CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

RAINThe only time I've not cried in the last two days is when my son is in my arms. I read somewhere that babies can feel energies and I don't want my baby to feel the rejection and the heartache I feel. My grandparents left and they did not come back. They really want to abandon me like they abandoned my mother.A nurse comes in smiling. She's new but she has been nice to me since she came in this morning."Hey mommy." She greets. "I'm getting the discharge form ready, who is picking you up?""No one. I'm discharging myself."Her smile falls but she recovers quickly."That's alright. Do you have somewhere you're going to?" She asks.I see it in her face. If I say no, she'll try to help me. Probably put me in her house till I find a place but I don't want to do that to a stranger. I can't burden her with this."Yes, I have an apartment.""You do? You're not eighteen yet.""I'm emancipated." I say.It's not true but it is better than saying I've been disowned. She smiles and finally l

Last Updated : 2025-10-30

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

XAVIER"Sir, there's something at the gate for you."I take my headsets off and turn to the housekeeper who I didn't hear come in."I'm not expecting anything.""I'm sure you'll want to see this sir, it's important."She looks skittish and it unnerves me because she's usually a rock."Spit it out, What's at the gate?""A baby sir.""What? Why would there be a baby at the gate for me?""Can we go sir? I brought the baby into the compound but I didn't bring him into the house and it's sunny outside. The note on it was addressed to you."What the fuck? I don't bother putting a shirt on and I follow her downstairs to the gate. There, a security guard is carrying a baby carrier, looking stoic."You didn't see the person who dropped the baby? Where were you?" I ask."I'm sorry sir. They got in a car and drove off when they saw me coming. I came to get her right after." The security guard says.I sigh and take the carrier from him. I look inside and see a beautiful baby sleeping with his mou

Last Updated : 2025-10-31

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

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

Last Updated : 2025-11-01

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

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

Last Updated : 2025-11-03

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

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

Last Updated : 2025-11-04

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

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

Last Updated : 2025-11-09