“Oh, you can just call me Ember,” I tell him with a smile as Harley lets out a chuckle.
“So how old are you, dude?” Harley asks, stuffing a bite of the warm supreme pizza into his mouth.
Rawley places a hand in front of his mouth as he finishes chewing. “I’ll be fifteen at the end of October!”
My body goes stiff. The baby was due the end of November, but I gave birth prematurely. I assume stress was a factor, because of all the events Dean caused at the time. I gave birth at the end of October.
I quietly excuse myself from the kitchen and head to the bathroom. I close the door and push my hands against it, bending over to catch my breath.
It’s him. He’s my son. I can’t breathe.
I hear footsteps, followed by a light tap on the door.
“Ember, babe, you okay?” Atlas asks me gently through the door. I move away from the door and brace myself behind me on the sink. Atlas enters slowly into the bathroom. “What’s happening?” she asks me, coming to hold my face in both hands.
Before I can stop myself, the words rush out. “He’s mine,” I tell her, my breaths coming fast and quick. “The kid. Rawley. He’s the baby I gave up.”
Atlas stares at me with wide eyes. “Ember, I don’t…”
“He has Dean’s eyes. My hair. His birthday lines up,” I tell her, my voice shaky and quick.
“Oh, my god.” Atlas drops her hands and starts pacing in the bathroom, tapping her lips, her eyes pulled together as she puts all the puzzle pieces together.
I can feel my heart beating faster and faster, I feel myself getting hotter and hotter. I sink down to the ground. Atlas crowds me when my butt hits the ground.
“Harley,” I let out before laying on the ground, knowing I'm going to pass out. Atlas runs out of the room. I hear her call for Harley and stop him right outside the door.
“Rawley, the boy,” I hear her tell him quietly, “She thinks he may be the baby she gave up.” I don’t hear an answer from him, but his face quickly comes into view.
“Ember, baby.” He pulls me into his arms. “Atlas, get me a wet rag, a cool one.” Atlas runs down the hall and I hear her rummaging through the house.
“Can you tell me five things you see here in the bathroom?” he asks me gently.
“Towel, shower curtain, toilet, sink, door,” I tell him, trying to calm my breathing.
“Four things you feel?” he asks me again.
“You, the rug, the cold floor, my hoodie,” I tell him while holding onto him with a tight grasp.
“Three things you hear?” he asks as he strokes my face.
“The heater, the running water, and Aria crying,” I tell him, finally feeling the tightness in my chest loosen.
“Two things you can smell.” This time it’s not a question, just him ushering my answers out.
“Blue seduction, and pizza breath,” I tell him, letting a smile slip when he grins.
“And one thing you can taste?” he says before bending down to kiss me gently.
“You,” I tell him while I lay limp finally in his arms.
“Baby, what’s going on?” Harley asks me, not letting his worried eyes leave mine. I sit up and pull my knees to my chest, circling my arms around myself to pull them closer.
“When I saw the boy that first time, it felt like time rewound and stopped at the same time,” I tell him, letting out a breath, and resting my chin on my knee. “He looks just like Dean did when we were young. Those icy, bright blue eyes.” Harley pulls me towards his body so that I can lean on him, as I continue. “I suspected, but thought I could be going crazy.”
“When I asked about his birthday…” Harley looks down at me with sadness written across his face, realizing what it confirmed. “Babygirl I am so sorry.” He holds me so tight, bringing me into his lap to rock me against him.
After a couple minutes, I reach up to grab the sink to help me up.
