Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56314 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 282(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56314 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 282(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“What happened?” She sobbed, reaching up to play with the crown pendant around her neck. Her hands were shaking.
“He was shot.”
“Shot?” She looked at me in disbelief. “By who?”
“I don’t know.”
She stood up. “Who would want to shoot Isaac? It doesn’t make any sense. Why would anyone want him dead?”
“I will find out,” I said. My chest filled with pain when I thought about him lying on the road, coughing up mouthfuls of dark blood. And then that horrifying moment when the second bullet hit him between the eyes. I could still hear it echoing throughout the valley. “And when I do, I am going to make them pay.”
“Mommy?” Came the little voice behind us. We both looked around to see Braxton standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes and looking confused. He was in his Spiderman pajamas and looked so little. So vulnerable. A silent growl rolled through me. Braxton would grow up without his father. He would never get to share the bond of father and son, or share the milestones of his life. He would never learn from the man who’d loved him so fiercely. Who had cried when he was born and had proudly inked himself with his son’s name within hours of his birth. Isaac was always a tough guy. Big and brawn. But when it came to his son, he was as soft as butter.
“Oh, baby,” Cherry went to him and scooped him up. She held him close to her, unable to hold her tears back.
“What’s wrong, Mommy? Why are you crying?”
My throat closed with a cold ache as rage and heartache fused in every cell of my body. Cherry sat down with her son on her lap and I watched her struggle with her words. My fingers itched with anger at my sides and I had to curl them into a fist to stop. I would find who did this and I was going to make them bleed until their heart stopped beating.
“It’s Daddy. . .” Cherry stammered. Tears spilled down her cheeks and her chin quivered.
Braxton started to cry. “What’s wrong with Daddy? Why are you crying?”
Cherry summoned her inner strength. “Do you remember when Fetch got sick and we had to take him to the doggy doctor?”
Braxton nodded and his big blue eyes brimmed with more tears.
“And remember how we couldn’t bring him home because God needed him back in heaven?”
Again, Braxton nodded, but this time his lip curled and his chin quivered.
“Well, baby, God needed Daddy back. And this morning—” Her pain cut her off, and she inhaled deeply to calm herself, and then slowly exhaled. She knew the next few words out of her mouth would be something her son would always remember. She knew her husband’s death was going to leave a lasting scar on her little boy’s heart, and I could see her wrestle with finding the right words. “This morning, God came and took Daddy back because He needed him up in heaven.”
Braxton’s eyes widened. “You mean Daddy’s gone?”
Cherry struggled to keep her composure as she nodded. And I watched in silent agony as little Braxton’s face crumpled and his tears fell down his chubby cheeks.
“But I don’t want Daddy to go to heaven,” he cried. “I don’t want Daddy to be gone. I want him here with me.”
“I know, Mommy doesn’t want him to be gone either, but, baby, we don’t get a choice.”
Braxton’s grief turned to sudden anger. He frowned and thrust his hands down. “No! I don’t want him to go.” He wriggled off Cherry’s lap and threw himself onto the ground and pounded his fist into the carpet. “I don’t want him to go. I don’t want him to go.”
I knelt down so I was eye level with him. But it was a struggle to get my first words out. “Hey, little man, I know you don’t like this. None of us do. But, buddy, you need to be strong for your mom, okay? You’re the man of the house now. Mommy is going to need your help. Especially when your little brother or sister comes along.”
The mention of his sibling eased some of the anger from his sad face. His tear-drenched eyes lit up for a moment.
“I will help her. I will.” He straightened. “I’m the big brother.”
I smiled, but it was hard as fuck to get my face muscles to work.
“That’s my boy.” I ruffled his hair and fist bumped him. “You gotta stay strong for your mama.”
He stood up onto his little feet and went to his mom, climbing up and throwing his arms around her neck.
Cherry held him to her as another sob wracked her body. “It’s going to be okay, baby.”
“I will help you, Mommy. I will. I promise.”
The front door opened and Ashlee ran in. Still dressed in her pajamas and robe, she went straight to her sister and nephew, and threw her arms around them, holding them tight as she sobbed.