He Saved Me, Loved Me, Wanted Me
XII.
Brian held on to me for one reason and one reason only.
The last time we were in a store in Paris… you know the deal. This time he had more to lose though. After buying the Cheeze Whiz, we got some Gobstoppers and premade Macaroni and Cheese, with a small bottle of ketchup.
And I made him buy me chocolate ice cream.
Don’t look at me like that.
After paying, we walked to the hotel we were resting. I ate my mac and cheese… with ketchup while Brian had his Gobstoppers.
“Those are misleading,” I told him.
He chuckled and asked, “Why?”
“Are they everlasting?” I asked matter of factly.
He looked at me, then at the box, then at me again. “I guess not. But why would they be everlasting? Willy Wonka would go out of business.”
“True, but they still lie.”
“When do you go to that lawyer guy?”
“Later today. This morning on the phone he told me that he’d like me to be in court tomorrow.”
“I’m going to be so lost.”
“Why?” I asked with my mouth full. We entered the hotel building and went straight for the elevators.
“Because, everything is going to be said in French.”
“I smiled at him. I’ll give you a debriefing.”
“That’d be nice.” We stepped into the elevators and Brian pressed the number ‘7.’ “You know, hotels should have significance for us,” Brian said.
“Why?”
He let out a low laugh. “We met in one.”
I smiled, laughed, and shook my head. “I remember.”
“We also had sex in one.” I nodded.
“Yup.”
“And probably even consummated Ian Lucas in one.”
The elevator stopped on the second floor and a woman with dark hair, jade green eyes walked in. This wasn’t just any woman.
This was my mother.
“Ana?” she asked, “Is that really you?” I looked to Brian, then back to her. He was confused. He never officially met her. He’s only seen her once, and that was in the hotel while I was leaving with him instead of my parents. The doors closed and she pressed six.
“Yeah,” I replied, “Hi, Mom.” Or should I be calling her Jane? I’m already calling that other guy Al.
“Oh, baby!” She started crying and hugged me. “Oh, you’re so pregnant!” More tears.
“Yeah.” I pulled away and clung back to Brian.
“Honey, I’m so sorry for everything. We need to catch up so terribly.” I sunk into Brian’s side.
“Only if you want to,” I said. I still wasn’t sure of her motives. Brian wrapped his hand around my shoulder.
“Yes, yes, I do! Oh, Annie.” She pulled me into another death grip hug. “I need to apologize for so much.” The last time she called me Annie was when I was three years old, and I got into the Crisco, thinking it was cookie dough. Yes. I remember that. The doors for her floor opened. “Would you like to come to my hotel room? I have a freezer.” I looked to Brian who hadn’t said anything. Brian nodded and we walked out. “So who is he, Annie? He’s handsome.”
“Brian Haner, I’m Ana’s fiancé.” I love the way he said that.
“Oh,” she gasped, putting a hand to her heart. She then smiled. “My baby is getting married.”
Nothing was said and Mom opened the door with her card key. She took the bag with the half can of Cheeze Whiz and ketchup and put them in the fridge while I threw away the empty mac’n’cheese carton. I held onto the ice cream.
“Please, sit down and let’s talk about what’s going on,” Mom said, ushering Brian and I into the living room part of the suite. “Please, start.” She sat in front of us. Brian opened the carton for me and took a spoonful before I did.
“Hey!” I said with a giggle. “This is mine.” Brian shrugged.
“You two seem so happy together,” Mom told us. I grabbed the spoon from Brian and helped myself. “So what brings you to Paris, in this hotel none-the-less?”
“I’m testifying against Al,” I said.
“Al? My Al?” I nodded. “Why are you doing that to your father?”
“Mom, first of all, he denied he had any children. That was when he was giving away my piano. I bought it back, by the way. Actually, Brian surprised me with it.” Brian squeezed my thigh. “I saw Al kill Ricky.”
Mom gasped. “What?”
I nodded. “You know how I tried telling you how Ricky raped me when I was younger? He kidnapped me and did it again.” My voice was wavering now. “I don’t even know if this baby is Brian’s or not.” I rubbed the top of my protruding bump. I was only four months pregnant. I didn’t think I could be this big at four months. Okay, so it wasn’t huge, but still big for my standing. “But I saw Al kill Ricky then. Something about money.”
“I don’t believe it…,” she said, glassy eyed.
“Then don’t. That is just what I saw.”
“Mrs. Whitaker-,” Brian started.
“Jane, please,” Mom said to him.
“I heard the gunshot through the phone. I can back her up. Ricky was ransoming with her.”
“Well, let’s get on to other things, shall we? Tell me all about the baby.”
“It’s a boy. We just gave him a name. Ian Lucas Haner.” Brian and I smiled at each other. “I’m four months right now, and I’m due July 16th.”
“But it would be really cool if the baby was born on my birthday though,” Brian added.
“What about your wedding, when is it?”
“Its next month. But our wedding planner is looking for places that are open and we’ll see when.” Mom nodded.
“I know I’m probably not your most favorite person in the world but-”
“Mom, you don’t even know. You weren’t there when I needed you the most, you weren’t there at all. You called me a liar and you didn’t even attempt to love me. You left that to the nannies. You cared less about me.” Mom slapped me. Brian quickly pulled me away as he stood up.
“Don’t you even touch her,” Brian seethed, holding me back. Mom just glared at him. “Did you know I’m the one that saved her? The night she left you guys I met her on the roof of that fucking hotel. I’m the one who stopped her from killing herself. But look at her now. She is so much better off without you. She’s happy, and she’s healthy and she’s the most wonderful person in this world, and you’ve failed to see that.” His voice was eerily calm. “You have no right to slap her. She’s done nothing to you. If it were my choice, she’d be the one slapping you.” Brian pointed at the shocked woman. “You need to be in a jail cell rotting with your husband. I’m sure Ana will agree with me on this. We want nothing to do with you and you’re not having any input in our son’s life.” With that, Brian grabbed our things from the fridge and we left together to our room.
The last time we were in a store in Paris… you know the deal. This time he had more to lose though. After buying the Cheeze Whiz, we got some Gobstoppers and premade Macaroni and Cheese, with a small bottle of ketchup.
And I made him buy me chocolate ice cream.
Don’t look at me like that.
After paying, we walked to the hotel we were resting. I ate my mac and cheese… with ketchup while Brian had his Gobstoppers.
“Those are misleading,” I told him.
He chuckled and asked, “Why?”
“Are they everlasting?” I asked matter of factly.
He looked at me, then at the box, then at me again. “I guess not. But why would they be everlasting? Willy Wonka would go out of business.”
“True, but they still lie.”
“When do you go to that lawyer guy?”
“Later today. This morning on the phone he told me that he’d like me to be in court tomorrow.”
“I’m going to be so lost.”
“Why?” I asked with my mouth full. We entered the hotel building and went straight for the elevators.
“Because, everything is going to be said in French.”
“I smiled at him. I’ll give you a debriefing.”
“That’d be nice.” We stepped into the elevators and Brian pressed the number ‘7.’ “You know, hotels should have significance for us,” Brian said.
“Why?”
He let out a low laugh. “We met in one.”
I smiled, laughed, and shook my head. “I remember.”
“We also had sex in one.” I nodded.
“Yup.”
“And probably even consummated Ian Lucas in one.”
The elevator stopped on the second floor and a woman with dark hair, jade green eyes walked in. This wasn’t just any woman.
This was my mother.
“Ana?” she asked, “Is that really you?” I looked to Brian, then back to her. He was confused. He never officially met her. He’s only seen her once, and that was in the hotel while I was leaving with him instead of my parents. The doors closed and she pressed six.
“Yeah,” I replied, “Hi, Mom.” Or should I be calling her Jane? I’m already calling that other guy Al.
“Oh, baby!” She started crying and hugged me. “Oh, you’re so pregnant!” More tears.
“Yeah.” I pulled away and clung back to Brian.
“Honey, I’m so sorry for everything. We need to catch up so terribly.” I sunk into Brian’s side.
“Only if you want to,” I said. I still wasn’t sure of her motives. Brian wrapped his hand around my shoulder.
“Yes, yes, I do! Oh, Annie.” She pulled me into another death grip hug. “I need to apologize for so much.” The last time she called me Annie was when I was three years old, and I got into the Crisco, thinking it was cookie dough. Yes. I remember that. The doors for her floor opened. “Would you like to come to my hotel room? I have a freezer.” I looked to Brian who hadn’t said anything. Brian nodded and we walked out. “So who is he, Annie? He’s handsome.”
“Brian Haner, I’m Ana’s fiancé.” I love the way he said that.
“Oh,” she gasped, putting a hand to her heart. She then smiled. “My baby is getting married.”
Nothing was said and Mom opened the door with her card key. She took the bag with the half can of Cheeze Whiz and ketchup and put them in the fridge while I threw away the empty mac’n’cheese carton. I held onto the ice cream.
“Please, sit down and let’s talk about what’s going on,” Mom said, ushering Brian and I into the living room part of the suite. “Please, start.” She sat in front of us. Brian opened the carton for me and took a spoonful before I did.
“Hey!” I said with a giggle. “This is mine.” Brian shrugged.
“You two seem so happy together,” Mom told us. I grabbed the spoon from Brian and helped myself. “So what brings you to Paris, in this hotel none-the-less?”
“I’m testifying against Al,” I said.
“Al? My Al?” I nodded. “Why are you doing that to your father?”
“Mom, first of all, he denied he had any children. That was when he was giving away my piano. I bought it back, by the way. Actually, Brian surprised me with it.” Brian squeezed my thigh. “I saw Al kill Ricky.”
Mom gasped. “What?”
I nodded. “You know how I tried telling you how Ricky raped me when I was younger? He kidnapped me and did it again.” My voice was wavering now. “I don’t even know if this baby is Brian’s or not.” I rubbed the top of my protruding bump. I was only four months pregnant. I didn’t think I could be this big at four months. Okay, so it wasn’t huge, but still big for my standing. “But I saw Al kill Ricky then. Something about money.”
“I don’t believe it…,” she said, glassy eyed.
“Then don’t. That is just what I saw.”
“Mrs. Whitaker-,” Brian started.
“Jane, please,” Mom said to him.
“I heard the gunshot through the phone. I can back her up. Ricky was ransoming with her.”
“Well, let’s get on to other things, shall we? Tell me all about the baby.”
“It’s a boy. We just gave him a name. Ian Lucas Haner.” Brian and I smiled at each other. “I’m four months right now, and I’m due July 16th.”
“But it would be really cool if the baby was born on my birthday though,” Brian added.
“What about your wedding, when is it?”
“Its next month. But our wedding planner is looking for places that are open and we’ll see when.” Mom nodded.
“I know I’m probably not your most favorite person in the world but-”
“Mom, you don’t even know. You weren’t there when I needed you the most, you weren’t there at all. You called me a liar and you didn’t even attempt to love me. You left that to the nannies. You cared less about me.” Mom slapped me. Brian quickly pulled me away as he stood up.
“Don’t you even touch her,” Brian seethed, holding me back. Mom just glared at him. “Did you know I’m the one that saved her? The night she left you guys I met her on the roof of that fucking hotel. I’m the one who stopped her from killing herself. But look at her now. She is so much better off without you. She’s happy, and she’s healthy and she’s the most wonderful person in this world, and you’ve failed to see that.” His voice was eerily calm. “You have no right to slap her. She’s done nothing to you. If it were my choice, she’d be the one slapping you.” Brian pointed at the shocked woman. “You need to be in a jail cell rotting with your husband. I’m sure Ana will agree with me on this. We want nothing to do with you and you’re not having any input in our son’s life.” With that, Brian grabbed our things from the fridge and we left together to our room.