The Memories
Two
Patrice walked up to the large house, with his hands in the pockets of his light grey tuxedo. He didn't usually dress like that when he was going to dinner with a friend, but this was different.
For a second, he wondered if he had gotten the wrong house. There was only one light on, in the back, and he didn't see any movement. He checked his watch. He was right on time. He elected to knock quietly in case he was at the wrong house, and he heard a small noise from inside the house.
The door opened, and Ashlyn stepped smiled at him.
"Come on in." She said quietly, and Patrice obliged.
He took a look around, and grinned. She was living in style. The house was massive, and very luxurious.
"Wow, this is amazing!" He smiled at her.
She blushed and shook her head modestly.
"I inherited it when my grandfather passed away a couple of years ago." She explained to him.
"I'm so sorry." He said, shaking his head sadly.
"It's alright. It's happens." She smiled. "You just have to move on."
Patrice nodded, and ran a hand through his hair.
She led him into the dining room, where a table was set up with two plates and a delicious looking casserole.
"Wow, this looks amazing Ashlyn." Patrice smiled, as they sat down.
She thanked him, and gazed thoughtfully across the table for a minute, before her eyes turned grave.
"Well, I guess we have enough time to-"
She was cut off as a small blonde boy walked into the room in spiderman pajamas.
"Mommy, I can't get to sleep." He complained, rubbing a small fist in his eyes.
Ashlyn jumped up and blocked the boys view of Patrice, guiding him back upstairs.
"Just close your eyes. You'll get tired soon enough." She soothed him as they walked away from the dining room.
Patrice was confused. She hadn't mentioned having any kids. Did that means she was also married? Or engaged? Or at least with a boyfriend?
"Sorry about that." She sighed, walking back into the room.
"You have a son?" He asked her, and she nodded without looking him in the eyes.
"How old is he?" Patrice asked curiously.
"His sixth birthday is in a January." She said uncomfortably, glancing across the table at Patrice.
"But, that means-" Patrice stopped mid sentence.
She nodded, and buried her head in her hands.
"Patrice, it was so hard to not call and tell you."
"But why?" He asked. "Why didn't you?"
"Because." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You had enough on your plate."
"That doesn't mean you had to keep something like this from me!" Patrice said, the anger apparent from his tone of voice.
"Patrice, I'm sorry. I wanted to, so bad. but... I didn't think you were ready to juggle that into your schedule." Ashlyn told him sadly.
Patrice was speechless. He hadn't known about his own child, until this very day? He had a kid of his own in the world, and he hadn't found out until he was five.
"What's his name?" Patrice asked with a wistful sigh.
"Troy." She replied. "Troy Patrice Brewer."
Patrice smiled. She had thought of him. Even though she hadn't told him, she had named their child after him.
"Are you mad?" She asked softly.
"No." He shook his head. "I'm just disappointed that I haven't been a part of his life. But I can't fix that now. I can only change it in the future."
She nodded, and smiled again.
"How are we going to do this?" She asked him. "He has to find out who you are."
"Not tonight. Let him sleep. Maybe we can meet tomorrow?" He asked her cautiously.
She nodded, and handed him her phone.
"Put your number in, and we can talk tomorrow about where to meet?"
Patrice nodded, and punched in his phone number.
"Alright, I have to go. I've got a big day tomorrow." He sighed. "But, Ashlyn?"
"Yes?" She raised her eyebrows ever so slightly, and he saw a glimpse of a much younger Ashlyn, the one he had met back in Florida.
"Don't ever hold out on me like that again." He told her.
"I won't." She promised with a smile. "Goodnight Patrice."
