PHOENIX
As I reached out for the diapers, Rome handed them to me with a smile. Since we were discharged from the hospital yesterday, he had been trying his best to be helpful, especially with taking care of our son.
I glanced down at our baby boy, his eyes fluttering open slightly, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of love overwhelm me as I kissed his forehead tenderly.
“What should we name him?” Rome asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us. I had meant to discuss it with him earlier but had forgotten in the chaos of the day.
“No, no. You choose his name,” I insisted, looking at Rome. He smiled, but there was a hint of hesitation in his expression.
“Why? You’re his mom,” he replied, his voice gentle.
“And I’m sure you’ve had a name for him ever since we found out his gender,” I countered, sensing there was more to his hesitation.
Rome went quiet for a moment, his gaze shifting between me and our son. I realized I hadn’t actually thought of a name for him myself, simply because I never expected to have the opportunity.
“Jerome?” Rome finally suggested, looking at me for approval.
“Yeah, that’s actually perfect,” I agreed, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Jerome had a hint of Rome in it, making it feel like a fitting tribute to his father.
“Do you like it?” Rome asked, his eyes searching mine for confirmation. I nodded, feeling a warmth spread through me at the thought of our son carrying his father’s name.
“Yeah, I like it,” I replied softly before carefully lifting Jerome and placing him in his crib, watching over him with a sense of wonder and gratitude.
“How is Jess?” I asked, gently tucking in Jerome.
“Oh, Jess,” Rome replied, scratching his neck uncomfortably.
“Yeah,” I murmured, straightening up and waiting for his response.
“She’s okay. She’ll be due soon,” Rome said, his tone somewhat distant. I nodded, silently wishing her well.
“What about your mother?” I inquired, noticing the tension in Rome’s demeanor.
“What about her?” he retorted, his frustration evident.
“Camilla told me that she really wanted to talk to you today, but you refused to go,” I explained, hoping to understand his reluctance.
“After everything she’s done to our child and to you, forgiving her is not even in my dictionary right now,” Rome stated firmly, his jaw clenched with anger.
Phoenix nodded in agreement, a silent show of support for his brother.
“Don’t you think she deserves a chance to explain?” I pressed, sensing there might be more to the story.
Rome let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly as he considered my question.
“I don’t know, Phoenix,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “Part of me wants to hear her out, to understand why she did what she did. But another part of me… I just can’t forgive her for what she’s done.”
I nodded in understanding, knowing all too well the pain and betrayal Rome must have felt at his mother’s actions.
“I get it,” I said softly, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. “It’s not easy to forgive someone who has caused so much hurt.”
Rome looked at me, gratitude shining in his eyes. “Thank you,” he said quietly, squeezing my hand.
We stood in silence for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts. Despite the difficult conversation, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of closeness with Rome, a shared understanding of the pain we had both experienced.
“I’ll talk to her,” Rome said suddenly, determination in his voice. “Not because I want to forgive her, but because I need to know the truth. For Jerome’s sake, if nothing else.”
I nodded, a flicker of hope stirring in my heart. Perhaps this conversation with his mother would bring some closure for Rome, some answers to the questions that had plagued him since the revelation of Georgia’s deception.
I sat on the bed, my attention fully on Jerome, when Rome called out my name. I turned to look at him, sensing the gravity of his words.
“Phoenix,” he began, his voice tentative as he scratched his neck nervously.
“Yeah?” I replied, watching as he moved to stand in front of me, his eyes searching mine.
“Can we talk about us?” he asked, his tone pleading as he knelt down to my level.
“Us?” I echoed, feeling a pang of uncertainty grip my heart.
“Yeah,” he confirmed, his voice soft but filled with emotion. “I know I messed up really bad, and I can’t justify my actions. I was stupid and manipulated by my mother, and I… I just…”
He trailed off, unable to find the right words to express himself.
“I understand where you’re coming from, Rome, and I know you were manipulated by your mother, but…” I started, my voice faltering as I struggled to articulate my feelings.
“We can’t,” I finally said, shaking my head. “I want to fix us, I really do, but…” I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.
Rome’s eyes pleaded with me, filled with pain and regret, but I knew deep down that even if we were to try again, the trust between us would be shattered beyond repair.
“You don’t trust me at all,” I stated softly, the weight of my words hanging heavily in the air between us.
“I fucked up like a dick, like, how couldn’t I know that my mom was messing with me? I was just being stupid, and I know it, but if I can get one more chance, I promise to not act like a dick,” Rome confessed, his voice heavy with remorse.
I sighed deeply, feeling a mix of emotions wash over me as I listened to him.
“I really do love you, and I love the life we created together,” I admitted, reaching out to touch his face gently. “And I would prefer if we just try and take care of our son for now.”
Rome’s expression softened, and he reached out to gently grasp my hand. Despite the sadness in his eyes, I could see a glimmer of hope flicker within them as he silently agreed to my proposal.
“I understand,” he said softly. “And I don’t blame you for feeling that way. I know I’ve hurt you, and I have a lot to prove if I want to earn back your trust.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of insincerity, but all I found was genuine remorse and determination. A part of me wanted to believe him, to give him another chance, but the scars from our past still lingered, fresh and raw.
“Rome, I… I don’t know if I can do this,” I admitted, my voice trembling with uncertainty. “I want to believe that things can be different between us, but I’m scared. Scared of getting hurt again, scared of trusting you only to be let down once more.”
Rome nodded, his grip on my hand tightening ever so slightly. “I understand,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I promise you, Phoenix, I will do everything in my power to make things right. I’ll be patient, I’ll be honest, and I’ll prove to you every day that you can trust me again.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at him, torn between the love I still felt for him and the fear of repeating past mistakes. “I want to believe you,” I said softly, my voice barely audible. “But it’s going to take time, Rome. A lot of time.”
Rome nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. “I’ll wait,” he said, his voice filled with determination. “For as long as it takes. Because you’re worth it, Phoenix. You’re worth everything.”
I let out a shaky breath, feeling a glimmer of hope stirring within me. Maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to rebuild what we had lost, to heal the wounds of our past and start anew.
But for now, all I could do was take things one step at a time, trusting that with time and patience, we would find our way back to each other, stronger and more resilient than ever before.
~~
Rome stormed into the hospital room where his mother lay, his mind swirling with a tumult of emotions. Seeing her lying there, her eyes closed, filled him with a sense of disbelief and betrayal.
He watched her for a moment, unable to comprehend how she could have orchestrated such deception in his life. When her eyes suddenly opened, tears welled up immediately upon seeing him.
“I am so sorry, my Rome,” she cried, her voice choked with emotion. But Rome remained silent, his gaze cold and unforgiving.
“What did you want to tell me?” he finally asked, his voice devoid of any warmth as he stared at her.
She sniffed before meeting his gaze. “You aren’t the father of Jess’s child,” she confessed, catching Rome completely off-guard.
“What the hell?!” Rome exclaimed, his shock evident in his voice as he looked at his mother in disbelief.
“Why? How? I don’t understand,” he said, his voice filled with confusion and anger as he looked at her.
” I’m sorry” she murmured looking at him with so much emotions in her eyes.
“That day she came to your home, she drugged you, but you both actually didn’t have any sexual intercourse,” she revealed, shocking Rome to the core.
“What the hell is happening in my life? Lies everywhere!” Rome exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.
“You knew about all of this?!” he demanded, his voice trembling with anger and hurt.
“I didn’t, I swear it. I was only recently told that the pregnancy wasn’t yours. I truly believed it was,” his mother insisted, her own tears flowing freely now.
Rome looked at his mother in disbelief, feeling a mix of betrayal and anger swirling inside him.
“You know what? Just stay the hell out of my life, and I mean it,” he said, his voice cold and final, before turning and storming out of the room, leaving his mother behind in a whirlwind of emotions.
To be continued…