LOGINRAIN“You didn’t call me yesterday to tell me how it went with him and you didn't answer any of my calls.”I shut my eyes and groan inwardly. I thought I would have more time this morning before Dave came to ask questions. “Sorry. Yesterday was a lot and I didn’t feel like talking much.” I say, not slowing down my steps.If I can just reach the commanders office, then this conversation will be avoided untill later this afternoon. Dave pulls me back by my arm, effectively stopping my escape.“That’s the response you give your nosy neighbor or colleague Rain, not your boyfriend.”I sigh and hug him. “You're right, I'm sorry. I saw my son and he was so grown and it just hit me how much of his life I've missed and I just shut down.”Dave hugs me tighter and gives me a kiss on the forehead. “Its alright. You'll be fine. You just need to talk to him and apologise and you'll be fine.”“He doesn’t want to see me. He hates me.”“I'm sure you'll find a way."A throat clears behind me and I tur
XAVIERThe phone rings and I make a dive for it, hoping that it’s Jonnie. I’ve been calling for the past two hours and he’s been ignoring my calls. My disappointment is instant when I see that it's Derrick.“What do you want?” I ask, irritated.“Wow, it's a good thing I didn’t call because of you, isn’t it?”I take a deep breath and cuss out loud. I don’t mean to put my frustration on him but I’ve had a strange day and I’m still trying to process everything.“I’m sorry, what’s up?”“Is Jonnie okay? I called earlier to find out how his party was going and he didn’t answer. He sent me a text that he didn’t want to go to the party anymore but I was in a meeting that I just came out of. I've been trying to call and he isn’t answering.”“I think something happened in school that upset him but he’s back at the party now.”“What in the teenage confusion is going on? Did you try to find out what happened?”“I couldn’t. He walked in the house, saw his mum and left again. I’ve not been able to
XAVIER I'm barely stopping myself from strangling this woman. How can she stand there, casually telling me that she's back but not back for our child. There are so many questions I want to ask her, so many things I want to say to her but all that is lost in the need to knock some sense into her."Our past shouldn't have mattered!" I scream at her."It's the only thing that mattered, I was in a dark place but I still didn't think about you as an option until it was literally pointed out to me."She clenches her jaw and sighs, like she said too much. "Xavier, I'm not here to discuss this with you. I have an order to investigate this case and that's what I'm here to do. I could have waited until the day of the meeting but I chose to be here so it won't be too much of a shock for you."This woman, this fucking woman. She came back to rattle me but I won't let her. I laugh darkly. "You fucking wish you could have done that, Rain. You wish.""Xavier, I never forgot about my son. A lot ha
RAINAt this point, I think I'm ready to loose my job and start life somewhere else. Doing this might be the hardest thing I'll ever have to do but I need to do it. For me and for my son. I would have gone to his office but he called off work today.I drive up to the gate, roll down the windows and push the button at the gate and a security comes out."Tell your boss someone from the D. O. D is here to see him."I figure it's better than telling him his son's mother finally showed up. I have to make this quick. Jonnie might be home anytime soon and while I am prepared to face Xavier, I don't know what I'll say to Jonnie. I need to prep better for that.The gate opens and I drive to the house. After I left Dave's house, I cried in my car. Today is Jonnie's birthday. I forgot that his birthday is today. Maybe this is my punishment for forgetting.The door opens when I come down from the car and I smile at the house keeper who opens the door. She leads me to the living room."Mr. Bishop
RAIN"Simmons, the commander wants you in his office." This is why I hate being in the office. They never let you sit and just be. Someone has to want something from you."Right now or later?" I ask the receptionist, who has already moved on to other things."The second you enter the building, was my instruction."I sigh. I just came back from a mission, and I'm due to go on leave in two days. If this summons isn't about a leave, I might kill myself.I change course to the commander's office. Being a military investigator is the best thing I have in my life right now. It has kept me busy for years, but now I want a break. I want to go to the beach, sleep in, and buy my own groceries, things normal people my age do.The commander's secretary holds open the door, and I walk in. I salute my commander and Dave, my direct superior. Dave turns to me and winks and I try my best not to smile.Part of the reason I want this leave is to spend time with Dave, who is also my boyfriend. It's a ne
XAVIER Twelve years later.If this cake falls, I'm going back to bed. That's all I can think about as I light the candles on my son's birthday cake. I made sure to tell the baker everything he's into these days because he's becoming less into birthdays and birthday cakes and I want this to feel cool.Maybe I should have just told her one thing. The cake is hideous. The blue is too bright and it's a jumbled mess of cars, video games, planes and swords. I don't want to give this to Jonnie but I don't want him to have a reason to decide that birthday cakes are done. If I don't take this cake to his room now, we won't do it next year.I carry the cake gently and start going up to his room. Other parents might wait untill morning to sing birthday songs and cut cake but Jonnie and I have a tradition. We do it the minute the clock hits 12. I push his door open and sigh when I see him hurriedly put something under his pillow. He pretends he's just waking up and gives me an expression that o







