As the officer walked out the door, I whispered, “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Sophia.” I kissed her head. I touched her chin, bringing it up, making her look into my eyes. “I love you. Thank you for saving us both.”
“You’re free of her. She can’t hurt you—us—anymore. I’ll love you, forever,” she said as she leaned forward, kissing my lips.
“You’re mine, Sophia, always. I’ll never leave you. Don’t ever give up on us,” I said against her lips. She snuggled back into my arms. We could move forward with our life. Nothing would tear us apart. I didn’t know what the future held for us, but I felt a sense of hope. I wanted a family with her. I wanted to grow old together. I loved being spontaneous and surprising her, as long as it didn’t end in handcuffs… Well, at least not those used by the police.
“Kayden, will you tell me about your past? There’s so much I don’t know about you.” She looked at me with big, brown, puppy-dog eyes.
“Where do you want me to start?” I asked, butterflies filling my stomach. “You don’t want to hear everything, Sophia.” I cringed at the thought of telling her about my entire past. I knew she’d still love me, but she didn’t know the depth of my depravity and addictions throughout the years.
“Start at the beginning. I want to hear everything. I love you no matter what, Kayden. I’ve earned the right to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
Epilogue
Sophia
Six Months Later…
“The court has been notifiedthat Ms. Jackson has accepted a plea bargain from the district attorney in exchange for pleading guilty to a lesser offense,” the judge stated.
My blood boiled as the judge spoke. I wanted that bitch to pay for everything she did to us and to Kayden, but she took the easy way out. She found a way to have her charges reduced from attempted murder to aggravated battery. The court found her unable to stand trial earlier due to a mental problem and ordered her into treatment, placing her on medication. The court now claimed that Lisa was able to make coherent decisions, and she weaseled her way into a plea deal. Kayden rubbed my hand as I listened to the judge’s words.
“Ms. Jackson, you are sentenced to ten years in prison with the possibility of parole in three. Court is adjourned.” The gavel hammered down, and there was nothing more to be done. Kayden squeezed my hand, but I felt deflated by the legal system. Ten years seemed unfair for almost killing the love of my life and the hell she put us both through.
The bailiff walked to Lisa and waited for her to stand. Lisa turned slowly, and as she stood to walk, she looked toward us. She grinned at Kayden, and it caused my stomach to lurch and a lump to form in my throat. It was not an “I’m sorry” grin, but an “I’m not done with you yet” one. I’d be at every single parole hearing to make sure that conniving whore stayed in prison.
“I fucking hate her,” Kayden said as we watched her walk out.
“She almost killed you, and she only gets ten years? It’s unbelievable,” I said, standing up.
Kayden wrapped his arms around me, enveloping me in his heat. “We’re free of her for a long time, baby doll. We’ll do everything we can to keep her behind bars. Don’t worry, Sophia.”
I nuzzled his neck, closed my eyes, and inhaled his smell, the scent of home. Kayden had become that to me, made me feel all things were possible, and as a team, we could overcome any obstacle. His lips brushed against my temple with a whisper-light kiss that calmed my stomach and made me believe everything would be okay.
“Let’s go home. You’re looking a little pale, sweetheart. Are you okay?” he said.
I looked up into his big green eyes and smiled. There was no place in the world I’d rather be at that moment than home, wrapped in his arms, the rest of the world shut out. “I haven’t felt myself lately. It’s just the stress of the trial. I’ll be okay now that it’s over.”
* * *
Istaredat the calendar on my desk and tapped my pen against the paper. It had been seven weeks since I’d had my period, and I hadn’t even noticed. The craziness of the trial and the stress of seeing Lisa again made it slip my mind entirely. I dropped my pen on my desk and leaned back in my chair before exhaling and closing my eyes. Could I be pregnant, or was something else wrong? I rubbed the bridge of my nose and tried to come to terms with either possibility. I’d given up on any chance of a child long ago, and I thought age had stolen that dream.
I couldn’t wait to find out. I needed to know for my sanity and self-preservation. I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. Instead of going to the local bagel shop for lunch, I made a stop at the nearest pharmacy to grab a pregnancy test.
My fingers felt sweaty against the faux leather steering wheel. My heart pounded feverishly in my chest, and I could hear my blood flowing through my ears. Every thought I had was filled with images of a baby and Kayden…a little bundle of joy with green eyes and chubby limbs. My vision blurred from tears as I pulled into the parking lot to find out the cold hard truth. I sat a moment, steadying my breath and wiping my eyes.
My legs felt unsteady as I walked down the aisle. I wanted to be pregnant more than anything in the world right now. I thought I had made peace with being childless, but it always hurt deep down. Every new person I met would ask me if I had children, and my answer was always the same. No, life had other plans for me. Every time I gave that answer, my heart felt like a tiny needle pierced it. It had been turned into a pincushion over the years.
I paid for the test that claimed to be the most accurate and easy to read. “Is there a bathroom here?” I asked the cashier. I couldn’t wait to get back to work to find out. I walked to the back of the store with the test in my purse, holding it tightly against my body as if it were precious cargo. I tore open the box as soon as I walked through the door and discarded the box, minus the stick. I followed the directions, placed the cap back on, and put it in my purse for safe keeping.
I sat in my car, staring at the stick for a few minutes before. I placed it on the passenger seat and texted Kayden.
Me: Hey, baby, how’s work?
Kayden: Good love, whatcha doin’?
I couldn’t tell him. I didn’t want him to get excited or start planning in his mind if the test was negative. Kayden wanted a family and always felt it was a possibility.
Me: Having lunch. Are you going to be late today?
