Walls Between Us

bonus: Daddy & Mommy [AMAYA'S POV]

A M A Y A

"And done!" I exclaim softly to myself as I shut the laptop, pushing it away from me and rolling my chair back.

My five-month pregnant belly materializes from under the desk, instantly sending a rush of joy through me. I sometimes forget that I am pregnant but every time I realize it, I am filled with the same kind of joy as the one I felt the first time the doctor let me know.

My baby is safe, healthy, and I hope she passes the second semester well.

I fondly caress my protruding belly under my cotton dress, smiling at a future vision of holding my baby in my arms. Carter can't wait either. He has already made plans for where her nursery would be and what would be the room decor. I stopped him from going too ahead of time, afraid of it foreseeing ill for our child.

Parker's familiar laughter suddenly buzzes in my ears. I get up from my seat slowly, walking with careful steps out of our bedroom.

I turn the corridor, halting as a horrific sight of Parker above the back of his caretaker, Ivan — a middle-aged man who Vance gave responsibility to look after Parker — stills me. Ivan is on his hands and knees, perspiration coating his forehead as Parker orders him to crawl to his room like he is a horse.

Disappointment flares through me. I form a fist with one hand, the other clutching my belly, as I stride toward them. Parker lets out a surprised squeak when I grab his arm and slide him down Ivan's back. Ivan rises, his dark eyes widened as he gets to his 5'8 height, swallowing a gulp down his throat.

"Parker, what's going on here?" I ask my son, bending a little but not much so that I can speak right over his face.

"Mommy, look! Ivan's my horse," he replies, showing all his teeth as he points at Ivan and grins.

I look at Ivan with a hot flush of embarrassment taking over me, completely taken aback by Parker's behavior. I always taught him to respect his elders. Even my only condition for his private schooling was that the environment must be cultured and have strict rules for when children do something bad.

Is this what they are teaching my son?

"Parker! This is not how we treat elders."

I straighten, crossing my arms and Parker's expression falls, a hint of fear crossing his eyes. I am never stern with him. He is too sweet for all that but today, he can figure out the disappointment in my voice.

"It's okay, Mrs. Bell," Ivan interrupts us, sounding tired from the exhaustion he just endured.

"No, Ivan, this is not okay." I turn back to my child, narrowing my eyebrows. "Parker, apologize to him right now."

"But Mommy, Grandpa said Ivan's my servant, and I can do anything I want with him," he justifies himself, drawing circles on the floor with a toe.

His small lips are shaped into a pout as his shoulders drop.

"No, you can't. We don't treat our fellow humans or any living beings that way," I explain calmly. "Ivan takes care of you. He's not your servant. He's your caretaker. You should be grateful to him for always protecting you."

"Ma'am, don't, please. Mr. Bell will be furious," Ivan speaks, this time with a note of fear in his voice and I know that he is referring to none other than Vance.

Vance has been spoiling Parker ever since we shifted to the mansion four months ago. He even goes to the extent of making Parker call him 'Dad' instead of 'Grandpa'. Carter, although frowning on the fact, dismisses it as Vance has recently been diagnosed with a case of early dementia and we can see how he sometimes projects his son's childhood through his grandson.