Grateful | Fragile Hearts

chapter 5

In the elevator, he said nothing. He continued to study me from the other side of it. Ever so often his eyes would squint, as if he was trying to read through me.

The elevator dinged and he got out. We were on a high floor. I followed him to a door as he opened and held it for me. He took of his coat and began to put it on the coat rack, but then paused. He hesitated for a second and then put it around me.

"You're shivering" he told me.

I shook my head and tried to give it back to him. "Thank you, it's okay" I said and I tried to hand it to him. I was soaking wet. I didn't want to get this expensive jacket messed up.

He looked hard to me.

"Put it on. You're going to get sick. Your lips are already turning blue." He told me, leaving no room for argument.

"I don't want to mess it up."

"It's a piece of cloth. It's replaceable"

I caved and put it on. It's warmth immediately welcomed me like a cushion. It felt good.

I looked around, and saw we were in an office. A huge office with floor to ceiling windows. It looked grand.

He sat down at the desk. I took that as my cue to sit down in front of him.

He wasted no time. "Why are you here" he asked me, both hands on the desk, waiting for an answer.

I pulled out the envelope from my bag. I reached in and grabbed the picture with him and my mom. I looked to it for a second, and then slit it across the desk to him. He grabbed it and looked to it.  He picked it up and studied it. His eyebrows furrowed for a few seconds.

"Where the fuck did you get this?" He asked me, angrily.

I didn't answer him. I pulled out the next photo of him and my mom again, and gave it to him. He grabbed that one too and began to look at it. There was one more picture. The one with my mom holding me and looking at the flowers. After a few minutes, I slid that one to him too.

He looked at it in disbelief. He started to shake his head. "This can't be true" he said to himself.

I then grabbed my birth certificate and slid it to him slowly.

He was in shock.

"How could this be?" He asked himself as he shook his head. He rubbed his neck.

He finally looked up to me. "Is this fake?" He asked me seriously.

I shook my head. "I'm just as shocked as you are." I told him softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm not buying this. You have to do better" he told me as he shook his head and stood up.

Tears gathered in my eyes. "I'm not lying." I pulled out the letter from my grandma. "Here, look, read this." I said and I gave it to him.

He took it from my hand and read the whole thing.

He shook his head again. "Bullshit, you're coming with me." He said and he guided me out the door.