Page 41 of Taking A Chance
“Please bring her with you. No shouting, only talking. I promise.”
“Okay. I’ll see you there in one hour.”
“I’ll be there.” The determination in his voice leaves me with no doubt.
“Cade,”
“Yes?”
“Viktoria, her name’s Viktoria.”
I’m on time, but she’s early.
It gives me the opportunity to look at her from afar as I approach where she is standing.
I watch as she’s crouched down at the side of the stroller where Viktoria is sitting.
Viktoria; my daughter, my child.
That fact still has my head in a spin, but I also feel a sense of attainment, excited, albeit scared of this extra responsibility in my life.
Petra’s hand stretches out, pointing to something in the distance. The light breeze plays with her hair, flipping it across her face. She tips her head to one side until the wind picks it up and flicks it away again. The jeans that she’s wearing are a faded blue and fit her ass perfectly. As she straightens up, I can see that there is a small tear with frayed edges below her ass cheek. At first, I think that the yellow tee that’s she wearing is worn loose, but then I realise that I’d seen her wearing it before. Then it had hugged her body. She’s lost weight. I can’t believe I didn’t notice before. It’s undoubtedly because of the stress and pressure that she must have been under for the past months. A bolt of guilt hits me, along with an underlying annoyance. If I’d have known, I could have been there for her.
When I get a few feet away from her, she catches sight of me from the corner of her eye. She turns to face me; I can read her expression. It screams fear and anxiety, mixed up with a shitload of defiance. Her body language has morphed from relaxed mother interacting with her child to a woman who has built a barricade in order to protect herself. To protect herself from me. But we can’t have that now, can we? Not if I want to reach my goal. The reason I’m here in the first place. Her recent revelation, does nothing to deter me.
I know I need to tread carefully, but I also need answers to the questions that are driving me insane.
“Hi.” Placing my hand on her upper arm, I lean in and place a gentle kiss on her cheek. Her body stiffens at my touch and her reaction hurts me more than I’d like to admit to. Moving to the front of the stroller, I hunker down so I’m face to face with my daughter, my child, Viktoria. “Hi there, Viktoria,” I run my index finger across the back of her tiny hand. “How are you today?” She giggles and wriggles in response, so much that if she wasn’t belted into the seat, she’d be out of there. The smile she gives me comes with four pearly white teeth, two up and two down, along with a little dimple on each cheek. “How about we go for a walk while I talk to your mamma?” Again, I’m greeted with the same response. I know she understands basic words, maybe a little more, but she probably doesn’t really understand what I’m saying to her or the drama that’s going on around her. However, I know that at this age they are like sponges, learning and absorbing new words, skills and reactions all the time. At least that’s what Google said when I did some research, before I left the hotel.
I stand straight and glance over at Petra. Wide eyed, mouth open, her expression tells me that my actions were not what she expected. It’s like a punch to the gut that she thinks so little of me.
“Hi again,” I give her a tentative smile.
“Hi,” she mumbles, still a little dazed.
“Shall we?” I ask, holding my hand out I invite her to lead the way in our walk, letting her decide which direction to take. Once she makes her move, I step into place beside her. It takes a few minutes for her to speak, but however many questions I have simmering on my tongue, I want it to be her that makes the first move.
“How’s the hotel?” Her line of question doesn’t surprise me. I haven’t forgotten her obsession with hotel rooms and their décor. Although, I suspect that the small talk is a way of avoiding the inevitable hot topic.
“It’s good. Do you want to come and look?”
“No, thank you. I’ve seen them many times before.”
“Really?” I give her a questionable look.
“I’ve worked there in the past.”
Silence.
“Did you pick that hotel because it was near to the American Embassy, or was that a fluke?”
“The Embassy is near?” I say with a straight face.
“Cade, you can’t tell me you didn’t see the American flag flying outside.” The smallest of smiles adorns her face, so subtle that most people would miss it.
“I admit, when I left your house, I asked for directions to the Embassy.”
“And why would you do that?” she scowls at me, her walls becoming thicker by the minute. “What are you planning to do, Cade? I don’t care how good a lawyer you are. If you think that you can take her away from me, I’ll fight you all the way. All the f…” she stops the word that was close to falling from her mouth, her eyes falling to the child, in the stroller in front of her, before finishing her sentence. “All the way.”