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RULES OF THE GAME
This was not what Rayko Krastev wanted to do. He didn’t want to have to take a portkey to England. He really didn’t want to be away from his country and his sons. But there was unfinished business here that he had to deal with. No one knew he was out of the country except his secretaries. The country of Bulgaria believed he was sitting behind his wonderfully large desk doing wonderfully large deeds. But that wasn’t true. He was currently asleep on a cot in the International Magical Cooperation department of the English Ministry of Magic. He claimed he was in England to discuss matters with Minister Morin, but that obviously wasn’t true. Ray did in fact have tea with Carter Morin, but they didn’t talk about anything but simple things like families and politics. Ray was going back to Bulgaria within the day, so he couldn’t waste anymore time. He had to see Willow Macmillan. A woman he hadn’t seen in sixteen years. A woman who had bore his child and neglected to tell him. He had to clear up matters before he left and he knew he couldn’t do it through owl or anything juvenile like that. He was mature and responsible and he had to do this. He wasn’t going to let her get away with keeping his child away from him for sixteen years.
He felt someone shake him gently, causing him to groan tiredly. He squinted open his eyes to see one of his two bodyguards with his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “Vreme e da se sŭbudi , ministŭr. (It’s time to wake up, Minister.)” The bodyguard said in a very heavy Bulgarian accent. Ray nodded, shooing his bodyguard away. As soon as he heard the door closed, the Bulgarian minister rolled out of his cot. He sat up, rubbing his eyes briefly before standing up. He pulled his wand out of his shoe, flicking it towards the nearest lamp. Almost immediately, the light was illuminated. He threw on clothes that would allow him to blend in despite the fact that the bodyguards might make him stick out. He shoved his wand in the holder he wore around his leg and put the rest of his belongings in a bag. As soon as he was finished with Willow, he’d come back here and take the portkey back to the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic. He folded up his cot, shoving it against a wall. He set his bag on his desk, looking around the office. There was one for each foreign minister of magic. Truth be told, Ray hadn’t been to England in a while. When he walked into his room, it was filled with dust. He did rather like the English ministry. It was much more modern. He took one more look around before walking out of the room.
It didn’t take long for Ray to get outside of the ministry building. As soon as he felt the wind against his skin, he apparated, his bodyguards following. He appeared outside of the Herbal Fixation building. Ray looked glanced at his watch; it was nearly nine. The establishment was open. Pretty empty, but open. Ray instructed one of his bodyguards to stay outside and the other to follow. He entered the building, looking around. When he didn’t see the person he needed to see, he walked over to one of the barista’s. He exchanged a few words with her resulting in her pointing to a pair of doors. He told his other bodyguard to stay as he entered the doors. There was a staircase to his left, which he wasted no time going up. At the time of the staircase, there was a door. Ray could only assume this is where Willow lived. He knocked aggressively, not in a very good mood. He didn’t know if she was awake nor did he care if he woke her up. She didn’t tell him he had a son for sixteen years; she deserved to be punished. Even if it was only by having to wake up early. After hearing no noise coming from inside the flat, Ray knocked again, this time even harder. He was going to get her to have this talk, whether she liked it or not.
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TIME CAN HEAL, BUT THE SCARS ONLY HIDE THE WAY YOU FEEL
IT'S HARD TO FORGET HOW I LEFT YOU HANGING ON BY A THREAD
It had been a brilliant morning. Six in the morning rolled around and Willow had spent her first couple of hours in the shop doing inventory this morning before she let one of the other girls take over so she could get some grocery shopping done. Reno would be coming home for break in a few days, and after living with the adorable little monster for sixteen years, she knew she'd have to ditch the junk food and bring some healthy snacks into the house before he was home. The boy ate like a cow, but he'd finally managed to get his weight under control and she was incredibly proud of him for it. No need to send him back into a relapse of his old eating habits.
It had taken little to no time for her to hop in the car, drive to the grocery store, and be in and out with a cart load of groceries within half an hour. Then again, the grocery list consisted of the same things it always did, minus the few bits of junk food she did allow herself (such as chocolates and the occasional bag of cheetos) so she already knew exactly where everything was. It made her job as a mom and a housewife a hell of a lot easier. Not to mention, she was pretty sure Reno would be inviting some of his friends over during break, as he sometimes did. It was his first year back at Hogwarts since his debacle with his teasing classmates, and she was anxious to see how it was going. Not that she hadn't owled him, but she wasn't going to hound and smother him with her worry, either. She never had.
Having charmed her eight grocery bags into her one shopping tote (in the safety of the trunk of her car, mind you) she found herself carrying one incredibly light bag back toward the apartment above Herbal Fixation. However, she stopped short in the alley when she spotted a tall, dark, handsome stranger trying to beat her door down. Except he wasn't a stranger, and he wasn't very happy to be there, from the scowl on his face. He looked so much more handsome when he smiled. Really, he did. But seeing him there, on her doorstep, made her heart do a quick pitter-patter. She'd fantasized about this for years, but never like this. When Rayko showed up, she imagined him dressed to the nines with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates, practically begging her forgiveness for ever leaving her the second she opened the door.
Unfortunately, that fantasy world didn't seep any romance into reality, and instead of a charming Bulgarian who wanted to sweep her off her feet she got the one that wanted to break her door and scream at her for keeping the biggest secret possible from him. In his defense, he had a sixteen-year-old son that he didn't know existed until about a week ago, thanks to Reno sending his father an owl and introducing himself. Willow still wasn't sure how he'd found out about Rayko being his father, but now the cat was out of the bag. She'd made her bed and she was going to have to lie in it, now. Taking a deep breath, she found herself preparing for the inevitable. He wasn't happy, but she wasn't going to let him push her buttons, either. Willow didn't back down.
Clearing her throat, she made her way up the steps toward him with a forced smile on her lips. She did not want to do this any more than he did. In fact, Willow had prevented herself from telling her son anything about Rayko so they would never have to have this awkward conversation. Sixteen years after the fact was a little late to throw a baby shower, after all - so the "It's a Boy!" celebration would have to be nixed. After all, grandma and grandpa hadn't been thrilled there was a baby at all, and her baby's daddy didn't seem any different now. At least she'd kept her end of the bargain and she hadn't told Rayko a thing. He found out more or less on his own, thanks to Reno getting a hold of his birth certificate and taking a little research adventure to find out exactly who his father was.
"If you haven't noticed, the early bird flies the coop before eight a.m.," she commented off-handishly as she landed at the top of the stairs. Fishing her keys out of her bag, she stepped awkwardly around him to unlock the door and step into the apartment, leaving it open behind her to accommodate for the man behind her to come storming in and start pacing in his sudden refreshal of rage. "Make yourself at home," she offered somewhat sarcastically, moving to wave her groceries around the kitchen with a few flicks of her wand. It took all of two minutes for everything to be put away and two cups of coffee to end up on the island in the kitchen. Waving him over, she took a seat on one of the stools like it was perfectly normal to find an old fling on her doorstep in a rage and then invite them in for coffee. Then again, everything was better with a cup of coffee.
"So, I take it you're here to get the big story," she started, shrugging lightly and taking a swig of the dark, bitter liquid. Of course, he didn't seem to have any desire to sit with her, let alone tolerate her pleasantries for a moment longer. Willow had no desire to blow up and give him the reaction he was looking for. But he would have no luck in getting the why out of her. Why had she lied? Because she'd been paid to disappear from his life and ensure he never knew about his son. And while she'd done the first part of the bargain easy enough, her son was becoming a man and there wasn't much she could do to stop him from seeking out his father. "I'm sorry to say you won't be getting anything new. We have a son. His name is Reno Emmerson Macmillan, and he's a wonderful seventeen year old boy with the world waiting at his feet," she commented matter-of-factly. And as far as she was concerned, that was all Rayko needed to know.
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RULES OF THE GAME
He’d been married. He had two kids. Something like this wasn’t supposed to happen. He was young and stupid and irresponsible when it happened. All he wanted was to be a bit wild. Rayko was barely even twenty when he had met Willow Macmillan. They had a brief affair before Rayko was told to shape up or have his trust fund taken away. He should’ve said some sort of farewell, but that wasn’t Rayko. He was the sort of guy who slipped away in the night, leaving nothing but memories. It’s a bad habit, really. But if he had known about the child, he would’ve come back in a heartbeat. If he had known he had a son, he would’ve come and been a parent. But no, he had to wait until his very own son came and introduced himself to Rayko. That wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be meeting his seventeen-year-old son for the first time. But that was what happened. And now he was here, trying to get some information out of the mother. For example, was it really necessary to keep the boy from Rayko for seventeen goddamned years? And was she really still pining after him? This was all so ridiculous. But thanks to the woman who owned this flat, he was now in hot water in Bulgaria. Paparazzi were having a field day with his story. So many rumors. He barely knew the truth.
He jumped slightly when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned to look who it was and was greeted with the face that didn’t change one bit: Willow Macmillan. He ignored her comment and moved out of her way as she opened the door. Without hesitation, he followed her in. He wasn’t exactly sure how to start his tirade, so he waited for her to say something. He stood in the middle of the flat and looked around. This is where his son lived? Here? Ray’s fury grew and grew, yet he still stayed silent. If only she had known that he could’ve given them the best of the best. But no, she had to hold some little grudge. When she finished with putting her stuff away, Ray took off his hat and walked towards the island as calmly as possible. He looked at the cup of coffee briefly before looking at up at her, listening intently to what she had to say. He nearly laughed at what she first said. “The big story? I have a fully-grown son. I’ve got the full story,” He remarked harshly, his Bulgarian accent making a rare appearance. He sat across from her, sipping cautiously from the coffee.
He admired the way she talked about her – their – son. He set the mug back down and put his hands in his lap. This was a bit harder then he expected. “Yes, I’ve got that,” He started, acknowledging the obvious. “What I don’t understand is why I’m meeting him now. At seventeen,” He enunciated, hoping she’d really understand what he was trying to say. “He could’ve had a father, a man to look up to. I just… I don’t understand why you put your heart in front of his life, his chances. I bet he’s a nice kid. But I know nothing about him. He has half of my genes, and I don’t even know him. Did you, for one second, think about me when you decided to keep this tiny secret all to yourself?” Ray was standing by this time, pacing. He wasn’t exactly yelling, but his voice wasn’t very soft, either. He stopped to look at her, rubbing his forehead. “Look, I’m sorry I broke your heart. I was twenty years old. I didn’t intend on getting married or having a serious relationship. I’m sorry, okay?” He blurt out. “Isus Khristos. (Jesus Christ)” He mumbled in Bulgarian. He looked at Willow and dropped his hands to his side. He looked at her desperately, waiting for some sort explanation or rant or something. He just wanted an answer.
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TIME CAN HEAL, BUT THE SCARS ONLY HIDE THE WAY YOU FEEL
IT'S HARD TO FORGET HOW I LEFT YOU HANGING ON BY A THREAD
The more that Rayko spoke, the more that Willow found herself with losing the desire to keep her end of the bargain with his parents. But all that money they paid her had gone into the bank to secure Reno's future, and she had no intention of spending a dime on herself. There was a small fortune tucked away at Gringotts for him because his own grandparents wanted him to disappear. What kind of person did that? Sure, she may not have been the best thing to ever happen to Rayko, and maybe she would have made his future a little more difficult, but wasn't that his decision to make, and not his parents' decision? Then again, people in Bulgaria seemed to play by a different set of rules - the kind where social standing is everything and there was no room for a scandal or for the seeds of love to blossom. No, that was a world she was thrown out of long ago and one she had always had to wonder about. What if? What if she and Rayko had never been split apart? What if she was currently the happy little wife of a Minister of Magic? She didn't like to think about it. It made her bitter toward his parents all the more. After all, what was so wrong with her and their son that they would pay the mother of a bastard child to run away and never come back? It wasn't fair to Willow, but it was even more unfair to Reno. The poor boy had to grow up without a father because he was a scandal. That child went through hell and back with his teasing classmates and when he needed a father the most, there was one who didn't know he existed all the way in Bulgaria, and that was it.
"You think I put my heart in front of his life?!" she asked, obviously offended with the assumption. The rage bubbling up inside of her nearly burst from her as she stood up abruptly and crossed the few paces to him before slapping him harshly across the face. He had absolutely no right to make those kinds of assumptions. His parents had made his decision for him, and now he was going to blame it on her? What a nerve! "Don't you dare blame me, Rayko Krastev!" she said, not quite yelling but raising her voice and taking an all-too-serious tone of voice. You could very easily tell she was a mother with the way she quickly reigned in her emotions and took up a no-nonsense attitude. Normally she didn't have to turn nasty with Reno, but every now and again - when she did - he was listening and no longer argued with her. She meant business when she got like this, and it wasn't hard to figure that out. "really want to know why your son was some big secret, maybe you should ask your parents," she spat, as if the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. In all actuality, they did. The sudden overwhelming wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks and she stumbled a bit as she paced into the living room and sat herself down on her favorite armchair, leaning over and tangling her fingers into her hair in frustration. At this point, she was about ready to break down in ugly, horrendous sobs.
She should have fought. Willow was more certain of that now than ever. Instead she'd taken the bribe and the coward's way out just because his parents had all the powers of persuasion and decimation in their hands. It was supposed to be better for Rayko and his career if she left. She would have kept him fro reaching his incredible potential with a child, and if she didn't take the deal, they were more than willing to ensure her future at the bottom of the social pool. What was she supposed to do? With a son on the way, it was no longer just her future she had to worry about. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I..." she began, though quickly realized she had absolutely no explanation for her cowardice. She was feeling defeated in the process of admitting that. The money didn't matter. Her social status didn't make a difference. The truth needed to be heard. "I went to Bulgaria to find you the second I found out," the brunette explained, pushing her hair out of her face and staring off into the distance. The simple fact that she finally confessed to that much should have made the rest easier to spill, but it didn't. Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to tell him, and yet she was tripping over herself with every step. Sighing heavily, as if the weight of the world sat a little more heavily on her shoulders, she turned and looked to Rayko. Something about his reaction was a bit more stunned than she anticipated. He really had no idea about Reno.
"When I finally found your house, you weren't there - but your parents were," she continued, wetting her lips with her tongue, once again subtly hinting at how difficult this was for her. It wasn't every day that the love of your life shows up at your door after seventeen years and demands an explanation, after all. "Once they discovered I was pregnant with Reno - our bastard child - they made it very clear that I was not welcome, nor was the child. Your future would be ruined with that kind of scandal," she confessed, laughing hollowly at the irony of it all. Now the cat was out of the bag and the press was having a party about the Minister finally having dirty laundry to air. "I didn't care at first, but eventually they made an offer I couldn't refuse. A small fortune for my disappearance from your life," she explained, once again turning to look at him. His expression was hard to read, as if he wasn't sure he could believe her or not - but this was the most genuine she had ever been with anyone. Not even Reno knew about this. In retrospect, he might not have sought out his father if he had known. "In the interest of our son's future as well as yours, I took the deal and disappeared. You would go on to become Minister, and I would be in England running a coffee shop and just making ends meet so that our son could graduate from Hogwarts and know how fortunate he was to inherit his small fortune," she finished, biting her lip. What else had he expected? It wasn't like Willow to take the easy way out of things. She'd built this coffee stand up from the ground and she'd never taken a single handout in her life. Her pride made her too stubborn, but her child had to come first.
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Member No.: 1,574
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RULES OF THE GAME
Even as a child, Rayko was pressured to do great things and accomplish a lot. His parents wished the best for him and his siblings, and made it quite obvious that they wanted their children to succeed. Rayko always resisted that. He resisted being responsible and attempting to be the best at everything. But after a wake up call that involved a threat to take away his trust fund, Ray shaped up and became the responsible, successful man he is today. It might have taken a lot of sacrifices and immense exhaustion, but he finally made it. He was something his parents would’ve been proud of. They never had the chance to see their most disobedient son become the most important man in Bulgaria. That fact occasionally bothered Ray, but he didn’t dwell on it. Instead he pushed forward, for them and his late wife. It was hard and he was sure all of Bulgaria could see he was struggling, but he was trying as hard as he could. However, everything that Ray had worked so hard for seemed to be crashing down around him. He thought he had his life figured out, but apparently, he did not. Things weren’t as they seemed.
Ray could feel the anger bubbling inside of him after she slapped him. He quickly caught her wrist after she had, rather impressively, slapped him and gritted his teeth. “Don’t slap me,” He growled, letting her wrist drop from his grip. He backed up and laughed when she told him she was not to blame. “Then who am I supposed to blame?” He asked in a matter of fact sort of way. He looked at her, unsure of what she meant. Ask his parents? “Well, they’re dead, so that would be difficult. What do they have anything to do with anything?” He asked, genuinely curious. He was sure he had never mentioned anything about Willow to his parents. In fact, he hadn’t spoken or even thought of her name until quite recently. What was she getting at? Everything Willow said next made Ray nearly sick. He felt something come up in his throat, but instead of exiting, it just stayed there. None of this could be true. Rayko’s parents were good, honest people. He knew they wanted the best for him, but he also knew they wouldn’t do something this ludicrous. He gripped onto a nearby counter for support. He couldn’t believe this. This was slander and he would refuse to believe it.
After a few moments of trying regain his composure, he spoke. “I don’t believe you. That cannot be true,” He started, looking at the floor. “You have absolutely no right to talk about my parents like that – they were very good, decent people,” Ray defended them, now staring directly at Willow. While he didn’t want to accept that his parents did what Willow was claiming they did, he had no other choice. She was either telling the truth or had come up with this elaborate story beforehand. But from what he remembered about the woman standing in front of him, Willow wouldn’t lie about something like that. At least, he thinks. “I do not condone what they did, but I still cannot understand why you did what you did,” He started, wringing this hands in both anger and confusion. “You could’ve come back another time and told me about him, about my son. You could’ve ignored my parent’s wishes,” He pointed out. They might’ve appeared as very persuasive, demanding people, but underneath it all, they were caring and accepting individuals. The persuasive, demanding layer of them was just a hard layer to get through. “I don’t care if it would’ve ruined me – I have a fucking son that I didn’t learn about for sixteen years. I think that’s a bit more important than becoming what’s turning out to be Bulgaria’s worst Minister of Magic,” Ray was pacing by this time. “I would’ve rather known about him,” he mumbled, still pacing. “Now, now I have two other sons who I have to raise and another son who I will probably not know as well as I could’ve because he’s nearly an adult,” Ray rambled. This was just messy. And Ray hated messy. He liked clean and organized things. Messy things made his head hurt and his stomach lurch. And this was so incredibly messy.
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TIME CAN HEAL, BUT THE SCARS ONLY HIDE THE WAY YOU FEEL
IT'S HARD TO FORGET HOW I LEFT YOU HANGING ON BY A THREAD
What on earth did he expect her to do? What could she say right now to make him happy? Obviously the truth wasn't quite enough to sate his curiosities, despite the fact that there was nothing she could do to make this better. He was looking at her like she was the scum of the damn earth for defiling his parents' character. Did he really expect her to tell him about the charms his parents had put up around his house to keep her out, now? Especially after how he had so fiercely defended his parents? There was nothing that was going to change his mind about them, and even if he did decide to believe her he would be skeptical about anything and everything she said for as long as she lived. The woman had kept a child from him for seventeen years, for god's sake! That was no easy feat, nor was it an honest one. Willow had been forced to start her life over and even though she could have gone and found a man and gotten married when Reno was still an infant so he had a father and never knew about Rayko, she hadn't done that. She had never wanted Reno to know another father. The woman hardly even dated over the last seventeen years because her heart had been pining away for the father of her child: an adventurous, loving and thoughtful man who had gotten married and had children of his own -- the knowledge of which nearly killed her. Forgive her if she had lost any desire to pop the bubble of happiness surrounding her own little world.
Unfortunately, Reno had decided to do that for her. He had not only sought out his father, he had found the man. Seeing him standing here in front of him only reminded her how much Reno was like his father. The two of them felt things so strongly, so completely; but more than that, they tried to hide what they felt. There was no need to be so strong all the time, but neither of them seemed to be able to let down that facade. She knew that Reno had always put on a brave face for her own sake, but Rayko? He had been so set on defying his parents once upon a time, but she knew he had been terrified of the repercussions of his actions. Enough so that when his parents called, he came running with his tail between his legs like a scolded dog. In his defense, she had done the same thing when his parents had turned her away. For as much as she had learned, she knew that she should have stayed. She should have fought for her child, for the man she loved. But it had been because she loved him so dearly that she had left. He didn't understand that, and she didn't think he ever would. Still, he was furious. Whether it was with her, his parents, or himself, however, she could not tell. When he began pacing, however, her heart broke all over again. He was that twenty-year-old boy once more, and he didn't understand why things were the way they were.
Slowly, she stepped over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder to stop him from pacing. "Ray, stop," she commanded gently, her voice soft as she raised a hand to cradle his chin and turn him to look her in the eye. For a moment, she simply searched his eyes, trying to find something familiar. It didn't take long. "You're wrong. You're far from the worst Minister Bulgaria's ever seen," she admitted, knowing he would probably scoff at her attempt to console him. "You're not. If anything, you're maybe the one with the biggest scandal, and for that I am sorry. I was a coward and you're right," she continued, though she didn't have any intention of telling him about the charms that would likely still keep her from his Bulgarian home. "I should have found some way to tell you. I should have fought harder for you and Reno," admitted the woman, her hands and her gaze both falling to the floor. For as strong as she pretended to be, she was twice the coward. Sure, she talked tough and kept a smile on her face through the most difficult situations, but deep inside she was nothing more than a frightened little child. With a soft sigh, she squared her shoulders a bit more and raised her eyes to look at the father of her child. She really should have made him a part of her life. If anything, Willow should have fought for her own happiness, not just the happiness of their son.
"I imagine I've caused quite a bit of trouble for you," she pointed out, clearing her throat and backing away from him with an unusual tension quickly filling the room. Having gotten that close to him again made her feel things she wasn't ready to feel again. Damn him! She hadn't seen him in seventeen years! He had absolutely no right to waltz in and make her heart race and her breath catch in her throat just because! Feeling like she was a girl again, feeling that longing for adventure and romance -- it wasn't something she wanted to repeat. The last time she could recall being in the same room as him, the two of them had been exploring one another, tangled in the sheets. "Reno should be back for vacation early next month," she told him, moving to the kitchen again - anything to put some distance between the two of them. It was obvious that he still had an effect on her, and she was going to make sure she didn't end up making the same mistake again. Rayko was dangerously handsome and suave. "You could meet him face-to-face then, if you'd like to. I think he's gone long enough without knowing his father," she offered, trying to sound nonchalant about it. Bracing herself on the counter with her back to him, she tried to gather her wits again. There was nothing she could say or do that would make this better, nor could she turn back the clock and do things differently -- and she so desperately wished she could.
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RULES OF THE GAME
What was Ray expecting to achieve? He wasn’t really sure. He knew he was angry and upset and felt cheated, but how could yelling at the mother of his recently discovered child fix that? He didn’t know, but it sure felt good. However, he knew she wasn’t all to blame. He’d hate to admit it, but he could’ve done something to prevent this. Perhaps tell her he was leaving? That would’ve been helpful. Promised to write, maybe? During their short, little fling, there was obviously chemistry. But it was a spur of the moment thing. Even if his parents hadn’t threatened him, he probably would’ve bowed out. But if he found out she was pregnant, he would’ve stayed. Well, he likes to think he would’ve stayed. Whether he that would’ve actually happened is a mystery. So, no, it wasn’t all Willow’s fault. Ray could’ve done something, anything. And his parents – his parents were very much to blame. This is all something Ray’d be incredibly reluctant to admit and accept, but deep down, he knew it was true. Coming here and yelling at a woman he had a fling with over fifteen years ago was probably not the wisest of ideas. But Ray wanted answers. And this is how he got answers.
Honestly, if you had asked Ray if he ever dated a girl named Willow, a vague memory would come to his mind but nothing more. But as he spent more time in her kitchen, it was starting to come back, bit by bit. The train. The full days they’d spend just lying in bed. Bit by bit. Things were so much easier back then. He wasn’t running a country into the ground and she wasn’t telling him about how backstabbing his parents were. Things were easier. Happier. Freer. He stopped pacing as soon as Willow put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her obediently, not shoving her hand away. He felt like a kicked puppy and probably looked like one, too. Although he knew her statements were supposed to make him feel better, they didn’t. She wasn’t living in Bulgaria. She wasn’t seeing and experiencing all his mistakes. He looked down, which was rather difficult with her hand still on his chin. “You’re not a coward,” He mumbled, sounding like the twenty year old from sixteen years ago. He looked back up at her when she admitted she should’ve fought. Damn right she should’ve, but Ray had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn’t have done anything. Not with his parents. “I suppose I understand. My parents weren’t the most tolerant of people. If they knew I had a child somewhere before I was married, they would’ve gone to great lengths to make that child disappear. Or in this case, the mother. I’m sorry for that,” He said, surprised that he was the one apologizing. This was turning into something Ray had not expected.
He laughed when she suggested she’d cause a bit of trouble for him. He was surprised by the sound of his own laughter. That wasn’t something he had heard in a while. “Just a bit,” He told her, shrugging nonchalantly. He had a small smirk on his face, though. He really did feel like he was twenty again, and sneaking off to a different country to rebel and cause havoc. It was almost making him giddy. Minus the fact that this whole conversation was about his illegitimate son that he had known nothing about for the past seventeen years. He stood there awkwardly as she walked away from him. “Really?” He asked, his voice cracking. He hadn’t really thought about meeting his son, er, Reno. Learning about him was hard enough. Meeting a kid that’s already full-grown? That’s a bit weird. On top of it, Ray was sure the kid blamed him for not being around. Ray had come here with the intention of being angry and getting answers. Not with the intention of getting the chance to meet his son. But he wouldn’t resist it, no. Reno was his son. They’d have to meet sooner or later, right? Yeah, Ray definitely did feel like he was a young adult again. He looked over at Willow, only to find her back staring at him. “I’ll be sure to get it off,” He said formally. He stood there, staring at her back and wondering what to say. Boy, how things have changed.
------ the story, ( willow m. )
