Fuel Pump – A device that pumps fuel from the fuel cell through the fuel line and into the carburetor.

 

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

We were finally happy, together, loving each other the way we should have been all those years. This wasn’t fair.

Why couldn’t we have the happily ever after, the fairytale she wanted? Didn’t she deserve at least that much?

This didn’t make sense to me, when would enough be enough?

“Jameson Riley, we need to ask you a few questions. Come with me, please.” I looked up to find a stalky officer standing in front of me. He was dressed in street clothes but I could tell by his demeanor, he was a police officer. Or maybe it was the badge he flashed that gave him away?

I sighed heavily as I stood and walked with him to a private room.

We had arrived back at the hospital where the police were waiting. I wasn’t surprised.

He led me to a small conference room, opened the door, and motioned for me to enter.

“My name is Officer Tim Henley,” he said, taking a seat. I sat down across from him. “I’m going to ask you a few questions here.”

I nodded when he placed a tape recorder on the square wooden table angled toward me. The room was small with all white walls; I squinted at the brightness of the room on my irritated eyes.

“Can you tell me what happened last night?” he asked, reaching forward to turn on his tape recorder, clicking his black pen obsessively.

My thoughts wandered to last night.

It was now two in the morning, and I still hadn’t slept or seen Sway. I was still dressed in my driving suit that was now covered in blood—Darrin’s blood. I was also supposed to be back at the track in less than six hours for the race that was cancelled yesterday. I needed sleep, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. No, that wasn’t happening with these thoughts.

After we had left the bar, Van had left with Darrin. He was still unconscious and, at that point, Van was actually wondering if I had, in fact, killed him. Unfortunately, the motherfucker still had a pulse. Mike was so scared when he woke up missing teeth that he left and told the police he fell. I wasn’t sure we’d ever see him again.

“I think you know what happened,” I replied sarcastically. If he thought I was really going to lay it all out, he was out of his mind. I wasn’t admitting to shit. In my mind, I did nothing wrong.

“Riley.” He breathed through his nose and reached, turning off the tape recorder. “I know what happened, I’m not an idiot. I know who Van Lambert is as well.” He held up a file. “Van Lambert, age thirty-two, ex-Navy Seal, specialized in Special Reconnaissance missions for nine years. Phillip Clemons hired him as your bodyguard.” He placed the file down on the table. “I’d like to know what happened and why Darrin Torres, who is wanted for attempted murder, is now missing.”

I stared at him with a blank expression, my body radiating tension. As if I gave a shit, who he knew or what he knew.

“Just cooperate with us,” Officer Henley suggested. “I’m sorry for what happened to your fiancée. Please keep in mind, though, that I also have an investigation to do here.” He shook his head. “Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that, given the chance, I wouldn’t have reacted the same way if that was my fiancée and child.”

I looked away, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling the pain once again. He had no fucking idea what I was going through. He had no idea the pain I was feeling right now.

“But, Jameson, I have a job to do here, and I would really appreciate some cooperation,” he intoned, leaning forward to turn the recorder back on. He reached for the folder in front of him, and I caught a glimpse of the photos inside. There was my Sway—bloody, broken, and naked. The photos must have been taken when she first arrived, as part of the investigation, but the sight of them had me hyperventilating.

I looked down at my hands in my lap, trying to control my breathing as tears started to fall.

“Were you there when Emma Riley found Sway?”

“No,” I said. “I was in my race car. The race was on a red flag when Emma Riley found her.”

“So you are a NASCAR driver?”

“What in the hell does that have to do with anything? I mean, don’t you have more important questions to ask besides my career choice?”

“Fair enough.” I think he knew I was in no mood for small talk. “How did you know where to find Darrin Torres?”

“I didn’t,” I mused, shrugging indifferently. “I got lucky.”

“Were you at Boars Tavern at approximately 10 p.m.?” He made a few notes on his white notepad, his eyes watchful of my every movement. Like any trained detective, he was waiting for me to give him a clue.

“Yes.”

“And what happened while you were there?”

“Darrin and I had a discussion.” I smiled wickedly.

His lips twitched into a small smile. It was pretty fucking evident by my appearance more than a discussion took place. “But you don’t know where Darrin is now?” Officer Henley looked up at me. His confusion was transient as he took in my dark stare.

“I have no idea where he went when I left the bar,” I answered.

“When was the last time you saw Van Lambert?”

“He was with me at the bar.” I ran my fingers through my sweaty hair. “I haven’t seen him either since I left the bar.”

“What time did you leave the bar?”

I shrugged. “I don’t really know, but I would say it was around 11 p.m.”

“If Mr. Lambert is your body guard, why wasn’t he with Sway?”

“We agreed for him to have the week off since I, or another family member, would be with Sway this weekend.”

“So you haven’t heard from him since the bar?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t say that.” I smiled darkly.

“You’ve been in contact with Mr. Lambert?” He scribbled a note as if this would be his answer.

“Yes, we spoke about an hour ago. I asked him to please come to the hospital to keep an eye on Sway.”

“Where is he?”

“I didn’t ask him that,” I told him. “He said he would be here tomorrow sometime.”

Henley leaned forward again and turned off the recorder. “Well, I can tell you that Darrin is missing, but something tells me you know that already. There is a warrant out for his arrest and when he does turn up, he’ll be going to jail for a long time for violating a restraining order. It’s a serious crime. He will also be charged with attempted murder of Sway, as well as your unborn child. As far as the other charge... it’s pending a test.”

My fists clenched immediately at the word that had been haunting me.

Rape.

I looked at him intently; I could have burned a hole through him. Slowly, I leaned forward against the table, waiting for his eyes to meet mine. I could be one scary motherfucker if I wanted to be. Right now, I needed to be.

“Are we finished here?” I asked then laughed maniacally. It was becoming apparent that I had seriously lost my goddamn mind at that point.

“Yes, you may go.” He tipped his head the direction of the door. “I hope your fiancée makes a full recovery.”

I said nothing, and the door slammed behind me.

Spencer and Aiden were waiting in the hallway for me when I walked out, both leaning against the wall.

“Is everything okay?” Aiden asked hesitantly, his forehead glistened with sweat.

“Just calm the fuck down, Aiden.” I turned to Spencer. “Give him some sleeping pills or something.”

He’d been a nervous fucking wreck since we left the bar, convinced we were all going to prison for life. Emma got him hooked on some TV show called CSI. He was sure some forensics bullshit was going to put us all away.

I was moments away from bitch slapping him.

We weren’t in the waiting room a few minutes when a doctor appeared, asking for me.

“Are you listening to me, Mr. Riley?” Dr. Clayton asked when I approached the critical care units with him. Our pace seemed stalled.

I was trying to listen to him, really I was. He was explaining how Sway and the baby were doing. But as his lips moved, I couldn’t hear the words being spoken. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as if that would help. There was no clearing my head right now.

“Sway is being sedated at the moment. She’s woken up a few times, but whenever we tell her about the baby, we have to sedate her again.” His eyes were just as watchful as the detective’s had been.

It seemed everyone was waiting to see when I’d break. The problem—I already had.

“The baby is in distress, but the heartbeat is steady. The ultrasound indicates everything is stable. Originally, we thought the baby was seventeen weeks, but after this last ultrasound an hour ago, the baby is measuring at eighteen weeks, two days. This is good news. The heart and lungs are developing nicely. I’ve asked someone from Obstetrics to come down and talk to you guys in the morning, well, later this morning.”

I used the wall to steady myself as he continued, “From what we can tell, and from what Sway has told us the times she’s been lucid, Darrin found her in the stairwell. They got into a disagreement, and he pushed her down the stairs. She doesn’t remember anything after that.” He glared down at her chart. “She has a broken arm that we’ve put in a cast, along with a broken hand. The ribs we can’t do anything about besides keeping her comfortable. It’s a good thing the baby is small or the kicks could hurt her. She lost a considerable amount of blood from the laceration to her scalp that required nineteen stitches. Sway has also suffered from a condition called placental abruption. Usually this is not caused from a fall, but it’s hard to say. Placental abruption is where the placenta begins to separate from the uterus. There are three stages to this and, in Sway’s case it’s fairly mild but serious enough that it needs to be monitored closely. She will be on bed rest the remainder of her pregnancy.”

I groaned aloud; she was going to hate this. I could already hear the complaints, but welcomed them if it meant she would be all right.

“I think it’s best she stays in the hospital for at least three weeks, maybe longer. After that, we will see how the baby is doing and assess the situation from there. We will be performing daily ultrasounds to monitor the baby’s lung development, and whether or not premature delivery is necessary. Sway recently began having contractions so we have administered a drug called magnesium to slow the contractions down and try to prevent the cervix from dilating. The goal is to get Sway to at least thirty-two weeks when the baby’s lungs are mature. Right now, if the baby was delivered, the chance of survival is minimal.”

I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “So they are both okay?” My voice was hoarse and broke with each word despite my attempts for them not to.

“Yes, they are both stable for now,” he told me. “We’ll be monitoring both of them closely.”

You know, as a race car driver, I hated to lose control. It was a sign of weakness in my mind.

But I also knew there were times when all I did was lose control and everything I knew got away from me and my world crumbled. No matter what I tried to do to hold on, I fell, hard.

“What about the, uh... other test?” I still couldn’t even say the word.

Dr. Clayton nodded. His face was grim as he looked over the chart. “The test was inconclusive. No traces of DNA were found ...” He looked up at me, his eyes narrowing, gauging, and judging.

My entire body was trembling, waiting; tears once again fell from my eyes. I stared back at him fearing the worst, hoping he didn’t say the words.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Mr. Riley?” the doctor’s voice brought me back as he surveyed my appearance. Scratches covered my face, my lip was swollen, and my nose was most certainly broken. Bloodshot eyes, a body cracked, bruised and broken beneath the surface silently begging him.

“I don’t think she was raped.” I flinched at the word. “But I do believe that if your sister hadn’t found her when she did... that it was his intention as it does appear that’s what he started to do but then abruptly stopped. Maybe, we don’t really know.” The doctor shook his head. “Ms. Reins is sleeping right now, but I can let you back there for a few moments. Can you handle this?”

I only nodded. The truth was I couldn’t handle any of this. I was beyond handling anything anymore.

Without Sway by my side, I was helpless, and hearing the truth about what happened to her was like a knife ripping through my already broken heart. I let this happen. I didn’t take the threats seriously in Summerville when I had my chance. I pushed him to her. This happened because I allowed it to so, like I said, I had no control, and I was beyond handling anything right now.

I followed Dr. Clayton to her room, and my heart sank as I took in her appearance. It was like walking into a nightmare, the eye of a hurricane, the hurricane I caused. I brought her into this mess. I knew I shouldn’t have wanted her, but I did, and now look at what happened. My hands shook violently, palms sweaty, and my stomach churning as I entered the room, nothing around me in focus—only her.

I touched her hand softly, noticing all the abrasions, bruises and how swollen her entire arm was. It was evident she’d been through something horrible.

How could I have let this happen to her? How could I have let this happen to my child?

Dr. Clayton placed his hands on my shoulders when I sat next to her. “Mr. Riley, you need to be strong for her; she needs you to be strong for her and that baby.” My head fell forward. Sensing my breakdown, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

I didn’t want to be like this, but I couldn’t help it, not when it came to Sway.

I kissed her hand and told her I loved her. I didn’t know what else to say. I knew she could probably hear me, but I didn’t know what to say. What do you say in this type of situation? At a loss for words, I quietly sat there, staring at her, wondering if everything would be okay. I couldn’t lose her.

I wanted so badly to have that happy ever after she wanted, and I wanted the chance to give it to her.

 

EMMA

 

Why was it when something bad happened, time slowed down, creeping along unbearably slow. Jameson had been in Sway’s room for the last three hours, and I doubted he would leave anytime soon. The one time the doctor asked him to step out for a moment so he could perform an exam on her, he went apeshit and threw a chair through a window.

I looked around the small waiting room where our family was gathered. Aiden was on the ground sleeping at my feet. Spencer was lying on the floor watching TV with his head in Alley’s lap, and my mother was knitting (she knits when she is nervous). I’m not sure who the scarf was for, though, considering it spanned across the entire waiting room. I glanced across the hall to see dad, on his cell phone with Phillip, pacing back and forth.

No one had left since we arrived, besides when Jameson and Spencer decided to make matters worse. I was in desperate need of a shower and a decent meal. I could tell everyone else was, too, and don’t even get me started on the need for a change of clothes.

Good God, I’d been wearing the same shirt since yesterday. That had never happened before. I felt disgusting.

I nudged Aiden with my foot, and he jumped up as if I’d kicked him.

“What’s wrong? Did the police come for me?” he asked startled, looking around at everyone as he wiped the drool from his chin.

“Shhh... nothing’s wrong.” I rubbed his shoulder and then smacked it when I realized how retarded he was being. “No, the police didn’t come for you. I was thinking that maybe we should leave for a little while... get cleaned up. We have to be at the track in two hours. We should also get some real food besides cookies from the vending machine,” I quipped, throwing an empty bag of Oreos at him.

He sighed, squinting slightly, as he looked around the room, his eyes narrowing at my mom who’d given him a piece of her mind last night.

They didn’t approve of us getting married after only being together less than six months. I still blamed Charlie, but I knew we should have waited.

My mom said something along the lines of, “That’s not fair. I wanted to plan my daughter’s wedding!” and my dad’s reaction was somewhere along the lines of, “You’re a fucking idiot.”

“Is Jameson still with her?” Aiden asked, getting up to sit on the chair beside me.

“He won’t leave,” I said. “I don’t blame him though.”

“I don’t either.” His eyes glistened as he placed his hand on my cheek, and I knew what he meant by that. “What time is it?” He stood, shaking the cookie crumbs from his shirt.

“It’s almost seven. I’m going to call up to her room and see if Jameson wants us to bring him back anything.”

Of course, he didn’t want anything. I hadn’t seen him eat since we got here, so surely he must be hungry by now. I decided I was getting him something anyway.

I felt bad for him. I knew firsthand how much Jameson loved her. A sad or hurt Sway equaled a really sad or hurt Jameson. And it had always been that way, even when they were younger. Those two always had a lunar pull to one another, like gravity.

We returned about an hour later after showering, changing, and managing to grab some food. I brought back a breakfast burrito for Jameson, hoping he’d eat it but knowing he wouldn’t.

Aiden and I walked up to the second floor where the trauma center was located. As we entered Sway’s room, I was shocked at Jameson’s sullen appearance. He hadn’t showered; the blood from the fight still covered his arms, hands, and face. It was obvious he hadn’t eaten or drank anything, and I was beginning to wonder if he had even slept as dark circles had formed under his bloodshot eyes. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, looking like it needed its own zip code, and he’d been wearing the same clothes since the race, which I found repulsive.

I handed him the food and some fresh clothes. He denied the food, but stepped into the bathroom to change his clothes. Thank God. He actually smelled.

I looked at Sway, and she did seem to look better. The color of her skin was returning to normal at least. I watched the monitor for the baby for a moment; the heartbeat remained steady.

“Any change?” Aiden asked the doctor when he entered the room. Before he could answer, the bathroom door opened and we both looked over at Jameson.

Dr. Clayton frowned at his appearance. Jameson ignored our glances, shuffling toward the empty chair beside Sway.

“The last ultrasound showed the bleeding has stopped, but she’s still having contractions. We will need to continue with the magnesium until they stop. She is dilated to a two, but that’s all right... there’s no thinning of the cervix, and that’s even better.”

Though the doctor’s words were hopeful, my brother didn’t seem to hear any of it; I knew that meant he blamed himself again.

 

 

Dr. Clayton left the room, leaving Emma, Aiden, and I alone with Sway as she slept.

Aiden bent down and kissed Sway on the forehead before walking out. No one wanted to see her like this. I didn’t blame them. I didn’t want to either, but I had to be with her.

Sway’s head had gauze wrapped around it, her hair matted with blood. Both eyes were swollen, deep shades of black, green, and blue. Her upper lip cracked, swollen with faint purple bruises across her cheek. All of it left me seeing red again every time I looked at it. A thick white blanket hid the rest of her body, but I knew the bruises that covered her entire body from the fall and the fight. She had been through something horrible, and I wasn’t there to protect her.

“Did the police question Aiden?” I asked Emma as she gently held Sway’s hand and said a prayer for her.

“Yeah,” she snorted rolling her eyes. “About three hours ago. I thought he was going to die from a heart attack by the time they were done with him. He was all sweaty and shaking... pathetic.”

I shook my head as eyes drifted back to Sway.

Needing some air, I left Emma in the room alone with Sway for a few minutes to speak with my dad. I took notice of the time and knew I needed to leave in less than an hour.

When Dad saw me come out, he motioned for me to come over to where he was standing at the nurses’ station. He was talking on his cell phone with Marcus, I assumed.

Alley was standing beside him on her Blackberry. Noticing me, she smiled hesitantly and looked away when the person on the other line began talking.

“You need to get back to the track. Kyle will be here in a few minutes to pick you and Aiden up. Spencer is already there with the rest of the crew,” Dad said in my direction. I looked up and nodded. “I have to meet with Phillip, thanks to you.” He turned his attention to his phone again. “All right, Marcus, yes, that sounds good. Um... I don’t know. Call Alley on that part. I will have Jameson get with you to release a statement later this afternoon.” He raised an eyebrow.

I nodded, confirming I would issue a statement. It would be the right thing to do. I had no idea what I was going to say, but I had to say something; they would want answers. Hopefully Phillip would know what to say so I didn’t get myself in trouble.

I realized then, watching my dad and Alley fighting to protect me—protect our family—just what happened when you lost control and that anger bubbled over the edge.

At the time, in the heat of the moment, everything seemed so simple, the anger got the best of you and the consequences, well, you didn’t think of them until it was over, you reacted in the only manner you knew how. Now, I was dealing with the consequences the only way I knew how.

And when I thought a little more, my family never condoned the type of behavior I displayed last night, but I knew in the face of everything, my family was on my side and would do anything to protect me.

“I thought for sure I was going to have to bail you out of jail.” Dad shook his head, stepping closer. Yanking me forward, we walked down the hall. “Van called ...” his voice faded as he waited for me to ask.

“What did he say?”

“It’s not important.” He smiled the same crooked grin I had.

His hand swept across the back of his neck. His expression was one of love that brought me back to when I’d wrecked my car. It didn’t matter if I’d lost my head and wadded the car up. He was still there for me. Now wasn’t any different. He was here, helping me repair what I destroyed.

“I have to leave for Eldora tonight. I won’t be back for two weeks. Are you going to be okay here? Will you control your temper while I’m gone?”

“I’ll try,” I said coldly, fumbling with the hem of my shirt. I wasn’t trying to be short, but I was, and he knew I meant nothing by it.

“We haven’t called Charlie yet. Your mom tried to but ended up crying. So that hasn’t been done.”

I nodded lightly. “Should I call him before I leave?”

“I think we should wait. Sway and the baby are stable, for now. I think it’s best if we know everything before we call him.”

“How long will he get?” I asked, changing subjects, but I knew he’d know what I was referring to.

“Yeah, so about that.” His hand swept across the back of his neck once more. “He’d have to be found before that happens, and that’s probably never going to happen.” He paused, looking at me with concern. “That’s why I’m going to have Phillip meet with you. I really can’t see where any of this would come back to you.”

I started breathing heavy again. Remembering the night, I leaned forward, gripping the edge of the granite counter top where we had stopped.

“Did I ...?”

Even if I did kill him, I had no regrets. Not after what he did. Revenge is a strange concept to me and when I thought about what he did, I knew I made the right choice.

“Van didn’t come out and say it in so many words, but I saw Darrin when we left. I think you did.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Did the doctor let you know the results of the test?”

I felt my entire body tense thinking of that goddamned word. “He said it was inconclusive.”

He nodded and looked down at his phone, which had buzzed.

“I’ve got to go. Wes is waiting for me.” His hand came up to grasp my shoulder. “Get over here shit head.”

I laughed lightly against his shoulder as we hugged. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Keep an eye on Aiden,” he said. “That kid is like a ticking time bomb today.”

I laughed again before pulling away. “How did it go with you guys?”

“Those two are worse than you and Sway when it comes to bad decisions.” He drew in a deep breath and shrugged into his jacket. “I can’t even imagine what would make the two of them decide to get married.” He paused, glancing around furtively. “... wait a second... is she fucking pregnant?”

“Don’t ask me.” I held my hands in defense. “I don’t know!”

“Emma!” he yelled after her when she snuck out of the room and ran down the hall away from him. “Get back here you little shit.”

Walking back to Sway’s room, I heard the end of their conversation.

“No, Dad! I swear I’m not pregnant.”

“Well, good, but seriously!” He pushed her shoulder, walking farther down the hall. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I grew up with Spencer and Jameson,” she mused. “You shouldn’t expect so much from me.”

He slung his arm around Emma. “At least get the asshole to buy you a decent ring,” he told her. “That one looks like shit.”

Approaching her room, I could see through the window that she was finally awake, glancing around, and her hand that wasn’t in the cast resting on her swollen stomach. It took everything in me not to run to her, but I needed a minute... to gain control. She couldn’t see me like this.

I needed that control I didn’t have. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the heavy wooden door open. She didn’t notice me until I was beside the bed.

When her eyes finally met mine, I lost what was left and fell to my knees at her bedside, sobbing. When my hands touched hers, I felt the same connection I’d always felt.

Her eyes fluttered. “Jameson?” she croaked out and began crying, wincing in pain as she tried to reach for me.

“I’m right... here... honey. Don’t move,” I cried out in broken sobs, my chest tightened as my heart began racing. “I’m so... sorry.” I brought her hand to my wet lips, my tears falling to her ivory bruised skin. “I’m... sorry... I’m so fucking sorry.” My free hand reached for her stomach, rubbing it softly. I’d hoped the baby would move for me, reassuring me, but it didn’t happen. Though I could see on the monitor that the baby was moving, it just wasn’t enough for me to feel.

Sway let me sit there, clutching her hand desperately with my other hand over our child, crying with her as I repeated over and over again how sorry I was. All the emotions I had felt yesterday came crashing back in an instant. The moment I felt her safe and in my arms, I never wanted to let go.

I jumped when her door cracked opened a few minutes later.

An older light-haired woman peeked inside. “Oh... sorry,” she said, taking in our appearances. “I’m Renata from Obstetrics but you can call me Ren.” She smiled, rolling in a large machine. “I’m here to perform the ultrasound this morning.”

I stood, keeping my hand wrapped around Sway’s, “Should I... uh... leave?”

“No!” Sway panicked, reaching for me once again and then wincing in pain, clutching her side. “Please, don’t go, please stay!” Her eyes were frantic with worry and need. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Sway, honey, I have to go soon,” I choked out. “I can’t stay today. ... I have to be at the track. We couldn’t find a relief driver for me.” Dad had told me that he and Kyle asked around, but Justin had to be in Eldora and it seemed no one else was available. Gordon was also the last “say” of who could get into the car so he denied anyone we asked for.

Tears spilled over her cheeks. The emerald in her eyes spoke for her pain.

“I know...” she hiccupped, understanding as she always did. “Can you stay for the ultrasound?”

“Yes, if that’s what you want.” I gently wiped the tears from her cheek, careful not to touch the bruises. I wanted so badly to hold her, feel the warmth of her body against mine and feel that she was okay, but I was afraid to even touch her, afraid I’d hurt her. And afraid I wouldn’t let go.

She nodded carefully. “I want... you to see the baby.”

“All right then.” Ren began opening drawers and equipment needed before pulling the machine near the bed. Gently she drew back the thick white blanket covering Sway and removed the monitor wrapped around her bruised midsection.

After pouring an insane amount of lubricant on her slightly swollen belly, she moved the wand-looking thing back and forth. “Ah, there’s the little person.”

Sway’s eyes flickered to the monitor as did mine.

And, just like that, I was seeing, for the first time, my child. A part of me, a part of Sway, a part of us, was inside of her. I was mesmerized. The loud, steady heartbeat reassured me the baby was okay for now. I couldn’t divert my eyes even if I wanted to. That was my child moving around inside her—our child, we created.

“Would you like to know the sex of the baby?” Ren asked. Her eyes glanced back and forth between Sway and me.

“Oh,” Sway said with a hint of excitement in her tired voice. “Can you tell already?”

“Yes. Do you want to know? It’s very obvious right now.” Her smile had grown into a full grin.

Joining my hand with Sway’s, I chuckled lightly, pressing her hand to my lips. “I want to know if you do, honey.”

My eyes locked with Sway, wide emerald eyes that would never lie to me, heart-shaped face with porcelain skin staring back at me and, for a moment, I saw our entire lives together.

It was strange to me that when something in your life began you generally had an idea of how it was going to end or how you’d want it to end. The career you dreamed about your whole life became your reality. The eleven-year-old girl who stole your heart without knowing it, becomes the love of your life. And the baby that happened by accident became your world.

I’d known people who had spent their entire lives planning for the future and trying to predict every step of the way, subconsciously cushioning themselves for the blow if anything went wrong. But the thing was, you couldn’t predict the future. Every step you made took you in a different direction toward another path, maybe even a completely different path. But what happened when that future you thought you would never have reveals itself to you? You took it because, even though it was a future you never thought you wanted, it was better.

What I couldn’t get past was if I blinked, it could be gone.

With her eyes still focused on my own, Sway smiled that breathtaking smile for me as though she could hear what I was thinking, feel what I was feeling.

“I want to know,” I told her softly in assurance.

Ren grinned widely, her brown hazel eyes sparkled at Sway. I could tell this was part of her job she loved.

“That right there,” she pointed in between the baby’s legs, and I laughed, knowing damn well what it was, “is your son.”

Sway burst into hysterical tears, clinging to me as best she could. “Is it really a boy?”

“Yes,” Ren assured her. “He’s making it well known that he’s a little boy.” She gestured at the screen once more. “His little arms are behind his head. See there... and his legs are wide open...” She laughed. “Now he’s showing you his little butt.”