REUNITED

For twenty-one years Caroline Phillips had always believed her son
was still alive. She had never given up hope and neither had she ever
considered a possibility of giving up on her son. She guessed that was
what really kept her going.


For the first time having been separated for over twenty
years Caroline and her son, Nick Clarke, now sat on the sofa facing
each other, their eyes fixed, a bit awkwardly and uneasily. Caroline
nervously tried to reach for Nick's hand but decided against it. She
was shaking visibly as she fought back tears that were already rolling
down her cheeks.


Nick reached out and touched his mother's hand and Caroline,
in tears, suddenly leaned forward and hugged him. It felt great holding
him in her arms again.


Nick felt a bit uncomfortable though, however, it saddened
him extremely to see how emotionally overwhelmed Caroline
was.


Caroline pulled back, looked into Nick's beautiful blue eyes
and said tearfully. 'I'm sorry.' She stifled a chuckle and wiped tears
off her cheeks. 'I didn't mean to cry. The years have been hell without
you.'


Nick said nothing.


Caroline was still shuddering and forcing herself to believe
that Nick was really and truly her son, and that he wasn't only an
illusion that was going to indeed disappear again. The twenty-one years
of agony and pains that had plummeted her into tremendous emotional
spin had finally come to an end. And, oh God, she couldn't be happier.
Who could blame her for being shaky anyway?


At 22, Nick Clarke, was a big man now. He had an average body
figure, athletic and short-cropped dark hair. His olive skin was the
same as Caroline's. He was only two years when he had been kidnapped,
the day that had changed Caroline's life. When she thought about it,
that Sunday at Fairchild Tropical Garden only a few walks away from
where they lived on 88th Street, Miami, it made her cried even more.
Caroline and Nick had just finished their tram tour that day and she
went to a food court to get Nick cotton candy. Nick was struggling to
get down so Caroline set him down beside her to pay for the candy. When
she turned, her son was gone. Just like that Nick disappeared and she
had never seen him again despite the nationwide manhunt that
followed.


'Uh, Mom,' Nick said, 'about last week, I know I was rude to
you and I am sorry. It wasn't that I didn't want to get to know you. I
was shocked, upset and confused after the DNA test and all that.
Twenty-one years and I didn't know you?'


'Nick, I understand,' Caroline said honestly. 'I know it's a
tough moment for you now. And it's gonna take you sometime to get on
with the idea of me being your mother, and, and I totally respect that.
I only want you to know that I never give up on.'


There was a long pause, and then Nick said softly, 'So, do I
have any sister or brother?'


'Yeah,' Caroline said with a huge smile. 'You have a
stepsister, Chloe. She's fifteen now. You know, she thought you
wouldn't want to have anything to do with us.'


A pause, then Nick said, 'Where's she now?'


'She's gone out with some friends,' Caroline said. 'But I'm
sure she will be home soon. She really wants to meet
you.'


Nick said nothing. He stole a quick glance at his mother and
when Caroline caught him staring he quickly looked
away.


Nick wanted to know why his father had had him kidnapped and
Caroline told him the devil his father was. How his father had
disappeared himself a year later after Nick was
kidnapped.


'So you didn't know Daddy was still alive?' Nick said
incredulously.


'Nick,' Caroline said sadly. 'I didn't even know your
father's real name was Robert Clarke until couple of weeks ago when he
was arrested. He didn't love me. He only wanted a child because your
stepmother couldn't have one. Just happened to fall victim to his evil
scheme. It was my first day as an investigative journalist for Fox
News, assigned to interview him at a secret villa in Hawaii. I was
young, barely eighteen then, naive and vulnerable to people like him.
He was a rich, famous and powerful businessman from Melbourne. And he
was also attractive and incredibly irresistible. I was merely a perfect
prey for him. He had me pregnant after six months of dating and
promised to marry me. Then two years later after my son, I mean you,
were born he had you kidnapped and planned his own accidental death.'
She started to sob again.


'It's okay,' Nick said and gently touched his mother's
arm.


Caroline sniffed and said emotionally, 'Can I hug you
again?'


'Uh, yeah,' Nick said. He leaned over and Caroline hugged him
tightly and passionately.


'I love you,' she said in tears.


The end.