Chapter 194 CHRISTMAS
1412words
"Am I looking that bad?" I look at Ann with unsatisfied eyes and try to give her a stern look while with the long fake beard it's difficult to show her my anger at the moment.
Ha Ha Ha
Ann continues laughing while covering her mouth and even when I am furiously mad at her I couldn't help but thank God silently in my heart for giving Ann back her happiness, her laugh.
"Ann…" I urge and finally she stops laughing.
"What am I going to tell Aaron about your disappearance, huh?" She questions while the small smile still hangs at the corner of her lips.
"Tell him, I get stuck in the traffic, Ann," I said while rolling my eyes at her.
I have planned so much for Aaron can she think of any, one excuse?
"Oh… Okay…" She says understandingly and then leaves while stifling her laugh and I stomp my feet unhappily.
What a man has to do in order to keep his family happy…!
Sigh
I turn and look at myself in the mirror, I smile at my appearance no matter how bad I look. I know this Santa look will make Aaron happy and for his happiness, I could do anything.
With the fake bulgy stomach, I walk out. Selina gives me a stunning look and then hands me the bag I had asked her to prepare after all she is good at buying kid's stuff. I have asked her to bring all the favorite toys of Aaron that I am going to gift him as Santa today.
"What was the line?" I ask Selina as a reminder and she replies instantly, "Merry Christmas."
I look at her dumbstruck and then correct her, "No, not that. The other, the Santa always does."
"Oh, that… Hoo … Ohoo … Hoo …" Finally, it clicks in her mind and I nod in approval.
"Yeah… This one."
Aaron hasn't revealed his wish yet to anyone but I am sure it would be one of his recent favorite toy interests, something that I am carrying in this huge bag over my shoulder.
I keep practicing Santa's voice and laugh while walking toward the elevator and Selina follows me behind. She is a good help.
I hide in the corner in the elevator while it goes down to the ground floor where we have set up things for Christmas. I know Aaron must be waiting for Santa eagerly.
DING
The elevator door opens and I hear Aaron exclaiming "Santa" but when he looks at Selina, his face falls in disappointment.
I smile nervously, ok time to show up.
I snap my fingers and there the room gets dark and only one light flashes at the center of the elevator as I stand there.
"Hoo… Ohoo… Hoo…"
I fake the Santa accent and then laugh cheerfully. Aaron comes running to me and his face gets pressed into my fake bulgy stomach and everyone laughs out loud including me.
"Santa… Santa…" He keeps jumping in excitement while I crouch down and pat his head lovingly.
"What do you wish for, little boy?" I ask and he turns to look at Ann cautiously and then at me. He then holds my hand and pulls me to the corner. "No one should listen to my wish except you."
Aaron says cautiously as he pulls me to the side and then looks at me, I look down at him and then hold him up in my arms faking the Santa accent. "No one?"
And he nods his head, "No one."
"So, what's your wish?" I ask feeling curious as he looks a bit anxious and excited too.
He wraps his arms around my head and then leans near to my ear, "I want … my mother…" He whispers slowly and my mind goes numb for a second.
BOOM
I look at him and then glance at Ann who is waiting for us to come back, her eyes looking eagerly at us.
Instantly, an idea came into my mind and then I open my mouth, "Do you know your mother's name?" and he shakes his head, thankfully.
"Oh little boy, so then how am I going to find her without a name…" I take a deep sigh and give him an apologizing look.
He pauses, the smile starts to vanish from his face and I was supposed to offer him all the toys in compensation when suddenly he prompts, "How about I give you a picture of her?"
A picture?
I look at him suspiciously, Tessa's picture is in my room and Aaron has never entered my room so how come he could get any picture of Tessa?
"Do you have a picture?" I asked with narrowed eyes.
Please, say "NO"
He looks at me for a moment in hesitation and then reveals, "No, I don't." and I sigh in relief.
"Oh, so then I am afraid you need to wait for some time," I tell him and he looks at me with sad eyes and my heart starts to tighten in a harsh grip.
"Don't worry, whenever you will find her name and picture, just send it to me and I will find her," I tell him to cheer up his mood and his eyes immediately brighten with hope and delight.
Oh, my innocent boy.
To keep his mood good I then hand him the bag of toys and he hugs me happily and then rushes to Ann showing her all the toys nearly forgetting about his father's disappearance from the party.
Sigh.
We play multiple games that won't tire Aaron much and had a beautiful cheerful night. Tonight, Selina also stays at the mansion because our festivities get much late and also I feel too tired to send her back to her home.
After changing into my pajamas, I look out of the window, it shows the full moon and I wonder if Chicago also it's a full moon and how Tessa and Cyrus would have celebrated their Christmas?
Has Cyrus also wished for his father? Like Aaron has wished for his mother, today?
Had Tessa told him about me or I am also a mysterious person in his life like Tessa is in Aaron's life?
I wonder if I would be able to see Cyrus and embrace him in my arms.
****
"What did Aaron wish for?" Ann asks the next day looking curious and I get nearly choke on my tea.
What am I supposed to tell her now?
"Uhmm… Nothing important… Just toys, Ann." I try to shrug away the subject.
"Oh… He keeps looking at me, I wonder what it is he is afraid of?" She says to herself and I gulp nervously.
If you know, Ann…
****
"Daddy… Can you do something, please…?" Aaron asks as I close the book of his nighttime story.
"Anything for my son," I tell him lovingly and he gives me a huge smile.
"Can you give this to Santa?" He hands me a small piece and I look at it with curious eyes.
"What is…" I pause, my eyes widening in shock, "Where did you get this?" I question him furiously.
"She is my mother, I know." He says stubbornly and I shake my head in distress.
"Your mother is Ann, not her…" I snap and he looks at me with hurt in his small blue eyes. "No, Ann is my aunt not my mother. She is my mother and I want her. Every kid has a mother why can't I have one?" He questions with a hoarse voice and then starts to cry miserably.
My heart softens in pity when I see his state.
"Hey, buddy…" I crawl beside him in the bed holding him gently in my arms. "I want my Mommy…" He cries out in my chest and my heart tightens in pain.
"Ssshh… Don't cry, Aaron." I start rubbing his back gently to soothe him and he obediently stops crying and then falls asleep on my arm. I stare at his little face for a while, my heart feels uneasy when I notice the wetness near his eyes.
Oh boy, am I disappointing my son too, now?
I feel a heart-wrenching pain that makes me realize how pathetic a human being I am still.
Disappointed his mother, first and now this little boy too.
How many more times I am going to let down my loved ones?
How many?
