More Than A Friend Request

by Julie Prestsater

  Leila didn’t wait until lunch to waltz into her office and shut the door. “How are you?” she said, before she even sat down.

  “News travels fast, huh.” Hannah shredded a napkin to pieces at her desk. The bits were so small it looked like someone had sprinkled confetti all over her office.

  “The twins just talked and Aaron called me.” She put her hand on Hannah’s, and it temporarily stopped her from making more of a mess.

  “How is he? I haven’t talked to him since he dropped me off last night. I feel so bad for the both of them. You should’ve seen Danny. He was so lost.”

  “Aaron seemed to think he was okay. A bit nervous waiting for the baby mama to call.”

  Hannah rolled her neck in circles, trying to relax. “I hope she calls soon and gets it over with.”

  She couldn’t wait for the final bell to ring. She let Leila know she’d be leaving early rather than staying after school as contracted, and jumped in her car to head to Adam’s office. He asked her to meet him there. He didn’t want to make any phone calls from home, in front of Danny so he was opting to keep it business like.

  Apparently, Amber had contacted him around lunchtime and said she’d like to discuss visitation. That seemed insane to Hannah. Why would she want to see him now? What if they had never seen her at the airport? Would she have still tried to reach him? She doubted it, and couldn’t believe the woman would make an issue of it now. The boy was thirteen years old, and had lived a happy life so far. Why would she want to interrupt it? It’s not like she didn’t know about him, which is the case with some fathers who never knew their children. This woman carried Danny around in her belly for nine months, and gave birth to him. She knew about him, all right. She just didn’t know him.

  The waiting room was empty when she walked in and the office manager greeted her and asked if she could get her anything to drink. She politely declined and thanked her for the offer before she went back to Adam’s office. He stood when she walked in the door and enveloped her in his arms. She held him, rubbing his back, until he was ready to let her go.

  “Hi, honey.”

  “Hey, how are you doing?” She sat at his conference table and he pulled a chair next to her.

  He held one of her hands in his and kissed her fingers. “I’ve been better.”

  “I’m sorry you’re going through this. I’m sorry Danny is too. I know this is hard on both of you. Just let me know what I can do to help. I’d do anything for you guys.”

  He reached his hand out and touched her cheek with his fingertips. “Thank you, Hannah. I’m so glad you’re here. She called me this afternoon and I told her I’d call her back after my last appointment. I don’t want to make that call alone. Do you mind staying? I have no idea what she’s going to say and I think I’ll handle it better if you’re with me.”

  “Of course, babe. Have you thought of what she might ask? So you can prepare yourself?” She felt his hand squeeze hers tighter.

  “I think she’s going to ask to see Danny.”

  Adam filled her in on the legal agreement he had with the mother of his child. Amber would have to go to court if she wanted to see Danny. He had sole physical and legal custody and she had waived her rights to visitation when he was a baby. Adam could make it difficult for her if wanted to, but he thought better of it. He didn’t want to put his son through any more heartache than he’d experienced the night before. What if Danny wanted to see his mom? The thought had occurred to him, but his boy wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. He hated leaving him this morning, but he had a full schedule and didn’t want to cancel all his patients. Angie had picked Danny up that morning and promised him a fun day of playing hooky from school. But even his aunt couldn’t snap the kid out of his funk.

  “Well, here it goes.” Adam dialed the number and put the call on speaker. He wasn’t hiding anything from Hannah. He wanted her to be there with him through it all.

  “Hello, Adam, thank you for calling.” She sounded so matter-of-fact, he wanted to slug something. This was a life changing call and she came across like she was on the line with the cable company.

  “Sure. What can I help you with?” He felt Hannah’s hand rubbing circles on his back. Some of the tension dissipated but not much.

  There was a pause that seemed to go on forever.

  “I’d like to see Daniel … I mean, Danny. I can’t believe he’s fourteen already and I haven’t seen him since he was a baby.”

  Neither can I, Adam wanted to say. “He’s actually thirteen. Why now?”

  “Look. To be honest, if I hadn’t seen him yesterday, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation. But I did see him, and now I’d like to talk to him. Get to know him. That is, if he’d like to get to know me too. I’m not stupid. I know I have little in the right’s department and I wouldn’t force myself on him. The ball’s in his court. If he’d like to know his mom, then here’s his chance.”

  She acted as if it was a game and she was a prize Danny could win. It disgusted him. And it hurt him. He had raised an amazing son, and while he had no interest in having her in their lives, it would’ve been nice for his mom to truly want him. But she didn’t.

  He looked over at Hannah and she wore the same look of frustration that he felt.

  “Okay. I’ll talk with Danny and get back to you.”

  “Will you, Adam? Will you really talk to him?” She questioned him as if he was lying.

  “Of course I will.” He placed the handset back to the receiver and put his head in his hands. He had been combing his fingers through his hair all day. By the time this nightmare was over, he was sure to be bald.

  “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” Hannah’s voice was soothing to his ears. “It’s actually pretty good. At least you know she’s not going to take you back to court.”

  “There was no sincerity to her words. It was like she really didn’t care either way.”

  Hannah sighed. “Yeah, I heard that too.”

  “So what do I tell Danny?” He turned his face to one side so he could look at her.

  She put her warm hand on the side of his face. “You tell him the truth and let him decide.”

  He drove home thinking about how he was going to approach this with his son. He thought of what Hannah had said and decided she was right. But it would have to wait until the morning. Danny was out with Angie and he wouldn’t be back until late. He invited Hannah over to kill the time with him. He didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts. He should’ve felt better knowing Amber wasn’t interested in a lasting relationship with her son, but he didn’t. Instead, he felt horrible for Danny. He had never really shown any interest in knowing his mother until the day he saw Hannah’s face on the computer. He looked almost hopeful. And now that his biological mother was back in the picture, he knew Danny had little to hope for with that awful woman.

  He was surprised to see Danny sitting on the couch shoveling cereal in his mouth when he got home.

  “I thought you weren’t going to be back until late tonight.”

  “I changed my mind. I just wanted to come home and talk about Amber. I sent you a text. I’m ready now.” He set his bowl on the coffee table and scooted over to one side of the couch.

  Adam pulled his phone out of his pocket. Sure enough, there was a text message from Danny and a few missed calls from his sister. He remembered putting his phone on silent earlier and forgot to turn in back on.

  “Okay, let’s talk.”

  “Have you talked to her yet?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “What did she say?”

  Adam’s heart rate sped up to full throttle and he ran his fingers through his hair several times before he could speak. “She said she’d like to get to know you.” His son starting shaking his head. “But she said it’s up to you. If you’d like to talk to her, great. But if you don’t, she’s not going to force you.”

  He watched as his son seemed to mull over the idea in his head.
Danny stood and took out his cell phone. It looked like maybe he was staring at a picture on the screen, but he couldn’t be sure.

  “Look, Dad. You need to get rid of her. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want her to come over. I don’t want to talk to her. I thought maybe I’d like her around but I don’t.” He held up his phone for his dad to see. “I already have a mom. I don’t need another one.”

  Chapter 13

  Hannah sat in her car, tears spilling down her face like warm, salty waterfalls. It couldn’t be happening. She was losing Adam all over again. And not only the man she’d loved for almost her whole existence but she was losing his son who she’d come to love as her own.

  She had stopped to get dinner on the way to Adam’s. When she got there, the door was open so she had let herself in. The house was quiet until she had heard Danny’s raised voice. It was something she’d never forget. Look, Dad. You need to get rid of her. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want her to come over. I don’t want to talk to her. I thought maybe I’d like her around but I don’t. I already have a mom. I don’t need another one.

  He didn’t want to see her anymore or talk to her. She’d always known he had a mother already. She would have never tried to take her place. Maybe she should have been clear about that from the beginning. But she never felt like she had to. Up until the night before, Danny’s biological mother was like a ghost. Nonexistent. But now that she was back in their lives, the little man didn’t want anything to do with her.

  Hannah’s heart ached with the loss. She frantically wiped her tears, started her car, and drove away, far away. She glanced in her rear view mirror and said goodbye to the life she loved and never thought she’d have to give up. Again.

  Adam’s throat tightened. He choked up at the photo he saw on Danny’s phone and what it obviously meant to him. It was the picture from the night before. The one Hannah had asked someone to take of the three of them. On their way out of the park, Danny had asked her to send it to him. He hadn’t given it a second thought until his son showed it to him again.

  “I know I just met Hannah a few months ago, but I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. Since the day she met me, she’s treated me like her own kid. And she wanted me. If you would’ve tried to get back together with her when I was born, I’m sure she would’ve wanted me back then too. Too me, she’s more like a mom than that other lady could ever be.”

  He had no words to describe the joy his son gave him. He never ceased to amaze him with his big heart and kindness. This kid was special. He reached out to his boy and held him. He could feel Danny shaking and sniffling in his arms. He knew his son was crying. It was about time. This conversation was probably long overdue. He had no idea what he’d been afraid of. He should have trusted that his son could handle a talk about his mom. And now, at thirteen, he was plenty old enough to make his own decisions when it came to his biological mother. If he didn’t want to see her, then Adam wasn’t going to make him. He couldn’t agree more. It would’ve been different if she had actually been sincere about wanting to see Danny. But after their talk, he was sure she wasn’t really interested. She was probably more curious than anything.

  He released his son and took a step back from him. “You okay, bud?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. I was thinking. I don’t want to be mean to Amber so you can give her my email address if she wants it? I’m not sure I’ll respond. Something tells me she won’t use it anyway. So I’ll think about that when and if she ever does.”

  “I can do that.”

  Danny got his bowl of cereal and walked over to kitchen. “Hey, where’s Hannah? I thought she might come over tonight.”

  How could he have forgotten? She should have been there already. She said she was stopping to pick up dinner but it had been a long time since he’d left her at the office. “I’ll call her.”

  Adam took out his cell and dialed her number. He waited ring after ring until her voice mail picked up. “Hey, honey. Where are you? I’m a little worried. Call me.” He tried her again, just to be sure. But again, she didn’t answer. He called her at home, and there was no answer there either. He was really starting to worry. Terrible things like car accidents, muggings, organ failure went through his mind. He needed to stop expecting the worst and calm down.

  “Is she on her way?” Danny came back into the room with a handful of licorice.

  “I don’t know. She’s not answering.” Adam eyeballed his cell, almost willing it to ring.

  “Try Uncle Aaron. Maybe Leila knows something. Don’t get your boxers in a bunch. I’m sure she’s fine. She probably stopped for dessert.” Danny sat on the couch, put his feet up and reached for the remote control.

  Adam called his brother.

  “What the hell is going on?” Aaron shouted.

  “What are you talking about? I was just calling to see if Leila has heard from Hannah. She was supposed to come over but she’s not here yet and I’m worried.”

  He heard his brother groan. “She did go over, Adam. She heard Danny say something about not wanting her in his life because he already had a mother. Leila is on her way over to see her now. She’s a mess. Please tell me this is a misunderstanding.”

  Dammit, he thought. It was a total misunderstanding. And he had to fix it. He couldn’t imagine what Hannah was feeling right now. Instead of her being there with them, having dinner like a real family, she was probably at home crying her eyes out. How could she believe Danny would say something like that about her? How could she not know his son loved her like a mother? “Yeah, bro. A total misunderstanding.” He filled his brother in on what was said and asked him to come over and stay with Danny while he went to see Hannah and straighten things out.

  Hannah was sitting on her bed rehashing the horror story once again when Adam rushed through the door. At first, she wondered how he got in. Then it dawned on her that she’d given him a key weeks ago.

  “Leila, you can go now. You can go to my house if you want. Aaron’s there with Danny.” He was breathing heavy and his forehead was furrowed between his brows.

  Her friend stood but she caught her arm. “Don’t. Stay.”

  “Well, if you want your friend to see me naked then, by all means, she can stay.” He kicked off his shoes, and bent down to pull off his socks. She thought he was joking until he went for the buttons of his shirt.

  “What are you doing?” Hannah asked. Leila was silent as she tried to pull away from her grasp.

  “We’re going to get undressed and talk. Actually, I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen. Listen to everything this time. Not just a piece of a conversation.” He pulled off his shirt and reached for his belt.

  “I better go,” Leila said, breaking free. “I’ll call you later.” She was out of the room before Hannah could even blink.

  “Take it off, Hannah.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  He took the few steps needed to be in front of her. “If you don’t start getting undressed, I’m going to take off your clothes for you. We need to talk and you know the drill so stop being stubborn and just do it.”

  Fine, she thought. She got to her feet, and little by little she shed her clothes down to her undies and bra and climbed into her bed. Tears still streaked her cheeks even though she tried to remain strong.

  Adam followed her with only a pair of charcoal gray boxer briefs with a thick black band around his waistline. “First, you have to disregard everything you heard tonight.” She tried to speak but he put an index finger to her lips to hush her. “You had to be there to understand what he was talking about.”

  “I was there, Adam. I could understand just fine.” She could barely manage to get the words out. Her throat felt like someone was choking her.

  “Did you see the picture he held up when he said he already had a mom?”

  “What picture? No, I didn’t see a picture.” She was completely confused now.

  Tears filled Adam’s eyes. He reached for his cel
l phone on the nightstand. He tapped on the screen and showed it to her. “He showed me this. He meant you. He doesn’t want to see or talk to his biological mother at all. He considers you his mom.”

  His words overwhelmed her. She never thought she could love Adam or Danny more than in that moment. “Me,” she squeaked. Her trembling lips smiled as she looked at Adam through blurry, tear filled eyes.

  “Yeah, you.”

  Chapter 14

  The nightmare was finally over, and Adam couldn’t wait to move forward with his new family. He knew Hannah was the one. He knew it since the day he met her in that hideous dorm room of hers with posters of boy bands and flower scented candles. Her wild hair and big brown eyes captured his heart and he had never stopped thinking of her or wanting her since. Now she was his. And he and Danny were ready to do something more to make sure that she knew she was part of their family.

  Adam invited his family over for lunch, along with Hannah’s brother. She had lost her parents long ago and her sibling was the only family she had. He had met with Steven recently to ask for his blessing. He wished he could have asked her father, but asking her brother was just as fitting. He was thrilled with the news and said he wouldn’t miss the gathering for anything.

  Everything was in full swing when Hannah and Leila arrived. Her friend had taken her out for a spa day. He wasn’t quite sure what that entailed. All he knew was that when she came back home from one of those, she smelled delicious and her skin felt like silk. Not that she didn’t on every other day.

  Hannah and Leila worked the crowd, exchanging hellos and hugs.

  Adam glanced over at his son who looked like he was about to burst with excitement. He nodded and Danny winked. They were ready.

  “Can I get everyone to gather in the family room?”

  Hannah looked up from a mouthful of chips and salsa when she heard Adam’s request. She quickly finished her bite and grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. She made her way to the family room and saw Danny standing front and center with Adam.