"LEAP OF BLOOD”

"SAY thank you to your Uncle Marius, Andrea," Lana said to Andrea as they ate ice cream at a store inside the mall.

"Thank you, Uncle Marius. Promise, I will take care of her," Andrea said, hugging the new Barbie doll that Marius bought.

Lana laughed softly with her daughter's tenderness.

There is no denying that Andrea bears a strong resemblance to her father's sister Samantha. But no one needs to know about that anymore.

Her daughter didn't need it anymore. Because, over a long period of time, she did not regret that she kept the child from Andrew.

And by doing such she was able to keep Andrea away from a lot of bad things that could have happened in case she had sought support from Andrew back then.

So if all of that were to happen again, she would not hesitate to take the same step and decision that she made, three years ago.

A beautiful smile tore from Marius's lips.

"Anytime, sweetheart. Anything for you," he said pinching Andrea's cheek.

Aside from Mama Cecille, Marius is the only one she has been within everything she went through while she was pregnant. And because he is her best friend and only friend, he made him Andrea's godfather.

"Are you done?" Lana when she noticed that the ice cream in her daughter's cup had finished.

"Yes Mommy," she replied. "Can we buy something for Grandma, Mom?" Andrea asked further.

Lana would have answered but Marius had preceded her. "Sure, what do you want to take home for her?" his usually kind question to Andrea.

"Donuts!" the prompt response of Andrea.

Lana laughed because of that. "It looks like you are the one who really likes donuts and not Grandma," she told her daughter with a smile.

Andrea giggled. "Grandma and I like donuts, Mommy," she insisted

"All right, I'll buy the donuts," Marius stood up.

Lana nodded. "We will go with you."

Marius just shrugged his shoulders. "Okay," he said.

“The queue is still long. I'll just go to the bathroom,” Lana said as they lined up at a well-known donuts shop.

"Go ahead," Marius replied to her.

"Would you like to come, sweetie?" Lana asked Andrea.

The girl shook her head then clung to Marius' hand. "I'll stay here with Uncle Marius, Mommy," she said.

"Right, I almost forgot that you are the one who will choose the flavors," Lana said amusedly then tapped Marius on the shoulder who just nodded.

*****

ANDREW smiled when he saw a very beautiful girl who he thought was between two to three years old. He could see her from the Italian restaurant where he was sitting.

She's in the donuts shop opposite where Rhyza and he are eating. She holds the hand of her male companion who he thinks is the child's father.

Wearing a red dress was appropriate for the child because it had a nice contrast to her stunning white complexion. As well as her straight jet black hair that is long and very shinny.

Andrew smiled, the girl's hair seemed familiar to him. Something he quickly dismissed in his mind.

"Are you okay?" Rhyza to him when she perhaps noticed his silence.

"Y-Yeah," he said a little surprised when Rhyza tapped his hand.

"What are you looking at?" Rhyza asked curiously and then her gaze followed the direction he was looking.

"It's the little girl," he replied laughing softly. "She's so adorable," he added, keeping his eyes on the girl and then couldn't help but smile.

He saw the amusement in Rhyza's eyes as she faced him.

“Don’t tell me you want a child? I should tell you, I don't have what you're thinking in my plan yet,” the woman reminded.

The young man shook his head one after another.

"No, no," he clarified. "Just grab my attention with ---," Andrew's other words were immediately stopped when a familiar and very beautiful woman approached and lifted the child.

Where the intense tremor of nervousness that the young man suddenly felt came from, he could not say.

And that intensified when he heard from the very lips of the little girl that she called the newly arrived beautiful woman as her Mommy.

“Andrea! Didn't I tell you not to run? ” they were already walking and not far from where they were so that was clearly what Andrew heard.

He was grateful and their table was in a more obscure part of the restaurant. Lana wouldn't notice him even if she passed.

Yes, Lana. The woman for a long time he had not forgotten. But he didn't look for it either. He just sighed the last thing he thought.

"Mommy, can you tell me more about my Dad?" the loud voice of the child reached Andrew's hearing.

"Andrea, not here," he heard Lana rebuke the child.

“Please? Is he also tall like Uncle Marius? And handsome? And sweet?” the girl's consecutive question.

Fortunately, they were walking slowly so Andrew had a chance to hear it all.

That's why with a faster vibration of nervousness in his chest, he immediately acted and stood up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Rhyza to him.

"I'm sorry, I almost forgot, I still need to talk to someone. Goodness, I'm late!” he then made his acting more convincing.

“Is that so? Then I will come,” that was when Rhyza also stood up.

“I’m sorry, please call your driver. It’s important and quite personal. I'll call you later,” he said goodbye and then kissed Rhyza on the lips.

*****

"LANA," from inside his car, Andrew secretly watched the woman get out of the car of her male companion whom Andrea called Uncle Marius earlier in the mall.

"Andrea, Andrew," the young man said again and then his heart split with joy and anger.

“I have to talk to her. I need to talk to her,” he said while clasping his palms and then started counting the years in his mind.

“Fuck! Damn! ” he swears after a while.

If the strange feeling he has now is what he would believe, well, he’s not familiar with the so-called leap of blood, or blood leap or whatever. But he thinks that's how he felt for the child Lana had called earlier by the name Andrea.

It was as if he could still hear all the questions Andrea had asked earlier about her father. As a result, Andrew's suspicion that the child was his intensified.

Andrea bears a great resemblance not only to him but even more to Samantha. His sister.

He knew that all that was not enough to prove that what he feels is right even if it was the first time he had seen the child.

That's why he can think of only one good way.

Talk to Lana. And he will do it, in any way he can.