Alexia is sitting in an armchair with her son in her arms.

- Alma! she calls out when she sees me. Are you having a baby?

- Yes!" I exclaimed, taking her in my arms. And my little prince!

I take her son in my arms, kissing him all over. He bursts out laughing and kisses me on the mouth.

- Even kids are trying to steal my wife now," Gabrielo sighs as he enters the room with Cordelia in his arms.

I roll my eyes as he approaches. He kisses me on the cheek and puts his free arm around my waist.

- How old is he? I ask.

- Four, it's already been five years since I left.

Gabrielo puts Cordelia down on the floor and she shyly approaches Matheo, Alexia's son. He takes her in his arms and clumsily hugs her. I observe them completely caught up in their game.

- Is that your husband? Alex asks as he approaches me.

I nod and smile. Gabrielo greets her with a nod and sits down next to me.

- Not bad, eh?

- More than not bad, in fact. When I said you'd end up with a model, I was dead right. You owe me a meal now.

- We'll talk about it when we get your problem sorted. James's mother will be here any minute. What do you expect to get out of this meeting?

- I want my son to know his grandma and his dad. He deserves to know his father, as imperfect as he is. It's not my place to make that kind of decision for him. James didn't want a child, but his grandmother deserves to know that he is out there.

- That's a nice way of thinking about it. All that is left is to see how your mother-in-law reacts, if I may say so.

James' mother enters the room a few moments later. I greet her with a hug before asking her to sit down. Gabrielo gets up to make a phone call.

- Alexia? Serena, James' mother, asks. I haven't seen you for so long. What have you been up to?

- I've become an architect. I'm working with a company in Los Angeles.

- I'm glad to hear it. Who is this adorable little child? He reminds me of James when he was younger.

- That's good because he's her son," she replies, stroking Matheo's cheek.

- I beg your pardon? Alexia, I think I misunderstood.

- No, it's your grandson.

- That's not possible. Come on, Alexia. My son wouldn't have dared...

Alexia hands her what looks to me like a paternity test. Serena takes it and begins to read it carefully. Alexia sits down and waits for Serena's reaction, which soon comes. She collapses and I barely catch her. Alexia helps me to lay her down on the sofa.

- I'd forgotten how dramatic her fainting could be," Alexia laughs.

- I'd forgotten too. Poor woman, to learn that she became a grandmother so suddenly. I feel sorry for her.

- Personally, I pity her son. She's going to rip his head off when he wakes up.

- Too bad for him. His mother has warned him so many times. Before you do something, think of all the things that could possibly happen from it.

-She wasn't wrong when she told him that," she replies.

An employee arrives with some smelling salts so that Serena can be woken up. She quickly comes to her senses after breathing them in and stands up abruptly.

- Son, bring him in," she orders around. Now!

James soon enters the room with Mila. They both walk towards Serena with a smile. She asks Mila to come out of the room so we can talk.

- James, don't you have something to say to me? she asks, squinting her beautiful azure eyes.

- What are you trying to say," he replies with a frown.

- Trust me, young man, lies won't save you. Keep it up and I'll cut you off.

- Mum, what do you mean?

- You know what I mean. I look like a fool," she yells, getting up. My son is getting a girl pregnant, and my goddaughter at that! And he doesn't even have the courage to take responsibility for what he has done.

Serena slaps her son without delay. He tries to back down, but she grabs him by the collar and lifts him up on her stilettos. Now, that I remember, this woman was a professional boxer before she married.

- James, darling... Anything but that," she said menacingly. I told you never to take me for a fool. First you break off your engagement, then you get a girl pregnant. What's next? Tell me, son, huh?

She throws James to the floor and sits back down on the sofa. Alexia looks on blankly as they wait for their conversation to end. Gabrielo sends me a message to meet him in our room as soon as the conversation is over. I reply and refocus on the scene before me.

- Alexia," Serena calls, turning to her. I apologize for what my son did to you. Please let us meet Matheo once in a while.

- There's nothing to apologize for. I came so that you could meet my son," Alexia reassures her. He deserves to know his grandparents.

- Very well, then, that problem is solved. James will pay you child support every month. I want you to live quietly with Matheo without having to worry about anything. Only work if you want to and take good care of my grandson. Thank you, Alma.

I nod as I receive her thanks. They hug each other before Matheo comes to join them. I get up to leave and see James glaring at me. I smile at him before waving.

Gabrielo is waiting for me on our bed, playing with Lia on the game console they decided to buy the day before. I lie down next to him and hug him without letting him stop playing.

- Did you want to tell me something? I asked, looking at the screen.

- Yes," he said, resting his head on my shoulder. We're supposed to go home next week. What do you want to do: stay or go?

- I want to stay a little longer, but we're going to have to go back sometime," I sighed.

- We can stay another week, I have a contract to sign in exactly two weeks. Then we'll go home with Cordelia.

- Fine, that's fine with me. By then, I hope our two friends have the nursery done, because knowing them....

- They're more likely to make a baby than anything else....

-I want a baby too! Cordelia exclaimed.

- I'm sorry, sweetheart, but that's not going to be possible right now," I announced, taking her in my arms. But we can go and have lunch with Matheo if you want.

Cordelia puts down her controller and takes my hand to go and eat. Gabrielo follows us without wasting any time. I let Cordelia go ahead of us to the kitchen.

- So how did it go?

- Well...

I finish telling him what happened and he starts to laugh.

- If my mother was that scary, I would have stayed a virgin until the wedding," he laughs. And I'd probably never have set foot in a club.

- You bet. He still managed to cause so much trouble. Not to mention the fact that his father is... Special, I'd say.

- That special? He's surprised.

- Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet.

__________

Hey ! Sorry for the late update but to make it up, I'll update more chapters tonight.

Take care !