Chapter 12

Chapter 12

York was on the run to take some cake and sweet treats to Kristin.

Wiping her hands after a trash–picking session, Kristin eyed York nervously and stepped back.

York included that she was scared of everyone after having been through hell and back.

York caught the vibe and chuckled. “They’re all new, unopened. You can a look yourself.”

Kristin stayed silent, staring at the ground, her hands gripping her pants tightly.

She was starving and craving the food but didn’t want to beg.

“Look, you’re collecting bottles, right? Mr. FitzGerald had me bring these to you. It all cost over a hundred bucks only. When you’ve saved up enough, you can pay Mr. FitzGerald back.” York nodded toward a car parked by the curb.

Kristin glanced in the direction York pointed and saw Rhett.

Nodding her head, she accepted the cake.

She’d pay it back. She was determined to seize any chance to get close to Rhett.

Hoisting her collected bottles, Kristin limped back the way she came.

Her ankle throbbed, swollen from Adrienne’s stomp.

Numbly, she returned to the FitzGerald family’s storage room, cleaned her hands, and softly called out to Summer, who was asleep. “Summer, sweetie, wake up. Time to eat.”

Vincent didn’t bother keeping a close eye on her, confidently expecting that Kristin wouldn’t dare bolt. After all, running would only result in her being hauled back. Hence, Kristin resolved not to flee, but to remain and make amends.

Johnnie had agreed with Kristin that donating a kidney would settle her twenty–some years of debt for being brought up.

After that, she would owe them nothing at all.

“Mommy…” Summer woke up bleary–eyed but lit up at the sight of the cake, even licking his lips. “Mommy, are you an angel?”

Kristin couldn’t help but laugh, handing all the little cakes to Summer. “Mommy’s got magic.”

“You’re cool, Mommy.” Summer kissed Kristin’s forehead.

Kristin instinctively flinched. “Mommy’s… dirty.”

“Mommy’s not dirty.” Summer held Kristin’s face earnestly. “Mommy’s the cleanest.”

Kristin choked up, her laughter turning to tears that shamelessly spilled over. “Be a good boy. Come on. Eat up.”

Chapter 12

“You eat, Mommy.” Summer was so well–behaved and understanding, insisting Kristin eat first. Kristin was hungry, but she wanted to save it for Summer. “I’m already eaten.”

“Mommy, you are lying.” Summer wouldn’t eat until Kristin did.

Sitting beside Summer, she let him lean on her and took a bite of the bread. It was so sweet.

It was unbelievably sweet.

She’d almost forgotten what sweetness tasted like all those years in prison.

“Mommy, where’s Daddy? Is he a superhero? Will he come to save us?”

That night, Kristin held her son as they slept.

Summer had a million questions.

“Daddy’s off saving aliens, so he’s gone. It will take him a long, long time to come back,” replied Kristin, “Daddy’s a hero.”

Kristin was crafting an image of a father for Summer, wanting her son to grow up healthy and happy, with no sense of loss or regret.

“Summer, Mommy might have to go to outer space to find Daddy soon, and it might be a long time before I can come home…” Kristin whispered.

But suddenly, Summer fell silent.

“Summer…” Kristin’s heart clenched.

Summer burst into tears. “Don’t go, Mommy.”

He was scared of his Mommy leaving, too.”

Kristin held Summer close, her eyes welling up with tears. She was going to die on the operating table.

“Get up! All you do is sleep.”

Kristin was rudely kicked awake by the nanny the following morning.

Instinctively protecting her child, she sat up, heavy with sleep.

“Eat up! Don’t say I starved you.” The nanny dropped off one moldy burger and left.

Summer also sat up, sniffed the burger, and felt nauseated. “Mommy, it’s bad. We can’t eat this.”

Kristin didn’t respond. Instead, she carried the plate outside with a limp, dumped it in the trash, and rinsed it clean. Then, she got some cold water to rinse their mouths and took Summer to wash up.

Chapter 12

“Mommy, where are we going?”

Kristin gestured for Summer to be quiet. “We’re going home to Uncle Garner’s place,”

As they reached the door, Vincent returned.

His car was parked outside, and a little boy about Summer’s age got out, clutching a big–sized Superman toy.

Kristin knew that was Vincent’s nephew, the child of Eve FitzGerald, Rhett’s younger sister, and Vincent’s twin.

The year she got pregnant, Eve did too, also out of wedlock.

“Uncle Vincent, who’s that?” Milo Gladstone pointed at Summer, his guard up.

Vincent’s eyes darkened, and his voice was icy. “Stay away from him. He’s dirty.”

Summer looked down, hurt, at his clothes, cleaned by Garner. He wasn’t dirty at all.