word pretty. She wished Lloyd was hers, she wished Ali would just bring him to live with them. She adored that little boy with all her heart.
"Thank you, little cutie." Layla replied.
"Let's go, or we'll miss our flight." Ali said, checking the time on his phone, "the chauffeurs will bring the bags, Layla."
They drove in silence, two chauffeurs drove another car behind them bringing their suitcases. Lloyd played video games on Ali's phone in the backseat. Layla played with her dress's belt anxiously and kept her eyes on the on going city they drove through to the airport.
"So, what did you buy?" Ali asked, trying to make small talk which was rare of him.
"How did you know I went to the mall?" Layla asked.
"I have a tracker on your phone." He answered very calmly, "anyway, so you didn't answer me."
"Clothes and girl's shit for Talya. And some gifts for Emmet."
"Emmet Thominos?"
Layla nodded.
"Talya lives in Athens right?" Ali asked, Layla didn't bother answering, she knew he knew the answer, "One of my employees will keep you company."
"You said that I could be alone with her." Layla was brave enough to say.
"I'm having some trouble with a bunch of bastards and I want someone to keep an eye on you in case they try to get close to you." Ali explained as he made a turn.
"Who is he?" Layla asked.
"A trusted friend of mine. Brian Levinos. He's like twenty-three or something and is a real gentleman."
Layla rolled her eyes, imagining what would be his version of a 'gentleman.'
"Are you excited to see Athens, son?" Ali said to Lloyd.
The little boy peeked his head out between them and said with a smile, "yes! I've seen it online! It's so beautiful, right, Lali?"
"Yes, honey, it's just gorgeous!" Layla replied cheerfully.
"Layla, there's a can of brandy under you, open it and give it to me, would you?" Ali asked her.
"Is it safe while you're driving?"
"Just do one goddamn thing without arguing, babe."
Layla sighed and obeyed. She couldn't have cared less if they both got into a car crash and died because of his irresponsibility but she didn't want anything to happen to Lloyd. She found a bag containing four cans of brandy underneath her seat. She opened it and handed it to him. He drove in silence, taking sips of it every now and then.
"Can I have one?" Layla asked, reliezing she needed something to soothe the annoyance it was to be in close proximity with Ali.
"Sure."
Layla opened another can for herself and drank half of it in one large gulp.
"What is that, daddy?" Lloyd asked from behind them.
"Just some special adult juice." Ali answered, "do you want to taste it?"
"Yes! Will it make me a man?"
"Ali, he's only four." Layla warned Ali.
But he didn't seem to care and handed the can to the little boy.
"It won't kill him." Ali answered carelessly, "my son's a man, right, Lloyd?"
The little boy made a disgusted face as he took a sip of the bitter drink. He handed it back to his father with disgust.
"It's bitter and gross!" He said.
"Don't be a pussy, Lloyd." Ali said to the little boy with disappointment.
Lloyd sunk back into his seat, his face had turned as red as a tomato from embarrassment . Layla felt sorry for him.
"It's okay, Llyod, I think it doesn't taste that good either." She tried to comfort him.
"Don't encourage him to be a damn coward, Laili." Ali called her out.
Layla sighed and looked out the window silently. How could he give his four year old son alcohol? And then be mad at her for trying to comfort him?
Layla didn't really say anything for the rest of the flight. It was a long fourteen hour flight and Layla was left to look out the window at the puffy clouds moving and colliding around them. Ali completely ignored her and spent the entire time watching movies with Lloyd, telling him stories of fights he had had as a child and holding him when he fell asleep. For once, Layla wished that they would be able to take a plane with other people whom she might be able to talk to not a private jet where she was alone. Layla was still staring out of the window at the darkness of the night, humming a tune to herself to fight off a thought bothering her when Ali sat next to her.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Layla was a little surprised by the question but sighed and looked at him, she knew she would have to tell either way.
"I have something I need to tell you."
Ali raised an eyebrow and gestured for her to continue. Layla took a deepbreath, she hated the words she had to say.
"I think I might be pregnant." She said, her voice trailing off at the last words
Ali barely had any reaction. He stared at her with a stone cold expression for a moment and said, "how long have you known?"
"I don't really know for sure yet," Layla answered sheepishly, "but my period is almost five weeks late and I thought maybe I might be pregnant."
Layla almost shut her eyes and waited for Ali to slap her for talking about periods infront of him, that was simply unseeable and disgraceful in Iraqi culture. But he didn't.
"I thought you were on birth control."
Layla shrugged, "birth control fails thirty percent of the time. Plus, I've been a bit busy so I haven't really been taking it a lot lately."
Ali just nodded slowly and broke from her eyes.
"Are you mad at me?" Layla asked nervously.
It took Ali a few moments to smile slightly and say, "no. I was just thinking of names for my new soon to be son."
Layla smiled with relief, "and I'll think of names for if it's a girl."
All of Ali's smiles disappeared into frowns.
"Anyway, once we land, I want you to take a test and tell me." He said, as if he was brushing off the subject.
Layla nodded, she was more than relieved that he had a decent reaction to her pregnancy, she was horrified that he might get angry, hit her or even hurt the baby if she really was pregnant.
"Aren't you tired?" Layla asked him when she noticed the eye bags under his eyes.
"A little, I guess."
Layla grinned at a new idea that came to her mind. She snuggled up against him, wrapping his arm over her shoulder and putting his other hand on her belly. He seemed surprised but pleased.
"They say fathers can feel the baby even before it's born." Layla said, looking up at him with a smile, "can you feel anything?"
Ali stared at her with a smirk and rubbed her belly.
"To be honest with you, Laili," he said, at first his words made her nervous but as his smirk grew, her nervousness washed away, "I can feel my son growing in there."
Layla smiled widely, "really?"
"This is the best thing you've done in our marriage, you know that?" Ali said, his voice sounded different, more peaceful, happier.
They finally landed and Greece was much colder. Personal servants carried down their suitcases and loaded them into a black Range Rover for them. Lloyd was awake and ecstatic, jumping up and down around Ali.
"Can we go now? Can we go now? Are we there? Are we there?" He kept on asking excitedly.
Ali laughed and picked him up, setting him on his broad shoulders.
"Yeah we'll go."
Down in the airport, four men were waiting for them. Allen, a black man with an Afro in a red button down shirt and a blue blazer, a blonde man in an all black outfit and black sunglasses, and a pale man with her black hair. Layla walked quietly behind Ali, holding Lloyd's hand and watched Ali shake hands with Allen and the blonde man.
"Damn you took a while to land." Allen commented.
"Yeah, I had a few things to take care of before we took off." Ali said with his hands on his hips.
"How was the fligh, Laili?" Allen asked when he noticed her standing awkwardly in her spot.
"It was fine," Layla smiled.
"Oh yeah, Layla, this is Brian Levinos, he'll be watching over you for the trip, Brian, this is my wife, Layla." Ali introduced her to the blonde man.
Brian offered his hand politely, Layla couldn't stop staring at him as she shook his hand. His perfectly sculpted jawline was complimented by a small but of stubble but not as much as Ali. She could feel his eyes glaring at her through his glasses, she didn't know else she felt except...uneasy. He made her feel...watched, scared.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs.Elmar." He said politely.
"You can just call me Layla." Layla
"You can just call me Layla."
"Elmar, you've got a meeting in less than forty minutes so let's get going." Allen cut in.
Layla heard Ali mumble curses under his breath. He sighed and planted a kiss on Layla's cheek and knelt down to kiss the top of Lloyd's head.
"I'll see you two later, alright?" He said.
Layla forced a smile on her lips and said, "don't overwork yourself."
"Why can't I come with you, daddy?" Lloyd pouted.
Ali knelt down and held him by both shoulders, a bright and comforting smile on his face.
"It's a place for work, you're a man now but up you'll need to be a bit older so you can come with daddy, alright?" Ali said to the little boy, "now I need you to be good and not give Layla trouble, alright?"
Lloyd nodded obediently.
"Good. We'll go out and have fun together later tonight, I promise."
The little boy said nothing and smiled at his father, trusting his promise. Ali gave him a pat on the head and got to his feet. He gave Layla another glance before he followed Allen and the other two men into another black SUV, leaving Layla and Lloyd alone with Brian.
"After you, Layla." Brian said to her, gesturing towards the car.
Layla smiled a thank you and held Lloyd's hand, guiding him into the backseat of the car and securing his seatbelt around his waist.
"Where are we going?" Lloyd asked as Layla was securing his seatbelt.
"We're going to visit one of my friends, honey."
"Who?"
"Her name is Talya, you'll like her." Layla reassured, "she loves handsome little boys like my little Lloyd."
Lloyd's face lit up, "okay! But can we get ice cream?"
"I'll buy you all the ice cream you want as soon as we get there, I promise, alright?"
He nodded.
Brian opened the passenger seat door for her, she could still feel his eyes piercing through her as she got in. He got into the driver's seat and began to drive out of the airport. He didn't ask her where she wanted him to take them or say anything at all, only adding to Layla's unease around him. Layla saw Lloyd staring out of the window in boredom through the side mirror, his shiny blonde hair was flying with the wind. She pulled out a phone Ali had bought him only for playing video games on and handed it to him. He gave it to Layla and told her to only give it to him if he was bored and warned Lloyd that he must only play games and he was not to on he Internet without something supervising him.
"But remember what your father said, honey." Layla reminded as he grabbed the phone from her hand with enthusiasm.
"Yes, I remember."
"Damn, if only his real mother was like you." Layla heard Brian mumble to himself.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked.
He seemed a bit startled, he hadn't expected nor wanted her to hear him.
"I've met Lisa before and she's completely careless," he began to explain, choosing to be honest, "it's nice to see someone providing the kid with a mother figure."
Layla smiled in flattery, nobody had ever complimented nor noticed how much she cared about Lloyd.
"Can you take us to Trail Creek Park?" Layla asked, changing the subject.
She checked her phone to see Talya texting her to meet in Trail Creek Park. Brian sighed and took a turn around a different road, even during the few weeks Layla spent in Athens, she barely knew the roads, highways and destinations very well. Layla stayed silent, thinking anxiously and excitedly about Talya, how much she missed her, how much she needed her. Raina, Leah and Noah were amazing friends but they couldn't replace Talya, she was special, she knew Layla right from the first day of kindergarten, they grew up, cried, laughed and fought together. But maybe things had changed? It has been over a year since they had last seen each other and Talya knew nothing of the abuse Layla was living. Layla desperately wanted to tell her but she wasn't sure if that would be a good idea. What if Ali decided to hurt Talya the way he wanted to hurt Raina? What if Talya didn't understand, what if she blamed Layla for lying to her and hiding things from her? And what if Layla was really pregnant? Could she tell Talya the truth about the rape that conceived the baby? Layla sighed and looked out the window at the blue sky, praying that things would be easier for once in her life.