“Natasha! Natasha what’s wrong?” She just shook her head and sobbed harder. I looked
at her aghast. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know why on earth she was crying.
SO I just sat there and patted her back awkwardly. Finally she stopped and looked at
me, “They called me their daughter!” and she started bawling again. I sat there
trying to understand what she was saying.
“Your parents Jude they called me their daughter, they asked me to call them mom and
dad. And what am I doing? I am deceiving them! They are decent, kind, humble,
generous human beings and what am I going to do to them in return? I am going to
break their heart! After a year I will have to look at them in their eyes and say I
don’t love your son anymore!”
She let out a breath and stopped crying. She had started hiccupping now. I fumbled
around and found a bottle of water. I watched her as she drank it.
“Natasha, you wont have to do anything. I will take the blame on me.”
“Jude” she said softly, sniffling a little “you take your family too much for
granted. You shouldn’t do that. Remember you don’t know what you’ve got until you say
goodbye.”
I smiled at her and ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry we’ll take care of it when we have
to.” She smiled back and leaned back in her seat. She almost instantly fell asleep.
I drove enjoying the view and kept glancing at her from time to time. She frowned in
her sleep as a strand of hair flew in her face. I reached out and tucked it behind
her ear and almost instantly she smiled. I smiled too I couldn’t help it she looked
really sweet smiling in her sleep. My phone beeped and I checked it was a message
from Stephanie.
‘When are you getting back? Can’t wait to meet you muah’
I smiled and replied, ‘soon.’
Forty minutes later we pulled into our driveway. I started as I thought how easily I
said our instead of mine. This tiny, feisty girl was growing on me. What was going to
happen in a year?
I prodded her to wake her. She sat up straight in her seat and rubbed her eyes. She
trudged sleepily towards the door while I carried our bags inside. I opened the door
and she walked I leaving me to get our bags in. I went in to find that Natasha had
kicked her shoes off neatly to one side and fallen asleep almost instantly fully
clothed. I shook my head at her. That girl loved sleeping and eating. I went into the
kitchen and found a note from Mrs. Bowers saying she had made lunch and dinner and
left it in the refrigerator for us. I once again thanked God for sending Mrs. Bowers
to me she was such a blessing.
My phone rang and I glanced at the display to see it was Gary.
“Yo”
“Are you back from the country?”
“Yeah just got back as a matter of fact.”
“Sweet, how was it?”
“Well you know the entire family was there which was kinda annoying but we had fun.”
I started telling him about Stephanie when I remembered I hadn’t told Gary about my
engagement being fake.
“So hey I think Nick and Stephanie wont be together for long”
My heart started racing, did Gary know something? “Why do you say so?”
“Well the word is she found him in bed with someone else and well you know how Nick
is. He just can’t help who he is.” Said Gary in disgust.
“I agree.”
“So hey lets meet up soon.”
“Sure maybe tomorrow I don’t know depends on what we are doing.”
‘Sure just call me and let me know”
‘yep” and I hung up.
As soon as I hung up my phone rang again, “Jude its Stephanie”
“Hey what’s up?”
“Jude” she couldn’t continue and started sobbing. Dude! Was it the international
woman’s crying day? I mean there is only so much that a man can take.
“Steph what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Jude can you meet me?”
“Now?”
“Well if it isn’t possible then maybe tomorrow?”
“Yeah tomorrow would be good”
“ok meet me at Italiano for lunch?”
“Sure.”
I hung up and then called my mom to let her know Natasha and I had reached safely.
Once again mom reminded me about fixing a date so that all preparations could be
started. I assured her I would let her know in two days only then did she let me hang
up. I glanced at the clock it was noon I thought of catching a nap too.
I crept into the room and lay on my side of the bed. I tried falling asleep when I
heard Natasha whimpering in her sleep.
“Mommy! Mommy its me Natasha don’t you remember?”
“Natasha its ok you are having a bad dream.”
“Jude?” she asked still asleep, she thought she was hearing my voice in her dream.
“Everybody leaves me.” She whispered and drifted off into a restless slumber.
I looked at her felt really bad about what I was putting her through. I know that
Natasha craved for a family. Now I was giving her a fake one and after a year would
take it away from her. I knew she had become attached to my family as if it were her
own. How could I be so selfish? For the first time I found myself contemplating on
the consequences of my decision. I looked at Natasha once more, maybe I should call
this whole thing off?