“Okay mom,” Tasha said into the phone. “I have to go now. I want to get to Blake’s office early enough. So I can come back today.” She sighed and stood up from the edge of the bed. “I only hope his anger has abated enough for him to listen to me.”
“It’s okay,” Mrs. Harrison said. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he will listen to you, just relax Tyson is going to be alright.”
“Thanks mom, I will talk to you later,” she said and cut off the line. She was about to pick up her purse when she heard a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” It surprised her because she didn’t order room service or anything.
“Blake.”
“Blake?” She dropped her purse back on the bed and went to open the door.
“How do you know where I am?”
“I am Blake Carter,” he said with a cocky tone. “Remember?”
She stood looking at him.
“Please, can I come in?” He asked, his voice a whisper.
“Yes, yes,” she stepped aside. “I was about to come over to your office.”
He smiled, “I think we should sit down.”
She nodded and moved to the other side of the room to sit on the couch.
“Blake, I… I’m sorry about yesterday.” She began, her voice filled with sincerity. “I was wrong to have lost my temper just like that.”
“I’m sorry too, Tasha,” he paused briefly. “That’s why I’m here. The shock was just too much for me to handle.”
Relief flooded through Tasha as tears welled up in her eyes. A ray of hope was shining out at last.
“It’s been so hard,” she said in a shaky voice. “Watching your child helplessly fighting for his life.”
“It’s okay, I understand everything.” Blake looked into her eyes. “And I must say first that I am sorry for everything.” He looked genuinely remorseful. “Betraying you the way I did. I can only imagine how callous that was.”
“Blake, I can’t tell you it has been easy.” Her eyes darted a quick look at him. “But here I am,” she shrugged.
“I understand Prof.,” he smiled into her eyes. “I just found out yesterday that you are now a full professor. Congratulations Tasha, I admire your tenacity. You are a strong woman.”
“Thank you, Blake.”
“So I am here to tell you I am ready to do everything in my capacity to see that Tyson gets well.”
“Blake,” she reached out and took his hands. “Thank you, thank you so much. The doctors are optimistic that you will be a match since I am not.”
He nodded. He was too choked up with emotions to say a single word.
“And we can do a DNA test so that you can be sure Tyson is yours,” she offered.
He swallowed the lump forming in his throat, “come off it. I didn’t mean any of the hurtful words I uttered yesterday. I trust you. You can never lie to me.”
She burst into tears.
“It’s okay.” He went to sit beside her on the double seater couch and patted her on the back. “I’m sorry.”
“If I may ask,” he said after she had calmed down. “How is your hubby taking all of this? He must be a wonderful man.”
“Hubby?” she turned to look into his face. “I am not married, Blake. What gave you such an idea?”
“You are not married?” He looked at her, dumbfounded. “How so?”
“No, I am not, Blake. Why, you seem so sure that I was married?”
“Well,” he readjusted his neck tie. “I saw it on the Facebook page of your department about a year ago that you were about to get married. That was the last time I checked that page.”
“Wow,” she was so surprised. “So you’ve been stalking me, Blake Carter?”
“Well…,” he shrugged and stood up to sit down where he was sitting before.
“It never happened,” she whispered. “It didn’t work out.”
“I’m sorry about that,” he said brusquely. “I guess what is important is to focus on our son now.”
“Oh yes,” she agreed.
“Do you have a picture of him here?” He asked, looking perceptively into her eyes.
“Sure, I do,” she went to retrieve her purse from the bed to bring out her phone. She opened her picture gallery and showed him one of Tyson’s pictures taken last summer in Sandville.
“Oh, my goodness! Blake sprang to his feet. The resemblance was so uncanny, it was like he was looking at his younger self. “Tasha, I don’t need a DNA test. This boy here, is my son!”
He said it with so much pride that Tasha felt her heart bursting with joy.
“How come I missed knowing about him?” He mumbled as he scrolled through the pictures. “I have missed a lot.”
“What do you mean?” Tasha was curious about his remark.
“Hmm, after we met in Canada,” he took a deep breath. “I had you checked out a couple of times, and nothing about having a son came up.”
Tasha said nothing, she just looked into the thin air.
“Thank you, Tasha,” he croaked, looking into her eyes. “For not aborting this child. I am grateful.”
“It’s okay, Blake.”
Silence stretched between them for a moment before he spoke again.
“I will be in Berkeley on Saturday,” he started. “So I can have some time with Tyson and I can go for the compatibility test on Monday. Is that okay with you?”
She nodded. It surprised her he had everything planned out already.
“It’s okay, thank you Blake,” she grinned, her first genuine smile since she got to New York city. “Tyson will be so happy to meet with you.”
“Okay,” he nodded and relaxed back on the couch. “I would like to have the surgery done in New York at our family hospital, if you don’t mind.”
Tasha nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“We can have it done during the summer,” he moved forward in his seat. “With that you and Tyson could stay for the summer in New York so he would be able to get to know his family members. What do you think?”
“It’s okay,” she nodded gently, trying to process all he had said.
That means I have to start looking online for a summer apartment close to you,” she said to him.
“Why,” he looked at her, surprised. “You don’t need to do that.”
“But what about your wife,” her furrow puckered, “will she allow me to stay.” She shrugged, “Tyson, she may understand, but me…” Her voice trailed off.
“I am not married anymore,” he told her. “My wife divorced me two years ago.”
“You are divorced?” She looked at him incredulously.