The Royal Contract

He suggested bringing Edison to the zoo, so the boy could see the different animals he only saw in books and the movies. He thought of many things they could do together, but some were inappropriate for his age. He might have to wait till he was older and much taller.

Funnily, a year ago, he might have run from such responsibility. But after meeting Ria, he finally realized that this was what he wanted. Now, he could not imagine a life without her and Edison.

“That is a big tiger.” He pointed to the one enclosed on a large pen, resting on the enormous rock formations. Edison clapped his hands above his head in excitement. The little boy currently sat on his shoulders while Ria and Tabby talked not far behind him.

He did not mind spending time with Edison while Ria talked to her friend. Everybody needed a family, and she considered the big man like a brother. Therefore, he was giving him the benefit of the doubt.

“Show me more, Zachy.” The boy shouted, pointing to the other cages that surrounded them.

Somehow, he imagined the boy calling him Daddy, not Zachy, and it felt great. Maybe someday, when he had proven himself to Ria and her son, he could finally ask him to consider him as his new father. He would like that so much.

“Ok. Your wish is my command, my Prince..” He said, using a line they read in a children’s storybook. Another activity that he started to enjoy.

He could hear the laughter of the little boy sitting on top of him. He could not see his face, but he could picture how his eyes lit up from the new things he had seen.

.....

He already thought of another activity they could enjoy together. But that would be for next time. For now, he would let the boy enjoy this one. From the look on Ria’s face when he glanced at them, she was happy to see her son having a great time.

“Wow!” The boy shouted when he saw the monstrous bear, showing off his magnificence. The beast had similarities with the stuffed toy that Edison slept with at night. Except for the size and missing ribbon around its neck. “Teddy.” The boy said.

He recognized him, but of course, that was not his bear. The one on his bed was cuddly and adorable. The one circling in the cage was deadly and dangerous.

“I want Teddy,” Edison said as he held on to the metallic railing. It was still safe to be on this other side of the fence. But he still pried his little fingers away from the cage, concerned about his safety.

“Sorry, Champ, but that is not a toy or a pet.” He said, trying to explain to the boy that they could not take the bear home.

Then, the boy started to cry. That was new.

He did not know what to do. He tried to think if he had said something or done something to make him cry. He only said that the bear was off-limits. It seemed that Edison did not like it.

“What is going on?” Ria was automatically on their side. “Edison, are you alright?” She asked, concerned about her son’s condition.

“I am sorry, but I said he could not take the Teddy home.” He pointed to the bear in the cage. Then, Ria started laughing. It was adorable, but Edison’s crying was not. It was scandalous as he kept going.

“I am sorry, baby. But that is not Teddy. That bear is his father. If he saw Teddy, he would take Teddy away. Do you want that to happen?” Ria said, but the way she said it made him think.

Was Ria hiding Edison from his biological father? That was why she was so hesitant to talk about him. Even Edison seemed to have no clue who he was.

Was Ria running away from him? He remembered that night that she called him, sounding distraught. She said she had a bad dream. Was she dreaming about that man that had ruined her life?

“No. I don’t want Daddy to take him.” The boy worriedly told his mother, but it sounded like he did not want his father to take him away.

He could be right about his new suspicion. But also, he could be overthinking this and adding two and two, resulting in ten. But, somehow, it made sense. But he would think more about that later.

“Good. Now, be a good boy and let us see more animals. Would you like that?” Ria asked as the boy finally calmed down and stopped crying.

He was, once again, amazed at how calmly Ria had dealt with Edison’s tantrums. He guessed he still had much to learn about raising a child. He realized that it was not all fun and games.

But it was a challenge he intended to learn along the way because that would not be enough to drive him away from her. It would take more than that to scare him out of their lives.

“Since you are such a good boy. I will treat you to some ice cream later.” Tabby ruffled the boy’s hair, making the boy smile. “You like that. Great!” Tabby laughed at the boy’s reaction.

“Now, would you like to continue looking at the other animals?” He asked Edison as they continued to walk.

And the little boy said, “Yes,” enthusiastically, like the incident earlier did not even happen.

They looked at several slithering snakes, colorful birds, playful monkeys, and the King of the jungle as it roared for the crowd. By the time they finished, they were all starving and tired.

He took them to a nearby fast-food restaurant, knowing they had to feed the boy before he fell asleep. His eyes were almost droopy when he finished half of his food. But Tabby bought him an ice cream he ate before dropping like a log on his lap.

It seemed that Edison was growing quite attached to him. Something he relished because he knew that to get to the mother, he also had to fall in love with her son and vice versa.

“I am just going to the bathroom.” Ria excused herself, leaving him and Tabby on the table.

The man seemed to be watching him. He had noticed that since they bumped into each other at Ria’s door. He could see in his eyes that he was studying him, probably trying to read what was in his mind.

“What have you learned about me?” He finally asked when Ria was out of earshot. “I am sure you have many questions, just like I do.” He faced the man, looking him in the eyes. “But I will let you go first.”

“Ok. But I will expect an honest answer because if you are lying, I will know about it. And if you hurt Ria, I will hunt you down. I don’t care who your father is. That will not stop me.” The man said in his threatening voice.

“I am not threatened that easily. And I also don’t care who my father is. But if you are not here solely for the interest of Ria. Then, I won’t hesitate to use my father’s influence to make your life miserable.” Zach answered back.

“Is that a threat?” Tabby asked, looking at him with those eyes that had seen too much death and hardship. “Because I don’t respond well to threats.”

He looked down at the boy, that mildly moved. But Edison was quietly and peacefully sleeping in his lap. Then Zach said in a quiet tone. “That is not a threat but a promise.” He did not lose his focus as they stared at each other in a battle of will.

He had no intention of losing to this man because he could not afford to lose Ria and Edison from his life. But he was surprised that he was the one who finally looked away.

“I think I might be wrong about you. But I am only protecting Ria. I don’t want her to get hurt.” Tabby said as he drank his soda.

Somehow, he felt that there was something he was not telling him. He could sense that he was not referring to him. He believed he overheard something in their conversation that did not make sense.

But it was just tidbits that he could not fully understand. But now, he could conclude that their conversation should concern him. His instincts told him that he had to dig deeper.

“Protecting her from me, or something else?” He finally asked, watching the man’s reaction to his question. “Please tell me if you discover something because I think we are on the same side here.” Seeing that he might be hiding something.

“Ok. Let me ask you if we are on the same side.” Tabby crossed his muscular arms across his chest as he looked at him. “Are you having Ria investigated?” He said without going around the bush.

But before he could answer him. Ria finally appeared and walked toward their table. But his mind was now working overtime after hearing his question.

Of course, not.

He answered his question silently in his mind. But if it was not him, who was it? Who wanted information about her? Now, he could not help but want to discover her past. He had to dig up her secrets to protect her.