αƒτєr αℓℓ τнis τiмє (נαcнαry // נσrвyท)

-chapter four-

~chapter 4~

On the way to the restaurant // fancy restaurant in L.A // Corbyn P.O.V

Today Daniel, Eben, my siblings and I are going to eat out "celebrating" our new life here. Daniel don't know anything about my old life here in L.A, I didn't want to tell him about Zach because I know my son, he would want to meet his brother for sure. Now about his other father, he already questioned me about that, I kind of told him the truth, I didn't told him he left me because of my pregnancy, I told him that our relationship wasn't the best and we decided to end everything before I knew that I was pregnant. Of course he asked me why I didn't search for him later, I told him I couldn't find him and knew he wasn't ready to be a father anyways, which was a lie since he was like, the best father ever to Zach. I always made it more than clear that none of this was his fault.

We're going to this new place Ashely and Jordan always talked about, is around 20 minutes away without traffic. They made a reservation since the place is really popular.

Zach P.O.V:

Today, dad told me we would go eat out at some fancy restaurant with my aunt. I'm excited, we haven't did anything like that in so long, I can't even remember the last time we did this, I think it was about 5 years ago, but I'm not so sure. He told me to behave in the same way you would tell a 5 years old, that was kind of annoying and just showed me how much he actually trusts me.

*Time skip: arriving at the restaurant*

As soon as we entered, I saw Esther in the middle of the tables, she greeted us and we all sat on the chairs and talked about everything and anything else. She, like any other aunt, asked me if I have a girlfriend, I just laughed, I wanted to tell them about Jack, but I just can't, at least not now. Of course, Dad is bi and was married to a man once, not accepting me would be pure hypocrisy, but I'm not ready yet. Our food had just arrived when I saw a sudden change in the face of my aunt and father. I couldn't understand what they were thinking, I looked at where they were looking, but I couldn't see anything much and decided to focus on my food.

Jonah P.O.V:

Dinner has been wonderful so far, Zach has been behaving wonderfully. It doesn't even seem like the problematic moody teenager I fight every day at home, honestly he even looks like the polite child he was a few years ago. I miss who he was, I honestly don't know what happened to him for the sudden behavior change.

Everything was wonderful, our food had just arrived when I look forward and my eyes meet someone I thought I would never see again. It cannot be. I think Esther realized it too because she started looking at it too. He's different, his hair is no longer blond and he looks more tanned, but he still has the same sparkle in his eyes, especially when he's looking at that boy next to him... no, it can't be... I look to Esther and she looks at me again, I can't let Zach find him again, I can't. He probably doesn't remember his face, but I can't risk it.

The boy is even prettier than I imagined, he had blue eyes, that even from a distance you could see it. I'm not sure where they came from, of course, Corbyn has blue eyes and Svea too, but none of them are that blue, Corbyn's has golden features while mine and my sisters have green features. I know what I did was wrong, I wish I could go back in time and fix all that up, I wish I could get to meet him, I don't even know his name. That's definitely one of my biggest regrets ever, leaving Corbyn and not getting to know my son.

I stare at him for a good 30 seconds and so is Esther. His table apparently is on the second floor, I'm thankful for that, I can't let Zach see him, but maybe is too late, I saw him looking at that direction, he didn't looked for long and maybe didn't even realize, probably is just something from my head.

Corbyn's P.O.V:

The ride to the restaurant was filled with laughs and jokes, we were all laughing as we stepped inside. As we were waiting for someone show us our table, my eyes locked with the one and only Jonah Marais. The one person I've been avoiding for the past 13 years and the reason I never came back to L.A until now. He didn't changed much, his hair was the thing that most changed, his hair is all curly right now, I liked. What? No, shut up Corbyn, you shouldn't be thinking like that. Ashely realized what was happening and told Jordan to go inside with Daniel and Eben and that we'd be outside in a minute.

"He's here Ash!" I said panicking as we were alone in the room.

"I know, but we can't get back home now. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault we shouldn't have come here, I swear I never saw him here and-"

"It's not your fault, but that boy next to him, is that... you know?" I said tearing up a bit.

"I don't know, I couldn't see his face and even if I could, he definitely changed a lot. Although, he didn't seem like a 16 years old, he seemed more like a 14 years old so I don't know."

"I just wish I could have my old life back, I wish I never left him, that we were a happy family of four, I just want my baby, who is no longer a baby, back." I said resting my head in her shoulder.

"I know Bean, but who knows one day?" She said smiling, I know she was just trying to make me feel better and that was not a reality, but still was comforting her words. "Now you should go to the bathroom clean this face and meet me at the table, alright?"

"Ok."

*Time skip: after the dinner for both of them, let's pretend they all finished at the same time*

Zach's P.O.V:

Before we went home, I went to the bathroom. There was a short line, I think it was the first time I saw a line for a men's room. In front of me I spotted a boy, he must be about 13 years old, we were already in there waiting for about 3 minutes and the door did not open. He decided to chat with me, and we started talking a little. He had blue eyes like the ocean and brown hair, he was very thin but he wasn't that short, he must be about 10cm (3 inches) shorter than me.

We were talking for about 5 minutes until a man approached him, asking why he was taking so long, he looked strangely like my father, but my father has blond hair and no, just no, it's not him, it's just my psychological playing with me. Joking or not but it affected me, when I saw him and when he approached Daniel, everything seemed well. His presence seemed to make everything around me better. I know he's just a stranger but I low-key wanted to jump in his arms. He looked at me for a couple seconds, probably worried about what I assumed his son.

The line walked and my turn came, I said goodbye to Daniel and found my father in the car, he looked like he was in a hurry and he doesn't seem to have liked my delay, but I didn't care, the image of that man didn't want to leave my head.

The trip home was smooth, neither of us talking to each other. When we got home, I went up to my room and dad to his. I was lying in bed when I saw a light through the window in the house opposite mine. I saw two silhouettes, one from a taller man and the other from a boy, probably the same one I saw yesterday. The man was tucking the boy in, and it was just too much. I had never realized me how much I actually miss him. I don't remember his voice, nor most of our moments together, but I remember the security he gave me, how he turned all bad things into good ones, and the presence of that strange man, for some reason transmitted to me that same feeling, the same one I felt when I was a little kid and was in his presence. I didn't realized I was crying until I felt that warm tear go down my neck tickling a bit.

"Why can't I have this? Why am I so mess up? Why can't I make my father proud?" And that's how I fell asleep, asking myself these questions mentally and thinking about that stranger man at the restaurant. 

-words count: 1548-