History

Chapter Ten

~Kota's POV~

Closing the door behind me, I take in Sang and our son perched on the couch. The first thing I notice is Sang kneeling and fury over people I haven't seen in so long overwhelms me. The fact that they still have control over her, even in this slightest bit, makes me wish I had done more than take Sang away from them. They deserved far more. Her father should be rotting away in prison, as well as her stepmother, but I couldn't do those things without exposing Sang and she had been far more important at the time than justice.

"Sang, get up sweetie." I try to keep my tone light, but I know some of the anger I feel toward those vile people leaks into it when she shakes her head at me, though she complies with my command.

It's crazy that we can still read each other after so long. How we can understand what the other is thinking, feeling, with just a single look or word. It had taken us a while to get comfortable with one another when we had met on that fateful night. Sang was this shy little creature I couldn't help but be drawn to. She was insecure, afraid, and skeptical of my motivations. Yet, she took a chance on me. She allowed me in that night and everything had unfolded from there. Sang became my everything.

My feet have a mind of their own and they are beside her before I'd even made a conscious request. I take a seat in front of them on the coffee table while Sang sits beside our son on the couch. He is clutching her hand tightly while gazing at me with an unknown emotion. Hesitantly, I reach out and slowly run my hand down his hair. A shaky breath releases from me when he closes his eyes to savor the contact. I want to break down into tears, like I've done several times in the last six years when I thought of never seeing Sang again, but I have to hold it together. We need answers and we can only get those after asking questions. Even if it's the furthest thing on my mind.

"I have so many questions, but I have no idea where to begin. Actually, that's a lie. I know exactly where I need to begin." My voice is a whisper and I slide off the table to kneel in front of both of them, taking one of each of their hands into mine. "There are not enough words in the English language for me to convey how sorry I am that I wasn't there for either of you. If there is one thing you take from this, it is my sincerest apology for everything you've had to experience without me there beside you. Never doubt that you weren't far from my mind, Sang. I've done nothing but miss and search for you for the last six years. Desperate to have you in my life once more." A crack in my voice has me swallowing down the pain in my heart and the tears threatening to consume my eyes. "I have loved you since the day you came into my life and have continued to do so while you were gone. No matter what happens now, I need you to know that. I will never, I mean never, allow you to be apart from me again."

Sang looks at me with tears in her eyes, while our son launches himself at me. And then destroys me with one single sentence. I can't hold back the tears that flood my eyes as I hold tight to the child I never got to know. The child I was denied by the organization that had said to always put family first.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, son."

It doesn't matter that I know nothing about him. He's mine and that's all I need to know. Learning about him can come later, but the moment I laid eyes on him this overwhelming sense of rightness and protectiveness washed over me. I would lay down my life for this boy without thought or hesitancy. There was just something within me that recognized him. Knew that he was my flesh and blood. As I clutch him to me, I think of the pressures and hardships he has had to face with only his mother there to guide him. There is no doubt in my mind that Sang has raised him to be a smart, independent little boy, but there are just some things that you need your father for. Things he needed me there for and I wasn't. My arms tighten further.

Looking up to Sang, I see she has allowed the tears to fall as well and a small laugh escapes me. Joy, unlike anything I've ever felt before, centers me into the moment and I can't believe she is here. In front of me.

"There is so much we need to talk about, but I think we need to have Sean in here with us as well."

As if my words have summoned him, he comes through the sliding door, stopping to take in the scene before him. I notice he's lost the anger in his eyes and only sadness and understanding reside within them as well.

"Pookie, let's dry those tears. What do you say?"

She giggles and uses her fingers to wipe away the evidence of her sadness, and hopefully joy as well.

"Now, Pookie, you know the rule about those giggles. Let's stop it right now before we make Kota and little Jameson uncomfortable."

The sentence has Sang stopping her laugh immediately and looking between the two of us. Fear and uncertainty covers her gaze and she begins fidgeting with her fingers, her eyes now downcast. My eyes harden and turn to shoot Sean a look, whatever his comment was supposed to elicit, it did the opposite.

"Pookie," he calls out, but she ignores. "Sang, you know I'm just trying to break up the tension. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm not going to do anything to put you into an uncomfortable position. Not until we get this situation cleared up. Okay?"

She nods, but doesn't look up at him, still staring down at her fingers as she wrings them together. Sean comes to sit next to hear, placing a gentle finger under her chin to bring her gaze up to his.

"There is no precedent for a situation like this, Sang. You know how I am. I flirt and make inappropriate comments to break the tension. That's all that was. I'm only willing to do what you are comfortable with. Have I ever given you reason to doubt this?"

A tiny smile lifts at her lips. Jealousy threatens to have me pull her away from Sean, but I know I need to keep a level head. Keep calm. I haven't been in her life for the last six years. Sean has been the one there for her the last several months. The way he had talked about his girlfriend I knew her cared for her deeply, despite the amount of flack several of my brothers had been giving him concerning dating a girl with a kid. Unreasonable anger unfurls within my blood when I realize they were bashing my child, my son. I had never cared one way or another about Sean's love life, too focused on trying to get the love of my own life back, but I was happy that he was happy. I never wanted to deny my brother the happiness of finding someone to complete them. I had first hand knowledge of what it was like to be unhappy because of loving someone. I would never wish that upon someone. Yet things were different now. Far more complicated than anyone could ever imagine.

How could I take Sean's happiness away?

How could I share Sang? My son?

Just what in the world were we going to do with this situation.

Sang turns to me, searching my eyes for something, I'm not sure what. I'm not even sure she knows what she's looking for. She looks just as lost as I do, but her gaze softens when she looks to Jameson in my arms, him still clutching at my neck. We haven't let each other go, though I doubt I'll be able to anytime soon.

"What do we do?" her question comes at a whisper, reflecting exactly what I'd been thinking. Our eyes look between the three of us and we simply sit there in silence, gauging the other's reactions to what is happening between us.

It's broken when the rest of my brothers barge into the house demanding answers from us.