December, 2008, Somewhere outside NYU

Liam looked at Chanty. “You’ve had too much to drink, Chanty.”

“I am faaayyyyyyne,” she uttered, her eyes drooping down.

He looked around for help but Angelica had already fallen asleep inside the tent Liam had set up for himself earlier. And Zach was inside one of the rooms in the cabin.

“You need to sleep,” he said.

“No, I am faayyyynnne,” she repeated.

“Come on, get up. There’s no more beer,” he lied when she tried to reach for the cooler. He grabbed her hand and pulled. She was not that drunk, but he still struggled with her. She was leaning against him as he walked her to the empty bedroom she was supposed to share with Angelica. “Careful, Chanty. You are not as light as you think.”

“Cameron thinks I am fat,” she said with a giggle.

“He’s an idiot,” he answered. They had now entered the dark room.

“Yes, he is, isn’t he?”

“Yes. I bet all my money on that.”

He eased her down on the bed.

“Liam,” she called when he straightened to full height before her in the bed.

“What?”

“Will you kiss me?”

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“You’re drunk, Chanty. You better sleep.”

“I am not drunk. I am tipsy. I am just a few scores over sober. Kiss me.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you enough to respect you. You are not thinking straight.”

“Come on, just one kiss!”

“Why?”

“I wanna know if Cameron is not the only RIGHT kiss out there.”

“You wanna know if someone else can give you the RIGHT kiss?”

Chanty nodded.

When Liam didn’t say anything, Chanty stood up and said, “Well, then, maybe I should wake up Zach and find out--”

He did not let her finish. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward him, giving her the kiss she wanted.

Liam didn’t plan to go further than that, but to finally have Chanty in his arms, her hand pulling at his shirt and dragging him to bed was something no fool would ever back away from.

He might be taking advantage, but the way Chanty moved against him told him she knew what she was doing. And she was doing it right.

That night, he let go of all inhibitions. He’d take what he could even if it meant losing her the very next day. This could be his last chance, he thought. And he was taking it.

2013

That night, Chanty couldn’t sleep.

She wanted to give Angelica a ring, but she didn’t want to bother anyone.

Her friend would be tired now that she was back working in the hospital. Cassandra would be busy with her baby. Jules, well, she would tell Chanty whatever was on her mind and Chanty was afraid the girl would say the right things no matter how hurtful they might be.

Without anyone to talk to, and without anything to do to help her sleep, she went to Willie’s room and watched her son sleep.

He looked peaceful and innocent with a small smile on his lips as he slept. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

She wished he would never have to grow up and experience the things adults would. She had tried to make him grow up without setting up a standard for him to follow. He didn’t have to grow up like Philip or any other men in the family. He could grow up as Willie and be Willie and stay Willie.

She didn’t want him to grow up with a lot of pressure like Cameron did. She wanted him to grow up without expecting others to judge him.

He just has to be Willie, she thought.

But would he be ever complete without knowing his father?

He won’t, Chanty uttered the bitter truth in her mind.

A tear fell down Chanty’s eyes. Her son would grow up the way he wanted to be. He’d grow up on his own without her making the decisions for him.

Tomorrow, once the result was out, he’d ask Willie what he wanted. Her child would make the decision.

*****

Liam couldn’t sleep. Though he didn’t want to admit it, he was hoping the result of the DNA test would come out negative. Willie didn’t deserve a father like Cameron.

And you are the right one? You are planning to leave, man, a big part of him said.

He stayed away from his phone to stop himself from calling Chanty. He was certain she was not getting any sleep. He doubted any of the Strindberg was getting a minute of slumber tonight.

By 3 AM, he gave up and climbed out of bed. He made coffee and watched the light slowly creep through his windows.

By 5 AM, he got ready for work.

*****

Chanty drove Willie very early to her brother’s house and went to work before everybody else.

She sat behind her desk without doing anything, just waiting. She knew the results would not be out until later that morning, but she felt that she had to be ready.

She heard some noise outside and eager to have some company after staying up all night alone, she walked out of her office.

Liam’s tall frame greeted her and they almost bumped into each other.

“You startled me!” she cried out. “What are you doing here at this hour?”

He tore his gaze away from her and cleared his throat. “I need to start early. Zach and I have a lot of things to do before I leave.”

There it was again.

Why did he have to always bring that up?

“You know you don’t have to leave, Liam.”

“I know, but I want to.”

“I will make sure you stay,” she said with confidence.

He arched an eyebrow, his features challenging her. “How would you do that?”

“I have some ways,” she replied.

“You have some ways…like that cake?”

“It didn’t work, did it?”

He shook his head.

“Well, then, I guess I just need to do more.”

He did not answer but asked, “Why are you early today?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night.”

He nodded. “Today’s the DNA test result.”

“Yes.” Chanty stepped away from him and leaned against the wall right beside her office door. “What would you do if it turns out negative? It would mean you are Willie’s dad.”

His eyes narrowed as he thought about his answer. And then he looked at her seriously. “Why? What would you do if I am?”

“What I should have done a long time ago,” she said with a snort.

He looked confused. “What would you have done a long time ago?”

Chanty opened her mouth to answer but Pete came rushing in with the most unfortunate timing. The magical moment was suddenly gone as her friend gushed about the early morning traffic and the things he needed to get done.

Pete must have realized that he interrupted something important and he said, “I’m sorry, were you guys talking?”

“No, we were just on our way back to our work,” Liam answered and then he was gone.

“Is something wrong with you two?” Pete asked Chanty.

“Nothing,” she answered and escaped back in her office.

*****

Chanty got the call before an important meeting and she dropped everything to go to the testing clinic and get the results.

She did not call anyone because she wanted to know the truth on her own. Everyone had to wait.

On her drive to the site, she composed herself. Cameron would surely be there as well and he might not be alone. Maybe she should have begged Liam to come with her.

No, she’d face this.

After parking her car, she rushed inside the clinic and found Cameron sitting by himself.

“I thought you’d be late or you’d be with someone,” she noted.

“I figured I’d want to go alone this time.”

She just nodded and they went to claim the result.

*****

“Well, it looks like you lied after all, Chanty,” Cameron said the moment they walked out of the building ten minutes later.

Chanty nodded. “Well, poor me, right? Liam would have been a much better father.”

Hurt registered on Cameron’s face, but he smiled. “I could be a good father if you’d let me.”

Chanty stared at him for a long time before nodding. “That would be up to Willie.”

“So you are not going to make it hard for us?”

“You know, I stayed up all night just staring at him while he slept and I thought I could not be as selfish as you were four years ago. I want to give him everything and if it means giving him his father, why not? But that’s all up to him. If he wants to meet you, then he can. If he doesn’t, then good for me.”

“I wonder when will you ever forgive me.”

“Maybe I already do. I no longer wish things did not turn the way they did because if they didn’t, I’d be stuck with you and I just can’t imagine what that would feel like at the moment. I fought hard for you, you know. Everyone told me to give up but I didn’t. The only thing I did was cheat on you and as I think about it now, it was the only right thing I did while I was with you.”

Cameron covered his hurt ego with a chuckle. “I never imagined you’d fall for Heaton, Chanty. You hated him back in NYU.”

“There is a thin line between hate and love, Cameron. So, anyway, now that everything is clear that you are indeed my son’s biological father, let’s move on with our lives.” She started to walk away.

“What about Willie?” he called behind her.

“I told you,” she said over her shoulder. “That’s up to him.”

“I’ll be waiting, Chanty!”

She waved her hand without turning and walked to her car.

*****

Liam got the news from Zach who got the news from Henry who got the news from Angelica who got the news from Chanty.

He was disappointed.

He was ready to be a father.

But things ended up as they originally where.

“You want to drink?” Zach asked when he found Liam staring blankly in the air.

“No, what I need is to fly out of this place tomorrow. I hope you are ready?”

“You know I’m not,” his friend said with a sigh. “But I know you’re just a phone call away. Where do you plan to go anyway?”

“Somewhere.”

“Why do people always have to go away? I just don’t get it.”

“You just told me a week ago that you want to get away whenever Julianne’s having one of her moods.”

“That’s different, man. I don’t mean it when I say it.”

“Just give me time,” Liam said. “For all you know, I might get back in the game in no time.”

“What do you mean by that? Is it Chanty-related?”

“Doesn’t have to be. But we’ll see.”

“You are nuts, you know that? Bipolar son of a bitch. Last time I heard, you don’t want anything to do with her. Now you MIGHT just consider getting back in the game with her. What’s wrong with you? PMS or something?”

“Shut up.”

“And you shut me up when I am finally telling the truth. Remember what you asked me when I first started the bet with you before I entered that damn show?”

“What question?”

“You asked me what I’d do if I meet THE ONE. Well, my friend, let me ask you this: What if Chanty’s THE ONE? She’s just within your grasp this time--finally, after so many years--and you let her go. Well, what of that?”

“You know, we don’t really own those we love. Owning someone’s heart is an illusion because if you really love someone, you make them feel that they are free. They feel that they can do anything and at the same time, they feel the security. It is opening the birdcage and letting the bird fly out knowing the door is open when it decides to go back.”

Zach was looking dumbfounded. “Where are you going with this?”

“Chanty is free. She’s free to do whatever she the hell she wants. And I am free to do what I want at the moment. That’s what I am saying.”

“Ah, so you are saying you are going to leave her be?”

“Yes, exactly. Now that her problem is gone and settled, she is free to make the next step. I won’t be there as a choice. I won’t be there as an option. She’s free to look for whatever she wants.”

Zach shook his head. “I can’t imagine giving Jules that much of freedom. She might just slip away like poof. At this stage of our relationship, I am not that confident.”

Liam chuckled. “Having put up with your shit is enough to let you know she loves you, man. Get over it.”

“Of course she loves me,” Zach said smugly. “You’re the one who should get over it like a real man should. Well, anyway, let’s get this over with so you could go fly away from here.”

*****

Chanty sat across from Willie. Her son was looking at her expectantly.

Whenever she told him she was going to tell him something important, he would always have that hopeful look on his face. She never asked him about it in fear that he would say he was hoping she’d finally tell him about his father.

“Remember when I told you your dad went somewhere really far and he might not be coming back?”

Willie nodded his head vigorously. Chanty was aware of the fact that for the past year Willie never asked her about his father because she found it hard to explain. He was growing up indeed.

“Well, he is back.”

A flash of excitement appeared in her son’s eyes.

“Willie, honey, do you want to see him?”

“Does he want to see me?”

Chanty felt a pang in her chest. Seeing her son doubt the fact that his father might not want to see him was hurting her. She nodded her head with tears brimming her eyes. “Yes, he does.”

Suddenly Willie’s face became worried. “Will you go with me?”

“Of course, I’ll be with you.”

“And we go home together?”

“Of course, silly. We’ll go home together anytime you like.”

Willie appeared like he was thinking, but Chanty already knew what his answer would be.

“Okay, let’s meet him.”

*****

Chanty knew when her son was nervous and he was more than nervous as they drove to the restaurant where Cameron was waiting.

She had specifically told him that he had to come alone.

“Are you ready, buddy? We can always drive back home anytime,” she asked her son after she parked the car outside the restaurant.

Willie shook his head. “Let’s do this,” he said, making Chanty laugh.

“I am so proud of you. Okay, let’s go meet your father.”

Hand in hand, the two of them walked inside the restaurant. Cameron chose a quiet and private one.

“Mr. Cameron made a reservation?” she asked the concierge.

“This way, please,” the man said, leading the way. Chanty and Willie followed. She looked down at her son and gave him a wink.

When she looked up, she saw Cameron. He was dressed in a casual collared cream shirt and he looked fresh. It was one of the looks she had loved years ago and she was glad he wore it today. He was reading the menu and when he sensed their presence, he looked up and his eyes met Chanty’s. His eyes traveled down and he saw his son. Chanty squeezed her son’s hand in hers.

The smile that crept up Cameron’s face as he looked at his son told Chanty everything would be alright.

*****

Chanty’s phone started ringing and she excused herself from Cameron and Willie’s presence. The two of them were talking about Willie’s collection of bugs and though she hated the thought of leaving her son with his father, she had to start getting comfortable with it.

And it was not like she’d go far, right?

She was just answering a damn call.

“What is it?” she hissed at Angelica.

“I know you are at an important meeting or something with Cam-Cam, but I just thought you should know that--yes, Jules, I am telling her right now--”

“Are you with Julianne?”

“And Zach,” Zachary’s muffled voice answered. “And don’t call her Jules.”

“Give it to me,” Julianne’s voice said and the next thing Chanty heard was, “Liam’s leaving this afternoon.”

Chanty thought she heard Angelica mutter about being the one who always had to call people when someone was leaving but she was no longer listening.

Liam was really leaving.

“Is it time for me to panic?” she foolishly asked.

“YES!” Angelica and Julianne cried out at the same time.