Page 47 of Single Mom's Firemen

What if there really isn’t any other way?

16

Halle

The days that follow are a bittersweet haze for me.

There has been no sign of Colby anywhere. Eric’s friends in the Dallas PD haven’t been able to find him, though they did put a BOLO out for him after he appeared on camera footage connected to the diner fire.

He is considered a prime suspect, but since he doesn’t have a record and without enough evidence, there’s not much they can do about yet. Especially since his mother, the wretched Harriet Nash, has already unleashed her lawyers with a bunch of ridiculous injunctions.

Once the guys make sure that it’s safe and that Colby didn’t follow any of them in and out of the city, they bring my children back to me from their friend’s vacation home. I’m pleased to see my babies looking well-rested and happy with a healthy suntan and beautiful pink cheeks—those few days in the countryside worked wonders.

“Why can’t we go to Gammy Marie’s?” Luna asks me one morning.

We’re in the backyard, soaking in some of the early, bountiful sun. I’m settled on the chaise lounge with a coffee and a book, while Luna and Sammy play in the kiddie pool that Wyatt bought for them. There is nothing I love more than watching my babies laugh and play without a care in the world.

I want to shield them from my life’s nightmare as best I can, and not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for having met the Danson brothers. They’ve been working so hard to keep the three of us safe and smiling all the time.

“You’ll go back to daycare soon enough, honey. Mama just needs to work a few things out first,” I say to my daughter.

She gives me a curious look, though it’s hard to take her seriously in that bright, dotted orange bathing suit she’s wearing and even harder when she puts on water goggles like she’s Jaques Cousteau, dunking her head in the kiddie pool. Sammy watches her with sheer fascination but he doesn’t move a muscle. He’s trying to figure out how long she can hold her breath. They both took swimming lessons as soon as they learned to walk. If there’s one thing I’m not worried about, it’s their ability to keep their heads above the water. Sammy, in fact, is a surprisingly good swimmer for his age.

“It’s going to be okay,” I try to reassure Luna when she sits back up. “It’s just some work stuff. We can do fun things around here instead.”

“Like this?” Luna asks, motioning around her.

“Yes, and more,” I reply.

“Can we bake cookies?” Sammy asks.

All I can do is smile and nod. It’s one of our favorite activities, hanging out in the kitchen and doing our best not to burn whatever we manage to put into the oven. “Absolutely. We’ve got everything we need to bake some later today,” I say.

That’s enough to keep them both at ease for a while.

Thankfully, Chief Holt has granted me a brief leave of absence despite only recently being hired. I don’t like staying at home all day, though. It reminds me of my past, of a time when Colby kept me as his pretty, useless housewife. But I can’t go out and about, not until they get a line on Colby’s whereabouts. So for now, I’m stuck.

“Mama?” Luna asks, bringing me back into the present.

“Yes, honey?”

“Where’s Daddy?”

The words hit me like a brick, making my stomach sink. “It’s been a while since you asked about him,” I gently reply. “What’s this about? Do you miss him?”

She takes a moment to think about it, and I don’t know how I feel about that. Scared? Concerned? Saddened? I’d give anything to completely remove Colby from her and Sammy’s memories altogether. I’d rather they only knew of me, their single mother, and not the monster who is their father.

“I don’t know,” Luna admits, and the sadness in her voice breaks my heart.

I get up from my seat and step back into the sun. I sit in the grass next to the kiddie pool so I can be closer to Luna and Sammy, giving them both a warm, loving look.

“It’s okay if you miss him, and it’s okay if you don’t,” I tell them both. Colby never spent much time with them, anyway. Luna and Sammy were always attached to me, barely noticing if their father was around. Whenever Colby threw one of his tantrums, in fact, they’d often hide in my room, eager to get as far away from him as possible. “But I don’t know where your Daddy is. Do you want to see him again?”

It’s a risky question to ask, I know. But they’re his children too, and legally speaking, I can’t keep them away from him forever, not unless we can prove he started the diner fire beyond a shadow of a doubt. He’ll lose all rights then.

“Not really,” Luna says, then looks at her brother.

Sammy shakes his head slowly.

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