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“Yeah,” I croak and go about my job, hooking her to the machines.
“You don’t know how many times I wanted to find you. Carl and I . . . we couldn’t reach out after we disappeared,” Sofie whispers, gaining my attention fully. The tears running down her cheeks cause an ache in my heart. “So many regrets, but the main one was letting Carl’s parents talk us into joining that church,” she spits out. “We didn’t know how to get out of it after joining it. Then your mother . . . God, she knew I was a nurse and said we could have the baby as payment. Said, otherwise, it was just going to be drowned.”
This can’t be happening.
“It broke a part of me throughout the labor and walking away from you, taking Everett with me. We named him that for you to remember that what was taken from you, was a blessing for us. That night, once we knew it was clear, we ran.”
* * *
Throughout the remainder of my shift, I processed what she said and watched how both Sofie and Carl were with Everett. So many thoughts swirled around in my head, and I wanted to scream in outrage. But the more I saw the way they were with Everett I knew even if I wanted to, I couldn’t rip him away from either of them. They loved my son, and the way they seemed so protective, I surely couldn’t take that away from anyone.
Shaking my head, I try to push all thoughts of last night out of my mind and make my way into the kitchen to find both father and son cooking alongside each other. Well, more like Daemon cooking with Hendrik watching.
Daemon had been gone the past two days on a run and I don’t remember hearing him come in last night. I must have been out of it when he came home. While he’s been gone, Ivy and the others have helped with Hendrik on days that I’ve had to work.
“Smells good in here,” I declare, stepping fully into the room. Both man and boy twist to look at me.
Daemon grins and closes the distance between us. His arms come around my waist, and he pulls me flush against his front. “Hey, sugar,” he murmurs, tilting his head down to press his lips to mine.
“Gross, Dad.” Hendrik fake gags.
“Kid, you’ll learn one day.” Daemon chuckles and kisses me again. When he pulls away, he reaches up to brush the loose strands of hair behind my ear. “You okay, baby? You were out cold when I got in.”
I nod, dropping my eyes to the floor, not sure how to answer him.
Daemon moves back to cooking breakfast, and I’m thankful he doesn’t take the time to question me further, but I know this man, and he doesn’t miss anything. He’ll know something’s up and want to know what it is.
“Hendrik.” I clear my throat and give the kid a smile. “Did you finish your project last night with Reaper and Ivy?” I ask and move to the cupboard to grab a mug, needing a cup of coffee . . . even if it’s decaf. Though, after doing some research, I don’t mind switching since it’s better for your heart.
“Yeah, thanks for the idea. My friends are gonna be jealous.” He grins and tells his dad about how he’s showing the way our lungs work when we’re breathing using a two-liter bottle, clay, a drinking straw, and balloons.
“Sounds cool,” Daemon remarks, giving Hendrik his full attention as he finishes cooking.
I watch as he plates the food for each of us and sets it on the counter. Together we all move to the little table in the kitchen. The conversation flows throughout the entire time, mostly by Hendrik updating his dad on what he’s been up to over the past couple of days. I’m sure it’s not easy for him, with it only being weeks since his mom passed away, and he needs that chance to have his dad’s attention.
Shortly after breakfast is consumed, Hendrik takes off to his room to get on his gaming system to play some weird-looking game with his friends from school. I’m not a gamer, so I couldn’t tell what a person is supposed to do even if I tried.
“What’s going on in that pretty little head, sugar?” Daemon asks, leaning against the counter while I load the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher.
I close my eyes and let out a sigh before tilting my head back to meet his gaze. “Yesterday at work, I saw my son.”
“What?” he demands, his eyes flaring with what, I’m not sure. The intensity of them, though, is something that would make anyone else shrink away.
“I saw my son,” I repeat and explain to him what happened . . . everything. From walking into the room, finding out his name is Everett, and that the woman was the nurse who helped birth him. I didn’t finish until he had all of it.
“So, what do you want to do?” His eyes haven’t lost the intensity. If anything, they got more so, as he asks.
“I don’t know. After seeing the way Carl and Sofie were with him, I don’t think I could rip that away from him. I do think he’s happy with them. I’m sure of it. Honestly, he should be with them. They’ve raised him, and I saw how excited he was to be getting a little sister. Taking him away from that would ruin his life and I don’t want that,” I say. A weight I didn’t even know I was carrying eases off my shoulders, and I release a breath. “If anything, maybe Sofie and Carl will agree to at least let me get to know him. Be a friend.”
“Whatever you want, baby, I’ll make sure it happens,” he mutters, pulling me into his arms and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“Yeah.” I wrap my arms around him and hold on tight.
I swear this man is the one person in the world that could keep me sane when I fear so much.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
DAEMON
