CHAPTER 57: THE TRUTH

After three days of Dino's critical condition in the ICU, his doctor finally advised that we can now transfer him into a regular room.  And thanks so much for Belle for not hesitating to donate her blood. She gave Dino another chance to live. I left Alex, Belle and my parents-in-law inside the room, because I wanted to buy some snacks for all of us. I told them that I'll just ask my brother to go with me. But the problem is...I can't find Dani outside the room, so I decided to walk further to search for him. But when I am approaching to the Pedia's nurse station, I suddenly came to stop when I heard his voice and also the voice of Dani's doctor. My left eyebrow raised automatically as I take a peek to see them. Why is he talking to her? I tried to hear their conversation. "Doc, I'm just confused. Alex's blood didn't match with his son's blood type, but why does my wife's blood sample matched with the kid?" "Your wife?" the doctor asked with an obvious confusion written on her face. "Yes, Sophia Kelley." "Ohh..." she chuckled. "She's your wife? I thought she's just your cousin or your friend, Mr. Kelley. Because she wrote Del Mundo in her last name." "She wrote Del Mundo?" I saw how his face changed its expression, from confusion into something rage? Disapproval? And an idea came to my mind, maybe he's now falling for his wife. "Yes, that's why I'm calling her Ms. Del Mundo. But anyway, let's go back to your question. You said you were confused on why her blood matched with the patient's blood?" He nodded. "Well, because your wife has a universal type of blood, Mr. Kelley. She has an O negative type, which means, she can able to donate in any types of blood. And to clear your confusions, you and your sister both have a B positive blood type, and Mr. Smith has B negative, which were obviously didn't match with the patient. So, if you noticed, Ms. Del Mundo------" "Mrs. Kelley!" I can't help the chuckle that escaped from my lips when he cut the doctor from speaking, just to correct his wife's last name. "Oh, yeah! That's what I'm saying. Mrs. Kelley, 'your wife' among all of you has the universal blood type that matched with the patient, even he's not her relative. By the way, is that your real question Mr. Kelley, or you're just thinking something about your wife?" "O-Of course not. I'm just confused, and that's all I wanted to know." he sounded defensive. -'Really, Dani?'-  "Well, I have a piece of advice for you, Mr. Kelley, of course if you don't mind. In order to have a long, healthy and lasting relationship, we need first to build trust, honesty within ourselves. We need to be open on what we feel especially to our partners. Have a good day, Mr. Kelley." she said and patted his shoulder before walking her way towards her office. "She's right, big brother." I said when I decided to show myself in front of him. He looked at me, surprise written in both eyes. "You really need to be 'open' of what you 'feel', especially to your 'partner'. I smirked as I emphasized the three words in my sentence. "Oh Rian, what are you talking about?" he avoided my gaze and about to walk back into Dino's room, but I stopped him. "Tsk.Tsk. Come on, Dani. Why don't you go with me to the nearest coffee shop and buy some snacks?" He snapped and glared his eyes on me. "You're going to drink a coffee? I'll cut your neck if you try to drink coffee, Arrianna Angela!" I laughed at his reaction. "Ohh.. relax, big brother. I said I'm going to buy some snacks, but I didn't say I'm going to drink a coffee, duh! Love effect!"  He snorts and crunched his face before he put his arm around my shoulder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Why don't you just admit to your wife that you're already falling for her, then denying your feelings?" I asked when we're finally seated inside the coffee shop. "Tss! Come on, Rian. What are you talking about? I have nothing to admit because it's not true!"  It's not true, but he avoided my gaze. "Okay!" I shrugged. "Take care much of your ego and I'm telling you, one morning you're going to wake up and you'll realize it's too late. Your contract has ended and she's no longer on your side. So yeah, love your ego and hide your feelings!" I shove my favorite raspberry chocolate cake. "Hmm.. so sweet, not like the man sitting across my seat..tsk.tsk. full of bitterness and in denial." "Rian!" he glared at me. "Can we please not discuss this topic?" he asked sounding annoyed. But the stubborn me just chuckled again with his expression.  "Okay, I'm just suggesting, you know." I rolled my eyes. "By the way, what's your plan about the kid?" I sighed and straightened my seat. "Well, base on the situation we have right now, I think we don't have to file a custody case anymore. Alex is Dino's father so, automatically the custody will be his." "Hmm.. but what about the issue of his blood type? It didn't match with his own child." "Actually, as of now, we haven't talked about it. But it's really impossible that both of his parents' blood didn't match with him. At least there must be one of them where he inherited his blood type. Alex has B negative and Francine has AB negative.  Both of them has a negative type, so where did Dino get his A positive blood type?" "Have you checked again the result of their DNA test, or submit again another sample?" "Uhm.. no. I only checked it once." "Then maybe there's something that Francine didn't tell you about the DNA. Or it's possible that the result was fake." I gasped with his conclusion. "But if Alex wasn't the real father of her child, then why would she make a fake story and introduce Dino as his son?" "For money! Remember she took all the child's money and planned to escape, if it's not just the accident." I was left in thought with what he said until we get back into the Dino's room. Is it possible that he's not Alex son and his mother just faked the result of the DNA test?  When we entered the door, I was really surprised when I saw Myla inside the room. She was already released when we found out Francine's accident. My parents-in-law were no longer inside. Belle is on her phone while Alex is talking to her across of Dino's bed. "Baby." Alex turned to me with a hard expression on his face and his fists were formed in a ball. "Hi." I smiled at the woman in front of my husband. "Hubby, what's happening here?" I asked while walking closer to them. "I was just asking your husband Mrs. Smith, if why are you both helping Dino especially in this situation." I chuckled with her question. "Why are we helping the kid? It's my husband's child, so it's normal for a father like him to help his son, especially in this condition." "C-Child?" she asked as if she can't believe what she heard. "Yes. Dino is Alex's son with your ex-girlfriend, Francine." "Excuse me, Mrs Smith. But it's so impossible, that your husband is Dino's father." I blinked repeatedly as my mouth was dropped in mid-air. "What are you talking about? We had a DNA test result, that will prove that Alex is Dino's biological father." "A DNA test?" she asked really surprised. "H-How did it happen? Dino wasn't even Francine's child." "Huh!" I gasped as my hand automatically lifted up to my mouth. I felt my knees buckled with what she said, but Alex thankfully caught me on time. He wrapped his arms around me. I also noticed Belle and Dani immediately rushed beside us. "Are you fucking sure about the information you're giving to us right now?" Alex asked, clenching his jaws. "I'm sorry, but I'm telling you the truth. He was only three months old when he was left by his real mother with Francine. His real mother was her friend and a prostitute. She left Dino with her for one week, because she said she just have very important things to do. But she never came back after a week and never came back at all. Then after four months after she left her child, we just heard the news that she got killed inside her apartment in New York." I can't believe these informations I heard right now. But now I got my answers to some of my questions, on how Francine treats Dino. Simply because he's not her real son. "And because she didn't know how to take care of Dino, she always bring the child to my apartment."  "That fucking bitch! She just used me for money!" we all turned to Alex when he suddenly cursed beside me. But I glared at him. "Dino is just sleeping, but he's still in front of us, Alexander!" I said in a low voice and he seemed to realize what I meant. "Oh.. I'm sorry baby." he immediately pulled me and kissed my forehead. "So, I was right about her." I glanced at Belle when she speak and give her a half-smile. "Yeah, but we can't do anything for her anymore. She's gone already."  "So what are your plans after this?" Dani asked me and Alex. "I don't know." Alex said and he turned to Dino's sleeping figure. "Dino has no other relatives here. We don't even know who was his real father." we all glanced at Myla. "I have a suggestion." it's Belle. "Maybe Alex and Dino can take another DNA test. So you-----" "And what for? We already know that his not the real father of the child?" I arched my eyebrow when Dani interrupted his wife. "Well Mister, if you want to know my reason, then let me finish my statement!" Belle's snappy answer. "Yes, we already know that Alex is not Dino's biological father, but since the kid has no any relatives, maybe you can file a petition for guardianship so you can still have the custody for the kid." "Well, she has a point there." Dani turned to us. And Belle's eyebrow raised automatically with his comment. "I always have a point, Mr. Kelley." "Not all the time, Mrs. Kelley." And their staring competition began. Alex and I shared a knowing look. We both know that this two has now feelings for each other, especially my brother. But of course, he wouldn't admit that because he has an ego that much bigger than the Pacific ocean. "Mommy.. where are we going? huhu.." All our eyes widened when we heard Dino's cry. His eyes were still closed but he's crying and turning his head from side to side. We all rushed to him with both panic and surprise written on our face. "Oh my God! I'm gonna call a doctor!" Belle said and was about to run towards the door, but my brother pulled her arm. "No, stay here. I'll call the doctor." If we're in a different situation, maybe I would tease them for their actions and words for each other, but I choose to ignore them this time, because there's more important thing to face in front of us. "Dino.." Alex and I called his name in unison.  "Dino, Daddy and Aunt Rian is here. Come on baby, open your eyes." I said slightly tapping his face to wake him up. "Mommy.. no..no..please..!" "Sweety bear, wake up. We're all here for you. Your Myla bear is here, come on Dino." Myla who's standing on the other side of the bed, take Dino's hand with pure concern laced on her face. And after a few seconds, my brother and Dino's doctor came with a nurse trailing behind them. We give them space to check Dino's condition, and after a few moments, he opened his eyes but continued crying. My heart melts with the sounds of his wail and I instantly rushed towards him and pulled him on my chest.  "Shh...you're now safe. Your daddy and I were both here for you and Myla, she's also here." I said rubbing his back. "Aunt Rian, m-mommy w-wants us to escape." he said through his sobs. "Shhh..it's okay honey, we're here now and we're not letting her to take you again, okay?"  "Promise?" he looked at me with tears all over his face. "Please don't give me to my Mommy again, Aunt Rian. I don't want to go with her. I don't want to be with her anymore. She wants me to left you and Daddy, and she said Daddy Alex is not my real father." "Oh my..." I gasped in shock but I tried to make my face neutral. "Please, Aunt Rian. I'm not going with you to the mall and ask to buy me toys. I'm not going to ask you and Daddy to eat in Mc. Donalds, just please don't give me back to her. "Shhh..it's okay honey. We're not going to let her take you again." I bite my quivering lips and blinked back the tears that formed in my both eyes as I saw the fear on his face. It's such a simple thing that he's asking just for me not to give him back to his recognized mother. "Promise me Aunt Rian, please?" "I'll promise, honey." and he wrapped his arms around me with a little sobs that still escaping from his lips. "How's my son, Doc?"  I heard Alex asked the doctor. They're standing two meters away from us, and a few steps near the door. I looked at them and tried to read their lips movement to understand their conversation. "Mr. Smith, I think he's having a nightmare before he woke up, and it's not a good sign especially for his age. If he continued this behavior for the following days or  weeks, maybe it's a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder---" "W-Wait! Post-traumatic stress disorder?" "Yes, Mr. Smith. It develops in some people or patients who have experienced shocking, scary or dangerous events, such as car accident which happened to your son. We don't know what happened to him, what he had experienced, heard or suffered before and during the accident. And maybe fear triggers him and caused this trauma. Well, I'm not actually saying that this is PTSD, but as I was saying earlier.. if this behavior continues, it might lead to that disorder. And we don't want that to happen so, I suggest you and your wife to bring him to a psychologist for early treatment and therapy." I gulped and looked down at Dino's innocent face. This is such a cruel life for him and his young age. Now I understand why God let Francine did that foolish and stupid idea of introducing Dino to Alex, as his son. And why did 'He' let that horrifying accident happen. Maybe it's 'His' way to bring Dino to us. It's 'His' powerful way to let him escape from that dark alley of his young life.