Chapter 47 — Revealing The Past

Zinnia.

Past.

It was time to reveal the part of my past that I always wanted to put a veil on.

"What?" Clave was dumbstruck. He might have expected anything else, but not this.

I shut my eyes and let out once again, "Kavita gave birth to Draven."

"Zinnia… this doesn't make sense..." I opened my eyes and looked into his wide confused eyes. He was really surprised. "I… how can this be possible? You are practically raising Draven as your son. I never guessed…"

I smiled softly. "Clave, just because she gave birth to my son doesn't make her the mother, you know. Biologically, she is, but she didn't even want Draven in the first place. As much as I love her as my friend, she did a horrible job as Draven's mother."

"That doesn't mean she will give the responsibility of a child to an eighteen years old. She should've been careful if she wasn't ready for a baby," Clave pointed out after he took a short pause to digest the information.

I sighed. "Kavita was twenty at that time. Remember, I told you that she used to come to my city during her vacations?"

He nodded and I knew it was my time to narrate the entire incident to Clave.

"Brace yourself. I will narrate you a really boring lengthy story," I said and sucked in a deep breath.

He placed his hand on mine. "Nothing you say can ever be boring for me, trust me. Only you keep me entertained," he added with a chuckle, "after my champ, of course."

I started speaking, "So it was summertime when Kavita came to my city. Kavita wanted to go to a party, but Zara couldn't attend it. I didn't want to attend as well, but for Kavita's sake, I agreed to go."

"Was it a college party or something?" Clave asked curiously.

"Yes, I guess. There it was all the college guys so I didn't stay there for long. I just stayed for an hour or two. Kavita promised she will return when she went somewhere with a dude wearing a mask. However, she didn't return, so I got back home."

"You did well. Those parties get fucked up by the minute and you wouldn't have even liked it for one bit," he said, scrunching his nose in disgust.

Discontinuing my story for a bit, I decided to tease, "So you have been to those parties, huh? How long did you usually stay?"

He rolled his eyes. "As if I would ever like them."

"Yes, you are too posh for it," I joked.

"Should I take that as an offense?" He frowned cutely.

I pecked his cheek and replied, "Up to you."

He melted at the small kiss and shook his head like a lovesick teenager. "By the way, to answer your question, I only went to those types of parties only once, and unfortunately, I did stay long. For that, I have my brother to thank for the terrible experience."

I chuckled. "It's hard to believe you two come from the same parents."

"Trust me, I have questioned this several times," he sighed and gave me a wry smile. "Anyway, please continue with the story."

"Even after I returned home, I was really scared when I had to wait for Kavita, not kidding," I informed him. "I was waiting for Kavita's call almost all night. She used to stay at my place and I covered up for her in front of my mom saying she was in Zara's house."

"Did she return that night? I guess, she had a one-night stand?" Clave guessed correctly. He took my silence as a yes and chortled. "So she was drunk and that's why she couldn't be careful?"

"Ye—" he interrupted me all of a sudden.

"Zinnia, she left you alone in a middle of a college party. Anything could've happened to you and she got wasted. If she took you to the party, it was her responsibility to return home with you safe and sound. Have you ever thought about what could've happened to you?" He sounded angry on my behalf.

Immediately, I averted my gaze, unable to face him. He was right. I have always thought about what could have happened.

"Anyways," he sighed and closed his eyes, "continue."

"So when Kavita learned she was pregnant, she was so scared at first. She wanted to abort the baby, and at that time, I agreed with the idea because I believed that no baby should be born into a world where he was unwanted. But the doctor told her that she had health complications, so abortion would be dangerous for her." I further spoke, "She wanted to give the baby to the orphanage, but I didn't want the baby to grow up without a family. So I decided to step in."

"Zinnia, you were eighteen," he pointed out.

"An adult," I protested.

"Still a teen," he concluded, leaving no place to argue.

"Fine, but I did what I thought was right." I crossed my arms against my chest, letting him know that I was firm on my decision. Of course, I had my moments of doubts in between, but as I saw Kavita's belly growing day by day, my decision became firmer.

"Okay, then did you tell Maya about it?"

I shook my head for an instant. "No, not at all. Mom would have strictly told me to stay out of it, thinking of my well-being." Clave nodded as if he was in full agreement with my mom. "Since everything was already pre-planned between us, Kavita bought a house and I started to stay there to take care of her. Mom was busy with her shop so she didn't bother to check up on me much."

"Did you tell Maya after Kavita gave birth?" he inquired.

"Kavita had a premature delivery," I closed my eyes and let out, remembering that day very clearly. "I took her to the hospital when she had severe pain. She gave birth to Draven there, and I registered my name as Draven's mother from the hospital."

I reminisced about the moment I had Draven in my arms. His tiny little hands and feet—he was like a small kitten. So soft, fragile, and light. I felt like I had to protect him for my entire life.

"Believe me, Clave, when I took my son in my arms, I literally cried. I couldn't believe I had a child in my arms—my child. Just the thought that I will raise him, and build a future for him, was my everything."

"That's how our Draven is. Whoever he meets, he will just form a connection. He got it from you, his mother, after all." Clave snaked an arm around me and kissed my forehead. "I am proud of you, baby."

"Clave, on the plane, on our first meet, you asked me whether I couldn't attend a college for financial issues or not. The truth is, I did receive a scholarship, fully funded, but I didn't attend just for Draven."

"Why? You could've left him to Maya and then—"

"No, Clave, I don't regret my decision today, trust me. I just wanted to give my entire time to Draven. I wanted to see and record his every movement in my heart. I wanted to be there when he stood up on his feet for the first time, when he uttered his first word, when he would call me mommy. I didn't want to miss out on that. I know that I sacrificed a lot. But motherhood is a strange, phenomenal thing, Clave. It's hard to make sense of it."

Clave smiled. I wasn't sure if he could relate to my words yet. But I was confident that he would understand eventually when he would also start sacrificing for Draven’s sake. Because like a mother, that's what a father does. Before anything, our child comes first and foremost.

"How did you manage, though?" Clave inquired curiously. "I mean, I believe that you are a superwoman, but not that much to raise a kid all by yourself at the age of eighteen, right?"

I laughed lightly. "Of course not. I didn't tell my mom about Draven for two days. I used to stay with Kavita in her house but turns out parenting is harder than expected. I didn't know a single thing about it. I rushed to my mom instantly and told her everything."

"Knowing Maya, she didn't protest I think," he stated.

I chuckled. "Mom was hell furious. But the moment she took Draven in her arms, her heart melted. Though she really wanted me to attend college, she respected my decision."

"What about Draven's custody? I mean do you have Kavita's permission legally or...?"

"I am not dumb, Clave. Kavita signed the papers and left Alabama. I did try to find out the father too, but Kavita said she doesn't remember him properly as she was drunk. Though it would have been better if she remembered the father." My heart suddenly started to leap in fear.

I grabbed Clave's hands and asked, "Clave, what if the father returns and asks for Draven's custody? I don't have his sign so he can easily take my son away from me." I started picturing my life without Draven and brushed the thought off instantly as panic started to seep into my system. "No, no. My life will be empty if Draven is taken away from me. He should never know that I am not his biological mother. He will be broken. He cannot stay away from me, Clave. I—"

Clave placed his index finger over my lips. "Shush, Zinnia." He started caressing my hair as he said, "Calm down. Nobody will take Draven away from you. Even if the real father comes and tries to take our son away, I will make sure he doesn't. Draven will always stay with us."

I felt my eyes getting watery. "Star promise?" I asked, showing the three fingers of my right hand and placing two more fingers of my left hand on it.

He did the same with a subtle smile and uttered, "Star promise."