ARLAN’S POV
I stood in front of Matilda’s apartment, my hands in my jackets, envisaging how our discussion would turn out. “Let’s do this.” I said, unsure if I was ready for Matilda’s tantrums.
Though I know her password, I decided against intruding her privacy and pressed the doorbell instead.
“Arlan!” She rolled her eyes in a disgusting way, the moment she opened the door. “To whom do I owe this visit?”
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Of course.” She opened the door wide and stepped aside. “I’m not like you who would rather lock others out because of your differences.”
I stepped inside, ignoring her words before meeting her gaze. “We need to talk,” I said plainly. “About the baby.”
“Of course. What about the baby?” She asked and walked pass me to have her seat.
“I wanted to discuss how we would take care of everything,” I explained. “Both pre-natal and post-natal care. The responsibility is ours, and I want to ensure you and the child are taken care of properly.” I replied, sitting opposite her.
Matilda scoffed and gave a small laugh. “And what about us?” she asked, spreading her legs slightly to reveal her pink pant.
I looked away. “Can you close your legs?”
“Are you being distracted?” She asked, teasingly.
I turned to look her dead in the eyes. “No, I’m not.” I answered. “I just want us to have a normal talk.”
“Alright,” she crossed her legs on each other, revealing her thighs but I wasn’t bothered. “Back to the subject matter, what about us?”
“There is no ‘us,'” I said firmly. “Just you, me, and the baby. I need us to be clear on that.”
For a moment, there was silence between us. She looked at me with an intensity that made me uneasy, and then she laughed lightly, though it sounded hollow. “You’re so serious, aren’t you?” she said, taking a step closer.
Before I could respond, she brushed a hand lightly down my arm. “Arlan, why don’t we just get married and get over with all these lengthy talks,” she said, her voice low and seductive. “Before my bump starts showing. We can make this work.”
“Matilda-”
“For the baby,” she interrupted, placing her hand on my thigh.
I gently removed her hand. “You don’t have to touch me, Matilda.”
“Fine,” she raise her hands in the air. “But our child needs both of us under the same roof. Don’t you think that’s what’s best?”
I shook my head in disapproval. “The baby will have everything he or she needs. That doesn’t mean we have to be married.”
She sighed, tilting her head as if in disappointment. “You’re stubborn,” she said, her tone light again, though her eyes remained sharp. Then, before I could react, she leaned in, her lips aiming for mine.
I gently but firmly placed my hands on her shoulders, stopping her. “Matilda,” I said quietly. “This isn’t happening again.”
“You’re impossible,” she said, turning away.
“Impossible or not,” I said, “I’m here for the baby. Let’s not confuse that with anything else.”
“Is your mind really made up?” She asked.
“Yes, it is.” I replied affirmatively.
“Then we have nothing to talk about, you should tell your leave.” She said dismissively.
“The baby…”
“Enough with the baby, Arlan!” She snapped at me. “You don’t me but want a part of me, is that what you’re saying?” She asked angrily. “Does that make any sense to you at all?”
Her words hit like a slap, sharp and unexpected, but I didn’t let it show. “You don’t have to guilt trap me, let’s find a common ground and do what is good for our child.”
She whirled around to face me, her eyes blazing. “But what about me, Arlan? Do I not matter? Do my feelings mean nothing to you?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “You matter, Matilda. We’ve been through this already but to be honest with you, we can’t-”
“Can’t what?” she interrupted, her voice rising. “Can’t be a family? Can’t try to make this work for the sake of our child?”
“Enough with the emotional blackmail,” I snapped, my patience running thin. “I’m doing this for the sake of our child, it’s the only reason why I’m here.”
“Then you should leave.” She said angrily.
Her words stung, but I didn’t move form where I was. “I’m not leaving until we sort this out, Matilda,” I said firmly.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “Sort what out? You’ve already made it clear you want nothing to do with me. So why are you still here?”
I ignored the venom in her voice, trying to keep the conversation on track. “Because I want to be in my child’s life. That’s non-negotiable.”
She scoffed and glared at me with fury written all over her face. “And what if I don’t want you in the baby’s life?”
The room fell silent. I stared at her, unsure if I’d heard her correctly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, I could feel myself at the edge of my patience.
“It means,” she said, her tone sharp, “that if you’re not going to be a part of my life, you can forget being a part of the baby’s life too.”
My jaw tightened as I stepped closer, closing the space between us. “Are you threatening me, Matilda?”
She raised her chin defiantly, looking straight into my eyes. “I wish I was,” she said harshly. “But no, Arlan, that’s not a threat. It’s a promise. I won’t raise my child under two different roofs. My child doesn’t deserve to be torn emotionally. So, make your decision.” She replied and wanted to walk away from me.
I grabbed her arm, gently but firmly, forcing her to look at me. “You don’t get to use the baby as leverage,” I said angrily, yelling as much I could and I felt her shivered under my grip.
She yanked her arm free, her eyes flashing with anger. “And you don’t get to play a part time father. You think you can dictate how this goes? You can’t, Arlan. This is my child we are talking about here, not some sort of toy.”
“Our child,” I corrected, my tone hard.
Her lips twitched, but instead of responding, she took a step back, crossing her arms again. “Then prove it,” she said quietly. “Be here for us. Not just the baby-us. Or walk away now and save us both the trouble.”
I stared at her breathing heavily. I knew she was drawing a line in the sand, and I knew crossing it would mean stepping into a life I wasn’t ready for but walking away wasn’t an option either.
“I’ll be there for the baby,” I said after a long pause. “But I won’t pretend to be something I’m not, Matilda. I won’t lie to you or the child just to make things look good on the surface.”
She shook her head, laughing bitterly. “You’re so stubborn,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Fine, Arlan. Play it your way and I will do the same, let’s see who gives in at the end.”
“I’m not the one playing games,” I said, my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me. “Just remember, Matilda, if you insist doing things your way instead of reasoning with me, then I’ll fight for my rights as a father if I have to.”
“Fine,” she nodded her head slowly. “You’ve made your point, you should leave now.”
“Take care of yourself,” I said quietly before heading for the door.
“One more thing.” Matilda said, stopping me on my tracks. “I will appreciate you don’t show your face at my door until you change your mind.”
I swallowed hard but didn’t turn around. “My decision won’t change, you should come in terms …”
“Leave, Arlan.” She screamed.
I paused with my hand on the door, debating whether to say something else, but decided against it. She is angry, and I couldn’t blame her entirely. The situation was messy, and neither of us wanted to yield.
Without another word, I walked out of her apartment and shut the door behind me.
As I entered my car, I hit the steering of my car hard, repeatedly. Matilda can be so unpredictable, and her threat to keep me out of the baby’s life wasn’t one I should take lightly.
She is stubborn, maybe even more than me, and I knew this was only the beginning of a long battle.
But one thing was certain, I wouldn’t back down. I couldn’t.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I was looking for. I hesitated for a moment, then hit call.
“Hello?” My lawyer, Felix answered on the other end.
“I need your help,” I said without preamble.
“Arlan? What’s going on?”
“I think I’m about to get myself into a long battle of child care and custody.”
“A child?” Felix asked with shock in his voice. “Who is the mother.”
“It’s Matilda.”
“Wow!” He gasped. “Finally, the rumours about you two turned out to be true.” He laughed but when he noticed I wasn’t laughing , he cleared his throat. “Back to business, what is this about child care and custody?”
“Matilda’s making this complicated. I think I’m going to need legal advice.” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I won’t let her push me out of my child’s life.”
“Alright,” the voice said. “Let’s meet tomorrow. We’ll figure out what to do.”
“Thanks,” I muttered before ending the call.
Leaning back, I let out a long breath. This wasn’t how I wanted things to go, but Matilda had left me no other option.
I glanced back at her apartment building one last time before driving out.