Mommy, Where is Daddy?

Abigaile couldn't stop expressing how thankful she was to have Nico around. She couldn't stop talking about how relieved she felt while they were alone together.

"It was all because of you that the guilt I'd felt every time I looked into Tristan's eyes and the conscience that kept haunting me every night was gone."

Finally, after six years without the knowledge of who his father was. Tristan finally met Enzo, and Nico was the one who encouraged her to introduce the child to his father, and the idea of Abigaile that she would never find a man like Nico makes her want to keep this man by her side.

"I can finally see that smile after the days of being bothered about the matter," Nico said, drawing Abigaile into his arms. Abigaile closed her eyes and reminisced the fervor of Nico's embrace. Nico has always been there for her. The man never let her fight her struggles alone.

A smile slowly crept on her lips when she could feel Nico's fingers caressing her hair, "However, I presume, since the initial matter had been resolved. Wasn't it time to take the big step and fix the biggest one? You've been gone for six years, and I'm sure they've been worried sick about you."

"What do you intend to say, Nico? They?" Abigaile immediately glanced at Nico, who gave her a loving gaze.

Nico poked her nose and said, "Silly, now that Tristan met his father. Wasn't it the right time to reconcile with your parents and introduce Tristan as their grandson?" Abigaile was stranded in silence upon realizing the point behind Nico's words.

"B-but, aren't they still mad at me? Nico, I got pregnant at fifteen, and I saw how disappointed my mother was and how angry my father was!" Abigail said, feeling a sob rising in her throat.

Abigaile will never forget when her parents sent her away, telling her how disappointed they were for having a child who got pregnant at a young age. She could see her mother's eyes, which set plans for her but suddenly shattered when she confessed about the child inside her womb. She never told them who the father was and what had happened after the night when Enzo took her innocence.

That night, she feels like a woman who got lost on her way home; the chance to feel the world around her has been taken away because she has to choose what's best for the child inside her belly.

"Hush… Don't cry… I'm here," Nico patted her head and kissed the top of it. Abigaile couldn't help but howl the despair she thought she had buried the day she left Los Angeles 6 years ago.

The scars she thought healed a long time ago became natural, and with the stabbing pain of remembering her parent's faces, she yearned for them. She longed for the warmth of her mother, who would rush whenever she fell or got sick. The part of her died when she bid her goodbye. She can reminisce how her mother cried after discovering she was pregnant that night.

"I'm afraid…What if they wouldn't like Tristan and pushed us again? I couldn't bear seeing my child being pushed away by my family," Abigaile said. Her voice was husky while wiping her tears.

Nico cupped her face and used his thumb to wipe her tears, "It has been Six years, Abigaile. People change, and I firmly believe that your parents have reasons for telling you those words, but believe me, no mother can bear the sight of her child having a hard time alone. Perhaps they already realized their mistakes behind their words in those six years you have been gone." Nico muttered without breaking his eyes on Abigaile, who seemed to have difficulty believing his words.

"Sweetheart, I am with you. If they didn't accept Tristan, at least you introduced the child to them, and you lend your time for them to introduce Tristan as their grandchild." Nico held Abigaile's shaking hand and kissed it.

"A-alright, I will introduce Tristan to them tomorrow…." Abigaile agreed, but her heart was still pounding quickly because, after six years, she and Tristan would meet Abigaile's parents.

She never heard any news from them after she was sent away. She diverted her concentration and time to studying and caring for Tristan when she was in Chicago. Were her parents still holding a grudge against her? Were they pleased to see her again? Will they accept Tristan as their grandchild or not?

Those questions were ringing in Abigaile's head when the night came. She couldn't even sleep because the apprehension kept her awake.

The next day, Abigaile bathed Tristan, who had just woken up and still dozing off while having his shower with his rubber duck. "Mommy, why are you bathing me this early morning?" Tristan whined, half-eyes closed.

"Because Daddy Nico and Mommy talked yesterday, Mommy decided to introduce you to her parents. Yes, you will be meeting your Grandmother and Grandfather today." Tristan blinked twice. His eyes widened, and he asked in high pitched, "Wait, wait, I met Daddy 2 the other day, and now, I'll be meeting Mommy's Mother and father?! This is amazing!"

"Yes, so wake up now and finish the bath then. Change your clothes, okay?"

Tristan nodded and grimaced. After taking care of Tristan's bath and leaving him in his room. Abigaile glanced at the wall clock, figuring out that any minute from now, Nico would fetch them.

She immediately took a bath and changed her clothes into Korean styled sweater vest pairing it with high-waisted vintage pants and white sneakers. Abigaile applied light makeup, making her look presentable in front of her parents.

When they heard the doorbell ring outside their unit, she knew Nico was already there to fetch them. She saw Tristan open the door and let Nico come inside. The three of them get down using the elevator, looking for Nico's car parked underground. Nico pressed his car key, and when the car made a sound, Tristan immediately ran into Nico's car.

"Thank you," Abigaile said as she got inside after Nico opened the car door for her. When they all got inside the car, she heaved a heavy sigh and tried to calm herself because she didn't know how she would approach her parents. It has been a long time since she spoke with them.

When Nico started the Engine, Abigaile encouraged herself to do her best, and it was to confront her parents and accept that they were still her progenitors even though they had sent her away and the dark past that she needed to discourse.

***

It took them half an hour to reach the Lewis Mansion, where she once lived. The place she had many memories to tell and those untold emotions that Abigaile had been holding for a long time.

It was still the same. The walls, Abigaile Mother's Garden, and the rest were still the same except for the new faces of the maids that assisted them. "Please, wait a minute; I already informed the Madam and Master."

The three of them sat on the couch in the living room. Abigaile roamed her eyes. Her eyes widened upon seeing her picture in high school, and her parents were beside her.

"Is that Mommy?! She's pretty even when she's young!" Tristan blurted while pointing to the picture.

"Yes, that's Mommy. She is pretty before and prettier now, right?" Nico asked Trista with a boasting voice.

"Yes! Yes!" The two chuckled and even made a high five while Abigaile, on the other side, sweated in bullets because she couldn't put what she was feeling right now into words.

She doesn't know if she will be happy because, after six years, she's finally home? Or will she be sad because her parents will not accept Tristan?

"Nico?" Abigail almost leaped into her seat as she stood up when she heard her mother's voice that she had longed to hear for years.

"Aunt Alison, Uncle Carson!" Nico exclaimed. He kissed Abigaile's Mother's hands and did a fist bump with her father. Abigaile couldn't speak any words, Nico's parents and her parents were companions, and they had a grand alliance and friendship.

Upon seeing her, the surprise in her parent's eyes was an expression she didn't expect. Alison, Abigaile's Mother, gazed down at Tristan, who flashed his bright smile in front of the two.

"W-who—"

Abigaile glanced at her parents, and as her eyes misted in tears, she plucked up her courage and introduced Tristan.

"M-Mom, D-Dad, Meet Tristan, my son, and your grandchild."

"Hello Grandmother, Grandfather, My Name is Tristan!" Tristan chirped happily. Alison's eyes widened as she kneeled on the floor to face her Grandson. There was a resemblance between Abigaile and the child. "Come, give Grandmother a warm hug…." Alison murmured; Abigaile couldn't help but wipe her tears upon seeing her mother hugging her child.

Carson, Abigaile's father, glanced at the child who offered him a hug; the man messed up the child's head and muttered, "Hello, Youngman, I am your grandfather."

Abigaile felt Nico's hands beside her. He held her hand and called Tristan after hugging his Grandfather. "We'll be strolling around the Garden, alright?" Tristan waved at his mother and let his Daddy Nico guide him to the Garden.

Abigaile knew that Nico wanted to leave her alone so that she could talk to her parents. Silence eloped the atmosphere, so she kneeled in front of them, making her parent's eyes widen.

"Mom…D-Dad… I'm sorry if I messed up badly in the past… I should have done better…." She wiped her tears and didn't try to look at her parents, but Abigaile knew her mother was crying because she could hear her silent sobs. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I got pregnant at the age of fifteen…I burned all your hopes and dreams for me, Mom…I didn't become a lawyer like you, Dad…I didn't make you both proud. Instead, I made you both disappointed…." Abigaile sobbed harder as she let her tears fall with the emotions she had been hiding for too long.

"B-but Mom. Dad…Look at me. I graduated High school in Chicago…I raised Tristan all by myself, with Nico beside me…I planned to pursue my Law Degree because I promised…one day if our paths crossed again, I don't want to be a burden or disgrace to our family…Tristan gave me reasons to stand up again and believe that after all the hardships, My child gave me reasons to face you two and asked for forgiveness for my blunders in the past…."

"I-I'm sorry…." Abigaile felt a warm hand on her head. When she raised her head, he heart almost sank upon seeing her mother crying. Her mother kneeled too and stared at her lovingly.

"Years ago, I gave birth to the most amazing child. God blessed your father and me. I know you've been trying hard to pursue the pressure that your dad and I had put on you since you were young. However… I didn't realize that we hurt your feelings. We hurt our precious daughter…."

"M-Mom…" Abigaile's voice quivered.

"Abigaile, Daddy apologize for shouting at you that night. I thought I was doing all the best I could provide for you, but I didn't know that instead of guiding you, I inflicted pain on my daughter, who had been trying her best to meet her father's expectations." Abigaile gasped when her eyes darted to her teary-eyed father. The Mighty Carson Lewis, the city's most outstanding lawyer, shed a tear at his child and even apologized.

"Mom…Dad… I-I'm sorry!" Abigaile felt like all the pain she had been dealing with for a long time suddenly lifted like magic when she felt her mother's embrace. Abigaile's mother patted her head and whispered how they had looked for her and watched her from a distance for the past six years in the embrace she had been missing so much.

Her mother's last words made her breathless in happiness. Her mother wiped her tears and whispered, "Welcome back, my dear Abigaile."

Abigaile smiled while wiping her tears in glee. At last, she's finally home.

"Why are you here?" Abigaile asked, her voice stern and startled as she saw Enzo standing in front of the door. She couldn't believe Enzo would pay a surprise visit to his kid, but he was at the wrong place at the wrong time because Nico had arrived earlier and was currently playing with Tristan.

"Look, Enzo, you seemed to be visiting at the wrong time. Nico was with Trista inside," Abigaile added; her mouth went dry.

"I know," Enzo said firmly.

"So, what brought you here?" Abigaile cleared her throat, surreptitiously fidgeting with her palm. She has no idea what the inexplicable sensation is when Enzo is around. She couldn't tell if she was nervous because of the man. She was ready to respond to Enzo's query when she heard Tristan's voice from behind her.

"Mommy, who's the visitor—Daddy 2!" Tristan's face lighted up in delight, and he found his way to his real Daddy while Nico was staring at Abigaile. Abigaile gave Nico the expression that she didn't know that Enzo would visit his son today.

"Hey, how are you?" Enzo asked as he wiped the sweat on his son's forehead due to his sudden movements.

"I'm good, Daddy 2! You know what, Daddy 2, Daddy 1, and I will go outside to stroll around! Do you want to come, Daddy 1?" Abigaile felt a pang in her heart upon hearing Tristan's sudden question to his father.

Enzo nodded at Nico and responded, "I can't, son. It's your day with your Daddy 1, so you must spend it with him."

Tristan nodded and held Nico's hand. Then, he faced his Mother. "Mommy, Daddy 1,

and Tristan will stroll outside and take care of our house!" Tristan muttered pleasantly, making Abigaile laugh momentarily as she patted her son's head.

Nico cradled Abigaile into his arms and kissed her forehead, "Take care, alright? You should have some rest." The sight of the two didn't escape Enzo's eyes, but he immediately diverted his attention to Tristan, who was smiling while looking at him.

Before leaving, Enzo and Nico nodded to each other, then Nico held Tristan's hand and

guided him as the two sauntered away from them.

"Let me ask you again, Enzo, what brought you here?"

Enzo met Abigaile's gaze and made her stiffen, "I came here to have a conversation with you. Remember the day when you confessed Tristan's existence?"

The memory of Abigaile telling Enzo that they could catch up soon pop-up in her mind, so that was why Enzo was standing in front of the door. He didn't pay a visit to Tristan; thus, was it for her?