Chapter 24: Distractions.

Chapter 24

~Michael~

"Timmy, how many times do I gotta tell you to stop going through that. It aint yours."

Timmy, who had been crouched over a large box of Riley's stuff, glanced at his father and pouted. "Wiley say yes Timmy."

"It's okay. I don't mind." Riley confirmed as he carted yet another box into the room and deposited it onto the floor. I watched as Jason glared at his son, until finally, Timmy stood and stepped away from the box, but still managed to remain close enough so that he could peer inside.

"Do you really need to bring all this stuff?"

Riley chuckled. "You sound like Nate. He's out with John right now complaining about how I'm packing up his house and moving far away."

I laughed. Yes I could definitely picture the overprotective Nate, grumbling to John under his breath.

"He wouldn't mind me staying here and commuting for three hours every morning." He shook his head. " but I want the full college experience. I want to live on campus and eat Ramen for dinner and cuss out my roommate for playing loud music. I've lost enough time as it is."

I shrugged. "I can't imagine it's any different from prison. Miniature room, grouchy roommate and crappy food."

He laughed "Except prison doesn't have awesome house parties and all the weed brownies you can eat."

"No wonder Nate's worried."

"Nah, I'm kidding. I'm going to nerd out and keep out of any and all trouble. Nate's just upset because I wouldn't rent an apartment close by campus instead of living on dorm."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Timmy inch closer to the box. "Why'd that upset him?"

"Because it means he can't drive up and stay over whenever he wants." Then he blushed, and understanding dawned. I chuckled and Timmy inched ever closer to the box, glancing inconspicuously at his father as he did so.

"How'd you manage to get in so late in the semester anyway?"

Riley grabbed a stool and sat down for the first time since our arrival. "Kyle's dad pulled some strings. He knows some people I guess. Technically, I won't officially start until August, but for now they're allowing me to do a few courses so I can catch up with the class until then."

"That's nice of him." I murmured, knowing that Kyle's old man was not the type to do anything out of the goodness of his heart.

Riley nodded. "I could have waited, but you know how Kyle gets. He convinced him before I even knew what he was going to do and you know his dad will do anything for him."

I chuckled. "Everybody spoils Kyle."

Riley smiled. "He booked a room at a hotel near campus because he says he wants to keep me company for the first week until I make some friends."

I imagined the eccentric, loud-mouthed Kyle on a University campus and flinched. There was no way that was going to end well. "John can't be too happy about that."

"He's even grumpier than usual now if that's even possible. Every time he comes over he gives me this look. As if anybody can stop Kyle once he makes up his mind."

"Don't let him get too crazy up there." I grinned.

"The best I can promise is that he'll come back in one piece and even that I'm not too sure about."

We both looked at Timmy when he started rattling around in the box again.

"Kids are so curios about everything." Riley commented. I glanced at Jason to gauge his reaction, but he was so lost in his own thoughts, that he hadn't even realized. He'd been distracted ever since he'd gotten out of bed this morning and I couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with his big confession the day before.

"Timmy more so than the average kid I think." I told him. "He always has to be in the know."

"I'm pretty sure you've convinced Kyle that having a kid is the next step for him. He won't stop talking about Timmy and now I know why. He's cute."

"Kyle can't take care of himself much less a kid."

Riley shrugged. "I think he'd make a pretty good dad. He'd spoil his children though and John would have to do all the cleaning." We chuckled at the thought.

He bent to zip up one of his suitcases and I tried to remember if I had packed so many things when I'd been going off to college years ago.

"Is this everything now?" I gestured to the many boxes as he stood.

Riley shrugged. "Pretty much. I just have a few small things that I need, but I'll get those when I'm moved in on campus.

"Are you sure everything will fit in that small dorm room?"

He bit his lip. "I think so." Then he looked around the room again and frowned. "Maybe I should cut down on a few small things. I'll be right back."

I turned to Jason when Riley left the room. His brows were furrowed as his eyes focused on the single painting on the wall behind a tall fake plant by the door.

"Everything alright?"

He blinked and shook his head, before looking at me. "Yeah I just..." he looked back at the painting. "It reminds me of the type of paintings Cam used to do."

The painting in question was simple; a still lake. There was nothing particularly spectacular or even remotely interesting about it, but his eyes remained transfixed.

"Who's Cam?"

The silence stretched on between us for a while before he shrugged dismissively. "Just somebody I used to know."

It was clear it wasn't something he wanted to talk about, but it was bothering him, and it showed despite his attempt to bury it.

He made to get up and I put a hand on his arm. He looked at me. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

It took him a long time to respond and when he did it was a simple nod. His hesitation worried me. I pulled my hand away and he stood. I watched him approach Timmy, who was so busy being nosy that he failed to register his father's presence until Jason lifted him up into his arms.

"Wiley say yes." He whined even as Jason carried him back to the stool and sat him down on his lap.

"And I said no." he handed Timmy a chocolate chip cookie from the plate Riley had set down for him about an hour before, and Timmy took it with a frown. He turned the cookie this way and that as he carried out his inspection. When all seemed well, he took a bite; then another.

I wracked my brain; trying to remember if there had ever been a time when he'd mentioned a Cam before, but nothing came to mind. I found myself wondering if Cam was male or female; if he or she was a relative or close friend. Maybe even an old flame.

I watched his face for even a hint as to what he was thinking, but sometimes he was very good at hiding his emotions. He was buried in that head of his and I had no way of getting in unless he wanted me in.

"Put down the cookie first." He said when Timmy reached for the glass of milk with one hand. Timmy stuffed the rest of it in his mouth instead and Jason rolled his eyes.

It took him a while, but once he'd finally managed to swallow it all, he tipped the glass to his head. Jason cupped his hand under Timmy's chin to catch the milk that would inevitably spill and I reached over for a napkin and handed it to him. He took it without looking at me.

"Are you still taking Timmy to the playdate thing?" he asked me minutes later when Riley came marching down the stairs with an empty box.

I glanced at my watch and stood. "Yeah, we should probably get going or we'll be late."

"You're leaving?" This from Riley, who was sweating as he entered the room.

"Yeah, I almost forgot that Timmy has a playdate in an hour." I explained.

"Lemme get a bag for you or something." Riley told Timmy, who had scraped the remaining cookies from the plate just before Jason set him down on the floor. He held them carefully in both hands as he watched Riley head for the cabinets. Moments later he followed.

I turned to Jason "Ready?"

"Yeah. I'm kind of tired though. I was thinking maybe you could drop me off at home first and you and Timmy can just go."

I looked him over carefully. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I just got a lot on my mind."

Timmy reappeared holding a small clear bag filled with cookies, and much to his obvious delight; another bag filled with gummy worms.

"We can always reschedule. I'm sure Hannah won't mind."

He shook his head. "No, Timmy should go have fun. I'll go next time."

"It was nice meeting you and Timmy." Riley announced, offering a hand to Jason who shook it without hesitation.

"You too. Good luck with college." He added.

I grinned. "Yeah, don't party too much."

Riley rolled his eyes. "As if." Then "Bye Timmy."

The little guy waved and offered up a toothy grin to his new friend as we headed for the door.

........................................................

"They're not really big on sharing." I commented to Hannah as we watched the kids playing in the sand box not too far from where we had spread the picnic blanket on the soft grass.

She smiled, showcasing her pearly whites, smudged a bit by her ruby-red lipstick. "That's how it is with kids who grow up without siblings. It's harder for them to learn those common courtesies." she explained. "Which is why it's important for them to have as much interaction with other kids their age."

Made sense. I nodded.

"Have you ever thought of having more children?" she enquired.

"No. Timmy practically fell into my life and I haven't had much time to really even think about any other children to be honest."

"Yeah I know what you mean. Marcy wasn't planned either, but I couldn't imagine my life without her." She was watching her baby girl as she spoke, and her eyes had gentled, just as Jason's did whenever he spoke about Timmy.

"She's lucky to have you."

Hannah offered me another lipstick-smudged smile. "Timmy's lucky to have you too."

I watched as Timmy stood and turned to look at me before he started my way. "I think it's the other way around actually."

"Micha look!" he opened his hand and showed me his treasure.

"Yeah. It's sand."

I cupped my own hand and he poured what little there was left into my palm. I watched him run clumsily back to the sandbox, where Marcy sat watching his return.

"You allow him to call you by name?"

"Well yeah because he's not actually my—"

"I like your modern approach to parenting. It's very refreshing." Her fingers brushed my biceps. "It makes me feel special when Marcy calls me mommy though. There's just nothing like it."

"Thanks but—"

"He's such a beautiful little boy. He'll need some female influence in his life at some point of course. There's nothing like a woman's touch."

"Trust me, he has a lot of that. His grandmother dotes on him."

She smiled. "How sweet. Having a doting grandmother is nice, but I still think there's nothing like a mother's touch. A boy his age needs that."

I watched him scoop the sand into his pail and empty it back into the sandbox when it was full. Beside him, Marcy stuck her doll's head into his sand pile and giggled.

"He has a dad who loves him more than anything. One who's taken care of him from the very beginning and sacrificed a lot to keep him happy. I don't think a woman's touch will make much of a difference."

"I disagree—"

"Then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."

She fell silent then and I wondered briefly if I had offended her. The thought however, disappeared when she gave me a dazzling smile and offered me one of the sandwiches she had prepared. When I took it, she immediately began to explain to me the importance of giving children the proper nutrients in every meal and her chattering didn't end until the kids grew bored with playing and came sauntering over.

Timmy dropped his pail and shovel at my feet and crawled into my lap. I handed him his apple juice and he took it without argument. "Micha?" he enquired when he emptied the carton. "Mawcy no let Timmy haf baby." He pointed to the Barbie doll Marcy held.

"It's mine!" she retorted, pulling her doll out of arm's reach and glaring at Timmy like he was the plague.

"Sweetheart don't be rude." Hannah chastised, but her daughter remained adamant.

"How about we go to the toy store and get you something later?" I added quickly when I sensed that a meltdown was about to follow, and while he continued to stare at Marcy's doll, he nodded.

"You know, sometimes it's best to let them throw their tantrums. Bribing them with things will only get you so far." Hannah thought it necessary to add.

"Jason's better at dealing with this kinda thing. I can't bear to see him upset. He's been through so much already."

"Yes, but even so..." she trailed off. I was really beginning to dislike her little lectures.

I reached for a napkin to wipe Timmy's sticky fingers, then watched as Hannah handed a tub of yogurt to Marcy. Timmy looked at it, then craned his neck to look up at me. "Micha haf some?" he asked and I wondered if he and his new friend were in some kind of competition with each other.

Hannah opened another and offered it to him, but he pulled away, refusing to accept it. "It's the same thing Marcy has. Don't you want it anymore?"

He shook his head. "No."

"It's alright. I'll eat it." I told Hannah and she handed it to me with a spoon and a smile.

The moment I took it, Timmy reached for the spoon and began to help himself. I shook my head.

This kid.

As I dabbed his shirt to get rid of the clump of yogurt he dropped there, Hannah placed an arm gently on mine and squeezed. I looked at her. "I was thinking we should take them to watch a movie. If we leave in the next ten minutes, we can catch the 5:15 that's playing.

When I looked back at Timmy he shook his head and I laughed. Sometimes I wondered if he was far more perceptive than he let on. "Maybe another time. It's been a long day and I'm sure he's tired."

"Of course, I completely understand." She patted the back of my hand. Ever pleasant. Ever sweet. She seemed like a person who would smile through a storm; even if it was tearing off her roof.

All in all it had been a pleasant day. Just the right weather and the park hadn't been very crowded. If Jason had come along I was sure he would have had the chance to relax. Timmy also seemed to have enjoyed himself. Though the way he competed with Marcy, you wouldn't have guessed it. They obviously couldn't stand each other, but Marcy tolerated Timmy as long as he didn't go anywhere near her toys and Timmy ignored her until she started playing with something that fascinated him.

They were truly an interesting pair; completely alike; except that Marcy spoke in full and clear sentences. It bothered me, but I tried to let it go. Timmy would learn at his own pace; like the doctor said. It didn't stop me from worrying though and I thanked our lucky stars that my friend had been able to pull some strings to get him into a preschool so late in the year. He was bound to learn something there.

I was equally grateful that Jason had agreed to it. Come Monday morning Timmy would be attending school for the first time. I smiled as I pictured him with his little backpack and lunch pail.

I had no doubt in my mind that he'd throw a fit when he realized that we'd be leaving him there for the day.

"You're awfully happy with yourself." I looked up from my task when Hannah spoke. "Penny for your thoughts."

I chuckled. "I was just thinking about tomorrow." I told her. "Timmy starts school for the first time and I think he's going to react badly to me leaving him there."

"Ah." He giggled. "They all do, but he'll get used to it and eventually it'll get to the point where he doesn't want to leave after school."

I smiled and placed her blanket and picnic basket into the trunk of her car. Timmy and I watched as she strapped Marcy in. The little devil stuck out her tongue at Timmy just before her mom closed the door and Timmy frowned and raised his arms so I could lift him up.

Next stop; the toy store like I'd promised. Then we could go home and see how Jason was doing. I'd called earlier and hadn't gotten a response, so I could only assume that he had been taking a nap.

We watched as they drove away, then I propped the devil on my shoulder and made my way over to my own ride. "What do you want for dinner later?"

"Food."

I chuckled. "What kind of food?"

"Miwk and gwapes and gummies."

"All that huh?"

"Yes."

I strapped him into his seat and handed him his pail, which was filled with the sand he had stolen from the park. I also made sure to tell him in no uncertain terms that if he spilled even one drop then he could kiss the toy store goodbye. He agreed, and we had no incidents. At least not until after we left the toy store—but that was another story.

He led me down the aisles with a confidence that showed just how often he'd been there. We passed the board games section, paused for a minute to look at the colorful face masks in aisle three and finally came to a stop at the stuffed animals.

I watched him sort through their new collection, but having found nothing of interest, we continued on to the dolls aisle. He took his time in this aisle. He was only interested in the barbies, so he paid very close attention to each one. I learned that he wasn't into blonds; those were the quickest to be discarded. The red-haired ones intrigued him for a time, but those too just weren't enough. Finally we came to a stop at the African American barbies and he picked the one he liked best without hesitation; a leggy, ebony-skinned doll with curly black hair.

"Dis one Micha." He informed me with certainty, and I pointed to the accessories that people tended to purchase with dolls; like jewelry and shoes, but he wasn't interested. Instead he picked up a comb and brush set and some blue hair ties.

"What about those?" I pointed to a dress set on the opposite shelf and he shook his head.

"No cose."

Of course not.

"You're not getting that for him are you?" We both glanced up to see a woman looking around sixty years or older standing a few feet away. In one hand she held a pink stuffed bear and in the other, a wooden walking stick. The expression on her face was one of disapproval.

"Excuse me?"

"The doll. You can't really be thinking of buying it for him."

"I am actually. Is there a problem?"

She laughed. "Well of course there is dear. Little boys don't play with dolls. Get him a fire truck or something. He'll love it."

"It's what he wants."

She looked at me in horror; planting the stuffed bear over her heart. "You're going to mess with the poor boy's head. Make him think things boys shouldn't be thinking. Just you watch."

"I think I'll risk it." I said. "Anything else kid?" I asked him, and with another disapproving glance, the woman turned away from us and continued down the aisle; muttering as she went.

"No. Aw done."

He carried it proudly to the cashier and I had to pry it from his hands to allow the woman to scan the bar code on the box. When she finally put it in a bag and handed it to him, he pulled it out, stood on his tip toes and handed the empty bag right back to her. I shook my head, but of course she smiled in amusement because he had charmed her.

When he was finally strapped into his car seat and we were on our way, I allowed myself to think on the events of the day. I came to the realization that despite how much we'd gotten to know each other in the short time we'd spent together, Hannah had no idea that I wasn't Timmy's father.

In fact, she didn't even know Jason existed and I needed to set her straight. I felt the apprehension at the thought of how that particular conversation would go. I had been out of the closet for years and I was proud of that, but if Hannah was less than pleased with the news, then Timmy could lose his first real friend. I didn't want that.

I glanced at him in the rear view mirror and smiled. He was staring at his new toy like a boy obsessed. I was surprised he hadn't asked me to take her out of the box yet. Usually that was his first order of business. I took note of the fact that Bunny was propped securely in his lap so he could also get a full view of Timmy's new toy, and I wondered if this sense of loyalty was something that had attached itself to his personality. It was a god trait to have.

"Are you ready to go see daddy?" I asked him and his cheeks dimpled. "Yes."

"Are you excited to show him your new toy?"

Another smile. "Yes." Then his brow furrowed. "Micha?"

"Yeah buddy?"

"Mawcy say Timmy no haf mommy."

I took my eyes of the road again for a second to take in his expression in the rear view. "That's okay. Not everyone has a mommy." I explained. "Some people have just a daddy. Some people even have two daddies."

"An gwammy and poppy?"

"Yeah of course. Some people have grandma's and grandpa's too. Everyone's family is different."

"An Micha an Bunny?"

"Yup every family has to have a Micha and a Bunny."

"An daddy?"

"Yup and a daddy."

He nodded as though satisfied with my answer and returned to ignoring me in favor of his new toy for the rest of the ride home. One day Jason and I would have to sit and have a conversation about Timmy's mother. We had barely broached the subject in the months we'd lived together, but it was time we got everything out in the open. Including what had been on his mind that morning.

.....................................................

Timmy ran into his father's arms the moment he entered the house. "Daddy look!" he held up the doll for Jason to inspect.

"You got him a Barbie?" he asked; eyes meeting mine. I shrugged.

"Open." Timmy demanded and Jason set him down and did as asked.

I deposited Timmy's bag onto the chair by the door, along with Bunny and his sand toys. Then I pulled off my shoes and set them down beside Jason's.

Timmy's hand went automatically to the doll's hair the second Jason handed it to him and I watched him; he was fascinated with it.

"Baby pwetty daddy?" he held up the doll for Jason to see again and he laughed.

"She's a grown woman Timmy. There aint nothing about her that looks like a baby." He chuckled, but Timmy could not be swayed. He retrieved the comb from Jason and began to pull it through the doll's stubborn curls. He frowned when it didn't glide through easily, and decided to run it through his own hair; which gave him no trouble at all. His frown deepened, and he looked up at his father.

"Daddy why no comb?"

"You gotta take your time that's all. Some hair is different from some."

I was surprised when instead of giving up in frustration as he tended to do, he tried again; this time slowly dragging the comb through the doll's thick curls. When he met with no issue; he grinned up at Jason; who patted him on the head.

Dinner that night was a noisy affair. Noisy only because of Timmy, who decided to tell us all about his day. A lot of what he said didn't make a lick of sense, but we listened anyway, and it encouraged him to go on. He told us about the sand and how hot it got because of the sun. He spoke on and on about Marcy and what she said and what she had done.

He didn't mention Hannah and I got the distinct impression that it was because he wasn't particularly fond of her. He told us something about his shoes that I didn't really understand, and mentioned 'baby' more times than I thought he really needed to. Especially since he'd already made the point of stripping her naked and setting her down in the center of the table where he could watch her while he ate his mac and cheese.

When bath time came around, I was relegated to the task, and as was usually the case; I found myself soaked from head to toe with soap and water by the time it was over; this time 'baby' had joined us and he chose to impress her with bigger splashes than those that were usually allowed.

Bedtime routine was for daddy and daddy alone, and it was the one time of night that I gave them their space to enjoy each other's company before Timmy fell asleep. This night was no different. Timmy lay curled up next to Jason in our bed, because his room still needed to air out after our paint job the day before.

I had gone into our bathroom with the plan to grab a quick shower, and instead, found myself standing by the half open door, watching them quietly as they had their moment. They sang their ABC's, which was a nightly ritual between them, and I had expected Jason to grab one of Timmy's story books and read him to sleep, but he didn't.

I watched as he pulled his son close to him and for a moment, he just closed his eyes and there was silence. Even Timmy, who was usually prone to late night chatter, seemed to understand the need for silence, and lay there with his dad, watching the patterns on the lamp. It was a beautiful moment between father and son. One that I longed to be a part of but knew I couldn't disturb. So I watched them and felt a wave of tenderness settle in my chest.

When Jason finally opened his eyes, he chose to break the silence with a bedtime story; one he had clearly made up. I listened to the tale and immediately realized that it was a true story; based on his own trials that he had turned into a tale that would suit his young child. It began when Timmy was born and he was dubbed 'baby bear'.

He told him about Timmy's mother; 'momma bear' and the cave they lived in together as a family. He spoke about the cave they lived in and how small and cozy it had been. He told him about the big beds the cave had and the tall trees that grow just outside the cave's opening and as he spoke, I found myself more and more enthralled by the tale.

"...but momma bear got really sick and had to go to sleep, so baby bear and daddy bear had to go live all by themselves. Daddy bear loved baby bear more than anything in the whole wide world and he protected him from all the bad animals in the jungle. Life in the jungle was hard because all the other animals didn't like daddy bear. They wanted all the food and all the caves for themselves and daddy bear had to fight real hard to take care of baby bear."

Timmy frowned at this. I smiled.

"One day daddy bear was out hunting for food and he saw the most handsome lion in the whole of the jungle. He was big and strong, and he had really sharp claws. Roar!" he imitated. Timmy giggled.

"All the bad animals were scared of him though, because everyone knew that lions were the kings of the jungle. Daddy bear was scared of him too because he knew that lions and bears could never be friends, but he wanted to talk to the lion real bad because he thought this lion was extra special.

"One day when daddy bear was out hunting for food, he got himself into a whole lot of trouble. He tried to steal food from the lion and the lion caught him. Daddy bear was so scared because he thought the lion would be really angry and eat him up. But the lion was a good lion and he wanted to help. So he took daddy bear and baby bear to his big cave and let them sleep there and have all the food they wanted.

"You see, the lion lived alone all his life and he had gotten lonely, but having daddy bear and baby bear living with him in his cave made him feel better. They played together and hunted together and none of the other animals bothered daddy bear ever again because the lion protected them."

Timmy rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"And just like daddy bear loved baby bear. I love you too." he told his son.

"An Micha?"

Jason hesitated, but a slow smile soon crossed his face. "Yeah Michael loves you too."

Another yawn. "An Poppy?"

Jason's brows furrowed. "Yeah. He's kinda obsessed with you though I think."

"An gwammy?"

Jason laughed. "Yeah her too."

"An Bunny?"

"Everybody loves you Timmy. You're the most special boy in the whole world and don't you forget it."

Timmy's eyes drifted shut. Jason ran his fingers gently over his son's cheek and planted a kiss on his forehead.

................................

When I exited the bathroom minutes later, Jason placed a finger over his lips and gestured to the sleeping Timmy. I nodded and ran the towel through my damp hair, before discarding it on a nearby chair. I could feel his eyes on me as I crossed the room, pulled out a pair of shorts from the chest of drawers and pulled them on. He climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Timmy and made his way to the glass doors that led out onto the small balcony. I watched as he slid the door open and gestured for me to follow.

The night air was cool and welcoming against my naked chest. I pulled the door closed behind me and sat on the chair next to his.

"When do you think I can get my money back from your father?" he asked as soon as I sat.

It wasn't a question I'd been expecting. "It all depends. Could be after they complete their investigation or even after trial starts. Either way, you'll get it back."

He frowned, but otherwise said nothing as he looked out over the yard below.

"If you're strapped for cash I could give you—"

"No. I was just thinking that I wanna help with Timmy's school fees. I don't like that everything's on you."

I shook my head. "Jace you need to stop worrying about money. It's not an issue."

He looked at me then, and his frown deepened. "It's expensive. I saw the letter they sent you. Cops don't make a lot a money; at least not the amount a money it would take to pay for a school like that and pay all the bills too."

"You forget. I'm not a cop."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't matter. I aint a fool. You went and got him enrolled in one of the most expensive schools in the area and it wasn't even necessary. He don't need to go to that one. There's plenty of others that's way more affordable."

"It's affordable for me and Timmy deserves the best."

He shook his head. "It aint right."

"One day we're going to have to stop having these discussions you know. It can't be a problem every time I spend money on either of you."

He said nothing. Instead choosing to stare resolutely forward into the night; lips pursed

I sighed. "I don't depend on my salary to survive." I confessed. "My family wasn't always in the serve and protect business. I come from a long line of successful business men and women."

His brows furrowed. "What does that even mean?"

"It means that money's not something I've ever had to worry about."

His eyes narrowed. "You mean you're loaded." It wasn't a question.

I shrugged. "I'm a simple guy Jason. There's not much I want in life so I don't really have much to spend on. So now that I have you and Timmy I want to take care of you too and if that means spending some money to give you guys the best, then why should that matter?"

It was a while before he answered, but when he did his words were soft and barely audible. "I just wanna play my part."

"And you are. You're paying bills and taking care of your son; just like you always have. It's just that now you have a little help and that's not a bad thing."

"One bill."

"Huh?"

"I only pay one bill."

"And that's more than enough." I reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "Relax daddy bear. The lion has no problem taking care of you." I joked, and though he cracked a smile, his face turned red.

"You were listening." He accused, and I laughed.

"It was beautiful story. Timmy's lucky to have you."

"Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah." And Jason smiled.

A moment of silence passed between us before I spoke again. "Can you do me a favor?"

He glanced at me. "What?"

"Earlier today you said you had a lot on your mind." I began. "You mentioned someone named Cam. Can you tell me about who that is?"

He sighed. "Cam's the closest person I ever had to a brother." He said. "He lived on the streets just like me but he wasn't like me. He was a good person and I mean really really good, but he let the world walk all over him." His eyes got a faraway look in them as he spoke.

"All he wanted was for people to like him. You did one nice thing for him and he thought you were a god. He had a fucked up life with a fucked up family who didn't want nothin' to do with him. I met him way before Timmy was born and I protected him from all the assholes who tried to mess with him. But mostly I protected him from himself."

I frowned. "How so?"

He shook his head. "When a person's that good and decent, everybody tries to take advantage of them. He couldn't tell when it was happening. You could just smile at him and he thought it meant you were best friends." Jason shook his head. "The world fucked him up and he didn't deserve it."

"Where is he now?"

Jason shook his head. "I don't know. He left with his friend Monte before Timmy was born and I aint never seen him since." He took a deep breath. "He didn't ever think he was good for nothin' but I always knew better. He was the best person I ever met. Haven't thought about him in a long time, but this morning I woke up with him in my head and I just can't seem to get him out."

"I can help you find him." I offered, but he shook his head.

"If that kid aint dead yet I'd be surprised. And if he is I don't think that's something I want to find out. I couldn't handle it." his bottom lip trembled and he bit down on it...hard. "He'd be better off dead anyway. At least it means aint nobody messin' with him no more."

He stood then; signaling the end of the conversation. After a brief pause, I followed him back inside the room where Timmy lay curled in sleep. Jason pulled the sheets aside and got in beside him. For a moment I only watched them, then without a word, I turned out the lights.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

THANKS FOR READING.

SORRY GUYS, I HAD A BAD CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK FOR A BIT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

AND YES IT'S THE SAME CAM FROM MY BOOK DOMINANCE AND SUBMISSION.

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.