Page 137 of Mommy

Only once the car is around the corner and out of our sight, do I face Samuel.

“How do we play this?”

His hair is in his eyes, but I can still see the hunger for violence glint there.

That’s new.

Samuel used to be the calm one, the one to not get his hands dirty. I wonder when that changed.

He looks at me the same way, my confusion trapped in his green eyes. I guess he’s right.

When did I become someone to do the messy stuff on purpose? Maybe it’s being friends with Ez… maybe he’s rubbing off on us.

But even Ez’ eyes widen in surprise, when Samuel pulls a black mask from his back pocket. It’s not like mine, or Ezekiel’s. It looks kind of like one of those surgical masks, except it’s pitch black and made of thin fabric.

It fits. Sam with his mask, Ezekiel with the ski mask and me with the balaclava.

Let’s hope this doesn’t go wrong.

Epilogue one

Ivory

I wait for the notary to show me where I need to sign before grabbing the pen and placing my signature on the bottom of the page. Once I’m done, I look back up at Derek.

“You didn’t read it.” He notes, nodding down to the paper again.

“I didn’t need to.” I laugh, placing a hand on my swelling belly.

This is what he always wanted, safety. And that’s exactly what I always wanted, safety.

It looks different for each of us. For him it means, I won’t leave and for me it means I’ll have a space where someone doesn’t want me to leave.

“You should read it.”

I laugh again.

“Why? Isn’t a prenup always saying the same thing?”

I know that essentially a prenup is made to insure fairness in the case of a divorce. With Derek, I have a feeling it will also say something that’ll make it nearly impossible for me to really leave. But that’s fine, because I don’t want to leave. Ever.

His eyes are still on me, and I lift a hand to place it on his arm.

“I trust your judgement. And if this,” I motion to the papers before us. “is what you think is right for us, it will be. I love you, and I don’t need to read an agreement that you created for us.”

A small smile peaks out through his stoney expression, softening his features.

“Please read it.” He murmurs.

The serenity in his words surprises me enough to nod. Taking the papers from the notary I skip through them until I reach the part about what is agreed upon.

In case of divorce, Ivory Johnson (the wife) has the right to take anything she needs to ensure a safe and comfortable life for herself and the kids she decides to take with her. She alone holds the right to decide if kids are allowed contact with Derek Johnson (the husband) and shall make the decision for future contacts as she sees fit. She will get a guaranteed monthly payment from Derek Johnson to support her. This transaction will not be bound to any kids in her care; adult or not.

There are no circumstances that will diminish the terms of this contract.

Tears blur the signatures on the bottom, but I can still see that Derek had already signed this before handing it to me.

Very carefully I place the contract back on the table. I wipe my eyes, but more and more tears build as I listen when he starts speaking.