"Of course, I believe in love at first sight. I'm a mom." ~ Pinterest.

-

"I told him that Leo wasn't his child." Della said putting the new bed covers for one of the hotel suites.

"Did he believe you?" Mila asked curiously fixing the unmade bed. They were both in their maid uniforms, they had been friends ever since Della started working at the hotel four years back. Mila was also a Latino which made it really easy for them to be friends. Having the same language and very much same interests. Mila knew everything that had happened to her best friend. The shit her arsehole husband put her friend through. 

"Everyone knows I cheated, Mila so he has to believe me." Della said in a monotonous tone, she didn't care about alot of things. She hardly got excited for anything unless it had to do with her son. She found zero interest in anything really—

"But look, if he said he knows what his mother did that means he knows you are lying." Mila replied after a hard well thought.

"Even if he founds out what happened? What's the point? We should just let it go." Della replied folding the white towels near the ensuite basin.

"So you don't feel anything?" Mila asked looking at her friend expectedly but all she did was look up and frown then continued doing her work. Mila knew that Della had been so heartbroken that she was so numb but deep down inside she hoped she would see her friend happy again with another man. She certainly wouldn't allow that dog from the Levetté's into her friend's life again.

"Della ?" Mila wiggled her eyebrows.

"Mhm?" Della answered breaking away from her thoughts, she was thinking about how much she needed to save so that Leondre could go for that school camp and the things that he would need. Ofcourse all the work she put in was all for her little young man.

"I asked you a question." Mila replied at her friend who seemingly showed no interest.

"Uh no I didn't feel anything." Della replied going back to her cleaning.

"You sure? I mean your ex-husband is quite a hot mess." Mila said blithely but Della just shook her head and continued with her work.

"Andre always deserved better." Della suddenly said out of the blue. "I was just a middle class girl, with a lot of baggage but now I don't have to feel bad about it because we are not together." Mila frowned because her friend was oblivious to all the men that stared at her every single day, be it clients or other employees ;there was just something about her. She was beautiful and she didn't even know it, maybe it was her Latino genes that gave her those noticeable curves and her caramel skin. Even after having gave birth to her son, she looked way better than before. Her body was sexy in every way possible even with stretch marks here and there.

"Which suite are you assigned to next ?" Mila asked changing the subject.

"Uhm 132B infact the whole left wing." Dela replied.

"Well I'm on the C side so I will meet you at lunch." Mila added making her way out of the suite before blowing her friend kisses.

"Okay Mila." Della smiled at how childish her friend was being.

-

It was almost midday when Della's manager called her and told her that she needed to attend to the royal suite. Della didn't mind because it was her job. She made her way towards the Royal Suite, it was obviously the biggest suite in the hotel. Usually snobs with high demands always resided in that suite. Della knocked on the door before yelling... "Room service." Her voice echoed. After a few minutes the door opened revealing—

Luc.

"Uhm-" She was about to speak when he gave her a brief smile, it would have charmed her but she was immune to his charms.

"It's okay, Dells you don't have to explain anything and I don't have anything against you. That's your business with Andre." He said cheerfully. What made it awkward for Della was that her ex-brother in-law was half naked, she knew exactly what was going on. "Oh and Dells meet my special girl Elisabeta Pimentel." He grinned opening the door widely revealing a blonde girl. "She is Mexican, so English isn't really in her vocabulary." Luc said anxiously.

"Oh, nice to meet you Elisabeta." Della awkwardly sidled.

"Luc, why you speak to maid ?" The girl said obnoxiously rolling her eyes. Della wasn't fazed by it, it wasn't the first time that she had been insulted by the rich at the hotel. It was practically the highlight of this this job.

"She is my sister in law, don't talk to her like that." Luc mustered a frown.

"It's okay Luc-" Della said calmly.

"No, Della it's not okay. My mother and Brother treated you badly, I'm not going to allow anyone else to treat you like that. I always considered you as family and deep down I know you didn't do it." Luc replied steadily.

"And Leo is a nice little boy, I hope he will know me as his uncle soon enough." The young man with blonde curls added. Della was a little taken back by what Luc had just said. Elisabeta was confused with how the conversation had escalated so she took the champagne bottle and went inside pouring a glass for herself. She didn't care, she had just came here for a good time with one of the eligible bachelors in New York.

"How—" Della was immediately cut off.

"Della, I'm not as dumb as you think. Leo has blonde hair and blue eyes which you certainly don't have. He is a replica of my Brother." Luc chuckled. Della was taken aback.

"Andre is not the only one with blonde hair and-"

"Yes, he isn't but Leo is as old as your divorce so when did you have time to hook up with people huh?"

"I cheated on Andre so that explains when I got time to hook up with people." Della lied through her teeth. Luc let out an innocent laugh.

"Sure you did, virgin Mary. You still go to church?" Luc asked knowing she did. Della was Roman Catholic, her grandparents had raised her in a Christian environment. They taught her to only give herself to a man on her wedding night. They taught her all the values in the bible. From a very young age, she grew accustomed to the life of a Roman Catholic family, Community, school and everything. She lost her faith a bit with what had happened to her with Andre...

"Yes, i do." She sighed.

"You should invite me sometime, maybe I will find me a Bella but I won't be as stupid as my brother to let her go." He gave her a genuine smile.

"Uhm enjoy your wine, I will be on my way." Della brushed his comment off, he just seemed amused as he closed the door and went back to his fun with Elisa.

"God is a father, to the fatherless." ~ Psalm 68.

-

Weeks had passed by, Della was relieved that her worst fear had not come to life. The Levetté family wouldn't meddle in her son's life. She would continue living her life like nothing had occurred some weeks back. Everything would be back to normal. Maybe luck was finally on her side.

What Della didn't know was that when her son came back from school and sat at the hotel lobby. He asked Tim if he could use the phone. Leo had held onto the card that Mister Andre had given him two days before. Leo liked Mister Andre alot, he was very nice and they had the same hair like twins, Leo thought.

"Leo, you want me to call Andre Levetté ?" Tim asked the little boy unsure if he should.

"Yes, he is my friend. He said I could call him whenever, I needed anything." Leo smiled sheepishly.

"Is your mother aware of this ?" Tim questioned.

"No and please please please don't tell her." Leo said giving Tim his puppy dog eyes.

"Okay fine, only because you helped me ask Veronica out." Tim added thinking back to when Leo asked Veronica to go out with his lonely uncle Tim. She couldn't resist his cuteness. Tim dialed the number as soon as it rang, he handed the phone to the little boy standing infront of the front desk of the hotel Lobby. Leo was tall, infact quite taller than the kids in his grade. He was the epitome of handsome, he had his mother's tanned skin and the rest were all the Levetté features.

Leo held the landline phone on his ear, feeling excited. "Levetté holdings good day." the person spoke from the other end of the line.

"Hello can I please speak to Mister Andre?" Leo said expectedly. Andre's personal assistant thought the little boy had quite a sweet voice. She was smitten.

"And who wants to speak to Mr. Levetté ?" Norah asked.

"Leo, Leondre McCarthy. His friend from the Ritz-Carlton hotel." Leo explained.

"Very well Leo, how old are you Leo?" Norah asked in an amused tone.

"I'm six." He replied looking at Tim who seemed to be in panick mode. Tim didn't want to make Della upset, he somehow felt like he was an accomplice to a vile plan.

"Okay, Mr. Andre is in a meeting right now but as soon as he is done. I will let him know you called okay Leo?" Andre's personal assistant replied.

"Yes, Ma'am." Leo said grinning from ear to ear.

"Sweet." Norah muttered as she hanged up.

Leo smiled clearly proud of himself, He handed Tim the phone then grabbed his sports bag. Every Monday Leo had soccer practice, his school made sure that their learners had alot of extra-curricular activities that way they would always be occupied with other vile ideas of society such as drugs and the whole lot.

"Don't tell my mom!" Leo whispered and Tim smiled then zipped his mouth and threw away the key. Leo knew that his mother wouldn't be the least happy, he had never seen his mother act so vile only when Mr. Andre was present or mentioned ;clearly she didn't like Mister Andre, Leo thought to himself as he went to sit at the hotel bar as usual Cal asked him how school was and made him a strawberry milkshake.

—

Andre was frustrated not only sexually because of the dreams he was having of Della but emotionally. His mother acted normal like nothing had happened. His hatred grew every single time, he crossed paths with his mother. The whole meeting he wasn't paying attention, he kept thinking about her.

"Andre are you okay ?" Jeanine Levetté asked when the meeting had ended and the board members were making their way out. Andre's father was talking to one of the other share holders. Andre had a lot of responses such as :

''I'm not okay! Do I look okay mother maybe i would be okay if I had my wife and son in my life but someone clearly took that away from me.''

Instead his response was..."I'm okay, just tired that's all."

"Don't work yourself too hard, maybe you could meet Marcelle Le Sueur. I heard she is in town, she just came from France and needs someone to show her around the city and who better than you. Single and French." Andre's mother laughed at the end earning a grunt from Andre. It wasn't the first time his mother played matchmaker.

"Marcelle Le Sueur is a spoiled brat and way younger than me." Andre reasoned out.

"Let's not pretend like you don't like women younger than you. Wasn't your ex-wife three years younger huh?" Jeanine said with a chuckle but it wasn't funny or at least Andre didn't find anything amusing. Andre was losing it, his anger was building up. Yes, he dated countless women after his divorce even slept with many others but it still didn't make it okay for his mother to compare his ex-wife to those slutty gold diggers. In his defense, they weren't all that bad. Some were genuinely nice but he just couldn't be with them—

—he was never fully over her.

"Mother, excuse me will you... good day!" Andre said in a thick French accent. Leaving his mother standing alone in the conference room as he took graceful steps towards the elevator until he reached his office.

When Andre was about to reach his office Norah approached him. He wasn't in the mood for any more paperwork. He needed a break from everything.

"Sir-" Norah was immediately cut off.

"Norah not now." Andre said entering his huge office and shutting the door harshly in her face. Norah still entered his office right behind him.

"What the fuck is so important huh ?" He cursed.

"A little boy named Leo—" Norah looked at the named that she had written on the paper again before continuing. "Leondre McCarthy." She finished her sentence. That seemed to catch his attention even from a mile away.

"Yes yes yes? continuer." He muttered the last part in French meaning proceed.

"He called earlier about fourty minutes back, he said you are his friend." Norah replied unsure of what else to say to her boss.

Andre immediately grabbed his car keys. "Cancel all my appointments, everyday from two pm, I won't be available. Anyone who wants a meeting should schedule earlier." Andre said smiling widely. He knew when and where to find his son. This had to be a sign that he shouldn't give up.

-

Andre went to the Ritz Carlton hotel everyday at exactly 14:30pm and hang out with his son. Sometimes they even left the hotel for ice cream and movies considering Della only finished her shifts at 18:30pm. It was their little secret. They grew closer and closer each and every day in those several weeks. Andre taught him some French words on a daily, Leo was a fast learner. They played soccer, chess, video games. Andre even told Leo that he had a driver who could take him where ever he wanted. Sometimes instead of Andre coming to the Hotel, Leo came around to their secret hiding place which was Taco-bell. Andre loved his son so much more and Leo loved his friend so much more, he was like the father he never had. They always had to race back to the hotel at exactly 17:50pm like Cinderella at midnight that way Della wouldn't find out about their Rendezvous.

—

"I had to forgive a person who wasn't even sorry.. that's strength." ~ unknown.

—

Della's manager had informed her that Garreth had booked the royal suite and was requesting to see her. She wondered what could be the problem... She had known the forty-five year old man ever since she started working at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. He was a very nice humble person. Della wondered at first why a rich successful man like him would have any interest in a maid like herself. Garreth said he saw her as family, he mentioned seeing his young sister in her—

which Della found very weird.

Whenever she needed anything, he was always there for her. Even though she would never accept his money, he offered to sponsor her college fees so she could get her degree in Literature. That, she accepted.

"Sugar daddy can't seem to get away from you." Mila said sarcastically. It made Della laugh ofcourse that's what it looked like to anyone who didn't know her friendship with Garreth.

"You know Mila, God can use anyone and anything to help you in times of crisis and I think Garreth is that person for me." Della smiled briefly. "Besides he is close to over two decades older than me."

"I know, I just think there is something more to it." Mila replied as they walked down the hallway of the hotel's twenty-second floor. "That much kindness is rare, what if he will use it later to blackmail you ?"

"I really doubt it for some odd reason, in the four years that I have known him. I know I can trust him. He is a good listener besides if he wanted me in that way he would have approached me." Della said putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mila nodded and they changed the topic and spoke about something else. Mila still didn't trust it but she would keep it to herself until she found some dirt on the old man called Garreth. She didn't even know what he did for a living but all they knew was that he had some shares in the Ritz-Carlton hotel and some various businesses. He was honestly creepy and Mila thought he was a conniving pervert who wanted to kidnap Della and make her his mafia Queen.

or maybe Mila watched too many Telenovelas.

-

Garreth uncomfortably fixed his armani suit, he knew today was the day when he would finally tell Della the truth and his intentions. He was nervous, he had never been nervous whenever he opened up to Della and talked about everything that bothered him. It all started four years ago when he was drunk and accidentally broke the whisky bottle or maybe it wasn't a mistake rather he was angry that his ex-wife had once again kicked him out of their house.

Della was there like an angel helping him clean up the mess ;which was her job but cleaning up his wound wasn't part of her job description. He blabbered all his problems to this girl who was understanding and didn't judge him. The next morning he apologised for his behavior and even offered to pay her a chunk of money but she refused. The rest of the following months that led to Garreth's divorce, he talked to Della about it. She was way better than his personal advisor ;Mrs. Henderson.

With Della he felt sane but when she opened up to him about her own problems, he realised he had it good. He felt like a brat because his problems weren't even that bad. Della's problems were much worse. All he wanted to do was help her, she refused but the least he could do was offer her scholarship to study. He read some of her drafts and realised how substantially talented she is.

He was startled when he heard someone enter his huge suite.

"Room Service." Della's voice echoed. He smiled thinking about how much he missed her. He had been gone for a while. He had many properties around the world but still choose to stay at Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

"Della, how are you ?" He opened his arms wide so he could hug her. she didn't hesitate to hug him back.

            "I'm alright, you just disappeared!"

                        "Is everything okay ?" She asked taking a seat on the expensive looking couch with gold carvings.

"Yes, everything is fine but there is a matter I have been meaning to talk to you about." He walked towards her. Handing Della a glass of water, he knew she wasn't much of a drinker and that's all he could offer her besides bourbon.

"Uhm okay, now I'm nervous. Did I do something wrong or wait Simon said something bad about me." Della panicked.

"No no no, you know I would never allow them to fire you. I am the majority shareholder and you do your job very well. You are always employee of the month aren't you ?" Garreth said proudly taking a sip of his whiskey on the rocks.

"Uhm thank you, Garreth." Della was short of words. She wondered what could be so important that he had to call her at this time of the evening when her shift was almost over. Leo must be sitted alone and bored alone in the Lobby, Della thought but little did she know that he was far from being bored with his father or rather friend around.

"And how's our little boy doing at school?" Garreth asked with a solemn expression.

"He is just always excited for school and he is a math genius. You were right about that school, it's honestly the best and that's all I want for Leo, the best!" Della added.

"Roosevelt International Private School is quite an admirable and reputable school." He paused. "My step son went there." Garreth looked sad talking about his past life. He couldn't have kids but adored kids dearly.

"Anyways I'm becoming anxious over here, what did you want to talk about ?" Della responded calmly.

"I just want you to know that, I hope whatever I say doesn't change anything between us. I have grown to love you so much like family and all I want is to see you happy Adela." He said his eyes becoming blurry, what always touched Della's heart was that he always called her by her full name Adela and Andre used to do that but that was the past.

"Please don't tell me you are dying?" She facepalmed clearly dying of anxiety.

"No no no." He chuckled. "It's quite the opposite. To myself it's good news but to you, I'm not sure it might be good or bad." He explained.

"Okay." Della sighed holding her breath waiting for him to speak.

"Adela have you ever asked yourself why you have an American citizenship and your surname isn't as Spanish as you are?" He genuinely asked gulped down all his whiskey to give him courage.

"Well kids in my class always teased me saying I'm a fake latino because of my last name but I really didn't mind it." Della explained reminiscing parts of her childhood.

"My grandparents had citizenship maybe that's how I also got it." She added.

"Well Adela, my last name is also McCarthy." He said leaving Della appalled but most of all confused. It was as if a ton of bricks were cascading on top of her head as she processed this new information.

"Does-" Della's eyes became blurry and the tears couldn't stop streaming from her eyes to her cheeks. She almost choked on her saliva. "Does does- but— what?" She asked oblivious to the whole truth her hand clasped on her lips as she refused to let out a sound of crying.

"It makes me your father, darling." Garreth said letting out a sigh.

"But but but no —Uh—you are so young, it can't be." She let out a whimper as tears streamed from each eye like the Niagara Falls, this was indeed a touchy topic.

"I'm forty-five and I was only sixteen or seventeen when you were born." He let out another sigh, he didn't know if he should comfort her or give her some space after tapping such a touchy subject.

Della couldn't believe it, she had always wanted her father around in her life. So many questions were now answered as to why sometimes her skin grew pale or how her eyes a lighter shade of brown. How her hair wasn't always jet black but instead rather brownish.

"You-" Della choked on her breath. "You you didn't wanted me!"Della let out another cry. Garreth was beyond heartbroken by the state his daughter was in, so he shifted a little so he could hold his little girl as she cried. She needed to let it all out. She cried softly in his arms as he softly rubbed circles on her back. She cried for everytime that her mother told her she was useless, unwanted, unloved, undesirable, good-for-nothing, waste and worthless. She cried for the words her ex-husband threw at her on the last day they ever saw each other.

"YOU CHEATING WHORE OR PERRA PENDEJA WHATEVER YOU LATINAS CALL IT. YOUR FATHER KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN HE LEFT BECAUSE YOU ARE A DAMN CURSE. NO WONDER YOUR MOTHER DOESN'T EVEN WANT YOU AROUND. I'M SO DISGUSTED TO HAVE FELL FOR A CUNNING WOMEN LIKE YOU."

She cried because of all these questions that her abuela was never able to answer. After a while she was silent, just thinking. Every Flashback was just hitting her right in the face.

"I'm sorry Adela." Garreth let out, he had tears on his cheeks, watching his daughter cry, this pulled his heart out of it's ribcage. Della didn't reply, she stayed silent and hid her face on his chest.

"My parents—"

"My parents when they found out... I had impregnated a girl especially the fact that she was Latina. They cared more about their reputation and what people would say. They shipped me off to a boarding school in Manchester. I didn't even know I had a child. When your mother came with her parents to confront me, I wasn't around. My parents took this opportunity to threaten them with deportation or whatever threat they could use since your grandparents were refugees. I think it worked because I never heard from your family again or your mother. My parents didn't tell me anything until I was married and told them that I couldn't have children. That's when my mother finally told me what she had done years back. Meeting you was a mistake, it wasn't planned but the night you told me about your personal life. Everything seemed to click, I knew then and there that you were my daughter. I looked at your file and everything but I just knew you were mine from the very first day there was something that drew you to me."

Della was listening attentively as her father stroked her soft hair, like she always saw in the movies except in this category she wasn't a little girl anymore.

"I'm sorry Adela." He said with silence following right after.