While Dean was busy with his emotions and the spy at school, Anita was looking at two August visitors, Mr and Mrs Cole; well, Mrs Cole's name was Adline. She did well enough to offer them a seat and a glass of water. The three sat staring at each other, smirking and sipping water from their glasses. The visitors could tell how she stared at them, and they smiled in return.
"You two know you don't owe me anything, right?" Anita broke the silence.
"I know, Anita..." Mr Cole said.
"It's Anita Cole... A-N-I-T-A!" she interrupted.
"Okay, Auhnita."
"British? Here I was thinking you were American," Anita rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah, we are British, living in America, but here for so many reasons," Adline smirked.
"Anita, please, I want to be part of my son's life. You know he doesn't deserve to live like a bastard," Mr Cole said.
"Watch your tongue, Mr Cole. Don't call my son a bastard. We used a condom that night; you're not even sure he's yours," Anita clicked her tongue.
"Oh... already ran a DNA test on him," Mr Cole laughed.
"It's funny to you, abi?"
"Look, Anita, according to the way the story goes, my husband had an affair only for a night with you, not like you were lovers. I can't imagine how you felt, finding out you were pregnant, giving birth to the child, and realising it was my husband's baby. You didn't stop at that; you took care of him for seventeen years. But the truth is, no one hurt the other; I was the only one hurt, probably my kids too, but I want the kid to know his father. I want him to know he has a great man for a biological father, please," Adline pleaded.
"I'm not the problem here," Anita paused.
"You and I know one day the boy will look for his father in the process of trying to find out who he is, and get twisted in your past. When you try to find yourself, you don't know how the world runs when it comes to figuring out who you are; the boy will suffer, Anita," Adline sighed.
A horn was heard at the door. Anita swallowed hard; her son was back from school- bad timing for her. She stood by the window looking confused, like she'd messed up the timing or something. She should have called Jerry to give him a heads-up at least, but what was the use? They'd barely spoken to each other since the incident, and he'd only muttered that he'd pick Dean up from school.
Dean bashed into the house, his eyes bagged and his face swollen. His mother knew that look; she'd seen it when he cried or had a temper. Jerry followed from behind like a muscled bodyguard with a DJ Khaled–style shaved beard, and shut the door afterwards. When Dean saw the visitors seated, he paused for a moment, then smirked and gave a crooked chuckle; no one had to tell him who the man was. He sucked his lips, ignoring the worried look on his mother's face; she came close to him, held his chin, and looked into his eyes, then gestured to Jerry, who shrugged in response.
"Hi!" Adline waved to get a little attention.
"Oh, sorry," Anita snapped out of it.
"Mr Cole, Ma'am Adline, meet him and, um... my..." Anita introduced.
"Fiancé... and your fiancé," Jerry smirked.
"Yeah, my fiancé and my son," Anita smiled.
Hi Dad, Dean thought.
"Shit, crazy in the head," Dean spoke out loud.
"You okay?" Adline asked.
"Yeah, ma'am..." he said.
"My bad, Dean, meet Mr...."
"Yeah!... hi, Mr Cole." Dean stretched out his hand for a handshake; with a little hesitation and excitement, Mr Cole responded.
"Hmph... did you get into a fight or what?" Anita cleared her throat.
"Not really a fight, máá," Dean heaved a sigh.
"It wasn't serious, just a car incident..." Jerry raised a brow; Anita frowned at the Coles.
"Someone pissed me off; lucky my máá didn't raise a gangster," Dean said as he headed to his room.
"I raised a good boy," Anita smiled hard.
"Are you British?" Dean turned to ask... Adline pouted.
"Alright then, I'm off," he added.
"Wash up, love, I'll see you when I'm done."
Left with the adults, Dean felt weird; he couldn't tell if he was excited or nervous, probably anxious. Did he just meet his father? No one needed to tell him it was his father; he'd already done some investigating from his mother's drawers. He entered his room, headed straight to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. He'd had plans to look for his old man someday, probably in the future, but at the moment he wasn't sure if he wanted to know more about the man his mother barely talked about.
Dean moved closer to the mirror, paused, and felt his skin; he'd always been called "the white boy," especially at school.
"They're both pale-skinned," Dean said to himself.
While her son's mind questioned him, Anita had to clear things up with the visitors. Her son needed her.
"I know it's a hard decision for you to make, Anita," Adline said, clicking her tongue.
"No, you're not getting anywhere near him. He is my son. I bore him, and I did everything I had to do to keep him alive for seventeen years, and I'm still going to do more," Anita assured.
"Look, we're not taking him away. I'm not taking him away from you. I know he doesn't deserve to live without knowing his father," said Mr Cole.
"My son already has a father," Anita snapped.
"He does?" Jerry asked, checking himself out.
"Please, Anita, I can't die like this, knowing I have a child who barely knows me. He is my responsibility; he needs to know his father," Mr Cole begged.
"I have watched my son from afar; I need to meet him up close, maybe hear him call me Dad, or Father, or Papa," Cole paused.
"Illegitimate son."
"Illegitimate or not... he is still my goddamn son!!" Mr Cole gritted, trying to hold back a roar.
"What, you want to yell in my face?!" Anita stood.
"Don't, please don't, honey," Adline shook her head.
"I have a few fucking months to live!!! I'm not a bad father; I messed up as a husband too... but at the end of the day, I love my family... and that boy is my family... I'm dying, Anita!!! I'm sick!!!!!" Mr Cole gritted. Adline made efforts to calm him, but she didn't need to, because the silence settled it.