Not Forbidden Love

30. Relieved

"Mooommmhm...Daad....Mike my brother.we go home" cried Feli who was in the residence McKenzie.

"You think what you've done Miss McKenzie. You leave without excuse" Mommy Mika greeted him with a tantrum.

"Oh Mom, I miss you a lot too" Feli ran into Mommy's arms.

"I'm sorry Mom. You can punish me later but let me hold you first" Feli inhaled that same Mommy smell.

Mika returned the hug of her daughter. He gently rubbed Feli's hair

"Are you enjoying your vacation?" ask her softly. She could never be truly angry with her three children.

"Yes Mom, but Daddy asked us to come home soon. There are still many places I want to visit" spoiled Rulkang Feli.

"Next time we'll go on vacation together. Clean your body and rest" Mika let go of her embrace.

"Alright Mom, I love you so much" Feli peeked at Mommy's cheek before turning to look at Darren who had just been silent looking at Mommy and her lover was letting go of the new 3 days apart. Darren smiled and nodded his head. His girlfriend needs a rest. Feli's sleep was not good during the plane earlier. Several times he woke up from his sleep because he dreamed of the incident 5 years ago. The memories were recorded back after he met Clarissa.

"I'm going to my room" said Feli while on tiptoes peeking at Darren. Darren nodded again and rubbed Feli's hair before the girl left.

Darren and Mika live there. Mika and Darren stared at each other in silence. Trying to interpret the meaning of each gaze.

"You don't want to hug Mommy" Mika who first let out a voice. He stretched out his hands so that Darren would embrace him immediately. Darren smiles. He approached and immediately hugged his Mommy. Just like Feli did, Darren also inhaled in the lemon scent of his Mommy body.

"How's your job?" Mika let go of her embrace and then pulled Darren's hand to sit with her.

"Everything went well Mom" he replied

"Thank God. Your ability does not need to be doubted" praise Mika sincerely.

"You must be tired too. Rest up. Looks like you need some energy to face your Daddy later" Mika chuckled. Darren nodded and also chuckled. From Mommy's speech there is no doubt that both of his parents have indeed smelled the smell of romance between him and Feli.

"Mom.."call Darren as he descends from his chair. If Darren wants to be honest then he has to start it first from his Mommy. He sat down on the floor and propped his head up on Mommy's lap. Mommy rubs Darren's hair gently. What she always does to calm her children.

"Is Mommy disappointed in me?" darren muttered which could still be heard by his Mommy. Mika just kept quiet and did not answer. He knew that his son only wanted to be heard at this moment. He kept moving his hand rubbing Darren's hair.

"I'm sorry" he said. Mika breathed her heavy breath. He knew where his son was talking. He really didn't expect Darren to talk about it now, especially with him. He has no preparation at all. She thought her husband and Darren would discuss it first.

"When did you know that?" Finally Mika voiced her curiosity.

"From the beginning I knew it, Mom. The day I asked you to go away from Daddy, that day Mommy Ashley said it" she said in a trembling voice. There was sadness and guilt in his voice. Mika could feel it. He was quite surprised at what Darren said. He knew his clever Darren must have known for a long time that Felix was not his biological Daddy but he really did not expect it to turn out from the beginning his son already knew it.

"I'm sorry" Darren apologized. The memories of her asking Mika to stay away from her Daddy life really made the feeling of guilt dominate her heart. He is like a bad person who can separate a Daddy from his newborn daughter and also separate two people who love each other.

All this time Darren must have felt tormented. Refrain from asking who his real Daddy is. Mika felt pain in her heart how insensitive she was to the son she had raised. Which child is not curious and wants to know who his family really is. Mika believes Darren held her back until now just to keep their feelings in check. Then if Darren asks about his Daddy what should I do? Fear struck Mika as soon as the question came to her mind.

"Mom.." call Darren. Mika flinched and spread her mind.

"You're fine" Darren frowned at the anxiety on his Mommy face.

"Oh.yeah..Mommy's fine and it's a shame you don't have to apologize like that because what happened wasn't your fault" Mika stroked Darren's face. Darren smiled in relief, raising his hand to touch his Mommy hand that was on his face. Darren clasped the hand and kissed her.

"Trust me Mom I'm really lucky to have been raised and cared for by you" he said honestly

Would you say the same if you knew Darren's true story, Inner Mika.

"You're not mad at Mommy?" Darren shook his head

"You don't feel cheated on?" back Mika asked and back Darren shook his head.

"As I said earlier, I feel very lucky and grateful to be cared for by you Mom and my thanks will not be enough to represent her" Darren clasped her Mommy's hands together and kissed her. Mika was moved to hear Darren's statement. Tears flowed down his face.

"We are also lucky and proud to have a child like you. You always make Mommy and Daddy proud" Mik smiled while crying.

"Don't cry Mom, Daddy can kill me later" Darren joked a tear on Mommy's face.

"Mommy will divorce her if your Daddy dares to touch you" Mika chuckled.

"I should've recorded your sentence as Mom"

"Mommy can repeat it and you can record it"

"Well, you seem to love me more than your handsome husband is Mom"

Darren and Mika compactly laughed.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Mika stopped her laughter. He knew their conversation wasn't just there. And he had prepared his heart to hear what Darren was going to say

Darren chuckled then nodded

"I'm not sure if you're gonna like what I'm gonna say"

"Tell me" Mika commanded gently

Darren took a breath and then exhaled. He turned his head to look at Mommy's face. The face of Mommy who looked at him gently and affectionately will soon look at him with disappointment.For a moment Darren hesitated, he was not ready to see Mommy's disappointed look at him.

"Tell me Mommy will listen to it" Mika repeated gently. Mika smiled warmly. Darren smiled bitterly at the thought that maybe soon he would never see that warm smile again.

"I love your daughter. Felicia Breyonna McKenzie" he said straightforwardly with a single breath

"Very much love him" he said back.

Darren stared fixedly at his Mommy face which Darren himself did not know what expression his Mommy was showing. Her mommy looks relaxed to the surprised person and looks calm to the disappointed person.

"Mom.maybe I don't seem to know myself. Not knowing the return of the favor. I'm like a traitor stabbing you in the back. But believe me, I really love your daughter" Darren said when he saw her mummy who was still silent.

"I'm really sorry to disappoint you Mom but I won't apologize for loving your daughter. Our feelings are not wrong. So I beg you to give us your blessing" Darren said. He lowered his head on Mika's knees. Mika was still silent but her hand outstretched rubbing the hair of the man who was sitting under it.

"I may look greedy, but my resolve is already round. I'll fight for it no matter what decision Mommy and Daddy make. I'll try to be a decent guy for him even without McKenzie's name behind me"

"What do you mean?" finally Mika made a sound

"Wouldn't I be a decent guy next to Feli, I'd have to take McKenzie's name off my name"

"Darren doesn't have to be like that. Listen to Mommy baby. Your feelings are not wrong but..."

"So right from the beginning Mommy and Daddy did not want me and Feli to have a relationship other than a sibling relationship" Darren interrupted his Mommy speech. He looks disappointed

"I didn't overhear Mom on purpose. Your conversation with Daddy" he continued. Mika fell silent. He was really surprised. How far does this kid know.

"Darren...."

Darren and Mommy compactly turned to the source of the voice. Her Daddy Felix was looking at her with a hard-to-understand look. Darren stood up from where he was approaching his Daddy.

"Dad.., uh..,"

"Follow me!" said Felix flat

Darren obediently followed his Daddy. The battle has just begun. Darren breathed deeply. The conversation with his Mommy has not gotten a bright spot and now he has to battle his Daddy without anyone's help. It's a miscalculation. He thought he could persuade his Mommy to support him but unfortunately the conversation with his Mommy did not go smoothly.

Felix took him to his study. He sat on a couch, crossed his legs and wrapped his hands together on his chest.

"Dear" call Mika. Felix frowning. He was unaware of his wife's presence in the room

"Honey, I have to talk to Darren" he said, staring at his wife who was walking closer to him.

"Two" he said again when Mika landed her butt in the same seat as Felix.

"He's my son too" Mika replied

"Yes, he is indeed your son but I want to talk to him as a fellow dear man" Felix explained.

"I won't interfere" fixed on his firmness.

"Mikayla" Felix said, full of pressure

"Felix" Mika glared sharply. Felix ciut's.

"Why are you quiet" he insisted on Darren who had been quiet in his place.

"Then what should I do?" the question is ridiculous

"Take your Mommy out" Felix said lazily

"Why should I ask for it. I don't mind if Mommy's here" he said lightly.

"Tell me what Daddy wants to say" Darren stared at his Daddy who was still coaxing his Mommy out. Darren's getting curious about what this Daddy is going to talk about so he doesn't want his Mommy here.

"Wouldn't Daddy have said those words" Felix upset. Darren aimed his shoulder indifferently.

"Indeed what Daddy wants to hear from my mouth" Darren still with his rebounding attitude.

"Dear, please come out. I don't want you here doesn't mean I don't want you to know what we're talking about. But maybe I'll do something that makes you dislike but I still have to do it. So get out. I don't want to see your face grieving" Felix pinta gently as he rubbed his wife's hair.

Mika finally gave up. He left the room. The day she feared finally came. Yes, Mika was sure her husband would say everything. Tell me who Darren's biological Daddy is.

Darren and his Daddy are still quiet on the spot. Thinking about how to start a serious conversation between them that rarely happens. It can even be said never.

"Well I'll speak first" Darren's voice broke the silence.

"Don't let Daddy talk first" Felix looked at Darren. Darren nodded.

"I'm not your biological Daddy" Felix's eyes didn't blink looking at Darren's face. He wanted to read Darren's facial expression. There was no surprised face according to his prediction Darren already knew about it. If you do not know where Darren might dare to establish a relationship with his daughter Feli

" I know" he answered briefly, flat and calm.

Felix nodded. He breathed heavily. That means no need to talk anymore. He didn't know how far Darren knew so he decided he would just say the point. He took his breath back and exhaled. He did it repeatedly until he finally got out of his place and walked over to Darren. Darren frowned until finally he was surprised when his Daddy knelt in front of him.

"Dad.what are you doing" said Darren. Darren got out of his chair and went to his knees. Now he knows why his Daddy asked his Mommy out. Yeah, Mommy wouldn't like something like this. The moment when her beloved husband humbled himself.

"I'm sorry Daddy" Felix lifted his head.

"Daddy is already.." Felix's voice choked. He raised both his hands that were trembling.

"Dad..stop!"

"Let's stand up" Darren helped Felix get out of his place. Really he also really disliked when he saw his Daddy humbled himself like this. He feels useless. It felt like he was punching himself who had let his Daddy kneel down and humbled himself. Especially before.

Felix shook his head. He removed Darren's hand from his body.

"Listen to Daddy until it's over. And leave it like this" Felix said coldly

"Darren Daddy killed your Daddy" finally came out. The truth that always haunts him. The fact that always made her feel guilty towards Darren.

"This hand shot him"

"I'm sorry Daddy"

"You can punish Daddy"

"But don't punish your Mommy as well as your brothers"

"Daddy is a coward for hiding this from you"

"But believe me Daddy is really afraid to imagine you hate Daddy even though you have the right to hate me" his voice trembled. He lowered his head not daring to look at Darren's face. He was afraid to see the hatred in his son's eyes.

Darren fell silent. He sits on the floor. Indeed, he already knew the reality but heard it directly from his Daddy's mouth makes him powerless to hold back his tears. There was a pain in his heart hearing that reality for the second time but the feeling of relief was more domineering.

"Dad...Stand up. I don't like you like this" Darren's voice sounded hoarse. Felix looked up. He saw Darren's eyes flushed. Darren then smiled at him. He blinked his eyes a few times. Maybe he saw it wrong. Or maybe Darren didn't hear clearly what he just said.

"Darren, you heard what I said earlier" Felix confirmed

"I knew. Stand up!" Darren helped Daddy. This time Felix did not refuse. He was confused by Darren. He just said he was a murderer. The killer from his Daddy and what is it? Darren smiled at him.

"Thank you for saying it"

Is there anything more ridiculous than this. Darren said thank you when I said I killed his Daddy. Felix said in his heart

"Thank you for letting go of the heavy burden in your heart. All this time you must have been very tortured every time you saw me" Darren looked at Felix pity. As Roland had said, Darren was Sean's image. Doesn't mean every time he sees himself his Daddy must also see his best friend Sean in him. That's not very torturous.

"Thank you for admitting it bravely. You're the Daddy I'm so proud of. You keep taking care of me and raising me even though you're tormented with your guilt every time you see me. You still love me, and keep me. So please stop feeling guilty about me. Daddy has nothing wrong with me and I have no reason to hate you. I really want to hate you too, at least avenge Daddy Sean for you. But my heart still refused it. The problems that occur between Daddy and Daddy Sean let it be your parents' business. And it happened before I was in this world. So I have no right to judge or punish you Dad" Darren said wisely. Felix was stunned he really did not expect Darren would react to him this calmly. He had prepared himself to be hated by his eldest son but it turned out to be just his mind.

Felix immediately pulled Darren into his arms.

"Simply son. Thanks though. I never really felt this relief" Felix patted Darren on the back. Tears must not be able to hold.

"Daddy will let you" said Felix, who made Darren give up his arms and frown at Daddy.

"Let what?" ask her.

"Hitting Daddy at least once vindicates your Daddy" he said seriously

Darren chuckles

"Dad, I don't mind at all. I will gladly do it. But I need to remind Dad, you're old and my hands are very strong because of diligent exercise. And I also mastered some martial arts. One fist I can take you to Dad's hospital..."

"Daddy doesn't mind" Felix said quickly. He felt that it was unfair to be forgiven so easily by his son.

"Dad if you feel unfair you can do other things" Darren like he can read Daddy's mind, his smile expands like he got an idea.

"Don't say anything that might upset Darren" Felix also seemed to realize what Darren's smile meant.

"Let me marry your daughter" Darren ignored Felix's threats

Bugh....

Felix punched Darren in the face.

T.B.C