Page 134 of Toxic Wishes

I can’t help but smile, and his adorable, cute face washes away my anger, but the pain still remains.

“Bodie, did you post a video on Abigail's phone?” Colt asks, squashing the bubble I was wrapped in for a split second. Bodie looks down at his feet.

“It’s okay, bud, you-“

“No, it’s not okay.” Colt interrupts while he sends those blue daggers in my direction. “You don’t take people's phones and post stuff on social media.”

“I’m sorry.” Bodies lower lip begins to curl, and it takes everything in me not to run over to him and hug him. Guard him from his moody father.

A tear runs down his face.

“It’s just. You looked so happy, and so did Abigail,” he said, turning to face me. “I thought you’d be glad I posted it. And I wanted everyone to know that I found a mom.”

Pain severed through every part of my body. My knees were so wobbly I didn’t know if I was still standing.

“Oh, Bodie,” Colt says. Wiping his tears for him, kneeling beside him. “We’ve talked about this. You have a different family unit than other kids at school. But it doesn’t make you any less special than anyone else.”

“But I want a mom. All my friends have moms, and I want one.” He pouts, and I feel my heart snap in two.

“You have Grammy.”

“It’s not the same. All my friends talk about how their moms tuck them in every night. Read them stories. How they put little notes in their lunchboxes, and Abigail does that stuff for me. So she’s my mom and you can’t take her away.”

“I know, son, but it doesn’t work like that. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose our parents. You’ll always have me and Grammy.”

Bodie swiped his nose with the back of his hand. I wasn’t sure if I should walk out now or just wait, but my insides were burning with pain. Between Bodie’s reaction and Colt’s, I was cut open, bleeding out. Bodie wanted me to be his mom, and it was so fucking sweet, but Colt, on the other hand, made it clear there was no room for me in their lives. I was only what I feared I’d be to him, nothing.

“How about we go downstairs and watch a movie with some of that mint chocolate chip ice cream you got.”

Bodie sniffled some more. “Okay, with whipped cream?”

“With whipped cream,” Colt says in a soft, gentle tone that has the ability to put my heart back together, if I wasn’t so fucking hurt by his reaction to Bodie.

“Abigail, you want some ice cream? We have plenty.” Bodie asks again.

I muster up all the strength I have left to put on my best smile and sound happy. “Oh, I would, bud, but I have to work tonight and finish cleaning this up before I go.”

“What is all this?” Bodie looks at the ground.

“Nothing of your concern, Bodie. We are just clearing out this room so your grandpa can stay here, or we can rent it out. It needed a good deep cleaning. That’s all.”

“Wasn’t this Uncle Blake’s room?”

Colt and I glanced at each other. And it’s as if Colt looked to me for help. I cleared my throat.

“Yes, and Blake would have wanted his room to be nice and clean. It’s Daddy’s fault for neglecting the room, but it’s okay because we are doing what Blake wanted us to do now. Better late than never, right?”

“Yeah,” he says. “That’s what Grammy says, too.”

“Grammy is a smart woman,” I say as tears prick my eyes. Threatening to fall down my cheeks.

“C'mon, Bodie.” Colt stands up, placing a hand on Bodies back and guiding him out the door. But before stepping out of the room, Bodie stops and walks around his dad and comes up to me to take my hand. “Abigail, I don’t care what Grandpa says. I think you’re beautiful.” He pulls me down with his grip on my hand and kisses me on the cheek. A jolt of joy surges through my body, along with a ding of disappointment. Did Cliff say something to Colt about me? A silent tear streaks down my face, and I hope Colt can’t see it. “Why are you sad?”

I shake my head. “I’m not,” I say with a slight sniffle. “I’m happy.” I force a smile in hopes that it will stop me from crying. When Bodie turns around, Colt is staring right at me. He waits until Bodie is gone before he speaks.

“You don’t have to finish this all now. We can do the rest tomorrow or when you’re free.”

“Yeah, okay, sure thing. I’ll pick up these papers and start getting ready for work.”

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