Still You

(Chapter 2) Final Chapter

Part 2

Mia shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she desperately tried to calm her nerves. She could feel Clyde's eyes watching her intently. Focusing her attention on the menu in front of her, she pretended to be pre-occupied.

"You look great." he suddenly muttered with a smile. That same smile that always made her knees go weak with desire. The same smile she always longed to see. But that was way back then. Way back before he'd made a pity fool of her.

"I know." she replied coldly. "Let's order and eat so I could leave and get this over with."

Clyde's smile faded and was instantly replaced with a hurt expression, but it was gone before Mia could see.

He ordered diced chicken with cashewnuts and mushroom, as well as his favourite dimsum. Just as Mia thought. He hadn't changed at all.

•••

Mia could barely taste the food in front of her. She felt awkward and her heart would go on a beating spree everytime Clyde secretly glanced at her. She wished she would just disappear. Deep down somewhere in her womanhood, she was drawn by his masculine scent. She would never forget his favourite Calvin Klein perfume. For a moment, she wanted to be a slave to his charm once again. But she quickly threw off the thought.

"Why did you suddenly disappear?" Clyde blurted, staring at her hard.

"Why did you play me?" she replied mockingly. Clyde's forehead creased.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"Wow, cheating is quite defeaning." she stated sarcastically. Where was she getting the strength to say all this?

"Me?" he frowned as he put down his fork and pointed a finger at his chest, "Cheating?" his faced looked utterly puzzled. What a good actor, Mia thought.

Clyde shook his head, "Look, babe I don't know what you're talking about."

Babe? Oh, how she missed that endearment. "You know what Clyde, let's stop this. I'm happy with my life."

"How could you be happy? Did you know I almost died when you left? Did you ever hear that I almost ruined my life... because of you?" his breathing became rapid as his jaws clenched, "I lived in hell when you walked away from me. I was in the dark. I couldn't find a reason as to why you had to leave."

Mia gazed at Clyde's face. She couldn't tell if he was sincere or not, but either way, his 'confession' sent a glimmer of hope in her thudding heart. She'd never seen him looking so pathetic, as now. He was a jolly person with a positive outlook in life. One of the things about him that she found attractive.

"Don't speak as if you suffered because frankly, you don't know two fucks about what suffering is. Do you know what I went through, huh?" she hissed through gritted teeth, not wanting to make a scene. Hell, she was so angry it probably wouldn't have mattered.

A cellphone ringtone broke through the intense atmosphere and calmed their raging outbursts. "Hello? What?! Oh my God! What hospital?" Mia cried into the phone, clutching it so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Is something wrong?" Clyde asked, his face masked with worry.

"Nathan. He's in the hospital." Mia was on the verge of tears. When it came to Nathan, she was weak. She gathered her bag.

"Nathan?" Clyde seemed puzzled.

Mia stared at him for a while, her vision blurry from her tears. It was probably time he knew.

"He's our son." she confessed, looking down.

"W-What?" Clyde's eyes widened in shock.

"You heard me. Nathan is our son and he's in the hospital. He got struck by a car." Clyde stared at Mia, absorbing what she had just told him. He swallowed.

He wanted to be angry at her for keeping this a secret, but instead, he held her hand. His heart squeezed from the sad sight of seeing his woman crying.

"Which hospital?"

"Blane General Hospital."

•••

Mia clutched the door handle tightly as the car zoomed about 100 miles per hour down the road. Clyde still held her hand as if he was scared she'd disappear. And she let him.

When they arrived at the hospital, they rushed to see the doctor. Nathan was okay. He'd gotten minor injuries and some scrapes. He was sleeping.

Mia's heart broke when she saw her son. He was laying on the hospital bed as his teacher napped on the couch. He had a cut on his arm and a small bandage wrapped around his head. She sprinted towards him and greeted his cheeks with a kiss.

"Baby, mommy's here." she said softly, as if Nathan was something fragile that could break at any moment. Clyde still hadn't recovered from the shock. He gazed at the child. His own flesh and blood was in front of him. And even though he was sleeping, there was no doubt that he looked exactly like him.

"How could you hide him from me?" Clyde managed to ask, his voice filled with a twinge of rage.

"Who's Jen?"

Clyde frowned.

"I came to your house on your twenty first birthday to give you my present. And I.. I found a picture," a lump swelled up in her throat as she recalled to that day, which instantly opened up the cut in her heart that she'd been working so hard to close up. "There was a picture of her on your desk... and I... I read the back. You played me, Clyde." she muttered accusingly, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Jen?" Clyde looked taken aback as he shook his head. He shuffled in his pockets and took out his wallet. "Is she the one?" he asked, pointing to a picture.

A tear slid down Mia's cheek. It was her, alright. And she was in his wallet.

"Jenny is my sister in law. She's Ron's wife." he explained.

Mia let out a gasp. She remembered the salutation on the back of the picture. It said Ron.

She cried for the wasted time. For the lost chances to make memorable memories.

Clyde took her hands and looked deep into her eyes.

"Do you by any chance... still love me?" he whispered, gazing down at her with his green eyes.

She nodded meekly.

Clyde took her chin and craned it up, then kissed her. It was quick, but passionate. She felt the familiar sensation of his lips.

"I love you. Nothing changed. You're the only one here," he said quietly, putting a hand to his heart. Mia could taste the sweetness in his words.

"M-Mommy...?" Nathan called, his voice dry.

She whipped her neck around and looked at her son. "I'm here, Nate."

Nathan glanced at Clyde.

"Who's he, mommy? Did he make you cry?" he asked with a pout as if he, himself was about to cry.

Clyde was drowning in an invisible pool of happiness when he heard his son's voice. Unconsciously, a smile drew up on his lips.

"No, Nathan. He didn't make me cry," Mia explained, smiling down at him."He's your dad."

"D-Dad?" he asked innocently as his eyes opened just a tad wider.

"Yes, it's me. Your dad," Clyde smiled at Nathan, moving closer to him. He kissed him on his forehead.

"Why did you take so long?" Nathan asked cutely.

Clyde looked at Mia and smiled.

"It was traffic. I promise, when you get better, we'll go around town and eat ice cream. Lots of it," he grinned giddily like a child. Mia couldn't help but smile at the sight. How long had she been waiting for this moment?

"Can you buy me a bike? Mommy doesn't want me to get hurt again," the child's eyes lit up.

"Sure, son."

Mia beamed at her son... their son. She stood beside Clyde and let him put his arms around her waist. She knew from that moment, her life would be complete.

•The End•