“You can pick, I like them all,” he said, as Jasmine helped him find his pajamas. He quickly changed and crawled into bed, sitting against the headboard. Jasmine leaned next to him while Derek chose a book.
He found a superhero book and read the story, inserting villain’s voices. When he tried to imitate a damsel in distress, both Jacob and Jasmine burst out laughing at his very poor portrayal of a woman. “Hey, I thought that was pretty good,” he said, with a smile. He finished the story and Jasmine tucked the covers up under Jacob’s chin.
“Good night love, I’ll see you in the morning,” she said and turned to leave father and son alone for a moment.
“That’s not what you say, Mom,” he told her and waited expectantly. She glanced at Derek self-consciously and then to her son, who was waiting.
“Good night my young prince, may the dawning day bring you adventures, treasures and so much more,” she whispered to him and then quickly left the room. She’d spoken the same words to him from the time he was a baby. It was one of her ways of giving him a piece of the romantic side of his father. She was very close to tears, since Derek was there but no longer her prince charming.
He followed her into the living room a few minutes later and they stood there staring at each other. She knew it was time for the confrontation. She was just not ready for it.
Chapter Nine
“Why would you keep him from me?” Derek demanded of her, his eyes filled with fury. What was worse than that though is the pain she saw under that anger. She’d hurt him without meaning to. What did he expect of her though? He had walked out on her, when she was ready to give him her whole life.
“I didn’t keep him from you on purpose, at first. I had no idea where you were and then by the time I knew how to find you, it was simply too late. He was already walking and talking and we were fine. The years just kept falling away,” she said, in a voice barely above a whisper.
“He’s my son Jasmine,” he was almost shouting. “Were you going to tell me once we started working together?” he asked. She said nothing but the look she gave him was all the answer he needed. “I see,” he growled.
He began pacing the small room and she felt like a mouse in the path of a viper. She knew he was going to strike but she didn’t know when, where, or how. She was terrified and didn’t want to make the situation any worse than it was, so she waited him out.
“I’m so angry with you, I can’t even think. I can’t believe you could sit there with me each day, knowing it was one more day I didn’t get with my son. I can’t believe you would have sex with me and still feel no desire to tell me about him. How can you be this cold?” he spat at her.
“I…you…I don’t know,” she said, as she threw her hands in the air. He was turning everything on her. He wasn’t taking any accountability for his own actions. She knew he was angry and frustrated but he had to admit he was the one who had walked away.
“Did you know you were pregnant that last night, when we made all the plans?” he asked her.
“No, I didn’t know until at least a month later,” she answered. She really didn’t see it would’ve made any difference anyway. Why would he have stuck around for a baby, when he wouldn’t stick around for her?
“I won’t spend another day without him,” he told her with menace. She knew that it was coming down to that.
“Are you seriously going to fight me for him?” she asked, barely able to hold the sobs in. She was so close to breaking down and crying all over his feet. Her knees would no longer support her so she plopped down on the couch. She couldn’t even look at him anymore, she was hurting so badly.
He silently stood there in the room. She couldn’t look up at him, as she was fearful of the look in his eyes. His silence seemed to be the answer to her question. She knew he was going to fight her for Jacob. She had nine years of being his mother and had done the best possible job she could but he had the money for the best attorneys and if he took her to court he’d probably win.
It didn’t help her case that Jacob was so needy of a father, he’d bonded with him instantly. The courts always interviewed the kids. They’d ask him if he wanted to be with his father or his mother and in her child’s innocence, he’d tell them he wanted to be with both his parents.
They’d look at what each parent could provide and he’d win hands down. She’d fight him the entire way but she’d just be fighting the inevitable. She felt defeated and devastated.
“I won’t take you to court Jasmine but not because I give a damn what it would do to you. You don’t deserve my consideration. I won’t do it, because I won’t hurt my son by pulling him away from his mother, who he obviously loves,” he finally said. Jasmine felt a ray of hope. She could share her son. He may not like only being with his father on weekends but they could work it out.
“Thank you,” she said gratefully.
“I wasn’t finished speaking,” he said in a tone that had her snapping her head up to look at him. “I said I won’t take Jacob from you but I also told you I won’t spend another day without him,” he said and waited for his words to sink in.
Jasmine’s eyes widened, as she realized what he was saying. “You want us to live together?” she said in shock.
“I won’t dishonor my son by just living with his mother. I will not allow the other kids to pick on him because his mother is a mistress,” he said with venom.
“I don’t understand,” she began.
“Come on Jasmine, you’re smarter than this,” he sneered at her. She continued to look up at him blankly.
“We’re getting married,” he said. Jasmine gasped, as she stared open-mouthed at him. He had just asked her to marry him, no scratch that he’d just told her she was going to marry him. She didn’t even know how to respond.
“I…I don’t want to get married,” she finally managed to stutter.
“That’s very obvious from your actions ten years ago but this isn’t about you, or even about me, this is about Jacob and what is best for him, so you’ll marry me because it’s what’s best for our son,” he said. He wasn’t shouting or sneering anymore, he was deadly calm and seemed almost defeated, which was worse for her, because it made it all seem so much more real. She also didn’t understand his little comment about ten years ago, considering he was the one who left her but she was so tired of arguing.