Life's Obstacles: Chapter 4

Leo's P.O.V.
“So you didn’t tell him?”

Piper shook her head, looking down to her feet. I was worried about her, but this is Piper I’m talking about: strong, brave, beautiful. And again, the Piper I was looking at right now was not the one I knew. She looked pale and shivering. I wanted to embrace her, tell her that everything’s alright, but I stopped myself. I was in no position to do such act.

“How long have you been hiding it?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” Piper sniffed. "Fifteen, sixteen years?”

“That long, huh.” I moved near Jake’s bed and looked at him. Gods, it must’ve been obvious, now that he’s all grown up.

“Where did Jason go?”

“Please stop, Leo. I…I don’t want to…”

I glanced at her, and my heart sank. I turned away quickly. Silence followed. I could hear Piper sniffing and wiping her tears with her handkerchief.

I glanced between mother and son. I felt like an intruder just being in this room. I wasn’t part of this family, and probably never would. But when I heard their son in the accident, I knew that I just have to be here. I was their friend, after all.

“You know…”

I looked and saw Piper smiling. “…he looks just like you, Leo.”

“This is wrong, Piper,” I said. I didn’t notice that I said that a little too forceful, but I didn’t stop. “Jason just left you here? I can’t believe him! I thought, I thought--”

“He was angry, Leo, and I couldn’t stop him,” she said calmly, quietly.

“But still, this is your son, not mine. He shouldn’t worry at something that happened in the past. Jason should be here with you, not me.”

“It’s pressuring him. It was too much for him t-to take. I…I could see it, Leo. You s-should, too.”

“But still…”

<p style="text-align: justify;">“I know. It's life, Leo. A lot of things happen," she said. "I understand that. But just…help Jake.”

<p style="text-align: justify;">I was angry, but I couldn’t stay angry. Instead, I walked towards Piper and embraced her. She was surprised, but she didn’t push me away. I was doing this to her, simply because I was her friend. There was nothing wrong with it.

<p style="text-align: justify;">The doctor came into the room, and we quickly broke away.

<p style="text-align: justify;">“You are the boy’s real father, right?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

<p style="text-align: justify;">I swallowed. “Yes.”

<p style="text-align: justify;">“Then follow me. We need your blood to save the child.”