AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter one
Sam
"You'regoingtobegood for mommy, right?"
Alex scuffs his foot on the ground, looking down with a tense expression. I can tell he's trying not to cry; he plays tough for mom, especially since his dad passed, but I know my son. I reach out and hold his face, and he looks up with sparkling brown eyes.
He looks so much like David. It still hurts.
"I'll be home so, so soon," I tell him with an encouraging smile. "And you get to spend time with Uncle Chance and Aunt Tasha and little Lyra in the treehouse! It's going to be great."
Alex's chin trembles. I can hear Lyra laughing somewhere in the background, two years old and already more brave and bold than my son. I love that about Alex though; he's sensitive, kind, soft-hearted.
It does make it even harder to leave him though.
"Hold up your hand, honey," I say, gesturing at his right hand. "Come on, hold it up."
He does it, his chin still wrinkled and trembling.
"Five fingers up," I say. "That's the whole time I'll be gone. One, two, three, four, five. Just to go get some dogs. And then I'll be back before you know it, and I'll havepuppies."
Alex smiles at that. Sure, we already have six dogs in our house...but what's one more when it's just you and your kid?
"What kind of puppies?" he whispers.
"Not sure yet," I say with a smile. "But I'll make sure to send pictures and I'll call you every night before bed, okay?"
Alex nods, a smile finally breaking through his sadness. I pull him into a tight hug, feeling his small body shake with sobs. It breaks my heart to leave him, but it's for a good cause. There's a shelter down in SoCal that's overcrowded and needs help, and I can't bear the thought of those sweet pups being put down because there's no room for them.
I gently break the hug and give him a soft kiss on the forehead. "Be good for mommy, okay? And don't forget to brush your teeth."
He nods again, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "I will, mommy. I love you."
"I love you too, baby," I say, my voice thick with emotion. I turn to leave, trying to ignore the lump in my throat, but I hear his small voice behind me.
"Mommy?"
I turn to face him, my heart heavy. "Yes, Alex?"
"Can you bring me back a souvenir?"
I laugh. "Of course, baby."
I'm about to walk away--Ihaveto just walk away, I'm supposed to meet our animal rescue partner tomorrow and I absolutely have to hit the road--but then I turn around and scoop Alex into a big hug. He's getting older and he won't always be little enough to do this, and I give him a big kiss on the forehead as a reminder of how much I love him.
"You're going to do great, kiddo," I say. "I love you."
As I turn to leave, Alex's voice stops me again. "Mommy, what if you don't come back?"
I freeze. The question catches me off guard, and I struggle to find the right words.
Because he's not wrong to think that.
His dad never came home.
"What do you mean, baby?" I ask, my voice shaking.
"What if something happens to you?" he asks, tears welling up in his eyes again.
