FREED (The Mind Of Her Billionaire, #3) (8 page)

‘Okay.’

‘I take it you won’t be making the meeting?’

‘No, I have to see what’s happened first, and spend some time with him. He needs his mother today, not Rebecca.’

‘I’ll send your apologies.’

They hung up. Amelia took a deep breath and then stepped out of the car. She stepped into the building with its historic architecture with her heart beating at a prompt pace. As she drifted closer to the office she noticed the little boy sat on the bench, kicking his legs. He looked up at her and smiled.

She stopped in front of him and crouched down.

‘Hey,’ she said.

‘Hi mum,’ he said.

‘Are you going to tell me what you did this time?’

He shook his head.

‘Why not?’ she asked.

He shrugged.

‘Sweetie,’ she looked into his eyes and tried to reason with him. ‘Could you tell me what you did?’

He looked away.

‘Okay, we’ll discuss this later.’ She stood up, there were times she didn’t know how to speak to her son. He was wise beyond his years, that it frightened her.

As she was about to knock on the door, it flung opened.

‘Miss Woods,’ said the principal. ‘Please, come in.’

‘Would you like to come in too?’ Amelia asked Gabriel.

‘No I would not.’

Amelia nodded and left the boy on the bench. The principal directed her to the seat and she sat down too.

‘I’m sorry to have to call you this way, but I thought it was best to speak to you face to face, rather than over the phone.’

Amelia swallowed back hard.

The principal reached for a piece of paper and pushed it over to Amelia. Amelia gazed at the drawing and gasped. Two little figures were in the drawing. One was holding a huge knife that was coloured in red and had large dots of blood falling from it, and the other boy lay on the floor. To the side of the boy lying on the floor there was a huge red colour all around him.  At the top of the picture, Gabriel had dark clouds floating above them. The picture was very dark indeed, it sent a shiver down her spine that a three year old had such an imagination.

‘We’re very encouraging of imagination, but this, this is beyond anything I’ve seen. The worst part of it all is that, Gabriel said that this was a picture of him and Dylan.’

‘Who?’

‘One of the new little boys who has joined Gabriel’s group. For some reason he doesn’t like this little boy and wishes he was dead.’

‘Urm...he’s a child, he doesn’t know what he’s saying,’ said Amelia.

‘Miss Woods, your son is a brilliant boy. His mathematical and grammar skills are far beyond a child his age. I know we’ve talked about this before, but I really think you should get him assessed.’

‘Are you saying there’s something wrong with my son?’ She felt upset.

‘Dylan was pretty upset by all this. We have to come to some solution.’

Amelia nodded, she didn’t know what else to say.

‘Miss Woods, I’m really sorry to have to drag you here all the time, but its school rules.’

‘I understand. I will talk to his father about this and urm... let you know.’

The principal nodded. Amelia stood up and shook the woman’s hand and let herself out. Gabriel was exactly where she’d left him.

‘Come along.’ She held out her hand and he took it.

She gave it a squeeze and they left the building into the car. She looked at the little boy and showed him the picture.

‘Would you like to tell me why you drew this?’ she asked.

‘No, I would not.’

‘Gabriel,’ she said feeling a bit overwhelmed.

The little boy gazed straight ahead.

‘Gabriel, please look at me.’

The boy turned and looked at is mother.

‘This picture that you drew, wasn’t very nice.’

‘Why?’ He blinked.

‘Because it hurt Dylan’s feelings.’

‘Okay,’ he said.

‘Please don’t do this again.’ She didn’t know what else to say or do. At times she felt like a bad mother. She worked all the time, Rebecca was more of a mother than she was, and Gabriel didn’t come with an instruction manual. She had to do something about it, things had to change.

‘Ok,’ he said calmly.

‘Do you understand what we’ve just discussed?’

‘Yes, you said I shouldn’t do it again, so I won’t.’

Amelia looked at her adorable son and shuddered. He was extremely bright, one was not to be fooled by his years. She knew he understood what she wanted, but as to whether or not he’d do it, that was another story all together.

‘Honey, it’s not just about not doing it again, it’s about taking other peoples feelings into consideration. We must always make sure we don’t do things to hurt others.’

‘I don’t like Dylan,’ he said.

‘Why not honey?’

‘He said my daddy belongs in jail.’

Amelia froze a moment. That little boy had obviously got that from somewhere. Amelia knew too well what that meant. People were talking, she couldn’t really blame them, Justin was a very wealthy man who had been accused of murder, but suddenly released because there wasn’t enough evidence.

‘I know it can be mean, and it hurts your feelings, but we still mustn’t hurt people because of that.’

‘It doesn’t hurt my feelings, it makes me mad!’

Amelia nodded, things had to change, she would have to speak to Justin as soon as she got home. She couldn’t let Gabriel go on this way, no matter how small the transgression seemed, it was still a big deal.

‘Whenever you feel mad, tell mummy and we work on it together.’

He nodded. But even though he nodded, Amelia was certain that wasn’t going to happen. She would have to make an appointment to see Doctor Gallagher.

‘What do you like about school?’ She asked.

‘Nothing.’

‘Nothing at all?’

He shook his head.

‘Why honey?’

‘I just don’t like it.’

‘I’m sorry to hear about that. What do you think will make it better?’

‘Not going.’

‘That’s not an option I’m afraid. What about your friends, you like them, don’t you?’

He nodded.

‘So there, you do like something about school.’ She encouraged. ‘You’ll find that you like a lot of things at school.’

He was silent, and that’s how it remained the rest of the journey. It was like talking to a miniature adult who had a mind of his own. What Amelia felt, her mind didn’t want to accept it, but she also knew that denial wouldn’t solve anything.

The car pulled outside the house and Rebecca met them at the door.

‘I’ll be in my office if you need me,’ she told her. ‘I think he might need a good play outside in the sun and fresh air.’

‘Yes Miss Woods.’

‘Can I have something to drink first?’ he asked.

‘Course you can,’ said Amelia. ‘Rebecca will help you with that. If you need mummy, I’ll be in the office.’

He didn’t say a thing, instead he walked in the direction of the kitchen and Rebecca followed him. Amelia felt a lump in her throat, she wished she could connect to him more, but she didn’t know how.

The minute she stepped into the office she rang Justin, but the phone went straight into voicemail. She checked the time and realised that he was in the meeting she was supposed to be in. She would give it an hour and a half and then try him again.

While she worked, she couldn’t shake the events of the day. There was so much to do, but her concern for Gabriel took precedence in her mind.  As she was about to answer an email, she heard an almighty scream. There was sudden commotion and the sense of panic. Amelia sat dead still a moment, her stomach in a knot. There was the rush of footsteps and this brought Amelia to her feet. She rushed out and headed towards the kitchen where she found Gabriel standing with bloody hands and a cat’s tail in his right hand.

Rebecca was beside herself, frantic and holding a grey cat in her arms. At first Amelia didn’t know what to do. She stood dead still and blocked out all the noise around her, and then suddenly as if waking from a dream she said, ‘What the hell happened! How the hell did this happen?!’

‘I only left him for a moment, I didn’t know he had the pair of scissors.’

‘Whose cat is this?! How did he get a hold of it?!’

‘I gave it some of my drink. It was thirsty.’

Amelia turned to the little boy a moment and then back at Rebecca.

‘Mandy!’ She shouted. ‘Mandy!’ She was certain Mandy was in her office and would hear her.

Mandy rushed into the kitchen and stood frozen as soon as she saw the sight of blood, and tail in Gabriel’s hand.

‘Take this cat to the vet,’ said Amelia. ‘I don’t know whose it is, but we need to make sure it’s treated.’

‘Yes, Miss Woods,’ she said without questioning.

‘See if you can’t get a towel and wrap it around the poor thing. My driver shall take you, and use the company credit card to pay the bill.’ Amelia spoke so fast she didn’t even know if she were saying the right thing.

After Mandy had rushed out with the cat, Amelia knelt down and looked at her son.

‘Can you tell me why you cut the cat’s tail?’

‘I don’t know.’

She felt her blood boil. There was a part of her that wanted to shake him, make him see what he’d done was wrong, but she knew that this wasn’t the way to go about it... 

Amelia stood up and paced with her hand to her forehead. She took one look at the little boy in the sky blue top and grey shorts. As she looked at him, she didn’t know what to feel. He was as calm as a warm summer’s day. He pushed up on his toes and down again, put his hands in his pockets with the tail sticking out, and flashed a slight smile at her.

‘Honey,’ she said in the calmest manner possible. ‘Could you please just stay here while mummy makes a phone call?’

The child nodded.

‘Rebecca, don’t let him out of your sight!’

‘Yes, Miss Woods.’

Amelia stepped out of the kitchen into the living-room to pick up the portable phone.

‘Doctor Gallagher,’ she said. ‘It’s Amelia.’

‘Amelia,’ he said. ‘Something has happened, hasn’t it? I can hear it in your voice.’

‘Yes.’ She was almost in tears, but she didn’t want her son to see her cry. ‘It’s Gabriel, he’s...’ She looked in the direction of the door to make sure Gabriel hadn’t followed her. ‘He’s...’ She couldn’t spit it out.

‘What has he done, Amelia?’

Amelia bit the back of her index finger a moment.

‘Amelia?’

‘He cut a cat’s tail with a pair of kitchen scissors. I don’t even know how he got a hold of them! Rebecca was supposed to be watching him!’ The words trailed out like a gush of water from the tap. ‘I don’t know what to do! Oh God!’

‘First take a few deep breaths and calm down. We talked about this, about the possibility. Remember what I said to you.’

‘Yes, yes I do.’

‘Good. Now why don’t I make an appointment for you and Gabriel to come and see me?’

‘Yes, yes okay.’ She took in deep breaths.

‘I’ll pass you back to my secretary to make the appointment.’

She nodded, ‘Yes, yes okay.’

‘It will be fine, I promise.’

Amelia hoped so!

****

B
y the time Justin had walked into the house later that evening all had calmed down. Gabriel was in bed sound asleep, Rebecca had somewhat recovered from the whole incident, and Amelia had gone to lie down. It had all been too much.

He stepped into the room looking calm and handsome as always. She looked at him and wondered how he could live that way with the knowledge of what he’d done.

‘Hey,’ he said as he stepped closer and loosened his tie.

Amelia had told him the day’s events over the phone.

‘Hi,’ she said.

He sat down, pulled off his shoes and then lay next to her. They lay in each others arms silently, Amelia with a trail of thoughts of her own. She felt helpless and trapped all over again, but this time mentally.

‘I’ll do it,’ he said after a long while.

She turned to him not sure what he meant.

‘Do what honey?’ she asked.

‘I’ll turn myself in.’

She lifted from his embrace and looked down at him.

‘I’ll do it. I’ll do it for him. You’re right, things shouldn’t be this way. I don’t want him to be like me.’

Tears welled up in her eyes.

‘I’ll do it on one condition.’ This time he smiled gently.

‘What’s that?’

‘That you’ll marry me. Say yes. I can serve my prison sentence knowing that you’re going to be with me every step of the way. Even if I get to see you once a month or a year, as long as I know you’re mine, I’ll do just fine. What I won’t be able to live with, is not having you in my life at all.’

‘Oh Justin!’ She burst into tears.

‘Is that a yes?’ he asked.

‘Yes, yes, I will marry you. And don’t you worry, I will be with you always. I will come and see you everyday if I have to. I choose you, we’re family. I choose you.’

He took her into his arms. ‘I love you Amelia Woods,’ he said. ‘You have introduced me to feelings I’ve never known. Now I know that I can’t live without you in my life. And you gave me an amazing son, I don’t want him to land behind bars, the way I will. I know that he doesn’t feel bad about what he does, but I know you’ll figure out a way to make him understand what he does is wrong. He has an amazing mother, and I’m so proud of you.’

‘I’m so proud of you too,’ she sniffed. ‘I love you too, Justin Hughes, I love you too!’

T
hey were making progress with Gabriel. Amelia had learned different techniques given by Doctor Gallagher to help him. The doctor had run some tests and had ruled out autism. Gabriel understood what he’d been doing was wrong, he just seemed unable to empathise with it. Although Amelia was disheartened by the diagnoses, the doctor wasn’t. He’d said it could’ve been worse, but that fact that they knew what they were dealing with, they could work with it.

‘It’s like having an illness in the body,’ he’d said. ‘And you didn’t know what it was. But then suddenly, one day your doctor tells you, that what you have isn’t curable, but it is treatable, wouldn’t you be happy.’

‘If you put it like that, yes,’ she’d said.

‘Not everything’s curable, but that doesn’t mean we can’t manage the symptoms to help that person have a normal life as possible. Gabriel is a very smart boy, he gets it, and so we can work with it.’