Chapter 96 How My Mom Left
DEAN
24 years ago...
I was sitting in Dad's armchair while I waited for him to come so I could tell him the news.
Today I'm turning six, and because I've been very good this week, Daddy promised to take me for a walk with Mommy.
I'm so happy I can barely keep my little feet still; they're swinging from side to side with excitement.
Finally, for the first time, I can tell my school friends that I went out with my dad.
Since he's so busy, and always says he can't do this, or can't do that, because of his job.
But even though I don't spend much time with him, I love him very much, just like I love my mom.
"What are you doing in my office, Dean?" my dad asked after opening the door.
He looked tired and his face was anything but happy.
Is he sick?
"I'm here because I want to tell you something." I smiled, jumping out of his armchair.
"I don't have time for games, Dean." He sighed.
"It's not a joke, Dad, it's serious," I said, approaching him.
"Mom let me skip school for our outing."
"What kind of outing?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Dad, the outing you promised!" I smiled, hugging his legs.
"I'm so happy to be able to go for a walk with you and Mom."
"There's not going to be any outing." Dad pushed me away from him.
"I'm too tired to take you anywhere."
I looked at him, feeling my own eyes burning.
"But Dad..." I sobbed. "I thought you were going to spend my birthday with me."
"Don't make a scene, Dean, you know I can't give in to your whims." He frowned and walked away from me.
Please, da-dad! - I grabbed his legs.
I was sobbing and felt my little face getting wet with my tears.
For Dean! - He pulled me off his lap. - Stop throwing a tantrum.
But I'm not... - I sniffled.
"That's enough!" he yelled, throwing me to the ground.
"Go bother your mother!"
I looked at him one more time before running out of his office.
I ran through the house towards my mom's room, and found her sitting on the bed.
"Dean, my son!" she exclaimed.
"What happened?"
"Mommy!" I jumped into her arms.
"Daddy lied to me."
She stroked my head and placed a tender kiss on it.
"Don't cry, darling." She lifted my chin toward her face.
"Daddy didn't mean to."
"But Mom..." She wiped my face.
"I was so excited to go for a walk with him."
I let the tears well up in my eyes as she wiped them away.
"But I can still take you for a walk." She wrapped her arms around me.
"Seriously?" I looked at her hopefully.
"You can?"
"I can, but first I need to ask Dad." She smiled.
"Can you wait a moment?"
Yes! - I smiled and she poked my nose with the tip of her finger.
Good boy. - She put me down and left the room.
Do you think Dad will let me? I hope so.
I climbed onto Mommy's bed with some difficulty, because I was very short and the bed was very big, but when I managed it, I crossed my little legs and fixed my eyes on the door.
A few minutes later the door opened and my mom appeared with a huge smile on her face, but one of her cheeks was red.
"He left!" she exclaimed, smiling.
Yay! - I shouted, jumping out of bed and running into her arms.
But Mommy...
She looked at me, still smiling.
What is it, dear?
What is that red mark? - I touched her cheek.
"It's nothing, my son." She smiled sadly.
"Is this another one of those mysterious brands?" I asked, curious.
After all, Mom always showed up with some mysterious mark, which she always said was nothing.
Some appeared on her face, others on his arms, and even three appeared in one of his eyes at one point.
But the curious thing is that they always appeared after she saw my dad.
"Don't worry about it, darling." She stroked my face.
"Do you want to go to the amusement park?"
I want to! - I smiled and wrapped my little arms around her neck.
(...)
Mom and I spent the whole afternoon at the amusement park, where I went on several rides, including the Ferris wheel and the bumper cars.
I also ate a lot of delicious food, but my favorite was the honey-flavored cloud, which my mom called cotton candy.
I liked that cotton candy so much that I ate about four by myself, and the worst part was that after a while my stomach started to hurt.
"I shouldn't have let you eat that much sugar," my mom said while driving.
"It wasn't your fault," I said from the back seat.
"I just liked that honey cotton candy a little too much."
"It's cotton candy, darling." She smiled.
That's right. - I laughed.
Can we go to the amusement park more often?
"Of course," Mom replied, stopping the car in front of our house.
"But you have school tomorrow."
She took me out of the car seat and got out of the car with me in her arms.
"I love you, Mom," I said, smiling.
"I love you too, my little handsome." She kissed my dirty cheek and smiled.
"You need a bath urgently."
I nodded and she opened the front door, but Mom stopped as soon as she saw who was inside.
"Dad?" I asked, seeing that he was completely naked with another woman.
Were they playing doctor?
Amanda? - My father stepped away from the woman and came towards us. -
It's not what you're thinking.
"You wretched traitor!" Mom yelled and slapped Dad across the face.
"How dare you bring that tramp into our home?"
"Why are they fighting?" I thought, feeling like crying.
"You're the tramp!" shouted the woman that Dad was playing with.
"Don't provoke her, Elena," my father said to the woman.
"She started it," Elena said, giving my mom a dirty look.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing," my mother said in a strange voice.
"Aren't you going to send her away?"
Dad stayed silent, and Mom slapped him again.
You...! - Dad tried to slap Mom, but I screamed in terror.
"No, Dad!" I said, crying.
"Go to your room, Dean!" he shouted angrily.
"No, he's not going anywhere!" my mother shouted back.
"He's coming with me!"
"You can go wherever you want, but you're not taking my son with you," my father said, trying to take me from my mother.
"No!" Mom exclaimed, startled.
"He's mine!"
And mine too. - Dad took me off Mom's arms.
"You can't do that!" Mom screamed while crying.
"I want Mommy!" I cried out in Daddy's lap.
"Mommy!"
"You can go, Amanda." Dad held me tightly.
"But Dean stays with me."
"I'm going to take you to court," Mom said to Dad.
"We both know I'll win custody of him," Dad said, tightening his grip on my waist to keep me quiet.
"It hurts," I said, feeling pain in my bottom.
"You're hurting me, Daddy."
"Let him go, you bastard!" Mom tried to take me out of Dad's hand, but he wouldn't let go.
"Go away, Amanda!" he exclaimed angrily.
"Elena is going to be Dean's new mother."
"No!" I yelled at the same time as Mom.
"You can't!"
I can. - Dad approached Mom and slapped her across the face. - Now go away.
My eyes widened in shock at Dad's actions, but what truly broke my heart was seeing Mom leave the house.
"No, Mommy!" I exclaimed, struggling in Daddy's lap.
"Don't leave me!"
"Be quiet, Dean!" Dad shouted, squeezing my little arm.
"No, I want to go with Mom!" I struggled even more.
"Let me go with her!"
I kept struggling until Dad let go of me and I fell to the ground.
My head hurt and the whole room started to get dark.
Don't leave me, Mom...
I thought before my eyes closed.