That was my choice.
“I will not acknowledge any child that is born out of wedlock.” My mother said with a sneer in her tone.
I growled, “Is that the way of it?”
She nodded her carefully coifed head.
I shrugged, “Fine then. I won’t acknowledge a bitter shrew.”
She gasped.
My father sighed.
I held Cole in my arms as I turned around and walked out of their house for the last time.
And in my head, had Cole been older, I imagined our conversation would have gone something like this.
“Why was that lady mean to me?” he asked in his little voice.
“Because only mean people want to bring others down to their level because they don’t know how to be happy. And you, my little man, are the happiest of creatures.”
“Do I make you happy, Daddy?”
I winked down at my boy and hugged him close, “You make me so happy sometimes it feels as though the sun is shining down on me and me alone.”
That statement was the way of it, even after my daughter came squalling into the world.
Cole and Madalyn were the light of my life.
Even when that light was almost snubbed out.
***
The lights were bright.
The smell of bleach filtered into my nostrils.
The pain in my chest was unbearable.
Seeing the worried looks on my son and daughter, I smiled.
It probably looked more like a grimace, but it didn’t faze them.
“Did I win?”
My son, Cole, snorted, my daughter, Madalyn, smiled, then they both nodded.
“Where’s your mother?” I asked.
Madalyn growled, and Cole shook his head.
“You know, Dad.” They both said in unison.
I nodded because I did know.
Thank fucking Christ I never married the bitch.
“Call my lawyer. He’s got everything. He’ll know what to do.”
