It was finally the date for the playdate reunion at the park. Jason and Skylar had briefly touched on the subject with the children the night before, and while Jared was excited to meet his mom and even more excited to meet his younger brother he’d just learned about, Lorenzo had not really cared about the situation. Simply being an oblivious three year old with no care in the world. Only understanding that he was going to play at the park and meet Daddy- whoever that was.That day proved to be mildly rough because as soon as they were done with breakfast and Skylar and Lorenzo had gotten dressed to leave at midday, Valentina threw a tantrum, wanting to go with them. Skylar felt torn when the girl started shedding desperate tears, but she had suggested bringing her along, but later on, during the course of her discussion with Jason, they concluded that the two brothers should meet each other first and get acquainted, before meeting any other family members.Val’s tantrum had delayed
As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the park, Jason watched with a sense of contentment as his sons, chased each other through the grass. It was a day filled with laughter, reminiscing, and the joy of seeing loved ones reunite. Jason’s heart swelled with pride as he looked at his boys, their faces flushed with excitement, their laughter ringing through the air.“Hey, Dad, watch this!” Jared called out, his small frame darting across the field.Jason chuckled and nodded, his eyes following his eldest son’s every move. It had been a while since he had seen Jared so carefree, so full of life. And it was moments like these that reminded him of the importance of family, of cherishing every precious moment spent together.Skylar, sat next to him, watching the the boys play fondly and calling them back for a water break or snacks. Despite how badly things had ended between them, Jason was grateful for the amicable relationship they had managed to establish.
On a crisp Monday morning, after the usual rush and grumbling, Emilio and Skylar separated with a kid in tow. Emilio, as usual with Valentina and Skylar with Lorenzo. Emilio bid farewell to his daughter as she bounded into her school, backpack slung over her shoulder. With a quick wave, he headed off to work, leaving Valentina to navigate the bustling halls of her educational haven.As recess time approached, the kids were let out into the schoolyard, Valentina’s keen eyes spotted a familiar figure among the throng of children. It was Jared, her younger cousin by a few years, though she had only recently discovered this familial connection. Determined to forge a bond with him, she strode purposefully toward him, a smile playing on her lips.“Hi, Jared!” Valentina exclaimed, catching the younger boy’s attention. Jared, taken aback by her sudden appearance, returned her smile tentatively. He hadn’t seen her before.“Hi,” Jared replied shyly, adjusting his grip on his toy car.“I’m
A few weeks go by, and Jason has been unable to relay his parents invite to dinner to Skylar due to how packed his schedule has been. It seems as though Alexandra, his ex, has been completely wiped out from existence and it bothers him a lot. Alexandra has never been the kind of woman that loses to anybody, and he’s pretty sure she’s looking for an opportunity to strike back.Jason happens to return early from work and luckily, he has two days of no work. He tries to make the best out of it by resting, but with the insistence of his parents, he finds himself on the balcony in his room, dialling Skylar’s number. As the phone rang, Jason’s heart raced with anticipation and apprehension. He didn’t even know why he was so nervous. “It’s not like I’m inviting my ex wife who my parents love so dearly, for dinner along with her brother and her niece... and a while other child my parents have never seen.. Okay maybe that’s exactly what I’m doing. God! Jason! Get your act together. You’re n
Two weeks had passed since the chilling call from Alexandra, leaving Skylar on edge and yearning to see her eldest son, whom she hadn’t laid eyes on since the dinner. Somehow, she had managed to miss opportunities to see him when she picks Valentina from school. Eventually, after several phone calls at random hours of the day, for the past eight days, Jason had picked up on her unease. Despite Jason’s attempts to reassure her, Skylar’s fear persisted, gnawing at her like a persistent itch.“Jason, I really think I need to see Jared,” Skylar voiced her concerns once more, her voice pleading with him on the phone for the second time today.Jason sighed, not really understanding the depth of Skylar’s anxiety. “Skylar, I know you miss him, but now is not a good time to move about. It’s late out now.”Skylar nodded, despite the fact that he wouldn’t see the gesture over the phone her gaze drifted to the photos she took of Jared and Lorenzo that day at the park. She had framed some of
After that first message from Alexandra, more messages started to come in, all of them implying that Alexandra was keeping a watchful eye on them. As the weekend wore on, the tension in their home grew thicker with each passing hour. Skylar couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled over her like a suffocating blanket, knowing that Alexandra’s threats loomed over them like a dark cloud.On Sunday afternoon, as they sat in their living room, trying to distract themselves from the looming threat, Skylar’s phone buzzed with another message from Alexandra. She hesitated for a moment before opening it, her heart pounding in her chest.The message was more chilling than any before, filled with graphic descriptions of the harm she intended to inflict on their children if Skylar didn’t comply with her demands. Skylar paced the living room, her nerves frayed with each new message, she knew she couldn’t bear this burden alone any longer.“Emilio,” Skylar called out, her voice shaking
After three hours of fruitlessly searching the neighbourhood, Jason decides to call Skylar and then the police. His heart pounded as he dialled Skylar’s number, his mind racing with worry for their son, Jared. He hoped she would answer quickly.“Hello?” Skylar’s voice was laced with warmth and an underlying tone of excitement.“Skylar, it’s Jason,” he began, trying to keep his voice steady despite the panic rising within him. He heard her let out a tiny giggle. “I know it’s you silly, I have your number saved on my phone.” Jason momentarily forgot why he was calling, almost melting at the sound of her giggle. “Right, of course.” He replied, sounding out of breath. Skylar immediately picked up on the strain in his voice. “Is everything alright? You sound worried.” She questioned, biting in her bottom lip.Jason felt tears prick his eyes. He took deep breaths, considering how to inform her if the situation before settling on just dropping the bomb. “Jared’s run away. I don’t know
Jason’s heart hammered in his chest as he scanned the words, his mind struggling to comprehend their meaning. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring the words on the page as his world crumbled around him. He sank to his knees, the weight of the words on the papers finally registering in his mind. His gaze drifted back to Skylar, who was making her way to the car she had driven here.“Skylar, please,” he called out, choking on the words, his throat tight with unshed tears. “Talk to me. Let’s... let’s figure this out together.”Skylar froze in her movements, but remained silent, her eyes fixed on some distant point beyond her reach. Jason’s heart twisted with longing, with a desperate need to bridge the chasm that had opened up between them.“Skylar, please,” he pleaded, reaching out a hand toward her. “Don’t do this.” But she took a breath and stealing a last glance at Jason, got into her car and drive off, and he was left to remember that he had done the same thing to her four year