|Destined With You|

Chapter 7.

Alexander

"I have a daughter." I announced at the dining table once the dessert was served receiving seconds of silence.

"And I have a seahorse. Happy April Fools!" My father was the one to break the silence.

"But Sir...it is months from April." Hannah reasoned meekly.

"Exactly. I have a daughter, her name is Adelaide."

"Erm...what are you talking about sweetie? Can you please be clear?" Mom coughed.

"How much more clear could I even be? I have a daughter named Adelaide here in Seattle."

"What-What are you talking about!?" Mom stood up dramatically.

"Yes...Mom, I was as surprised about this as you were. And I too-well I too received the news today."

"You came to know that you have a daughter today?" Dad stood up as well while Hannah sat opposite me with wide green eyes.

"Yes...she's five, maybe six...I dunno."

"Who-who's the mother?" Mom held the back of her chair for support. "Please don't tell me it's someone eminent..."

"N-no. It's someone I once had an...encounter with."

"Encounter?" That was the first word Hannah spoke, no, whispered.

"A one-night stand, alright?" I rolled my eyes.

"How could you be so stupid?" My mother's eyes shone with tears and she walked to me, I reluctantly stood up as well.

"So, what does the girl want now? Some money?" Dad asked, sighing audibly.

"No...she-Catalina does not want anything...but I do."

"W-what?" Hannah's eyes held fear as she stood up and whispered.

"I want my kid, at any cost."

"What are you saying?" Mom clutched my shoulder instantaneously and Dad walked to her to calm her down.

"Yes. I want my kid, and there is no fighting it. Hannah, I'm sorry if this hurts you." I gulped. "And if you want to break this up...I'm fine with that as well."

"N-no...Alexander, I would never."

"Have you even thought about this Alex?" Dad asked, being the practical one.

"Yes Dad, I'm very sure...I need to be with Adelaide, at any cost."

"Well, we can't do anything now, can we?" Dad rubbed Mom's back on assurance as she flopped down on the chair dramatically.

"Alex...what did you do?" Mom groaned throwing her head in her hands, and then sighed.

"Sweetheart...everything will be alright. Come, let's get you some sleep." Dad made her stand on her feet and without a second glance at me, they left for their bedroom.

"I'm sorry." I again apologised to a dumbfound Hannah.

"It's-it's alright." She placed her hand on my forearm and I tried not to brush it away. "We are the present now."

"Hey...I'm-I'm not forcing you to stay...if you want to leave."

"No...I don't. I wanna be here with you." She pushes a strand of curl out of her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure...go take some sleep." She smiled at me and with a kiss on my cheek, she departed to her room.

I might not develop any such feelings for her, no matter how pretty she is, but I do know that she is a pure soul. Who else would try to stay with their fiànce knowing that he would bring a child home out of nowhere claimimg it's her daughter?

The first thing I did when I reached my room was call the mother of my child, Catalina. We need to make everything clear now, regardless of how complicated it is. She answered it instantly.

"Somebody was waiting for my call, huh?" I felt humour creeping back up from where it had been buried since a few years, the business had ruined all of it, but now talking with her I felt it emerging again.

"Shut up. Why did you call right now?" I was rewarded by a hushed voice, as if she was hiding from somebody.

"Because we need to talk?"

"Well, we can't talk right now, okay? Call me at midnight-"

"Midnight, huh?" I teased.

"Will you stop? Call me late so that Ade is asleep and we can talk. If she finds us talking right now, she'll start with her questions. Alright?"

"Whatever. But let me tell you I-"

"Want your kid, yeah I know. Goodbye."

"Bye." I rolled my eyes and hung up.

***

At one o'clock I called her back again, and just like the other time, she picked up at the first ring.

"Waiting again." I couldn't help but smirk.

"Obviously I was waiting, why else would I stay up late?" I heard her hushed voice and after some shuffling, her usual sweet voice was back. "So, tell me whatever you want to know."

"I don't want to know much, I have to tell you a lot of things."

"Go ahead then."

"I'm bringing Adelaide to my home."

"Y-" I cut her off before she could speak more.

"Listen to me first. I've talked my parents into this. And Hannah has agreed to it as well, Hannah is my-"

"I know...I know."

"Y-yeah...she's co operative with all this. So, Ade is staying at mine. And obviously, if Ade stays...you'll be there too."

"Obviously." She whispered.

"So, you still make those ASMR videos?" I asked, remembering her occupation then.

"N-no...I don't. That wasn't enough to feed two."

I felt a pang in my heart knowing the struggle she'd been through. Only if I had known, I could give them such a better life. Here I was, enjoying my best life, when she was trying to make ends meet.

"So, what are you doing currently?"

"I write quizzes for Quizr [A/N:Fiction!]. And also blog about parenting now and then. Most of my work is from home, so I also babysit these kids from the apartment, teach them stuff."

"Oh."

"What about you? Heard about the company being handed over to you."

"Yes. It already is. I'm trying, I suppose." I shrugged, I was trying, but now with a child along the way, God knows what would happen next.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I would be making things awkward between you and your-"

"No...I'm sorry that you have to stay at mine because of all this. But there's no need for that as well, right? I'll try my best to take the quickest custody of Adelaide so you could leave as soon as you want."

"You would what?" Her voice was surprised as she spoke up, almost angry.

"You heard me." I chuckled, hanging up.

***