The Choice Of Us

The Truth of the Matter

TIANA

None of this was making sense. If this life was set on shocking me at every turn it certainly was doing an excellent job at it and needless to say Cain's face paled to one of mortification at the words Lisa said. However, the surprise subsided to one of anger as his face turned pink at the pent up rage about to spill like molten lava made to destroy anything in its path.

"Bullshit! I may not have a mother but I doubt I'd be born from you," venom seeped from each word that came out of his mouth.

"Maxwell really messed you up, didn't he?" she shook her head in disappointment as she took a cautious step forward toward the guarded male.

"You keep his name out your mouth," he sneered keeping the gun aimed at her," You don't know me!"

"You may not believe me. . . and it's fine- honestly I get why you have nothing but spite at everyone but I swear," she raised her arms taking another step towards him," I am your mother. I once thought Luis looked a lot like him, but you- you're the spitting image of him. All you're missing is the mole just above his upper lip."

Cain's eyes widened and for the first time he seemed unsure of himself as his eyes frantically moved from Luis back to Lisa who had been moving slowly towards him.

"I wish I hadn't left you, but no excuse I could make up right now could ever deplete the guilt I've felt knowing I left you when I should have been there to nurture you, shown you right from wrong."

"You don't know-"

"January tenth at approximately four o'clock in the morning I held you in my arms, Cain," her voice had grown thick with emotion and it was only the squeeze of Luis' hand after grabbing mine that momentarily had me breaking away from the moment to find his orbs burning with tears." You were so small . . . so delicate with a light wrapped around you such that I was convinced a halo would soon appear on your head. But I was scared, a coward too unsure of how to go about raising another human being."

Cain looked away clenching his jaw and even from where we stood, I could see the gun being lowered a bit as her words sunk in. Settling into the air that grew thick with tension as each second ticked by watching Cain's stance change from one evoking a threatening intent to one of hesitation and doubt for all he seemed to know. Till a slip of moisture trickled down his scarred cheek catching us all off guard.

"No- no- no. Dad would never do that- h-he's the bad guy here!" he lifted the gun pointing it towards Luis again glaring and the humane part of him that made an appearance ceased to exist.

Lisa screamed begging him not to do it and just as I'm convinced this may be one of my last moments police sirens broke through the atmosphere disrupting Cain's pursuit to his brother as police men sprang from different directions pointing their weapons at him. The scene was filled with hysterical yelling and screaming.

And even though they told him to put his gun down, screaming at him to comply he refused and the panic about to erupt in me quickly diminished when he was attacked from behind causing him to land on the ground.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" he screamed fighting the officer restraining him only to have another pair of hands holding him down to keep him in place as the cuffs were slipped onto his wrists. He was hysterical shouting profanities and I felt stuck in place watching him being manhandled roughly onto his feet and hauled to the car.

A part of me was still scared to the point I needed to see him actually being pulled away from me to ensure myself that this was over.

"You okay?" I jerked in surprise to find Luis' concerned eyes watching me pulling me in close to envelop me in his arms at the fact the horrendous experience had passed. He kept me close tightening his arms around me and as if a switch went off, I broke down.