Lauren Brooks held the newborn against her chest and felt it's tiny heart beating against hers. It's skin so soft against her breast. The boy's eyes opened for a moment and she saw his soul in the hazel. He has my eyes, she thought and tears obscured her vision. The agency was quick with the papers and although they never pressured her, the adoption was complete. Her heart tore in two when she realized she may never see him again.
* * * * *
Rain had moved into the city and looked to be taking up residence. It was a relief, the summer heat had baked in a grime and the streets were thankful for the cleansing. Through the restaurant window, Lauren watched the wake the cars left on the road. The stooped pedestrians heading home in the early evening, the fortunate with umbrellas, some embracing the deluge. A boy stood unmoving across the street, an island in the stream of citizens. His shoulder length hair, wet on his head. His clothes saturated. For a moment Lauren felt he was staring at her. The sound of dropping plates from the kitchen diverted her eyes, when she turned back, he was gone.
"Did you hear anything I said?" Natalie asked.
Lauren looked at her personal assistant across the table. "I'm sorry Nat, I was a world away." She picked up her glass and drowned the rest of the white wine. "What was it you were saying?" Catching the eye of the waitress she gestured her over.
"I was just talking business but it can wait." Natalie placed her hand on Lauren's and caressed her skin. "What were you thinking about?"
Before Lauren had a chance to answer the waitress approached and she ordered another bottle of wine. She watched the girl's ass as she walked away. Large and rounded in her tight black pants. She'd leave a large tip for the girl who'd introduced herself as Amy, possibly leave her business card on the off chance she was interested in more than just waiting on her
Again Natalie broke her meandering. "Is it because of the date?"
Something turned inside Lauren's chest. She looked in Natalie's eyes and saw the genuine concern in the younger woman's face. "You remembered!?" She nodded and forced a smile. "He'll be 18 today." A tear formed in the corner of her eye.
"And I'm sure he's having a wonderful time. Probably at his party right now with all of his friends, his family." Natalie squeezed the hand of her employer and part time lover. "You did the right thing you know. Back then."
Lauren welcomed the words and the touch. "I know. It's just not a day goes by I don't think of him. It's the birthdays that hurt so much."
The waitress returned with the bottle and noticed the connection between the women. If it hadn't been today Lauren would have taken the girl home and fucked her, possibly with Natalie but her heart wasn't in it. Her heart, at least half of it was elsewhere, with a boy, now a man she had never known.
* * * * *
The women stood beneath the awning as a cab pulled up to the curb. "You're sure you don't want me to come home with you?" Natalie asked, facing Lauren, their hands held and bodies close.
"Thank you sweetheart but I think I'll just have a bath and jump into bed."
Natalie smiled wickedly. "I could help you with both of those things!"
Lauren laughed. "I bet you could," she moved in to kiss the woman and Natalie accepted the approach, parting her lips as they met. "See you in the morning?"
"I'll be there." Natalie blew a kiss as she backed away towards the cab and she was gone.
Lauren glanced down to check the time on her phone and when she looked back her driver had pulled up in the car and was hurrying around in the rain to open her door. "Straight home Ms. Brooks?"
"Thank you Edward."
The driver admired her body, poured into the grey dress she wore and her black stocking clad legs. She was completely unobtainable to him he knew. Wealthy, a higher social class, oh and the lesbian thing, he jokingly reminded himself but it didn't stop a man dreaming. Closing the door on his employer he again ran around the car and began the drive to her home in the Hills.
Standing in a darkened doorway across the street, the boy watched the car drive away. He dug his hands down further into his pockets and shivered in the cooling night air.
* * * * *