THE car drove away, leaving him standing there, and Shivanie’s supervisor friend asked, “Who is that?”
“Someone I knew from high school,” she answered, feeling a little uneasy that he would wait outside her workplace in an attempt to speak to her.
“He seemed desperate to speak to you.”

“Yeah, it’s one thing after another.”
That night, after she had helped Aryan with his homework and settled him into bed, she called her aunt to let her know what was happening.
“I think I have a problem.”
“What is that?” her aunt asked with concern.
She explained how Kevin was showing interest in talking to her as though he had done no wrong and how he showed up that day at her workplace in another attempt to talk to her.
“That leaves one to wonder what his intentions are. Did you speak with him?”

“No. I don’t want to. He’s a part of my past, and I want to keep it that way.”
Her aunt thought for a moment and then stated, “Maybe he wants to say ‘sorry’ for abandoning you and the child, which caused you so much heartache.”
“No apology could make me forgive him, Aunty Sabita. Because if it wasn’t for you, I would probably not have survived.”
There was a slight break in her voice, and Aunt Sabita comforted her, “Okay, just relax and stay calm. I will contact him to inquire why he wants to talk to you, and then we’ll know how to take it from there.”

“Thank you,” Shivanie said with relief.
As she lay in bed that night, she felt determined to stay strong and confident, for she had focused on working hard and earning money after her son’s birth and, as such, had found the peace of living a single life.
He didn’t go back to her workplace, which was a relief, and he had not yet responded to her aunt’s request to speak with him. The week passed without him showing up anywhere she was because, she heard, he had gone on a trip to Suriname with his wife.

But on Sunday, as she and Aryan were in line at the cashier in the supermarket, she saw him at another counter with his wife and mother. His wife did not look her way because she didn’t know her, but there was pure hatred on his mother’s face.
“Darn, after so many years, this woman can still hate me,” Shivanie thought silently.
That did not bother her now as it did when she was a teenager, for she had come a long way since then.

Kevin had been looking at her and Aryan with interest, and Shivanie only realised he had walked over to the cashier counter she was at when he spoke quietly, a little way behind her, “He’s a cute boy.”
She didn’t turn around as the cashier scanned her items, and he continued to speak, “I can understand why you don’t want to speak to me, but at least give me a chance to apologise and meet my—”
“No,” she turned sharply, cutting him short before he could complete his sentence. “No.”

His mother, hearing Shivanie’s voice, called out to Kevin, and Shivanie left the supermarket with a visibly upset look on her face. Aryan looked a little scared, and she took a deep breath to regain her composure.
“It’s okay, baby,” she hugged him as the taxi drove them home.
“Who was that man?” he asked her at home as he helped her unpack items from the shopping bags.
“An old friend,” she answered truthfully.

“What did he want to apologise to you about?”
“An old story from the past.”
“Oh,” he responded, satisfied with her answer.
She had bought a special lunch for them from the food court in the mall, and they sat down to enjoy a satisfying meal. Dessert, of course, was Aryan’s favourite flavour of ice cream. The two big dogs downstairs and the kitty and dachshund in the house also got special treats that day; a happy little family they were.

That night, after settling Aryan in bed, the kitty curled up beside him. She stayed by his bedside for a long while, looking at his innocent sleeping face, and she said quietly, “That old friend is your father, and you are the story from our past.”
As she lay in bed, she thought that Kevin did not deserve to see his son, but then one day, the son might want to know who his father was. She was torn in her mind, unsure what to do, because having him in their son’s life would mean seeing more of him, and that she didn’t want.

There were moments at work when she lost her focus, and after a few days, the acting boss called her into his office. He was young and handsome, with a warm personality, holding the reins for his mother, who was on a business trip overseas.
“I’ve read from my mother’s reports,” he told her, “that you’re a very good employee who upholds the store’s policy of excellent service.”
Shivanie smiled. “I’ve been doing the best I could.”

“But not in the past few days. Is something wrong?”
“N-no, I’m doing fine.”
He looked at her for a long moment, then said, “You can talk to me about what’s bothering you. I may be able to help.”
She sighed and hesitated, unsure how to explain, considering the importance of her job.

She gave him a brief account of her story from age seventeen to now—the father returning and wanting to meet their son. That, she told her boss, was what she was torn about, because she didn’t want the father close to her life.
He looked at her, a shade of concern in his eyes, and said, “You’ve had a tough life. It’s quite amazing how you came through that…” He paused, then continued, “If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”

“Take a little break, then continue your work.”
She was thankful for his understanding, and that afternoon, after work, as she was walking to the main road to catch a bus, he stopped on his way out.
“Come on, I’ll give you a lift home.”
She hesitated just a bit before accepting, sitting for the first time in a luxury vehicle.

Her supervisor friend was on leave, so the next day after work, as she started to walk, she saw Kevin. He was waiting at a point where she couldn’t avoid him, and as he approached her, her boss pulled up in his car.
“Let’s go, honey, I’ll take you home, then I have a meeting and badminton.”
That stopped Kevin in his tracks, and Shivanie, getting into the car, looked at her boss, a little stunned.
“Honey?”

He laughed a little. “I thought it might’ve been helpful for you.”
Shivanie couldn’t help smiling and finding it funny, but it did help build her confidence. She knew that if Kevin thought she had a boyfriend, he would know how to keep his distance.
She told her aunt to tell him she would meet him at a quiet venue so he could meet his son. She told Aryan that she was taking him to meet a new person, and she asked her boss if he could stand by her for that period. Aryan showed no excitement when Shivanie told him Kevin was his father. He stared at him for a long moment, then surprised everyone when he asked, “So, where were you all this time?”
“Ah… I was working overseas.”

“My mum went through a hard time, but you weren’t there.”
“I know, and I’m sorry about that, but I’m here now.”
“You’re late. We’re doing fine.”
He got up and took Shivanie’s hand. “Let’s go, Mum.”

That stunned Kevin and surprised Shivanie, for it was her boss and now her son who stepped up for her.
In the car going home, she asked him, “What was that?”
“The truth,” he answered casually.

“Wow,” she exclaimed quietly, amazed at his response.
“Maybe it’s because he’s at an age of innocence. When he gets older, he might pay some attention to Kevin being his father,” she thought to herself.
She felt satisfied the problem was now solved, that her boss was willing to give her platonic support, and she could continue living her single life in peace—until…