WEIGHTED 7

Tyrone Robert

FLASHBACKS

It had been a whole day since I brought the sleeping beauty to my house. A whole day since I last saw those mesmerizing Ebony eyes.

Since my son refused to be apart from her, I had to bring her to my room to keep her from crushing him in her unconscious state. He Didn’t wake up the whole time unless I woke him to feed him, even then he would roam his small hands on her body as if to make sure he’s still with her before letting me feed him. After he finished he would clutch her clothes firmly in his small fists before he sleeps again.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get it, how did she manage to calm a new born child in an unconscious state.

When a week passed in the same way, I called the doctor to check on her once again.

He said that her mind is protecting her in its own way from a trauma she experienced recently, she can’t handle the real world for the moment, so she created another world and is living in it. That she was awake but unaware of her surroundings.

Only a month after did she snap out of it. I caught her putting my sleeping son in his crib, I followed her trying to convince the guard to open the gate for her.

‘Where are you going?’ I asked when I approached her.

‘Who are you?’ Why did you bring me here? Where is this place? How did you fin…’

‘Woah, woah, one by one, so that I can answer.’ I interrupted.

‘Well?’ She urged.

‘Can we go inside, I have something I would much rather discuss in private.’ I said eying the guard.

She nodded and followed me to the living room.

‘Well, for starters, I’m Tyrone Robert, you’re in my house which is by the way 3 hours away from the city, and I brought you here because when I saved you from your suicide attempt, I didn’t know where to bring you.’ I explained.

She mumbled something along the lines of ‘only the body, not the soul.’ I wanted to ask her what she meant, but it seemed she didn’t want to elaborate more on it, so I refrained from acting upon my thoughts.

‘What’s the important thing you wanted to discuss?’ She asked.

Before I could answer, I saw my bodyguard Luca descending the stairs with a wailing child.

The moment he stood next to her, my son extended his tiny arms forward for her to catch him which she did without a second thought.

She cradled him in her chest, and started humming to him, lulling him to sleep. He immediately stopped crying and started playing with her black locks while giggling.

She smiled at him. It wasn’t fake nor a forced smile, it was tender, loving and genuine. I froze in my spot, all words evaporated from my mind. I forgot how to move for a second.

Those dimples, they did wonders in messing up with my mind.

‘What were you saying?’ She inquired still looking at him and playing with him.

I didn’t answer immediately, I was too shocked to form a coherent sentence. She looked up when I didn’t talk, and raised an eyebrow.

‘Ummm….We will continue talking when Ethan sleeps.’ I said.

‘Ethan?’ She asked.

‘The baby.’ I clarified.

‘Ethan.’ She tested it on her tongue. Ethan giggled harder and started kicking his small legs. ‘Is that my cutie pie’s name?’ She asked him in a childish manner while tickling him. He only laughed harder and clutched her clothes.

The sight in front of me only made me believe that the decision I’m about to take is the best for all of us.

Ethan specially.

‘I’ll go upstairs to bath and feed him.’ She announced before leaving me and Luca alone.

Only after two hours of playing with him did he surrender to sleep.

‘Follow me!’ I told her after she put him in his crib.

‘What’s your name?’ I asked her when we entered my room.

‘That’s the important thing you wanted to talk about?’ She asked sarcastically.

‘No, but it would be good to know your name instead of referring to you as ‘the sleeping beauty,’ don’t you think?’ I asked.

She didn’t blush when I called her ‘sleeping beauty’ as I expected, instead she looked furious. She glared at me before answering. ‘Elize,’ she replied curtly.

‘Well, Elize, will you marry me?’ I asked her.

She snapped her head up to meet my gaze and hissed. ‘Excuse me!’

‘Yes, but only on papers as a marriage of convenience.’ I said.

‘Why would you want that?’ She asked incredulously.

‘You see my son, Ethan didn’t stop crying from the moment I met him without any particular reason, and he seems to stop only when he’s with you, in your arms. I don’t want to have some gold digging ‘Sharmuta’ who’s only after my money, and doesn’t care about him, but he already chose his mother. YOU.’ I said. ‘Besides, you seem to like him too, you treat him better than that pathetic excuse of a biological mother of his ever did, so what you say?’ I asked.

‘You said it’s a marriage of convenience, so what’s in it for me?’ She asked.

‘I’ll grant you whatever you wish if you agree.’ I replied.

‘Then, you’ll do me a favour when the time comes.’ she said calmly, but her eyes held a promise of demise. OF DESTRUCTION.

I don’t know if I’ll ever regret this or not, but I agreed anyway for my son.

Alright!’ I agreed.

‘You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr Robert.’ She said extending her hand for a hand shake. I didn’t like the idea of her treating our marriage like a business deal, but I decided against voicing my thoughts since it was my idea to begin with and shook her hand…