Chapter 7

There she goes again with the questions and homework, Adonis thought.

But didn't protest. Instead, he found himself giving her the go ahead.

"I'm all ears." He said.

"I'm happy to hear that," Morrison smiled a little. "Your little sister finding a life partner way before you do, how does that make you feel about your life?"

"I don't feel like I'm missing out, it that's what you're asking." He responded a bit defensively. Which most probably led her into believing that she might have just struck a cord with him.

"One of my friends got engaged this past week too," he said. "And I'm happy for both of them."

"You're not responding to my question," Morrison seemed to be amused by his evasiveness.

"I'm not ready to," he told her quietly.

"I can live with that, as long as you know that we'll have to revisit this in future." She checked the clock on the wall. "Especially because our time is now up."

"I'll keep that in mind," he nodded.

"Good," she said.

Adonis stood and started heading for the door, then stopped right in his tracks.

"Hey, doc?" He half turned, just before his hand could even get a hold of the door handle.

"Yes?" She closed her notepad and put it in a file cabinet.

That had a small key dangling outside of it, which made Adonis heave a sigh of relief. Because he now knew that the secrets that he shares with the doctor are always safe.

"How do you know..."his voice trailed as he changed his mind. "Never mind, it's silly."

"No, I'd like to hear it." She urged him with an encouraging smile.

"How do you know you've met the right one?" He finally brought himself to ask.

Dr Morrison smiled broadly, before responding to his question.

"You feel the need to go above and beyond for them, and you actually do. And that's how you know."

Without so much as s backward glance or at least response, Adonis walked out of therapy. Not knowing how to feel about the question he had just asked.

His cellphone rang on his way to the car. Caller ID made him aware that it was Damien.

"Hey man," Adonis answered. "What's up?" He asked. Because calls between him and his friends were a really rare thing.

If something was happening in one's life and they felt the need to share it with the three, it always just waited until their Saturday hangout.

"I got the tour dates, and I got my first stage appearance in forty eight hours. Moldova calls." Damien announced excitedly.

"That's pretty last minute," Adonis mused.

"I know," Damien said. "But it's the opportunity I've been waiting for, so I'm choosing not to complain."

Adonis had always liked and admired Damien's risk taking and always positive spirit. That's why he smiled a bit as he got into his car, because he realized that there were a few things he could learn from his friend- about always looking up.

"Congratulations again," Adonis said, feeling proud of how far he had come in building his music career. "If there's someone who deserves this big break, it's you."

"Yeah," Damien suddenly sounded down. "I just got off the phone with Vince and Eric, and they both can't make it. You think you can pull through?" He checked.

Knowing that their other two friends wouldn't be able to show up for him, put Adonis in a really tight spot. And as he quickly mentally went through his calendar and schedule for the rest of the week, he realized that the only thing going on that couldn't be put off for later at work was his Chad pitch. Which was just tomorrow morning, after that he could postpone everything until his return from Moldova.

"I have a pitch tomorrow morning, and no commitment after." His decision was quickly made."So I'll definitely show."

"Awesome," Damien excitedly said. "I'll send you the details before the day ends then."

"No problem."

Adonis peeled out of the parking lot, giving in to no driving impulses like he had done on his last visit to the place.

And he believed that it was probably a sign of the progress that he might be making,in his mental and emotional transformation journey. Playing light music, he headed home.

He allowed himself some rest, which he felt he needed after the psychologically disturbing conversation with Morrison. And before he knew it,the rest of his day had flown by.

When morning came,he got ready for his work day and left the house.

As discussed the previous day; when Chad Connell arrived at the office, they showed him the plans- which he seemed to be impressed with. And then next went in Amanda with the financial projections and then Kenneth with the project logistics.

When they shook hands with the man after the pitch, he promised that he would get back to them before the week ended. And he left.

Which gave Adonis a chance to ensure that things would run smoothly in his absence, before he dashed too.

Adonis took the rest of the day off, so that he could make it to Moldova for Damien's music tour on time. As he dragged his suitcase towards the subway station from his car, hot updrafts of wind pushed empty plastic bags high into the sky to dance around in the sunlight like souls suddenly granted freedom. Thinking about his friend's challenging journey in music up to where he'd finally landed himself, he felt like today he agreed with everyone who always claimed that the new wind from the west changed everything it touched. After passengers who had reached their destination, alighted from the train; he boarded. Put his suitcase in the overhead luggage compartment and settled in a seat by the window.

"Excuse me sir? I have reason to believe you're in my seat" a lady in her early 20's said still checking her ticket for confirmation.

"Is that so?" Adonis hiked an eyebrow in surprise. And further said, "I'm sorry, but I must have the window," in his most negotiator sounding voice.

The chic lady with short hair dimpled like a tomboy as she let him have her seat.

Adonis couldn't help but notice that she was dressed like one too: Levi's and a striped shirt with the sleeves rolled over a camisole.

As soon as she settled next to him, he extended his hand.

"I'm Adonis," he introduced himself.

Deciding it was the normal thing to do, "Kirsten," she said and hesitatingly shook his hand in return.

"So Moldova is your final destination?" He attempted a conversation with the stranger seated next to him.

Kirsten mumbled, "not really, from there I'll hop onto a train to Berlin."

Then she averted her gaze back to the magazine that she had dug out of the small backpack, clearly avoiding the small talk.

Adonis had seen the introvert types before but he wasn't about to stop, because according to him he was just being polite to the stranger that he was going to sit next to for the next couple of hours.

But from Kirsten's perception, she probably saw his inquisitivity as something that was putting her on an unnecessary edge.

Only to find that Adonis was just getting started.

"Going to school or just a weekend away?" he was curious.

Kirsten smiled laconically, "I'm going home actually."

Which made him nod understandingly.

"Berlin is a beautiful city, I haven't been there in five or six years though." he mentioned.

Kirsten just lifted her shoulder in an I-couldn't-care-less shrug, and resumed perusing through her magazine.

"I used to play in a band that got gigs up there a lot when I was in college," Adonis mused with a sudden smile briefly reminiscing his band days with his friends.

"But that was a lifetime ago," he quickly added to the conserved stranger who gave the first sign of a truly friendly smile that quickly faded.

After a few moments of silence, a train attendant showed up.

"Would you like something to drink?" she politely asked.

"I'll have a ginger ale," Adonis requested.

"I'll have the same," Kirsten ordered.

The attendant informed them of what their bill would be,as she jotted their order on the small order pad.

Kirsten extracted a purse from her backpack and footed her bill. After she did, she stuffed the magazine she was reading back into the bag- while her purse lay open on the small space between her and Adonis. Another beginning of small talk was sparked when Adonis noticed a picture of a young girl in the purse, "you have a daughter?" he asked.

"No, that's my older sister's daughter." She responded lightly.

"She's adorable," he commented still staring at the picture.

"Yep. Everyone with a pulse automatically loves her, right on the very first encounter." Kirsten agreed as she put away the purse.

"Caitlin," she beamed towards him. "Caitlin is my niece's name".

"That's a beautiful name." He smiled back, relieved that they were finally making progress. After all, it was quite a lengthy journey.

She nodded in agreement.

"Have any kids?" Kirsten's eyes lit up.

Adonis turned his eyes heavenward before informing her, "not really, I'm not married yet."

Kirsten laughed at his association of having kids with marriage.

"Where I come from its legal to have children out of wedlock. Take my sister for instance, she's single but doing a terrific job raising her kid."

He couldn't help but notice that beneath all the introverted stunts, she was actually sunny and sweet. With a core of strength and passion, that perhaps even she didn't know she had.

"I guess I understand where you're coming from. But I'm sure it's easier if you have kids within a spousal relationship. You know, for the emotional support and the like."

Adonis finally said at the risk of sounding like a bad soap opera.

"I'm sure it is," Kirsten nodded at the attendant who brought their drinks.

"What was the band name?" Kirsten asked enveloped by thought.

Adonis on the other hand,just wore a confused expression. "You know, the band that you played in when you were in college? What was it called?" She pressed.

Understanding registered on Adonis' face and he grinned. "We were called band Vade."

When Kirsten frowned he explained.

"There's no hidden meaning to it, we established the name by arranging our first names' letters."

Kirsten exclaimed, "no way!"

He stared at her as if hypnotized, "what? You've heard of us?"

"Heard? Are you kidding me? I've seen you play. When I was in junior high, I'd tag along with my sister and her college friends to watch you guys play at the local club." Kirsten said. "Berlage club? Ring any bells?" she asked expectantly.

"Would that by any chance be the place with the lodge behind, with the beautiful views?" he wondered out loud. "Yes, yes!" She said. "Can you believe it? We watched you guys play several times there, and you were amazing." She complimented their band.

"Good times, man." Adonis smiled reminiscing.

"You mean, you don't play anymore? Never went pro?" She asked.

Before he could explain, she interrupted his train of thought. "What's your name again?" she enquired. '

"The name is Adonis. Don in short, but back in the day they called me Donato. My friends started calling me that when I decided to major in architecture in college."

He told Kirsten who sat there paralyzed, unable to move or say anything.

It was like she was listening to stroboscopic sounds,or very quick pulsating phrases of words.

"You know, a nickname after Donato Bramante? The great architect of the high renaissance in Italy." He explained, with a sudden interest in the topic.

Kirsten was still silent. As if in concentration mode. Except, he doubted that concentration was what had captured her full attention.

"What's wrong?" he probed. '"Nothing, nothing…" she stuttered still concentrating.

"So, you're looking at me like I'm some kind of science fair project just for fun?" he laughed at his own joke.

"Oh my goodness!" A frisson of apprehension went through her, as the pieces of the puzzle that she had been trying to solve in her head finally came together.

Which led her to asking. "Do you remember one new year's eve; after you guys performed at the club and decided to hang out at the lodge, with some girls for the countdown?"

Adonis shrugged.

"I probably don't, it was years ago."

"My sister is Lauren Cavanaugh. And that night, you guys hooked up." She blushed. "You have an impressive memory," Adonis laughed totally missing the point.

With a more prosaic explanation in mind, Kirsten hesitatingly brought the point home.

"You're the father." She said.

And suddenly his world developed a sickening, out of control motion, as if he was trying to balance on a seesaw. Deciding that it was best to break it easily to him, by degrees, especially now that he had freaked him out. She slowly told him, "Caitlin is your daughter."