I stared at her, dumbfounded. Her life journey hadn’t been easy, and just when she finally found stability for her son, some asshole took it away from her. She didn’t need a man to take care of her, not when she could hustle on her own. “Have you spoken to the father since you were pregnant?”
She shook her head. “No. The last time we spoke, he said he wanted me to get an abortion.”
Coward. “So he has no idea all of this happened to you?”
“No. And I had a hard life growing up, the product of a drug-addicted mother. I was taken away from her at a young age after my father died and put into foster care. But that didn’t stop me from thriving, from getting good grades in school and getting a full scholarship to college.”
“Badass.”
She flinched at my words.
“You’re self-made. That’s really impressive.”
“Well, that’s sweet to say. But look where I am…”
“You’re a survivor. That’s what I see. Not a victim.”
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, Carter.”
“You wouldn’t have made it this far without yourself. Anyone else would have taken their own life. You never did…because you had Luca to live for.”
She turned her gaze away, like she was on the verge of tears.
“When your son is old enough, he’ll be very proud to call you his mother.”
“Like I would ever tell him about all of this.”
“I don’t know…if he was an adult, I don’t see why not.”
“No child wants to hear that about their mother,” she whispered. “I would never hurt him like that.”
That was for her to decide, not me. “Either way, he’ll be proud of you. It’s difficult to be a single parent.”
“You know…it never really was. I loved every second of it. Sure, it was hard sometimes, but it was all worth it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even if I could go back in time and make better decisions, I would still do everything the same. Luca is everything to me.”
It reminded me of the way my parents spoke about Carmen and me. We were the light of their lives. They never spared their love or affection. “I look forward to meeting him. I wonder how much he looks like you.”
“He looks a lot like his father. But he has my eyes.”
“I love your eyes.” I blurted out the words without thinking.
She smiled slightly. “He’s very sweet. Very bright. But then, it’s been three years…and I wonder how much he’s changed.”
“I’m sure he’s the same sweet boy you remember.”
“I hope so, Carter. I hate to think of how those people treated him.”
My hand moved to hers. “If he’s as strong as his mother, he did just fine.”
Four
Mia
All I could think about was Luca.
Running my hands through his soft strands, seeing the kindness in his eyes that he inherited from me, touching those small hands and bringing them to my lips. A lot could change in three years. In the five years that I’d been with him, he grew so fast. Now I couldn’t imagine how much taller he was, how much stronger he was.
I hoped he would remember me.
I hoped he wouldn’t hate me for leaving him.
Maybe one day, he would understand. When he got older, he would want an explanation of where I ran off to. The last thing I wanted him to think was I left voluntarily, that I’d been a coward like his father and disappeared. The only reason I was gone was because someone forced me.
Otherwise, I would never have left his side.
Living in the new mansion was a dream come true. With a beautiful landscape and high walls, it was a realm of peace and quiet. The customized furniture filled out the home well, and my bedroom on the second floor immediately felt like home. Luca would have the room beside mine, but I imagined I would want to sleep with him for a while.
Egor was rich as well, but I never could take advantage of his luxuries. I was always starved and beaten. With Carter, I could make this place my home. I had a good degree that had allowed me to have a stable job, but that salary never would put me up in a place like this. I wasn’t sure how long Carter wanted the two of us to stay here, but Luca had a lot more resources staying here than he did if we were on our own.
Truth be told, I wanted to be free. I wanted to have a little apartment with my son, to put our lives back together. I used to be a strong and fearless woman, but those days were over. Being a prisoner for so long had changed my mentality. Carter was the only man who could have possibly gotten me out of that situation. The idea of being on my own again, being unprotected, gave me a jolt of anxiety. If I stayed here, I would have a man who could protect my son as well as me.