Page 63 of His Bittersweet Regret

“You didn’t do anything,” Bastion offered in a pleading tone. “I swear we were just being stupid and thought we knew what was best for our brother.”

Brixton stood by quietly, and no one said anything else for quite a while before I heard Austin stir. The twins both looked toward the nursery with a longing expression on their faces. I stood up and went to get my son while they stayed rooted to their spots.

When I brought him out, I moved to stand in front of his uncles. “Austin Jason Kennedy, these are your uncles, Bastion and Brixton,” I told my son. “You will never again see them in the same room with your mother for any reason. If you see them again, it will be because your father took you to see them. I hope you never hold that against me and know that it’s a rule I’m setting in place to protect myself from the two people who have bullied me for years – for no apparent reason – other than it was entertaining to them.”

“Opal!” Bastion gasped.

Someone knocked on my door.

I moved to go open it, as the men stood there staring at me with abject horror written on their faces. When I opened the door, it was to see Marsh, his mother, and Ryker all standing there with huge grins on their faces.

“I see you forgave my boys,” Kathy expressed gleefully as she pushed past me and tried to take my son from my arms as she went. I stepped back, not allowing her to do so.

“My apartment is not big enough for everyone here.”

“Well, that’s not really going to be a concern for long, is it?” Kathy asked while eyeing the baby. “I brought the other boys to help you pack up.”

“Pack up?” Marsh asked.

“To move. Your brothers gifted her their condo,” she told Marsh, as if it were already decided. “It’s perfect really because it will put my grandson much closer to the house.”

“And a lot further away from where Opal works,” Marsh argued, his face turning red with anger.

“Mom,” Brixton choked out, and when I turned, he had tears streaming down his face. The mood shifted completely as Ryker shut the door, and seemed to stop all the oxygen flow in the small space with the gesture.

“She didn’t accept,” Bastion informed her as he put his arm around his brother’s shoulder.

“Didn’t accept?” She glanced around my place and wrinkled her nose at the space. “Why in the world would you turn down not one, but two, good housing options for you and the baby? If you’re holding out for something more,” she started to say when Brixton stopped her.

“Mom! Stop.”

“No!” She huffed. “I will not stop. That is MY grandson and I will not see him living in squalor like this.”

“Get out!” Those two words were said almost whisper quiet, but the tone behind them let everyone crowded inside my apartment know that I meant business.

“Excuse me?” Kathy snapped at me while once again reaching for my son.

“Do you have multiple personalities?” I asked Kathy. “One minute I think you’re an amazing mother figure and the picture of what I want to be one day. The next, you are a fire-breathing dragon who I want nothing to do with. I suggest you get yourself together, and when you’re around me, you don’t act like you have any right to demand a single thing from me.” I physically shook with anger as I spoke to her, though I never raised my voice. When she seemed ready to argue, I carried on with my point instead.

“Austin might be your grandchild, but he is MY SON! You walked in here, and because you didn’t get your way, you proceeded to insult my home, me, and my decisions. I worked for this place and everything in it. It might not be much to you, but I did it all on my own, while pregnant with my son. No one helped me. No one paid my medical bills, for any of the baby’s things, or for anything else. I was the only one providing everything we needed.”

“Opal? Why are you speaking to me this way?”

“Mom, please, stop. She’s already told us she never wants to be in the same room with either of us again. Do you really want to add yourself to that list?”

“She did what?!” Kathy yelled. My upstairs neighbor stomped on the floor. Kathy rolled her eyes at the noise. “The nerve,” she said to the ceiling.

“Get Out!” I demanded once more. When no one moved, I picked up my phone. “If you are not all gone in the next three minutes, I will call the police and have them sort you all out for trespassing.”

“What the fuck did you to my woman?” Marsh yelled at his brothers.

The baby started crying.

I had enough.

I started dialing, only I didn’t call 9-1-1, like I planned to. Instead, I called Mr. Kennedy. “If you do not get your family to leave my apartment, you will need bail money for every single one of them because they’re about to be arrested for trespassing, harassment, and any charge I can lob at them. I won’t tolerate being treated like I’m some evil person for one more second by any of you damn Kennedys. Not ever again!” I yelled into the phone as the hot tears continued to stream down my face and my son cried in my arms.

“I’ll be right there, Opal. I promise to get everyone on their way and they’ll sort this mess, whatever it is. No need to call the police.”

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