CHAPTER 4

“Are you kidding me?!” Aaron shrieked as he rose to his feet.

Ben who was now in his apartment was seated on a futon with a calm expression on his face. He was trying to tell Aaron about his past, but Aaron seemed to be in disbelief. He didn’t expect him to believe him so soon. The Lacroixs had lost their son for over twenty years now, long before he began working with them. Aaron in that period must have gone through hell in foster homes. Ben understood the pain he had been through. He was always there with Aaron’s mother, Mrs. Amiri Lacroix through those turbulent times, especially when she had lost her husband, Darius too. He had been with her through all the pain, and now she was about to die. Ben knew he had to find her son. It was her dying wish to see him before she passed away. Ben had scavenged the whole country looking for Aaron, and now he had finally found him.

Aaron looked at the blonde man in the black coat sitting on his futon. He seemed to have lost his mind. The loud piano music was still playing in the background which made the situation look more dramatic. The man still seemed calm as he sat on the futon.

“No. I’m very serious, Roman,” he said.

Aaron winced at Ben’s words.

“Stop it!” He said. “My name is Aaron. Aaron Wallace.”

“That is the name you got from your foster parents which I know had passed away a while ago,” Ben said.

Aaron found it hard to digest this. The strange man, who called himself Benjamin Rhys, was telling him he was the lost kid of a billionaire couple. It sounded bogus to him. But the man knew everything about him, even about his late foster parents. They had died in a car crash two years ago, just before he met Lilian. His life was in shambles then as it is now. He had lost everything. Aaron had gone for a job interview earlier today, and they had rejected his application. And as if his day couldn’t get any worse, in his small, crampy living room sat a man telling him he was the heir of a billionaire widow.

Ben could sense Aaron was processing all of these. He needed time, but there wasn’t any left. He had made a promise to Amiri to bring her son to her, and he wasn’t leaving until that was done.

“Roman,” Ben called, getting impatient.

“My name is Aaron, goddamn it!” He yelled.

All of a sudden, the loud piano music sounded like a nuisance to him. Aaron walked through the living room and turned it off. Ben thought it would never end. The living room became quiet. Maybe too quiet for Aaron’s liking.

“What do you want from me?” Aaron asked.

“I need you to see for yourself,” Ben replied, rising from the futon.

Aaron ran his fingers through his disheveled hair as he thought of what to do. He had nothing left to lose. If there was a chance that Ben was telling the truth, then he would take it over living in this crappy apartment.

“Fine,” he accepted with a sigh of defeat. “It’s not like I have a choice.”

Ben smiled.

“Alright, Mr. Lacroix,” Ben said. “If you’d care to join me.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. Ben wasn’t going to stop calling him that name. He sighed and reached for his jacket on the cloth rack, putting it on.

“After you.”

***

The door of Amiri’s hospital room opened and she lifted her head to see Ben step into the room. She gave him a weak smile as he came into the room. Ben walked up to her and placed his hands in the pockets of his coat.

“How are you feeling, Mrs. Lacroix?” He asked.

Amir sighed slowly.

“Not too good, Ben,” Amiri replied. “The doctor said I don’t have too long left now.”

Ben clenched his jaws and sighed. Life had been cruel to The Lacroixs. They had suffered a great deed before his eyes. The only hope they had left was their son. Amiri was appalled by the distraught look on Ben’s face. It seemed his mission had failed.

“Then we better not let it go to waste,” he said.

Amiri was left confused by his words.

“Come in,” he said.

The door opened and a figure stepped into the room. Amiri turned her head slowly to see who it was. Her eyes widened in surprise as they gazed at Aaron. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was him. It was…

“Roman,” she called softly.

Aaron wasn’t a fan of hospitals. He detested the smell of antiseptics and blood. As he gazed at the woman on the bed, his eyes lit up in shock. He could see the striking resemblance. Her silver eyes glittered in excitement as their eyes made contact. The blonde man wasn’t lying. She looked just like him. As he stared at her, he could feel a strange comforting sensation surrounding him.

“Come closer,” Ben instructed.

Aaron clenched his jaws and walked further into the room. He was standing by the bed now. Aaron couldn’t withhold the denial any longer. The realization struck him like a wave. This was his mother.

“Roman,” the woman called softly as she brought her hand to touch him.

Her olive skin was wrinkled now and her cheekbones were in full display. She was sick. As her hand touched his wrist, he felt a sudden calm sensation.

“Here. Sit with me,” she said, trying to rise from the bed.

Aaron nodded and sat beside her. He placed his hand over hers and held it tight. When she realized she couldn’t sit up, Amiri laid back down in defeat. Aaron couldn’t believe that he had found his mother. His foster parents had taken care of him so well that he never bothered to ask about his real parents. He felt they had abandoned him and so they didn’t deserve him. He realized now that he was wrong.

“Mom. I’m sorry,” Aaron apologized.

Amiri placed her hand on his cheek, perplexed by his sudden apology. It felt good seeing her son once more. His silver eyes sparked with life. He reminded her of what life used to be. Ever since she had lost her son, she had lost the meaning of life. Seeing him now brought back that feeling, but it was already too late for her.

“Shhh,” she shushed him. “You don’t need to apologize.”

“Ben here told me everything,” he said. “I know what happened to Dad, and I promise to make it up to both of you.”

Amiri’s pale lips cracked into a gentle smile. Her hand caressed his hair.

“That’s my boy,” she said gently.

Her eyes slowly went to Ben who was watching from the foot of the bed. He still had his hands in the pockets of his black coat.

“Ben,” she called.

Ben’s hazel eyes lit up at the sound of his name.

“Yes, Mrs. Lacroix?” He responded.

“Thank you.”

Ben nodded at her.

“Promise me you will take care of my son.”

Ben’s eyes fell on Aaron who was still facing his dying mother.

“With my life,” he said with vigor.

She nodded at him.

“Everything is yours now, Roman,” Amiri said. “Take care of it.”

And with that, her hand fell off his face and landed by her side. The heart rate monitor that was beeping by her side, made a loud pitch noise. Aaron’s eyes lit up as he realized what had happened.

“NURRSSSEE!”