The Royal Contract

She looked around the apartment she had bought with the money her ex-boyfriend paid as part of their settlement agreement. The deal was that she would not seek anything else from him.

“Home, sweet, home.” The man behind him said as he opened the door for her. He offered to drive her home instead of her grabbing a cab from the hospital.

Yes, she was finally home again, feeling a giddy excitement of seeing her child again. It might be just two nights, but it felt like it had been a lifetime since she had been in her apartment.

Moreover, she could not sleep another night in the hospital, not seeing and caring for her child, who she missed so much.

“Thanks, Zach, for taking me home.” She said as he helped her to the sofa so she could rest. “But you don’t have to stay. I know you must be tired.”

She was feeling much better now, but the doctors still specified she should not strain herself until she had fully recovered. She still needed a lot of sleep and food.

On the other hand, Zach had been in and out of the hospital, going to work and getting back to her side to ensure that she had eaten and had enough sleep.

“Don’t worry about me. Just put your feet up.” He helped her get comfortable on the couch. He even ran to her bedroom to get a pillow for her back.

.....

Then, the bell of her apartment rang, followed by a soft knock on her door. She already knew who it could be behind the door. She could not wait to see him.

“I will get it,” Zach said as he hurried to the door and quickly opened it.

As she expected, her young son stood with an excited smile on his lips as the door swung open. But his eyes were not even looking at her. Instead, his focus was on the man standing by the door.

“Hey, my man. How are you doing?” Zach greeted her son, kneeling until he was slightly on the same level as him. He raised his hand, which her son reached to give him a high five.

Edison seemed to be warming up to him, but her son had always been friendly with everyone. Still, it was nice to see them getting along. Compared to the last time they first saw each other, this was so much better.

“Zachy...” Edison greeted him, and to her surprise, her son hugged the bigger man. Then, Edison picked him up and cradled him in his arms like he weighed nothing.

She had never seen his son with a man before except with Ronnie, Lourdes’s husband. Edison seemed comfortable around him as if they had been friends for a long time.

She remembered Zach telling her that he had visited him while she was asleep. Now, she wondered what they had done together to make them seem to bond.

“Hello, Sasha. Come on, join us.” Zach also greeted the young girl who took Edison home.

“I am sorry, but I have to go. My Mom asked me to do a quick errand. But I will be back to get Edison when I get back.” Sasha announced at the door. “It is nice to see you, Ms. Ria, getting better.” She waved her hand and was out of her sight before she could say anything.

Then, Zach closed the door, carrying Edison with him. But the child finally squirmed out of his hold as her son ran towards her. “Momma.” He said in his sweet, adorable voice. “You sick.” He said, still learning how to form his sentence.

“Yes, I was. But I am getting better.” Ria told her son as he tightly embraced her as if afraid she would disappear again. “What have you been doing?” She asked, seeing that he was carrying a notepad in his hand.

“See...” He pointed to the paper as he showed it to her. “Sashi... this, and me... do this.” He placed his fingers on the letters the girl must have written and then moved them to his handwriting.

Of course, it was not much to look at now, but in her opinion, it was a start. It was all just jumbled scribbles that did not make sense. Nevertheless, in her eyes, it was already a work of art.

Still, she appreciated the effort and time Sashi was giving Edison. She could not ask for anything more from her and her parents. They had been too good to her and her son. She had no idea how she could ever repay them.

“What does Sasha mean by coming back for Edison?” She suddenly asked, noticing what the girl said as her son finally moved out of her hold and started playing with his toys in the corner of the room.

“Don’t you remember?” Zach asked as he moved to sit on the chair near her. “The doctor instructed that you should rest.” He told her.

“Yes, but what does that have to do with Edison.” Ria looked at him, slightly confused, as she held her son in her arms.

“It means that Edison still needs to stay with Sasha and her family.” He clarified to her. “I already talked to Lourdes, explaining the situation. And she agrees that Edison should stay with them.”

“Wait a minute. I did not permit you to run my life or my son.” She suddenly felt alarmed that he might be overstepping his boundaries.

“Hey, don’t be mad. I am not the enemy here. The doctor said that the virus might still be lingering in your system. He advised that you have limited contact with your son for the time being.” He calmly informed her, assuring her that he meant no harm.

Suddenly, she felt stupid for overreacting. Of course, the doctor was right. She did not want her son to get sick like her. And Zach was only being helpful by arranging things for her.

“I am sorry if I snap at you.” She was genuinely apologetic. “It is just hard to be away from him.” She reasoned this time.

She had been away from him during the trip. And just when she came back, she had to be confined in a hospital bed, unable to see him. It was a bit frustrating on her part.

“Don’t worry. I think I understand. I can see now how much you love your son.” He told her, extending his hand to hers and squeezing them gently. Then, the bell rang again. “Just in time.” He said.

He finally let go of her hand and moved out of his seat to answer the door. “Who is that?” She finally asked, curious again about what was happening in her home. Was Sasha back from her errand? That was quick.

“I took the liberty of ordering us some food. I would have dropped by the grocery, but there was just no time.” He explained to her. Then, he opened the door to a man dressed in uniform carrying several paper bags.

“Watch him, but don’t move from your position. I will be in the kitchen but will be right back.” He told her as he carried the bags into the other room.

“Let me help.” She shouted at his retreating back, suddenly wary that he had been doing all the work. She knew she was feeling better. She could at least do something than lie around doing nothing.

“No. You are staying there.” He shouted back and stopped her before she could stand up. “Call me if you need anything.” He instructed before disappearing from her sight. “Anything.” He repeated, shouting from the other room.

She debated whether she should listen to him or force herself to do what she had to do. Of course, he did not mean, literally, everything. Right? That was just silly.

Slowly, she stood from the couch and walked over to the side table. She spotted a few envelopes lying on the top, thinking it might be urgent mail or bills she had to pay.

Then, she also grabbed the tv remote beside it, thinking of putting on a show that Edison might want to watch. If they had limited time together, she wanted to see him smile before he left her to be alone.

“What are you doing?” Suddenly, she heard his voice behind her. “I told you to call me if you need anything.” He seemed to reprimand her.

“I am ok. I don’t need you to watch over my every move.” She responded, shaking her head as he guided her back to the couch.

“I am only following the doctor’s orders. Besides, I only want you to be reunited with your son as soon as possible.” His eyes turned to Edison, who was busy with his toys.

Suddenly, she felt guilty, thinking he had a point. She wanted to hug and kiss her son, but he might contract the bug that was still in her system. It was better that she followed the doctor before she regretted it.

And another thing, she might as well rest so her body could recover much easier from her sickness. It was the only logical thing to do. Therefore, she returned to the sofa without another fuss.

Lastly, she appreciated what he was trying to do for her. “Thanks, Zach.” Believing he deserved it.

She still could not think of why he would waste his time on a girl like her when he could have any woman he wanted. Now, she realized how lucky she was to be with him. He was a great catch.