"Without your approval, I can't help. So please Fio, I'm on my knees begging for your forgiveness to let me in for our baby's good life. Even your brother who is a year younger than her looks older and healthier than her. She needs to go in good schools in the city for better foundation and I'm ready to work my ass out to take good care of her. We wouldn't want her to be like us, failures. I'm supposed to be at the university by now but I decided to let it go and work hard for my baby. You know how poor the families we come from are, I would pay for my tuition."
Fiona sobbed more, "Mother? I had always thought that she's on my side not like my drunkard dad? The way I always refused to eat well and dress well like other young women saving all the money for my baby not knowing that I'm starving for my siblings when their parents are alive?"
"I didn't tell you all this to hate your mother because she took care of her for so long in your absence. I just wanted to tell you the truth and let you make a solution about it before something I don't want to think about happens to Paulina." Paul said.
"That woman is so wicked and greedy. She uses my baby as a credit card. My God, what did I do to my parents to work so hard on making my life a living hell? Why me always crying all my life...." Fiona cried out loud. Paul got up and held her in his arms preventing her from falling.
"Do you know how many times I've thought of committing suicide thinking that it was you who made my life miserable? Do you know how both of them would cuss me everyday for getting pregnant. Did I do the most unspoken crime that no other girls has ever done?" She cried.
Paul held her closer patting her back trying to soothe her but he was also crying hearing what she had gone through in his absence. He buried his face in the crook of her neck fighting his breakdown.
"I'm so sorry" He said, "I hate mine too for disowning my baby even after seeing her resemblance to me. They're so cruel and I will never forgive them my whole life. They will never see me ever again once I get my hands on my baby. They will never."
Fiona held him tight, "I'm so sorry for praying bad prayers on you. I never knew all this, I'm sorry for praying death and poverty onto you. May God renounce everything bad I said. I forgive you Paul, I forgive you"
His body shook violently from crying. He held her tighter and closer and started kissing her neck not romantically but in an adoring way.
"Thank you so much, I love you" He said.
Fiona said nothing but continued crying at a thought of her mother's betrayal. She wasn't so surprised at his dad's wrong deeds towards her but her mother's knocked her out. She cried and cried in Paul's chest till her head ached so bad.
Paul sat down on the bench then held her closer for her to lean on him for support. He dialled Christine's number who denied the call thrice but he persisted till she received the call.
"I told you to leave me alone asshole...." Christine started but Paul cut her short.
"Listen, help me tell Anna that Fiona needs her outside. Please Christine, she's in pain." Paul pleaded.
"What did you do to her?"
"Just tell Anna to come, now" Paul said.
"Okay, where exactly are you?"
"We're at the back near parking lot in the gardens. You'll be seeing the flash light on my phone, hurry up" Paul said then hung up.
Fiona held him closer, this is what she had missed. Even when they used to study together, he would protect and care about her so much which had always angered most girls like Natalie who admired how he loved her. She noticed something familiar on his wrist.
"This is my necklace, you still have it?" Fiona asked in a hoarse surprised voice.
"No, the necklace got so small so I put its pendant into this thread just so to keep it and made it a bracelet. I wanted to give it to Paulina but your mom would probably throw it away so I kept it with me. You can take it if you want to."
"Why would I? I also have an empty perfume bottle that you gave me on my fifteenth birthday" Fiona said holding his hand.
Paul kissed her head, "Thank you for keeping me in your memories. Can I have your number before Anna takes you away?"
Fiona chuckled regardless of the sharp pain she was feeling. "Or before she kicks your balls again?"
"Hello! You have a faithful bouncer who doesn't need your orders to do her duty." Paul said chuckling as well.
"She promised to kill me if I forgive you.....there she is" Fiona said, she tried to sit still but sharp pain erupted through her forehead which made her cry again holding her head. Paul wanted to hold her in a more relaxing way but Anna and her entire group leaving no one behind had reached them.
"Why is she crying, did you hit her?" Anna asked Paul
Fiona raised her hand and gave Anna her phone which was still audio recording for her to hear for herself before she would hit or maybe this time through Paul out. She had started recording even before getting out so that in case Paul said or did something bad to her, she would have evidence but now it helped in another good way anyway.
Anna saved first then played the audio. All her group came closer to hear what had happened that had caused both Fiona and Paul to cry that hard as they could all see their sore faces. Anna was the most curious one after seeing Fiona willingly sitting next to Paul holding him? Not mad at him?....
The more it played ahead the more Anna's heart softened and the more emotional she became. Fiona cried afresh listening to Paul's pleas and apologies. The entire group stood still listening to it till ended.
"Jesus, I don't wanna ruin my make up, crying for strangers" Debby said and started patting Paul's back standing next to him, "As much as I feel sorry for Fiona for all that hell she went through, your side of the story is painful. Nobody deserves that injustice in life."
Anna wiped her tears staring at Paul with sympathy, she sat next to Fiona and held her head to soothe her.
"You need to go home to rest, okay?" Anna said and Fiona nodded almost immediately. She looked up at Liam as if silently asking him to take them both home.
As if Max could feel Liam's hesitation, he said Instead, "I will take her get some painkillers then at home to sleep."
As a person who Anna knew had been talking and cooperating with Fiona for a long time, she felt okay leaving her friend to Max. She helped Fiona walk to Max's car and made sure she was fine before letting them drive off.
"Why hadn't you filed your case at the police against your dad?" Debby asked as they walked out of the parking lot.
"It's not as easy as you think it could be" Gab said, "If it was, mine would've been rotting in jail"
"Can we see your baby?" Anna asked.
"Sure," Paul said sniffing, the more they were sympathising him, the more his tears let loose. He showed them several photos of Paulina and all girls burst into tears seeing the girl's condition. Liam and Lewis felt so sad as they imagined the same thing happening to Ron while Gab felt real pain because he was once a victim.
"There's no way I'm not arresting all your parents. No fucking way." Debby said getting her phone from her purse to make a phone call.
"No babe, we can help them get their baby and then employ Paul on a nicer job to provide for his baby but not arresting them. However much they're mad at them now, they're still their parents." Lewis suggested.
"That's right" Liam said for the first time, "Do you have a passport?"
Paul shook his head in denial.
"Start processing it tomorrow, I will give you full bursary on my school in California. You can go with your baby if Fiona let's you and study from there." Liam said.
"I will give you my convoy to go get your baby tomorrow. Don't let anybody say shit on you" Debby said. "No, I will go with you and Fiona tomorrow morning."
Paul slid down on his knees and thanked all Liam and Debby for their generosity with flowing tears. He thanked his stars for calling Anna for help, how would he have gotten such a life changing opportunity if he had chickened out?
Anna pulled him up and hugged him, for all months she had worked at the café, Paul had been that one person who always understood her and cheered her up whenever she was sad. He always looked so happy and collected as if all was well in his life. Christine and Comfort joined the hug to congratulate their now ex colleague who was likely American already.
"All is well now, let's go finish our drinks." Lewis said cheerfully trying to enlighten the thick atmosphere.
Debby held Paul by the arm, "Let's go dude, you will sleep at my place tonight"
Liam held Anna by the waist and pulled her closer as they walked behind the rest heading back inside.
"I'm badly off, Belle. I want some" He whispered to her then put her hand on his hard crouch.
Sparks like electronics spread all-over her body at the feeling of his hard on her skin. Her face contracted in need instantly causing goosebumps to form all over her skin.
"Where should we go to?" Anna asked her breath getting ragged.
Liam pulled her arm stealthily not letting others notice and took her back in parking lot and to his car. He held her up and made her sit on the bonnet. They locked lips immediately and started sucking hungrily on each other rotation their faces in turns for more access. Their half drunkard half sobber state ignited more fire between them.
Liam took her inside the car and started...