Unconditional Love (camren)

6

Our time in South Korea was coming to an end and I for one was excited. Nothing against the country I just really wanted to get back to work. Plus I missed sleeping in my own bed. I'm sure it would do us all some good to finally go home. Mason was slowly warming up to us and by us I mean Camila of course. He'd be fine with her holding him during the day and while we were out and about but of course he had his bad moments, he was still a toddler after all. At night however it was a completely different story, he was still crying himself to sleep and would want nothing to do with us.

The plane ride home was a mess, a large amount of passengers were also leaving South Korea with their adoptive children. When one would cry it would create a domino effect and they'd all end up crying. It was my own personal hell.

Landing in JFK was no better, our entire family was waiting for us there with cliche matching t-shirts and posters with "welcome home mason" written on them. I get that they were excited and wanted to meet the kid but they obviously didn't put much thought into how he would feel being thrown around to about 11 different strangers. It was the first time I'd ever seen him hold onto Camila as if his life depended on it. They wanted us to stop by Camila's parents house for dinner but even Camila knew how bad of an idea that was, so we apologized and excused ourselves claiming to be exhausted. Which wasn't a lie I could pass out at any given moment, never again am I flying with 15 children on a plane.

The one good thing that came out of our family traumatizing the kid more was that he attached himself even more to Camila. The entire drive home, she sat with him in the back holding his hand and when it was time to sleep, he wouldn't sleep in his crib so Camila laid him next to her on the bed and sure enough he fell asleep within minutes. He tried his best to keep his eyes open but like the rest of us he was also exhausted. Camila motioned for me to lay down and I hesitated, it felt weird having to share my bed with a child.

"Maybe I should go sleep in one of the guest bedrooms?" I suggested.

Camila shook her head, "there's plenty of room on our bed, you don't have to worry about squishing him." She held her hand out, "come here."

It took me a while but I eventually took her hand and laid on the bed. I kept telling myself everything would be fine, and that nothing was going to happen. I would never let anything happen. I would never scar the kid, the way I was. I was not my father.

"I still can't believe this is real. Things haven't been the easiest but they're certainly getting better. I love our little family. You, Me and Mason." Camila spoke softly caressing the boys thin, straight long hair.

"Me too." I stared at the ceiling intently waiting to magically fall asleep. I could feel the weight of my eye slowly closing until it was pitch black.

• • •

"I can't believe your going back to work after only being home for two days!" Camila was pissed at me, in case you couldn't tell. "Lauren, Mason and I need you here, call in and tell them you won't be coming in this week."

"I know, but I can't miss anymore work. I've been gone for three weeks and the projects are being delayed because of me. My clients are not happy and when clients aren't happy they leave, and they leave with their money. Which I need in order to keep my company and to maintain this lifestyle we both enjoy. And now we have a kid to maintain or did you forget." I'm poking a bear and I know it.

"So is your company more important than spending time with your son?" I knew the answer she wanted to hear but I honestly didn't know the kid well enough to choose him over my other child aka my company. I should've known the money angle would do nothing to her.