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“Mommy.” A little boy materialized behind the living room couch, a teddy bear clutched to his chest. He glanced between the two of us before fixing his gaze on Martha. She rose to her feet, set the glass down on the coffee table, and strode toward him. “Is he gone?”
Martha stopped in front of him and crouched. “Yes, don’t worry.”
“He scares me, mommy.”
Martha pushed his hair out of his eyes and cleared her throat. “He scares me too. Why don’t you go back inside and play with your toys? Mommy will be in soon.”
He paused and threw his arms around her.
A strange swell of emotion rose and unfurled in the center of my chest. When Martha drew back, her expression warm and vulnerable, my heart skipped a beat. In silence, she ushered her son back into the room and pulled the door shut behind her. Then she crossed over to the door and peered out at the police squad pulling up outside the front lawn.
I came to a stand next to her and said nothing.
Was Horace her son’s father?
Was that why he insisted on seeing him?
The police car came to a stop, and a uniformed man and a woman came out, making a beeline for us. Martha shifted from one foot to the other, a ball of nervous energy, and I brushed my hand against hers. She tilted her head to the side and offered me a small smile. Then she switched her gaze back to the officers who had climbed up the stairs to the front porch, wearing identical concerned expressions.
“Ma’am, are you the one who called about the intruder?”
Martha stood up straighter and cleared her throat. “I am.”
One of them flipped a notebook open and nodded. “Can you describe the intruder?”
“Short, blonde hair and green eyes. Average build. His name is Horace Bloom.”
“You know the intruder?”
“We used to date.”
Both officers exchanged a quick look before glancing back at me. “Ma’am, have you filed for a restraining order?”
“I didn’t think I needed one.”
“This is his first instance of violence?”
Martha paused and shook her head. “No, it isn’t. Ever since I broke things off a few weeks ago, he’s been trying to get me back. He won’t leave me alone. He even showed up to the restaurant where I worked and caused a scene just to get me fired.”
I balled my hands into fists at my side. “I’ll go and talk to the manager.”
Martha looked over at me and frowned. “It’s fine. I didn’t like the job that much anyway.”
“And who are you?”
“I’m Martha’s… friend.”
Because I had no idea what else I was supposed to call myself.
Declaring my intentions to her in front of these police officers wasn’t the plan. Nor was talking about the real reason why I came over when she was still traumatized and shaken up by her douchebag of an ex. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand what she saw in him, nor did I care to find out.
All that mattered was that he was her ex.
“Can you tell us why he tried to break in?”
“He wanted to see Jimmy, my son.”
The female officer stood up straighter, and a furrow appeared between her brows. “Is Jimmy his son too?”
