CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Justin Kiriakis unlocked the door to their hotel suite.
"Sonny, Sonny!" He called out. "Just wondering have you eaten…" He trailed off when he saw his son passed out in the living room. He noticed a half-empty takeout box on the coffee table beside the laptop. Lying on the floor was an empty wine bottle.
Justin Kiriakis sighed. He took the wine bottle on the floor and the Chinese takeout on the coffee table and proceeded to the kitchen to throw it away.
"What am I going to do about you Sonny?" Justin Kiriakis wondered.
"So Li, how's job hunting?" Tamela Barrino asked.
"You know, I've been thinking a lot about this." Liam confessed. "As a chef, I work long hours. I mean the good thing is that I get to have my mornings with Devon. But I spend the rest of day and I mean 10 to 12 hours at work." He lamented. "I'm a single parent which means that Devon is my responsibility. These are Devon's growing years. I can't just leave him with anyone else. But I can't be unemployed at the same time."
"You know I can take of Devon." Tamela offered.
"I mean, of course I want you to take care of Devon. But as his only parent, I need to be involved his life and with my line of work, I don't think it's possible for me to be the father he needs. So I'm thinking of starting my own business." Liam decided.
"Wait, as in another restaurant?" Tamela raised her eyebrow. "How would that be any different from working at a restaurant?"
"I ain't gonna open no restaurant." Liam shook his head. "I'm planning to start my own catering business. I've been thinking about this for a while now. I only work whenever orders come in. I have extremely flexible working hours. I'd probably only need to work on the weekends. I get to spend time with Devon on weekdays."
"That sounds like a plan!" Tamela nodded her head in agreement.
"And not to worry Tamela, I will make sure all my Sunday mornings are reserved for church! So you don't have to worry!" Liam assured.
"That's my boy!" Tamela grabbed his hand from across the table. "Always remember the Lord comes first!" She nagged.
"Yes, Tamela." Liam rolled his eyes slightly.
"Oh, all of us have been discussing about Devon. I realized that we didn't celebrate his birthday." Tamela addressed.
Devon's birthday has always been a very touchy subject to Liam. Liam never celebrated his son's birthday because it was also the death anniversary of Tameka.
"Um…" Liam pulled back, "You guys didn't celebrate Devon's birthday because I was still in Salem. It wasn't possible."
"We were all thinking of having a birthday celebration for Devon!" Tamela suggested. "We will invite some people from the church, the choir and some of the Devon's friends from the toddler church-care. It will be a small celebration!"
"I do appreciate the thought but that's really not necessary Tamela." Liam smiled wistfully.
"Sweetie, I know why you don't want to celebrate Devon's birthday. But he's already two." Tamela argued. "He's a growing boy. He wants what every two-year-old wants! A day where people who love him get together. How would you think he feels if you do not celebrate his birthday when he grows older?"
"He'll grow to understand." Liam justified.
"You said you want to be the father he needs. Then you should be able to understand a basic's child need to have his birthday celebrated. How can you deprive your own son of that?" Tamela chided.
Liam turned away in silence. He could not argue with that.
"Li, Tameka is my daughter. Do you think I don't understand the pain you're going through?" Tamela asked rhetorically. "What I do know is that she will be very disappointed if you can't even celebrate Devon's birthday." Tamela stood up and left the apartment.
Liam placed a palm on his forehead in frustration.
Sonny Kiriakis slowly opened his eyes. He squinted when he saw a ray of sunlight hitting him. He sat up realizing that there's a quilt covering him.
"Oh good! You're awake!" He heard his father's voice.
Sonny turned around and saw pushing a trolley towards the couch.
"I've got room service." Justin placed the plate of food on the coffee table.
"Thanks… Ow!" Sonny winced as the migraine hit him.
"Rough night?" Justin asked.
"Just drank a little too much." Sonny rubbed the temples of his head.
"I suppose things didn't go as you planned?" Justin asked.
"Don't ask, I'm having a really bad headache." Sonny got out of bed and stretched a little.
"You should stay in bed today then. Take a day off." Justin suggested.
"Are you kidding?" Sonny groaned when the migraine hit him again. "I can't afford to waste any time. I've been here long enough!"
"Look," Justin approached his son, "Will isn't going anywhere. He's not falling off the face of the earth, he's not going to run away from everything he has here in New York. If there's one thing we know from the moment we arrived here, this place to too precious to him. He's not going anywhere. How's one day of rest going to hurt?"
Sonny looked away reluctantly. He knew Justin was right. Will has made it very clear that he would be staying here. Time was on his side.
"Look, I have a meeting with some people at Titan New York. I'm here to take my suitcase and some documents." Justin picked up the leather bag. "I will be back in the evening. Promise me you will get some rest?"
Sonny sighed. "I will try."
"Good, your breakfast is already cold! Heat it up in the microwave." Justin pointed out before leaving the suite.
Sonny took the plate of food on the table proceeded to the kitchen.
"No Phillip!" Lucas Horton objected. "You are not going to do this to my son!"
"Do this to your son?" Philip Kiriakis pulled his head back. "You make it sound as if I'm about to lock him up in prison. I'm trying to give Will an opportunity of a lifetime!"
"He's happy with the way he is." Lucas stood his ground. "He just gotten his memory back. He's trying to forget everything about Salem. Please don't bring him back here! It will be too much for him to handle."
Sonny Kiriakis took the last bite of his bacon and placed his empty plate on the coffee table.
"Dad's right, he isn't going anywhere." Sonny thought to himself. "Maybe I should take a day off." He took the remote and turned on the TV in front of him.
"Ugh! Morning news!" Sonny switched the channel, it was cartoons.
"This is lame!" he turned off the TV. He spotted the laptop from the corner of his eye.
"No, I will take a break today." Sonny took the remote and the turned the TV back on.
After an episode of 'Adventure Time', Sonny Kiriakis turned off the TV.
"What is there to do today?" Sonny wondered to himself. His eye wandered back to his laptop. After a few seconds, he impatiently reached out of the laptop and opened it up.
"Damn it, I can't let him out of my sight! I need to bring him back ASAP!" Sonny quickly started up the surveillance cameras in Liam's home. "Let's see what you're up to!"
When the surveillance cameras loaded, Sonny spotted Liam Robertson in the living room with his son. The blonde was playing an upbeat tune on the piano, singing away while Devon was sitting on a booster seat beside him.
We're a thousand miles from comfort,
we have traveled land and sea
But as long as you are with me,
there's no place I'd rather be
Devon was moving his legs up and down from his chair.
I would wait forever,
exalted in the scene
As long as I am with you,
my heart continues to beat
"When did Will become this good at piano?" Sonny wondered.
With every step we take,
Kyoto to The Bay
Strolling so casually
We're different and the same
Get you another name
Switch up the batteries
Liam was now moving up and down from his chair, playing the piano.
If you gave me a chance I would take it
It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it
Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be
Liam stood up and crouched down to talk to his son.
"Devon, are you sure you want a birthday party?" Liam questioned.
The African-american toddler just giggled away.
"Your mom would want me to give you a childhood." Liam sighed. He gazed at his son for a few seconds before coming to a conclusion.
"Ok, I will let you have your birthday party." He relented.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Liam proceeded to the entrance.
"Hey Zeke!" Liam greeted.
"Li, I need your help!" Zeke Barrino rushed into the apartment. "I messed up! I messed up big time!"
"Whoa whoa, Zeke! Calm down!" Liam approached and held his shoulders.
"No, Li! You don't understand! I screwed up big time!" The black man panicked.
Looking through the laptop screen, Sonny Kiriakis leaned in.
"What exactly has he done that he needs Will's help?" Sonny wondered.
A/N: Sorry for not updating this! I know I say I will update this regularly but I had a little writers block! But don't worry, it's all better now!
Song is 'Rather Be' by Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne
I personally don't think this is my best chapter but I can tell you the good stuff is coming soon!
As always PLEASE REVIEW! :D
Thanks for reading! :D