The next morning, I’m not in a hurry to go to work. I decide to participate in getting Jared ready for school. I wake up to him, humming a random tune and playing with my hair.“Good morning buddy!” I greet him, earning a shy ‘morning Daddy!’ back. “Did you sleep good?’ I ask him, grabbing him and placing him on my lap. I lightly tickle him tummy, eliciting giggles from him. He takes a few over exaggerated breaths to calm down, before flashing his milk teeth at me and answering my question.“I slept the best, Dad! because you were here and mommy’s coming back!” he exclaims. Ah! How could I forget the events of the past hours.I give him a big smile. “Of course! Mommy’s gonna meet you soon, big guy!” I tell him trying as much as possible to match his enthusiasm this early in the morning. I swear, kids are the strangest creatures.I go to move him off my lap so we can get ready for the day ahead, however, the thinking look on his face stops me.“What’s running through that little h
Emilio’s POVEver since the interaction with Jason Reynolds, her ex- husband and baby daddy, Skylar has been withdrawn. She had become absent emotionally and so unresponsive, that the kids noticed it and won’t stop bugging me with questions.I’m in my office, going through some files and making research for work, when I’m interrupted by Lorenzo coming into the office and walking up to me. He clambers into my lap and I gave to stop what I’m doing and let him settle down comfortably, I end up having to grab him and place him comfortably on my lap. When he’s settled, he looks up at me with the saddest look I’ve ever seen.“Hey there buddy! What’s with the look on your face?” I ask, instant worry filling my senses.“Uncle Em, does Mommy have cancer?” he asks me looking so distraught, it physically tugs on my heart. “Cancer? No! No, she doesn’t . Enzo, do you know what cancer even is? Where did you get that from?” I ask him back, perplexed at the question he’s asking me. Cancer. I hav
Skylar’s POVI quietly walk into Lorenzo’s room. I take in his little form, soft snores escaping his partly opened lips as he sleeps. My heart aches as I imagine him asking Emilio, if Mommy still wants him. Tears fall down my face as I recall Emilio’s words to me earlier. I can’t believe that I’d be so blinded by my own misery, that I would neglect my own son! I can’t help but feel repulsed at my recent attitude towards Lorenzo. And Val! Oh God! The little girl must have felt so sad that her favorite Aunt ignored her. I carefully pick up Lorenzo and maneuver our position so that I’m sitting against the headboard with him in my arms. He snuggles into me and I rock us both, mumbling apologies and stroking his hair. I feel him shift a little so I look down, just in time to see him blink his eyes open.“Mommy?” he sleepily questions. “Yes, my love. Go back to sleep. Mommy’s here.” I tell him, gently caressing his cheek. “I missed you so much..” he sleepily mumbles, rubbing his fa
The walk to room 205 in the hospital, that Emilio is currently occupying, feels like the longest walk of my life. The atmosphere is gloomy and sad as I wonder what to say to Valentina, bout her father, and Lorenzo, bout his uncle. When we get to the door, I turn towards Jason.“I’m going to go in first. Could you watch the children?” He gives me a curt nod and I turn towards Val and Lorenzo, already sitting in the benches outside the room. They both look like they’ll fall asleep any second now. I smile softly and go to place them as comfortable as possible.Jason takes a set beside Val and picks up Lorenzo. He places Val’s head on his lap and mouths ‘don’t worry’ to me. I take a deep breath and turn to Emilio’s room door. My hand trembles as I reach for the door handle and open it. The sight that greets me when I walk into the room, makes my heart drop to my stomach.I quickly make my way to the side of the bed and grab his hand, careful of the peg that’s helping to monitor his v
Jason’s POVI take my time driving to the house. I still have to talk to Alexandra about our relationship. We haven’t really had a conversation with each other in months and she seems to not be bothered about it. I mentally decide to push away the impending break up in favor of giving my attention to Skylar. Maybe I should use this opportunity to talk to her and get her back.When I walk into the house, I find that the lights are off. My parents and Jared have probably retired to bed. I quietly make my way upstairs and into my room. I turn on the lights and I’m shocked to find Jared asleep on my bed. I try to do my nightly routine as quietly as I can but I end up waking Jared up when I try to climb unto the bed.“Go to sleep, buddy. It’s just me.” I whisper to him tucking him in properly and stroking his head. “Daddy?... I had a bad dream..” he says. I frown a little and pull him close. “Daddy’s here now. No more bad dreams, okay?” I peck his cheek. “Now go to sleep, hm?” When
Skylar’s POVI stand frozen in the hospital room as I mule over the information the doctor just gave. Emilio?... My brother? Ha! I burst out laughing suddenly. The doctor is startled by my laughter and Jason looks shocked. He knows my brother is gone. When I calm down from my sudden laughing spree, I turn to address the doctor, wiping years from my eyes.“When I said that I was Emilio’s sister, I didn’t mean it biologically. We’ve stayed together for four years now and asides his distant siblings in Italy, I’m the only family he has here. Also he’s adopted, that’s why I didn’t see the point in asking his siblings to get tested.”The doctor looks at me quizzically before speaking. “Oh! I just thought because when we performed some tests on him the surgery, he popped up in the system as a 'Pearce Daniel Woods’. You’re a ‘Woods' too right?... I just assumed because of the name…”The doctor keeps talking, but I’m unable to get any of his words into my head. I turn towards the bed, ta
I’m allowed to go home the evening of the surgery and Jason insists on staying in the house with me and the kids. I try to make him leave but he blatantly ignores me and proceeds to make himself at home. He even chases me into my room and gives me strict instructions to rest. I follow his orders because I feel exhausted from the whole procedure. Emilio will have to get an engraftment before he can come home. The doctor said it will depend on his healing process. It was safe to say that dinner that evening was a tense affair. I was sure that by now Jason would have been wondering why I haven’t come to him, asking about Jared. It seems the kids also noticed that I wasn’t in the mood to entertain them, that or the fact that they were also terribly exhausted. They ate fairly quickly and without any mishaps and soon they were off to bed. Valentina could put herself to bed and I only had to come in and wish her a good night. While I was tucking Enzo in bed, I couldn’t help but be annoyed b
Jason’s POVI can’t believe that I’m not the kid’s father. He looks so much like me and I just assumed that he was mine. I was kind of hoping that she’ll tell me he was mine.I walk into the guest room next to Skylar’s room and take off my jacket. I make myself comfortable on the bed, but it seems as though I’m laying in bricks.After a while of tossing and turning in bed, I get up and move in the direction of the stairs. If I can’t sleep, I might as well just have some coffee and start on some work I’ve left piled up. I go through my phone as I move down the hallway, noting how several of the missed calls I have are from Alexandra. 'I really have to break things off with her.’ I think to my self, groaning deeply at the reminder.A whimper bring me back to focus. I look in the direction of the sound and notice it’s coming from Lorenzo’s room. I don’t waste any time in opening the door and rushing to the tiny figure, curled up on the bed. The red, puffy eyes that peek up out of the