Chapters 21 - Ayumi Clarck

***Mother?

Some time later…*

Kaléo spent weeks persuading me to accept his proposal. He truly wants me by his side 24/7, which is why he offered me the position of Chief Architect in his company. I have a cozy office all to myself. Kaléo surprised me by hanging some old paintings on the wall, ones I didn't even know he still had. They are from our college days when I sketched our dream house. We were supposed to live there with our families, creating a big family with our loved ones around us.

My phone rings, interrupting my thoughts.

“Hi, April,” I say, pressing the button on the illuminated extension.

“Mr. Calvin is here to see you.”

“Ah, yes, let him in,” I say, ending the call and reaching for the control panel to tint the windows of my office.

My office is entirely made of smart glass, but before reaching it, there's a corridor with some open offices where I can see architects working at their desks. I press the control button, darkening the windows. I hear a knock on the door, and I invite the person in. He enters, looking as handsome as ever, and so imposing in his black suit.

“Hi, love! Are you very busy?” he says, but then looks at April. I smile and thank her silently, mouthing the words without making a sound. “Thank you very much, Miss,” Kaléo says, and she nods her head, closing the door.

“A little bit, but I'll make an exception for you,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck as he approaches and embraces my waist, giving me a quick kiss.

“I wanted to have lunch with my girlfriend today, at a special place!” he winks, smiling.

“And where would that be?” I can't stop smiling; he has that effect on me.

“It's a surprise, and you'll only find out if you agree to have lunch with me.”

“Hmm, I…” My phone rings, and I step away to answer it.

“Hi, April.”

“Miss, there's a lady here saying she wants to see you, but she doesn't have an appointment, and she insists.”

“That's strange!” Almost no one knows I work here.

“Should I turn her away?”

“No, you can bring her in. Thank you,” I say and hang up.

“Work?” he asks, sitting at the edge of my desk.

“No, there's a lady who wants to see me.”

“Do you want me to stay?” he asks, concerned. “It could be someone sent by him.” I step away from the desk and stand by his side, gently caressing his face.

“Yes, I do, but let's find out what she wants first,” I say, and there's a knock on the door. “Come in,” April opens the door.

“Miss, Mrs. Lunes,” she says, and as she speaks, a woman emerges from behind her and walks towards me, while April closes the door.

Her eyes are light, red, filled with unshed tears. She stops in front of me, and Mayke pulls me back slightly.

“I've finally found you!” she exclaims, extending her hand towards me, but I move further away.

“Um, please have a seat,” I say, pointing to the sofa near the glass wall, providing a beautiful view of the city of San Diego.

“I apologize if I startled you, but I've been searching for you for quite some time,” she says as she sits down.

“Would you like some water, coffee, or tea?” Mayke asks, taking my hand as we both sit on the other sofa. She looks at our hands and smiles.

“No, thank you, and I can see someone is taking care of you,” she says, pointing at our joined hands and sighing.

“Yes, why did you want to see me? And why were you looking for me?” I ask, trying to comprehend the situation.

“Let me start from the beginning, and I ask that you listen attentively before deciding whether to forgive me or not,” she sighs, lowering her head. She opens her bag and retrieves an envelope, extending it towards me. I release Mayke's hand, take the envelope, and open it, finding some photos inside.

“What does this mean?” I ask, looking at her.

“I will explain,” she begins. “Exactly twenty-four years ago, I had a daughter who was taken from my arms. Her father is a powerful man who got involved with a waitress for amusement when he was on a business trip in Santa Monica. I know I was naive enough to believe in his words, but he was so kind and loving to me that I never suspected anything.” I take the photos from the envelope and see several of a baby, then of a little girl, and… it's me!

“So, I became pregnant, and when I told him, he simply left me, taking the child away from me right after her birth. I spent years searching for you until I found out where you were and that he had abandoned you at the orphanage. But the owner of the orphanage had already adopted you, and I was afraid he would appear and harm you.” Tears stream down her face, and I am no different, unable to believe it.

“He found out that I had found you, so he kidnapped me and beat me. When they found me, I was almost dead. However, a kind man took care of me, and once I recovered and remembered everything that had happened, years had passed, and I went back to the orphanage, but you were no longer there, and I didn't know where to find you. Until the man who took care of me hired a detective, and I finally found you. Alfred would be so happy to meet you. I'm sure he would love you like the daughter he never had.” She says, running her ring finger over the wedding ring on her right hand.

I stare at her in disbelief. Finally, I was learning about my own history, but was it real?

“I know you might be wondering if this is true or not, but I can prove that I am your mother,” she says, wiping away her tears and opening her bag again, pulling out an envelope and handing it to me. “Here is your birth certificate, as well as all the hospital documentation from the day you were born. If everything I've shown you ben't enough, we can do a DNA test and… Overwhelmed with emotions, I stood up and threw myself into her arms, crying tears of happiness, sadness for everything she went through, and finally experiencing my mother's embrace.

•••••••• 🌺🦋🌺 ••••••••

“After some time, she leaves, and I will do everything to make up for the lost time that was taken from us,” I say.

“Yumi, I will investigate the authenticity of these documents,” I say.

“I appreciate it, but I don't believe she's lying. How could she lie when she's brought so much evidence? She knows things that only Mom Carmen knew!” Yumi responds.

“I understand, but it would be better if you took a DNA test to confirm if she is indeed your mother and…” My door is suddenly flung open, and Kaleo looks at us with disappointment and anger in his eyes.

“So she really is your mother?” he enters, closing the door behind him, and sits on the sofa in front of us. “Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends and that there would be no secrets between us.”

“Léo, calm down! I just found out myself, and how did you find out?” I ask.

“That woman walked out smiling and telling everyone that she had found her daughter. So I rushed to your office,” he explains.

“Hold on, man. I came to call Yumi for lunch, and then that lady showed up wanting to talk to her, and everything happened. You don't need to react like this. You should be happy for your friend finding her mother,” Mayke says, standing up.

“Look, I'm really annoyed right now, and I don't want to talk about this,” Léo says, getting up and walking towards the door but stops before opening it. “Take a DNA test first before getting too excited, and since you two have been such good buddies lately, Mayke, investigate this woman before Ayumi gets hurt again,” he says and leaves, closing the door behind him. I stare at the door, completely confused.

“What's gotten into him?” I ask Mayke, who sighs.

“I don't know, but he will come back later and apologize. You know him. Now let's have lunch, and then we will find out if these documents are authentic. And please, my love, do the DNA test, so we can have peace of mind,” says Mayke, hugging me tightly and kissing the top of my head.

“Okay, I'll do it,” I say, smiling, and he walks away. “Let's go!” I grab my bag and we leave the office.