Page 12 of The Desire

Slowly opening the envelope, I slide the letter out and flatten it to make it easier. There is a page of beautifully written words, thankfully in English.

Dear Remington,

Please excuse my English is not perfect.

This letter is because something has happened to me. Adeline has our son Blaise for you to take care of.

I am Camille Roux. We met in the mountain in France when you lost from hike Mt. Blanc. I took you to my place, lots of cheese, bread, and wine. You slept in my house, with me. A night of nice sex. The day after you leave, I find your wallet. You are long gone. I kept it safe, in case you come back.

When I find out I with baby, I asked Adeline my friend to use money in wallet to take the child to you if anything ever happen to me.

I’m sorry for not telling you. You are rich and I a poor goat herder. I couldn’t bear to lose Blaise. But I always told him about you, show him your picture on plastic card.

I know you shocked and you be angry at me. I was selfish, but mothers love couldn’t let him go. Sadly, though now I am gone, and he needs you.

He is a good boy, likes to play in the fields, kick a ball and draw. Please be kind to him and give him good home with lots of love.

I thought of you often and knew deep down you were a good man. My heart could tell.

Tell Blaise I love him every day.

Thank you for giving me Blaise for the time I had him. I will always be grateful for the gift.

Camille

My eyes go to Blaise, picturing his mother that day on the mountain. Then back to the top of the page and rereading to try to get it to make sense.

I can’t deny the story because I was there, and I did sleep with Camille. We had many bottles of unlabeled wine which was potent in strength, and I remember waking with a hell of a hangover. I doubt I would have had a condom with me, but to be honest, that part is hazy. Probably one of those rare drunk times I would have skipped that part of the process even if I did have one.

Engrossed in the memory of what happened, looking up now, I see the room filled with my friends. The guys who will always have my back.

Nic sits beside me and motions to the letter. Handing it over to him, I flop back into the couch and push my hands up over my face and into my hair. I’m always the man who takes control of every situation, yet right now, I’m useless.

“Adeline, thank you for being patient. As you can see this is a big shock to Remington.” Nic’s calm voice is welcome next to me. “Can we offer you some water and food?”

“Merci.” Adeline looks around like a scared animal at all the people as she leans forward to take the water that Tori is offering.

“Do you speak much English?” Elouise asks from beside me, making me jump a little. I didn’t realize she was sitting on the arm of the couch next to me.

“A little,” Adeline replies with her hand in the air, tipping it from side to side signaling that she does, but it isn’t great.

“Serait-ce plus facile si je vous parlais en français et traduisais pour vous?” Elouise shocks us all with the most beautiful French coming from her.

“Oui, s'il vous plaît, ce serait tellement plus facile pour moi d'expliquer pourquoi je suis ici.” A smile of relief comes across Adeline’s face at being able to speak easily to Elouise in French.

“I just asked her if she would like me to translate to make it easier for her. Which she said yes, if I could. I’m sure she has a lot to say, and it will be hard for her in English. Are you okay with that?” There’s kindness in her voice as she looks down at me. I couldn’t be more thankful for her friendship than I am right this moment.

“Yes, please. The letter said something has happened to his mother. Can you ask her about that? I’m afraid of the answer.” It’s quite clear from the letter she has died, but I need to know how.

Sitting waiting as the question is asked and Adeline replies with tears running down her face is awful. Before she worries about explaining anything, Elouise is up and walking to Adeline, sitting down beside her and giving her a hug. Comforting her from having to retell a story about a friend she was obviously very close to if Camille trusted her with Blaise. The gentle sobs on Elouise’s shoulder start to subside, and slowly Adeline’s head rises up, and she wipes her tears off her face.

“Camille, Blaise’s mother, was out in the pasture bringing the goats in for milking when they think she fell and hit her head on a rock. Blaise was with her, and sadly, Adeline found them both the next day when she went to visit. She found Blaise curled up on the ground with his mother, hugging her and singing to her.”

My heart hurts for Camille and for the little boy. What a traumatic time for everyone. Even Elouise has had to stop to compose herself, and I can hear Tori crying too. I only knew Camille for one night, but I can feel her loss deeply, and that surprises me.

“When Adeline checked Camille, she was near death, and by the time they got the doctor from the village up there to her, she had passed. They believe the cause of death was a brain bleed from the blow to the back of her head.” Elouise’s arm is around Adeline’s shoulder and slowly rubbing up and down the top of her arm in comfort. I can’t believe how strong she is being and taking charge of the room. It should have been me, but I have been stripped raw, and everything that made sense before seems so far from my grasp at the moment.

“Shit, how fucking awful,” I hear Flynn mumble under his breath. He obviously just left long enough to put his date in the car with Wallace and send her home, then came straight back inside to us.

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