Page 73 of Pelvic Flaws

I’d been waiting anxiously for Isaac to get home. From the second Dex had called me, my stomach had been in knots, worrying about my boy. Dex hadn’t known much other than Isaac had got into a fight, defending some girl. Well if that had got him arrested, I was bloody proud of him and I’d be complaining to the police in the morning about arresting someone doing something brave like that.

I was just about to pace the room for the millionth time, when headlights lit up the lounge.

Thank God, they were back.

I rushed to the hall and pulled open the front door, waiting impatiently for Isaac to unbuckle his seat belt and get out of the car. When he finally reached me, without giving me eye contact, I pulled him against my chest.

“Oh sweetheart, are you okay?” I asked, hugging him tightly.

“I’m fine, Mum,” he groaned. “Just a split lip, that’s all.”

“Well I’ll be going to that Police Station tomorrow to complain. How dare they arrest you when you were only trying to help someone?”

“Please Mum, don’t.” Isaac pulled away from me and gave me a pained look. “It wasn’t like they smashed me around the head with batons or shone a bright light in my face. They told me it was routine. They let me go as soon as the girl stuck up for me.”

“You sure they didn’t hurt you?”

“Honestly, ask Dex.”

He turned to look at the tall, muscular man standing watching us with his hands deep in sweat pant pockets.

“Thank you, Dex,” I said, giving him a soft smile.

“My pleasure darlin’, but now that he’s home, I’ll leave you to it.”

Isaac shook his head. “Stay, Dex. You deserve a cup of tea at least.”

“Yes, please Dex, come in.”

I hoped he would because I seriously wanted to hug him. He’d only known me and my kids for a few weeks, yet he’d gone to Isaac’s rescue without question.

“You sure?” he asked me.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He nodded his head and followed us into the house.

* * *

“Oh sweetheart,” I gasped, cupping Isaac’s face with my shaking palms. “Why would you think that?”

My poor boy thought we didn’t want him, or moreover that Carl didn’t, which was totally wrong. I’d never seen a man so excited about his wife peeing on a stick and seeing the blue line appear, as Carl had been that day.

“You are so wrong,” I said. “Your dad was desperate to get me pregnant once we decided it was time to start a family. He ran down the street knocking on the neighbors’ doors telling them you’d arrived on the day you were born. Of course he wanted you.”

“But he left us, Mum. He left us and went and had Jessie. Why would he do that unless he didn’t want us?”

Isaac’s face was ashen and lined with tiredness as he sat next to me on the sofa. Blood had dried on his split lip, and it was looking sore and swollen. He’d been determined to talk to me though, despite me saying it could wait until the morning. He said it had to be now, or he might lose his nerve.

Dex leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and my gaze drifted to his face. He was tired too – we all were, but Dex look shattered. I knew he’d been doing the accounts for the studio earlier, so no wonder his eyes were red and drooping.

“Isaac,” Dex said quietly. “Just because your dad has Jessie, doesn’t mean he didn’t want you. You’re still his kids, you’re his first born and always will be. You know, he asked your mom not to let me be around you just yet?”

“No,” Isaac said, a little surprised. “Why?”

“Because,” Dex said, “he loves you and wants you to be protected and safe. He wants to be sure I’m not someone who is gonna put you in danger. He’s only doing that because he loves you more than anything.”

Isaac’s shoulder relaxed a little and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

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