Part 24 (1/2)
”I'm going to paint it now.”
”Thank you.” I stood up and saw a man selling some souvenirs. ”I'll be right back, guys.” I walked away quickly and looked through the key chains on the table. I grinned when I saw one in the shape of a key and the word 'Paris' on it. I was going to give it to Lucky that evening because Paris was the place she had unlocked my heart. I was still devastated from my mother's lies, but I knew that I would be okay. It was a weird feeling to know and accept that the pain would eventually dull. I saw another item that I thought Lucky would love and bought it as well, and then quickly returned back to them.
”Paul is nearly done.” Lucky smiled up at me. ”It's a beautiful painting.”
I looked down at the paper and smiled at the colorful picture. Paul had painted the moon a suns.h.i.+ne yellow and stars of gold and silver. ”Who's that?” I asked, pointing at a little stick figure in the bottom left-hand corner of the picture.
”That's me.” He gave Lucky and me a shy smile. ”So you never forget me.”
”Oh we will never forget you, Paul.” Lucky reached over and gave him a big hug and the little boy flushed with pleasure. ”We will treasure this picture forever.” We stood there watching him finish the painting and then he handed it to us before turning back to his paints.
”I'm going to finish mine now.” He grinned at us and I reached over and touched his shoulder lightly.
”Thanks, Paul.”
”Au revoir.” He smiled and Lucky held the picture carefully. I told her to wait with Paul while I walked over to his mother, who was beaming at me as I approached.
”Thanks for talking to Paul, so many people are scared to stop and talk to him.” Her eyes glistened with tears and I saw the love and appreciation in her eyes for our simple deed.
”It was our pleasure.” My heart went out to this woman. ”I actually support St. Jude Children's Hospital and so I know some of what you're going through.”
”It's been hard, but Paul is a trooper.”
”I want to give you something.” I took out my pocketbook and pulled out a check from the inner flap. I made it out for 100,000 dollars, signed it, and then folded it and handed it to her. ”I want you to take this. Put your name on it or Paul's and use it for whatever bills you have or for a college fund. Whatever you want or need.”
”Oh, no. I can't take your money.” Her eyes almost popped out as she looked at the check and she shook her head with a shocked expression.
”Trust me when I say I can afford it.” I smiled down at her. ”Consider it payment for the wonderful painting your son made for me.”
”G.o.d bless you, sir.”
”No, G.o.d bless you for being so strong and raising a wonderful boy. G.o.d bless you for being a wonderful mother.” I reached down and kissed her on the cheek. ”Please cash the check and let me do this for you and your son. It would mean more to me than you will ever know.”
”Thank you, Mr. Beaumont.” There were tears in her eyes as she looked down at the check. ”Thank you.”
I smiled at her one more time and then walked away. My heart was full and heavy. Lucky walked towards me and I laughed as I started at the front of her head.
”What did you say to her?” Lucky inquired as we walked off arm and arm.
”I just gave her our best wishes.”
”It must be hard raising a child with cancer.” She sounded sad and I squeezed her hand.
”It is. But you do the best you can. As a parent, you just love your child and hope for the best.”
”Yes.” She nodded and looked up at me. ”I'm really sorry about your mom, Zane.”
”I know.” I kissed her cheek. ”I don't want to talk about it right now, but I know.”
”What do you want to do now?”
”Let's go and get something to eat. I have some presents to give you.”
”Oh, Zane,” she giggled. ”Not more presents.”
”Yes, more presents.”
”I have something for you as well.” She looked up at me slyly and I looked down at her in shock.
”You do?”
”Uh huh.” She grinned. ”I got it yesterday.”
”What is it?”
”You'll have to wait and see.” Her eyes sparkled and I was intrigued. ”Don't tell me you got lingerie.”
”Okay, I won't tell you that.”
”Oh, my G.o.d, you went and got some new lingerie, didn't you?” I asked excitedly.
”Zane, you wish.” She shook her head and laughed. ”I didn't get any lingerie.”
”Oh darn. Well, I got you a cute keychain with an actual key on it because you unlocked my heart. I also got you a cute pink notebook with a little Eiffel Tower statue on it because I want you to be able to write me more wonderful love songs.” I paused. ”Okay, I didn't intend to just blurt that out like that, I had a whole conversation planned for dinner, but you're killing me here, Lucky. I want to know what you got me.”
”My, my, aren't we impatient?”
”Did you get beads?” Dirty thoughts entered my mind and I hoped Lucky couldn't tell what I was thinking.
”Beads?”
”You know.” I winked at her and she shook her head in confusion.
”You mean like a necklace?”
”No, I mean beads-beads.” I winked again and caressed her behind with my hands, and she shrieked as she realized what I was talking about.
”You're so disgusting, Zane Beaumont.”
”What?” I faked a frown. ”A guy can dream, right?”
”Argh. Let's go eat.” She rolled her eyes at me and I watched her a.s.s as she walked in front of me.
I tried to keep my thoughts clean, but all of a sudden, I was no longer hungry for food. I laughed at my dirty thoughts and then I thought back to Paul and his mother, and my heart started to crack. His mother loved him so much. She was the sort of woman that would do anything for her child. She would never give him up. She would never pretend she didn't know him. I just didn't understand why. In some ways, having seen my mother was worse than not having seen her. Before I was heartbroken and hateful due to the unknown, but now, now I was just heartbroken and devastated. I was literally devastated that my own mother could look into my eyes and not feel a thing. There was no doubt in my mind now that she didn't love me. I didn't know why she left, and frankly, I didn't care. I hated her. I hated her with every fiber in my being for making me feel like a nothing. Like I wasn't good enough. It was at moments like this when I witnessed the real love of a mother to her son, that I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I felt empty and alone, and as I walked, I felt like the pavement could swallow me up and that no one would care.
”I got some furry handcuffs.” Lucky's voice interrupted my reverie and she grabbed my hand. I looked up at her blankly and she stared into my eyes with a searching look.