Peyton hesitated and then slowly walked over to Amber. Looking down at her hands, Amber carefully fastened the open buttonhole on his pajama top.
“There now,” she smiled, “You’re all ready for bed.”
“Would you weed me a stor-wee?” Peyton asked wide-eyed and innocent.
Amber almost expired from the familiarity in those green eyes. Amazing how she had never been this close up to him before where she could really view his eyes. She had always been able to study him from afar and now she had been given a great opportunity. Those were most definitely, his father’s lashes and most definitely his father’s hypnotic stare. Lord help those girls when he gets a little older. Amber gazed over at Eduardo who was filling the doorway now with his arms crossed, his legs crossed, smiling an adoring grin. “I sure would, but would you come sit next me?” Amber asked a stone-faced Peyton. “I don’t like it when you sit so far away.”
“Nanny says not to sit next to strang’weres.”
Amber gazed down at the ground. Strangers? I guess she would be considered a stranger to him. Why would he have an instant connection with her anyhow? Birthing a child does not always make you an instant parent or give you an immediate connection—it took some desire, nourishing and a whole lotta love. The only adults Peyton has ever known were his grandmother, Eduardo and Mrs. Lopez. “Peyton, do you know what a mother is?”
Peyton walked over to his fake toy stethoscope and wrapped it around his shoulders and laid it down on his pajamas. “A mother is like a nurse, she takes care of babies.”
“That’s right Peyton,” Amber agreed. “Do you know who I am?”
Peyton turned to look up at Mrs. Lopez first then back at Amber and quizzically stared at her. “You’re my daddy’s frwend.”
Amber giggled, “Yes, I am your daddy’s friend, but I’m also your mother. I’m your mommy Peyton.”
Peyton continued to stare at the tall friendly lady he’s been spending so much time with and he seemed confused, “My mommy?”
“Yes Peyton baby, I’m your mommy,” Amber gushed, trying to hold back her tears. “And I love you very much.”
Peyton walked over to Amber and placed his stethoscope on her chest. “Can I wisten to your heart...mommy?”
Tears streamed down Amber’s face instantly and she leaned down to his level—wanting to grab him into her, hold him something fierce—but restrained herself and didn’t want to break the comfortable bond she just created. “Like this?” She asked, sticking her chest out feeling deliriously happy.
Peyton cautiously placed the device in the middle of her shirt. “You have a hef-ee heart mommy; you don’t need an oper-wation.”
Amber wiped away her tears, “Thank goodness for that!”
Peyton was just about to walk away from her when Amber reached down and grabbed his little hand and brought his body into hers to give him a little hug. Peyton didn’t hug her back but did allow her to give him a squeeze as he simply stared down at the carpet.
And Amber had to accept it. She accepted it because this was how it was for a while; this was how her life would be for the next few months until Peyton would be comfortable enough with her. She would have to be patient for a while and wait for that day to come, after all, like Eduardo said; they had all the time in the world now.
Chapter FIVE
“She’s here,” Jackie Medina, Eduardo’s Legal Assistant stated, closing the door behind her. She looked across at her boss. He had been going over a brief with his feet up on his desk when she popped in unannounced and he immediately placed them down within hearing her voice.
Eduardo laid down the brief first before saying, “Let her sit with the commoner’s for a few more moments in the reception area. Let her reflect on what might have been.”
Jackie smiled and agreed, “Yah, that’ll teach her a lesson,” she quipped, rolling her eyes disagreeing with him for now, “Sitting with the little people always makes me wanna reflect.”
Eduardo gave her a condescending look of disapproval and Jackie simply raised her eyebrows and headed out the same way she came in. She could do that you know Jackie had been his assistant for nearly ten years. She had been assigned to him when he was initially hired and not once had she ever felt like pouncing on him. For the past five years, Jackie has had an unrequited love with Gordon Daggert, the other fine-looking attorney in the law firm. She was puttied around Gordon but with Eduardo, she felt more like his little sister and loved to tease him.
Eduardo gazed over at his digital clock then rolled his eyes. The woman was early, he thought. She could sit there for a few more minutes, he could make her wait. The last time she came in for an appointment, he was discussing her options on what to do about her agent of two years, who just happened to be her husband…and who just happened to have an affair with her assistant. She wanted to divorce him first, but then was arrested after her assistant found him dead at the foot of their bed. The spouse was always the first to suspect, and Eduardo was called in immediately by her publicist.
Imelda Yasmina Venezuela de Gómez aka “Yazmine” was a phenomenal pop singer imported from South America with a triple-platinum CD and five number one debut hits. She was at the peak of her popularity when the scandal hit. She didn’t do it, she always claimed, and now Eduardo had to prove it. Oh, and there was one other little minor thing…she was a huge flirt. It had been rumored through the tabloids that she has had numerous lovers throughout her career and even some during her short two-year marriage to her agent. Yazmine didn’t like hearing the word “no” and the day since she’s been his client, Yazmine has also had the ‘hots’ for her Latin defense attorney. This is the reason why Eduardo made her cool down in the reception area, he didn’t feel like being chased around his desk today—he just bought a new Armani suit.
She walked into his office in a low-cut dress and Eduardo’s eyes immediately dropped to that region. He was, after all, a red-blooded American male—it was just in his nature.
“How’s my favorite boy-toy?” Yazmine asked, making herself at home across from him on his sofa he had in his office.
Eduardo was about to go and sit back around his desk after greeting her when he noticed that she preferred to sit a little cozier and took her lead on a convenient chair across from her. “He’s doing well,” he confessed, thinking about Amber and their love-making just the night before. “He’s doing very well.”
Yazmine ate him up and down then crossed her legs to give him a view of her recent Miami tan through her slit on her leather mini skirt. Yazmine misread his stare and didn’t skip a beat and commented on that sensual look of his, “In no doubt you are...”
Later that afternoon, Amber felt uneasy at home knowing her husband was having a meeting with that she-devil. Just the other day at the hair salon, Amber had picked up a magazine with an entire section on ‘Yazmine’ and how famous she was and how the paparazzi constantly stalked her to the point where she had to hire a few bodyguards and entourage. She was with them, she claimed, when her husband was killed and she was blaming her assistant for his death. Amber didn’t like her…of course, she was a blond…and, of course, she was beautiful…and, of course, she had a nice rack and Eduardo loved to look at blonds who were beautiful with nice racks. Those used to be his preferred women of choice and had Amber really tamed the once promiscuous tiger? Had he really changed? Had a tiger really maintained his stripes?
Amber hadn’t been jealous of other women in his life since the day they were married, but with this one, she felt apprehension and couldn’t understand why.
Amber was just about to call Eduardo at the office to see how his meeting went with Yazmine when Amber browsed by the kitchen and found Mrs. Lopez making food for her son. “Mrs. Lopez, I can make lunch for Peyton, you don’t have to do that.”
“I insist, Mrs. Sanchez, I’ve been making sure Peyton has had a good meal since the day he was born.”
Amber felt her blood beginning to boil, “But I’m his mother Mrs. Lo
pez, and I am quite capable of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
“Peanut butter and jelly?” Mrs. Lopez nodded her head, “No—no, little Peyton must eat chopped chicken like his father.”
Amber fumed, “No, he doesn’t. I’m taking over now and Peyton is going to grow up normal—unlike his spoiled father.”
“Are you insulting your own husband?”
“No one knows Eduardo Sanchez more than I do, he’s arrogant, he’s difficult, he’s brilliant, but he’s spoiled.”
Mrs. Lopez nodded her head again, “You will take full responsibility if Mr. Sanchez is unhappy with Peyton’s nutrition then?”
Amber rolled her eyes. The woman was insulting her again! “Yes, full responsibility.”
“Very well then, I will see to the other house duties.”
What other house duties? Amber had already walked all over the Goddamn house and found that there was not one inch of dust or grime, dirty clothes, dishes, an unmade bed or a bathroom unclean throughout the whole entire area! The whole house was military dirt free and it was making her crazy from the sheer boredom of having nothing to do! “Very well,” Amber mocked, watching Mrs. Lopez exit out of the kitchen.
Amber then began opening up the cupboards trying to figure out where the hell the peanut butter went when she came across a cabinet full of liquor and closed it up immediately; didn’t give a second glance until she hesitated for a second and then reopened it. Amber after that took out the Vodka bottle directly in front of her and poured herself a small glass.
Wow, how comforting it was to relax her nerves. Amber began to recall all the endless nights when she couldn’t sleep, or tried to find a reason to avoid sleeping with Victor. She was involved with Eduardo back then and she didn’t want Victor to touch her so she found out by drinking, she discovered the escape and finally an answer. Amber was one of the drinkers who, if drank the right amount, would transform physically into another person all together. She was suddenly unsure about her husband’s roving eye and that housekeeper slash nanny was nothing but difficult lately, and Amber continued to pour herself drinks until she realized she had drank half the bottle.
Later, Eduardo came home to find Mrs. Lopez at the dining-room table rearranging the flowers. “Where’s Mrs. Sanchez?”
“She’s been up in her room for half the day.”
“Where’s Peyton?”
“Your mother-in-law was by here earlier and asked if he could attend her to the park.”
“Oh,” Eduardo let go, ascending the staircase and noticing that the door to their room had been closed.
He opened it up to find Amber asleep in their bed. But it was only six-thirty! Amber usually greeted him at the door with her arms wide open, kissing him excitedly. He was not used to her halting their routine. “Amber?”
Amber moaned.
Eduardo walked over to her lying there. She looked...drunk. Her face was smashed against the mattress; her lips were spread out in a funny widened fish mouth expression. Eduardo shook his head, lifted her feet up and took off her shoes. “Amber...I’m home.”
Amber moaned another time.
She had been drinking. What the hell for? Eduardo slapped his wife’s bottom with one quick stroke.
Amber flinched and sprung to attention. “Ouch! What the fuck?”
“Have you been drinking?”
Amber tried to open her inebriated eyes and squinted at her husband. Her senses come back to her in full force. “Just a little bit,” she explained, pinching her fingers to show him just how much.
“Why? You don’t drink, what’s wrong?”
“I had a rough day,” she said, wiping her plastered hair away from her face.
Eduardo had never seen her like this before. Her eyes had suddenly changed. The alteration in her was almost immediate. Her hazel eyes transformed from light brown to a dingy black. Her face went pale, she was almost white. Her usual pink hue was gone, vanished, erased over by the intoxication. He was so turned off by her appearance he couldn’t believe the mutation in her.
Amber went for her husband and started to kiss him, but Eduardo held her back. He was suddenly disgusted with what he saw and conveyed, “Stop it Amber, I’m tired, I’m going to take a shower.”
Amber let go of him instantly and watched wide-eyed as he walked away from her. Eduardo had never-ever rejected her touch before! Was it the singer? Was it really work? Was he really tired? What was it?
Amber suddenly was in disbelief, and then without warning, she had a craving for another drink.
Chapter SIX
In the middle of the night, Amber had a sudden burst of mother’s intuition. Her child was hurting. She sat up and listened to the various sounds across the hushed night. Eduardo was whizzing in his sleep, his nose snoring away. So much for being faultless, another flaw she could use as ammunition for a rainy day. Amber closed her eyes again, maybe she was imagining it; the wind, rustling through the leaves on the trees outside, the ocean beyond, the waves pushing up against the current, splashing and tumbling over and over...then a small faint sound...the cry of child...Peyton?
Amber darted out of bed and ran toward her son’s room. The light from the moon streamed through his windowpane. She focused on him instantly; Peyton was rolling on top of his bed, whimpering and crying and Amber ran over to him directly and grabbed him into her arms.
Peyton immediately stopped crying when he felt secured by an adult’s warm arms around him. He was safe now, the nightmare could end and he wrapped his little arms around that other person; unaware that it was his mother.
Still holding him within her arms, Amber walked over to the nearby rocking chair and sat down and carefully rocked her child within her arms. She caressed his head, his back and then rubbed him over and over until he felt completely safe.
“Mommy’s here baby,” she whispered to him, rocking and swaying her child until she felt his body loosen from her comforting words. “Mommy won’t let anything happen to you, the monsters are all gone now, mommy’s here baby...You’re safe now Peyton, you’re safe with mommy.”
Amber’s heart swarmed with love at this point. It was the second time she ever got to hold her child. The first day was when Eduardo presented him to Amber when she had awakened from her unconscious state back at the Palm Desert Treatment Center. Peyton had been asleep and hadn’t noticed the exchange of arms that had taken place.
Amber continued to rock her son as the moonlight shifted around in the windowsill from the wind outside. She continued kissing him in his sleepy dreamy state and was so grateful for this little time alone with him where he allowed her to fully hold him without any interruption, hesitation or Mrs. Lopez. She kissed Peyton on the top of his head and caressed and held him near. She didn’t realize how much she truly loved this little boy until that moment; he was her miracle, an additional benefit to hers and Eduardo’s already full love and she was so grateful to have him.
Peyton instantly fell back to sleep, feeling secure, feeling the love and warmth from his mother; and Amber closed her eyes and thanked God for him. She never asked for him in the first place, never thought she was allowed to have such a special gift, but here he was and she was so indebted that he was now with her and thanked the Lord again for creating him for her to love and share with the man she would forever care for.
Amber reopened her eyes and fathomed in the darkness—her husband? He doesn’t interrupt them and watched her silently as she rocked the chair back and forth in the middle of the night with their child in her arms.
Eduardo smiled inwardly. He had awakened up to go to the bathroom and noticed his wife went missing. He stumbled over to the balcony but she wasn’t there. He roamed the downstairs, she wasn’t there either. He never thought she would go into Peyton’s room to wake him up, but when he entered the doorway, he stood back in the shadows while he watched Peyton cling to his mother for reassurance.
Broken Obsession - Part Two Page 4