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She laughs through her sniffles. “You might want to kill him because he’ll watch your every move. But that man bears crosses that weren’t made for him.” She glances at her feet, lost for a moment before she looks back at me. “Some people are born with darkness in their soul, and I believe Rob is one of those people. His darkness was allowed to flourish. Don’t underestimate him, sweetie. He almost stole my child from me in the cruelest of ways. I can’t bear to think of him stealing another mother’s child. Listen to Jake. He’s a good man.”
She wipes a tear from the corner of my eye, and all I can do is nod in agreement.
“I know.”
Because I do.
I know Jake is a good man.
He’s amazing.
But I also know darkness flourished in my home.
Darkness grew and blocked out all light.
It left a chill, and it starved us of the sun.
Even on beautiful days, when the sky heated our skin, three steps inside my childhood home, and it was cold.
I squeeze her hand.
“I know,” I whisper, putting trust I don’t have in a man she’s begging me to give a chance.
Chapter Seventeen
The evening sky is threatening rain as I pull into Jake’s driveway. My body feels stiff, my eyes heavy from lack of sleep, and I’ve ruined a new shirt because the kids were doing finger paintings at the shelter today. I couldn’t stand back and watch like a normal adult. My inner child crept out, too giddy not to join in.
Jay-Jay has his head in a book when I go inside, sprawled out on the rug, the television on mute.
“Hey, handsome. How was your day?”
He glances up, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose before offering a small shrug. His face is sullen with no wide smile that I’m used to.
“Grandma is in the kitchen. Dad isn’t home yet.” It’s then I notice the blotchy patches under his eyes, heavy with tears.
There’s a little tug in my chest. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he simply says before sighing and going back to his book.
He’s lying.
“You’re sure?”
“Uh, huh.”
I don’t press further. If he doesn’t want to talk about it, I won’t force him. Maybe he’ll talk to Jake. I hate to think of him being upset.
“Hi, sweetie.” Rose grins as she cleans the countertops. “How are you settling in?”
It’s been two days.
It feels like a hotel.
And I don’t want to settle in anywhere.
I won’t be here long enough.
I better not be here long enough.
