Treasure Box

Chapter 13

So I'm done with AP test and school in general. Yayyyyyy, now I have to go to college. Booooo. Anyway, sorry for the wait.

"Are you sure about this?" I persisted, brows furrowed in agitation.

"Stop it, LouLou," she frowned at me, swatting me with her delicate hand. Her skin was like paper now, clinging to her skeleton. It had lost the color of life a while ago and her shimmering blonde hair was reducing to wistful strands of gray. It pained me to know that Michael came and sat in the same seat I sat in and talked to her every day, seeing her deteriorate before his very eyes. "Who else would take care of my little boy? His mother?"

"Maybe she should," I said impulsively, "She is his mother. When is she going to take responsibility for herself?"

Leslie sighed, "Louis, if I ever made that girl take responsibility for herself, she wouldn't have had Michael. I'm sorry to say, I didn't raise her to take care of a child. I barely spent enough time with her to say I raised her if I'm going to be honest. Michael was a second chance for me and I'll be damned if I'm going to let my decisions ruin his childhood too."

"But who knows the effect of sending him to his father could have," I argued, "The man might not even accept him as his child."

"He will, Louis," she laughed at my concern, taking my hand in hers, "Trust me, will you? I happen to be an excellent judge of character. I did let a certain college student into my home and funds, didn't I?"

"Which only makes me more concerned," I replied curtly, holding her fragile hand in mine. It was times like this that I realized that both Michael and I would be left alone as soon as she was gone. I had already lost my family, now I was losing my second mother and maybe even her grandson. "You know I can take care of him."

She hummed noncommittally as if she wanted to disagree then laughed at my glare. "Louis, you will make a wonderful father someday. Preferably a day when you've settled down. As uptight as you are, you have the libido of a player."

"I'll focus on Michael instead of men." It made no sense. Why send Michael to a man he's never met?

"And you'll take away Michael's chance to get to know his father. I'll tell you what, if Franco turns out to be incapable of being a decent father, you have my permission to whisk him away but get to know Franco first. Even if you don't understand why now, you will."

I remember wondering how she could be so confident in a man she only met once years ago. What made her look at him and think that he would be an exceptional father? Then I met him.

What shocked me the most was that he didn't need anyone to tell him to be a good father. He didn't shy away from the thought of a family because he didn't have his own father to advise him. Unlike me, who pursued relationship after relationship without ever wanting to get attached.

"Louis," Katrina snapped her fingers in my face, "Still with me, babe?" She sat on my desk, staring at me with concern.

I nodded absently.

"So?" she persisted, "Are you sure you're ready to become Michael's second father? Don't give him false hope just to chicken out later."

"I don't know if I'm ready," I admitted, "Though Michael certainly seems to think so."

"You have been there for him since he can remember," She reminded me.

"I know," I exhaled, "I know but being a father is different."