Candy

 
Vanessa woke to the sound of a crying baby, thinking it was her subconscious reminding her that she couldn’t have children. As she lied in bed tossing and turning at the thought of never having children killed her. The crying grew louder and louder, until she realized that it wasn’t her subconscious. It was really a baby crying. She then rushed down stairs to open the door. On her way to the door, she knocked over furniture and stumped her toe. But when she finally reached the door, she saw this baby crying on her doorstep and wondered. How did this baby get here? Who would leave it out in the cold? Who does it belong to? Vanessa quickly picked up the baby and found a letter.

Dear reader,
I have left my baby with you in hopes that you would take care of him and provide him all the things that I couldn’t. I want him to be able to have food, clothes, and a good education. Most of all I want him to have a mother that could love him unconditionally. Sadly I don’t that’s me. Please take good care of him and love him as you own.

 
“Honey, what are you doing outside in the cold?” Nate said. Vanessa turned around and showed him the baby. She began to explain that she had found the baby on the steps and the letter attached to him. How he was merrily left on their steps, so they could take care of him. “I had opened the door and found this little guy outside in the rain crying. When I picked him up, I found this letter on him from his mother. And I thought how the doctor told us that we couldn’t have children of our own. That maybe this baby was put here for us to have a real family, the three of us,” she said. “Let’s just go inside... He must be freezing after being out there for who knows how long..” he said.
Just as the door closed, Julia came out and stood silently in the rain. She began crying at what had been the hardest thing she had to do. Contemplating if this was the right thing to do or a big mistake to begin with. Is it the right thing for me to do, just leave him here? Or was it a mistake to have given him away? But what could I have possibly anything to offer him? Maybe it’s the best thing for the both of us. It suddenly starts to consume her with guilt that she couldn‘t care for her son like other mothers. But she knew in her heart that he needed the love and care of a mother that could. And that it wasn’t her. Finally Julia bids him a good-bye kiss as she fades away into the distance.

* * * * * * * * *

     It was now almost his 18th birthday and he would be going off to college next year. So his parents thought it was time that Jason knew the truth about his adoption papers. They both sat at the kitchen table contemplating of how they were going to tell him and what they could do to comfort him. Nate looked into his wife’s eyes; he could see that it was breaking her heart. But they knew it was the right thing to do and that he deserves to know.

“Mom. Dad. I’m home from school”

“We’re in the kitchen sweetie.”

“Okay. I’m just going to be in my room taking a nap for a while.”

“Could you come in the kitchen? Your father and I want to speak to you.”

As he walked into the room, he could see that his parents were not in a good mood and that they were serious about talking to him. When he sat across the table from them, he couldn’t help but feel as though he had done something wrong.
“ What’s going on? Am I in trouble for doing something?”

“ No. You’re not in trouble at all.”

“ We wanted to talk to you about something.”

While he sat there curious as to why his parents wanted to talk to him. He noticed that his mother was crying and became more anxious about what his parents had to say.

“ Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“ Son, your adopted.”

“ I’m what?”
   
“You’re adopted.”

“Mom, is this true? Am I really adopted?”

“ Yes it’s true.”

“ I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“Don’t touch me!”

“ We wanted to tell you when we felt you could handle it.”
   
     Jason lied on his bed overwhelm at the thought that his whole life was a lie.  And that the two people that he thought were his parents weren’t.. He soon started to question of who he was? Where did he come from? Where did he belong? But to only feel worst than he already did. He couldn’t help but feel lost and confused as his mind exploded with more and more questions.

* * * * * * *
    It was the day of his 18th birthday; Jason and his friends had decided that they should celebrate by going to a strip club. When they arrived at the club, Jason couldn’t help but be mesmerized by this magnificent creature walking towards him. His mind wrapped around sexual thoughts of her. He was then determined to get to know this woman.
    “ Hello. What’s your name?”
    “ Why don’t you buy me a drink first? And then I’ll tell you.”
    “ Could I get this two shots of tequilas over here?”
    “ My name is Candy. What your name?”
    “ My name is Jason.”
    “ So what bring you here tonight Jason?”
    “ It’s my 18th birthday and I’m here to celebrate.”
    “ Oh, is that so.”
    “Yeah.”
    “ Since it’s such a big occasion, this lap dance is free tonight.”
       
* * * * * * *
    After a long night of partying with his friends, he woke up with a huge headache and a ringing in his ears. His mind was spinning out of control. He felt as though his stomach was about to burst.  Jason needed to get sober before his parents noticed he had a hangover. As he walked down stairs, he stumbled across the living room furniture and managing to knock over everything in site. When he finally reached to the kitchen, his parents were already they’re waiting for him to explain about all the noise last night.
“ What’s going on with you!?!  You come here reeking of alcohol and knocking over all the living room furniture. What the hell were you thinking!?”
“ Why do you care your not my parents?”
“ We may not be your biological parents. But we’ve been the ones that loved and cared for you all these years.”
“ Is that what it was about, sweet heart? Do you want to talk about it?”
“ Just leave me alone!”
“ Okay. We’ll leave you alone.”
“ No! We’re not done talking about this! Sit down.”
“Sweet heart. Just go lie down. I need to talk to your father.”

* * * * * *

That night, Vanessa couldn’t bear that her son was hurting on the inside.  She decided to take matters into her own hands and find out who Jason’s birth mother was. So all of this could be left behind. When she finally found out a living address of Jason’s birth mother. She feared that it would end their relationship and that he wouldn’t need her anymore. But she knew in her heart that he deserved to know. As she began walking down the hall to her son’s room, she started to have flash backs of his first steps, his first words, his first day of school, etc. Vanessa took a deep breath and entered the room.
“Here son.”
“ What’s this mom?”
“It’s a known address of where your mother is staying at.”
Jason couldn’t sleep that night because the thought of finally meeting her filled him with excitement. He had been dreaming of this ever since he had found out. But what was he going to say to her, when he met her. Hi. I think you’re my mother. I can’t say that to her. Did you happen to leave a baby on a doorstep 18 years ago?  Now I really can’t say that to her. I don’t even know where to begin. Will she even want to see me? After all, she did give me away. Should I briefly introduce myself? And then tell her that she’s my mother. Or will I seem like a deranged person?

* * * * * * * *

    As he approached a strip club, he started to second-guess if this was the right address. But when he looked at the piece of paper his mother had given him, it matched the address on the strip club. His mother couldn’t possibly be a stripper, he thought. It must have been the wrong address his mother had given to him. He decided anyways to go see if it was. Jason walked in the strip club with a sudden thought of da ja vu, he had been here before. It was the same place he had been for his 18th birthday with his friends. Out of nowhere, a man comes and asks if he could help him. He felt embarrassed to ask but he had to know the truth if his mother was a stripper..
    “ Can I help you with something sir?”
    “ Does a Julia Steinbeck reside here?”
    “ Yeah. She’s right over there next to the bar.”
The man had pointed at a young women standing at a bar alone. As she turned around, he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the stripper from his birthday party. He couldn’t believe it. It just can’t be her he said, disgusted by the thought of seeing his naked mother he ran outside. Only to have wished that he never knew the truth about it all.