Page 53 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“Yes, that was my sister at the restaurant. My sister and her husband died in a car crash,” I tried to say matter-of-factly, but I choked on those words. It was so hard to talk about them. I missed them like crazy. “You know, sometimes you get left some money, other times a house, maybe a car, or a book. I got a kid.”

I shrugged my shoulder. I wouldn’t change it for anything, but the last two weeks since the accident were hard. Brandon and I both mourned, but he was a priority and most of the time, I had no clue what I was doing.

“And no,” I stopped him when he was going to say something else. “I don’t know what I am doing. Please, don’t say something jackassy because I’ll go off. I swear I will.”

Maxim put his hands up, as if defense. “I was going to say that you seem to be doing a good job.”

“Oh.” My eyes met his, they were so much like Alexander’s but so different at the same time, in shock. “Thank you.”

I shifted my gaze to Alexander. “I’m sorry about the killing comment,” I muttered embarrassed to my boss. “I… I didn’t mean it.”

He kept staring at me and made me even more nervous.

“It was the alcohol talking,” I admitted sheepishly. “Ok, I meant it while I was saying it, but only then. And you weren’t around, so I wouldn’t have killed you anyhow. Just that stupid guy cancelling last minute and wine, it was a wrong combination.”

“Jesus, Liberty.” It was Maxim that jumped in and humor was in his voice. “You’re rambling. You should stop apologizing.”

I put my hand on my forehead. My head was killing me, tension was slipping into every pore of my body.

“Just don’t fire me,” I pleaded. “Not yet anyhow. You can fire me after the court case is over.”

“You have to go to court?” Alexander finally spoke up.

“Yes,” I mumbled. “In two weeks. To prove I can take care of him.”

I jumped hearing my cell phone ring and I grabbed it quickly. Fury hit me as soon as I saw it was school.

I looked at the two men. “I am so sorry, give me two minutes.” I begged, they both nodded simultaneously. “Two minutes, then I promise, I’m all yours.”

I answered the phone as I stomped off into Alexander’s bathroom without asking for permission, my old fury back. I guess I’ve been too tired over the last few weeks to show some backbone.

“Mr. Jackson,” I ground out through my clenched teeth.

“Miss Smith,” he started and I could hear his voice was strained.

“Do you know who visited me at work today?” I started. “That is ten blocks away from your daycare!”

He stuttered.

“Yes, it was Brandon.” And then I lost it. “Do you realize he could have been taken away? Ten fucking blocks!”

I didn’t let him answer. “And what is this nonsense of you telling him that he’d be taken away from me and that I don’t want him? How can you even say something like that to a boy? He just lost his parents. You are supposed to care about the children, not traumatize them with such mean comments.”

I could barely breathe and my blood was fueling.

“I didn’t… I didn’t say that to him,” Mr. Jackson was almost on the verge of tears. “I would never say that to a child.”

“Did you say it?” I asked.

“I was talking with a colleague,” he mumbled miserably. I could just imagine his glasses being crooked on his face, his hair all disheveled.

“How could you say that?” I sounded desperate, my heart breaking at the thoughts of Brandon hearing those words and being alone for ten blocks to get to me.

“I apologize,” he said. “I really am sorry. I just meant, you are not a typical caregiver that we usually see.”

“You made those comments because of that?” I asked incredulously. “I’m not saying I know what I’m doing. I mean, I inherited a kid for Christ’s sake. But I’m trying. I have a nine to five job. And I swore I would never, like ever, have a nine to five job. I bring him to daycare every day and pick him up on time every afternoon. I give him a bath, read him a story, get him dressed. I play fucking football with him and I hate sports. I might have messed up a few rules, but give me a break. They are confusing as hell. What else do I need to do?”

The silence stretched on the line and I wanted to pull my hair out.

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