Chapter Twenty-Five:
Sonny ended up back at the coffee shop in that back room again and it wasn't long before Jason caught up with him. Jason had put most of the pieces together but he was still very confused. After a moment of silence he spoke up "What is this, Sonny? You're Spinelli's father?" he asked. Sonny looked bewilldered "I didn't know Jason, I swear. I never would have treated him like that." he replied. Jason looked confused "Maxie made it sound like..." Sonny cut him off "Maxie never let me explain myself. She was right about everything else though." he told his friend.
Jason could see that Sonny was devasted "No, she wasn't, Sonny." he said, half lying. Sonny was not going to be calmed down "She was! I could have saved Spinelli, I should have known. How stupid is it to have sex with a woman and never even speak to her again? I knew she could have been pregnant, I even though about it but I never bothered to check on her. If I had, so much would have been different!" he said almost yelling. Jason didn't know what to do "It isn't like you abandend him on purpose though, you didn't know." he replied.
Sonny kept going as though he hadn't even heard Jason "As if that wasn't enough I have tormented the kid. My son. I tormented my own son. I put him in the hospital! How could I have been so stupid as to ever lay a finger on him after my childhood. I don't even want to know what that did to him, he had it worse then me!" Sonny paused for a moment. Jason jumped in "What? Spinelli was abused?" he asked. Sonny turned away "You didn't hear her whole rant then. Yes, he was. His entire life his step-father beat him, she said he almost killed him! He was never even able to leave his house until his mother was beaten to death by his step father - as he watched!" Sonny said getting more and more worked up by the moment.
Jason was in shock but he knew he had to calm Sonny down before he got out of control. He thought for a moment before he spoke "It wasn't your fault." Jason said. Sonny again didn't seem to notice Jason's remarks "And now that I finally know who he is he might die! And Michael never even got to know that he had a brother. That's my fault too, so is everything else bad that's happened to my kids, even this leukemia. It can be caused be genetics. Now I'm about to lose another son and it's my fault this time too." Sonny said. Jason didn't know how to respond.
Maxie marched into Spinelli's hospital room. The first words out of her mouth were "Sonny is your father? That jerk! How could he treat his own son like that!" she said still fuming. Spinelli was taken aback by the fact that she already knew but he quickly jumped to his new-found father's defense "Mr... the unknown parental one never knew of the Jackel's existence before today." he told her. Maxie felt a slight twinge of guilt which she shrugged off by telling herself he still deserved even worse then what she had told him.
There was silence in the room as Maxie sat down by Spinelli "So you've spoken to him?" she asked. Spinelli took a deep breath "The Jackel has." he replied. Maxie reached over and took Spinelli's hand "Did he at least appologise?" she asked him. Spinelli nodded, he was begining to feel very week as the days events caught up with him. He looked over all that had happend that day "The Jackel's whole ... family was here earlier. Well, all but the little dude." Spinelli said with tears forming in his eyes.
Maxie felt her heart ache for him "Oh, Spinelli! I'm so sorry!" she said hugging him. Spinelli felt a faint smile cross his lips at the unexpected embrace "The Jackel will be fine. I just wish ... I wish little dude could hae known I was his brother." he said softly. They sat in silence for a moment and as Maxie watched him she realized that she loved him more then she had ever loved anyone. On an impulse Maxie suddenly kissed Spinelli. Time stopped for both of them and when she pulled away she looked him in the eyes "I meant it this time, I love you Spinelli.".