Chapter eighteen

"Hey!" I called.

He was still there, where I left him and he still was glued there, to the floor.

"Come in for a moment, we need to talk" I told him.

He stared with his eyes wide opened as if he was asking 'really?'

"Please do!" I persuaded.

*****

"Thanks for inviting me in" he thanked.

We sat and I fell quiet. I didn't even know why I had invited him. He had taken...

"I miss you" he said bringing me back to reality.

I gave a scoff looking away.

"And that ring is still looking for a finger to rest upon" he added.

It was that time I remembered he had wanted to propose. I had forgotten, totally.

"I'm really sorry for everything. I've failed you as a lover and I've failed to give my kids a better home..."

"They are our kids Mason, when are you going to learn that?" I asked interrupting his 'big speech'

"Ok, our kids... I talked to Carrie, she explained it all as a lady what you've been going through with me. Been with me without a guarantee. I know you'd have been scared, afraid, if I had decided to move on just like that, you wouldn't have anything against me. That's why now, instead of apologizing, I wanna do the right thing. Come back in my life, not as the mother of my kids, but as my lawfully wedded wife..."

That's what I wanted all these years but it's taken him this long to do the right thing. Parents issue.

He gave a pause with a chuckle as he continued:

"It's funny how I remember when we started off and that time, all I thought of was loving you and making a family. All I wanted to do was make you happy and I know I did that, but maybe what you got wasn't true happiness, you wanted more, I didn't see that early. It piss me off to see how much we've grown together but now, we have to fall apart. But I wanna be here with you, through everything. I want both our kids to grow with us together and not apart"

"Three kids Mason, that's what we're gonna have soon..." I quietly said staring at him.

It took him time to figure what I had said and his face immediately brightened in realization as he did.

"We're having another baby?" he asked with a pause as I gave a nod.

"And I don't want to do this alone, cause I can't"

"Then you don't have to... Common!"

I rested firmly on the chair with a deep sigh. Mason moved closer to me as he held unto both my hands.

"I'm sorry" he whispered.

"I'm really sorry for how things had turned out for you, and our kids, I'm so sorry"

'Our kids', that's what I wanted to hear.

Not his usual statement where he calls them his like I wasn't part of them.

"I don't wanna fail these kids Avey, I really don't wanna seem less of a father cause I couldn't provide them with a family..."

"It's okay Mason, I've heard enough..." I said with a giggle.

He smiled back with a thank you as he moved closer to me.

"I missed you..." I noted as I ran my finger through his face facing him.

I stayed like that for a moment, close to him, with my eyes locked with his. I could see it in his face. He was stopping himself from kissing me, didn't know if that was the right thing to do, perhaps as we only just reconciled.

"If you guys wanna kiss, just do it already..." a voice complained.

It was my mom and as she talked, we both back away from each other as he got up the chair.

"How long have you been standing there mom?" I questioned.

"I should get going" Mason said rubbing his palm against each other.

"I'll be here tomorrow..." he added staring at me with a smile.

"Common son, it's pretty late already. We've got plenty of space, you could stay back..."

"No mom, really, it's not necessary..." he told her smiling.

He had grown to call my mom 'mom' over the years and I just smiled hearing how natural it sounded.