Page 28 of Baby for the Professor
"I guess I should also get joint custody, so I can legally support them."
My mom paused. "I don't know, son. You'll talk to Sabrina about it. And you should wait for the right moment. For now, emotional support might be more important than financial support. I never told you this, but I wished your dad had shown up more in your life rather than just providing child support. I would rather trade child support for his presence."
That was news to me. Mom didn't show such a wish in front of me at all. "Got it. Thanks, Mom, for bringing me up by yourself all those years."
"Oh, you're welcome, son. You're so worth it.”
We spoke about the good old days for another ten minutes or so. Before we hung up, Mom reminded me again, “Don't forget to send me a picture of your child and his mom."
"Will do. Good night."
Chapter 16
Sabrina
An insect crawled on my cheek and woke me from a delicious dream. I swatted it but heard a child's giggle. "Mommy, wake up!" I heard Aiden, my son’s voice.
I grumbled. "Stop it, Aiden. Let Mommy sleep a bit longer. It's Saturday."
"I know. But we're going out with Jackson today."
Right. Jackson would be here at nine, then take us to play tennis. It was his favorite sport, and he wanted to teach his son that. The thought made me open my eyes. I glanced at my phone. It was only seven, but I got up since Aiden was so eager.
My parents had left for an aquatic class at the gym they both belonged to. So I made Aiden and myself some egg toast.
When I was eating, Aiden suddenly asked, "Is Jackson my daddy, Mommy?"
I nearly choked. Damn. I had racked my brain to find the best way to tell him but hadn't made up my mind. Now I had to improvise.
"What gave you the idea?" He might've overheard my parents' conversation. They weren't the most discreet people on earth.
He grinned. "I don't know. I just like him."
"Oh," I laughed, my heart warmed by the answer. It had been a week since the kid last saw Jackson, but he had never stopped asking about him. "Why do you like him?"
"I don't know. I just do."
Damn. It must have been genetic ties. "Do you want him to be your daddy?"
He nodded. "Yep."
I stroked his hair, a softer version of his father's raven mane. "You're right, baby. He is your daddy."
"Yay!" His grin widened, but only for a second. "Is he going to stay here in LA from now on, or will he go away again?"
I blinked as I recalled I had told Aiden when he was younger that his dad had gone away to a place we couldn't reach.
I paused to think of an answer that wouldn't give him too much hope. "I hope not, but you'll have to ask him the question, Aiden."
I put out a t-shirt and shorts for Aiden, and then I dug into the closet to look for clothes proper for the occasion. I wasn't into tennis and didn't plan to play, so I wore a casual dress. I'd be sitting on a bench most of the time, so I grabbed a paperback from my shelf. I had inherited my mom's habit of buying bargain books from Target and drugstores but seldom had time to read them.
The doorbell rang at ten to nine, and Aiden rushed to it. "He's here!"
Jeez. I had mixed feelings about his excitement. Happy and insecure at the same time. What if Aiden liked Jackson too much and didn't need me anymore? And what if Jackson couldn't always give what his son wanted from him?
I followed him to the living room and opened the door. The moment I saw the man, my concerns all vanished. He had a huge smile on his face. "Good morning."
"Good morning. You're early," I said. "I still need a few minutes."
