Page 28 (1/2)

Finally, he said, "I just don’t get it I don’t understand I mean, one look at our son was all it took for me to feel completely consuht for him, kill for him, it filled me up the moment he took his first breath"

I watched as he talked, not sure the direction his thoughts were taking hiht, he went on

"But not once have I thought about leaving hi away And I just don’t understand how not one of my parents, but both of thes for us, and then leave us alone I’d rather die than leave him Or you Ever"

My heart broke in thatand determined, it was tih and we both realized how battered his soul truly was "Babe, I don’t knohat to say Maybe they left because they loved you guys too much?"

He shook his head violently "No! My dad left and never caood-bye; he just left And my mother specifically told me it was because ere bad Sheto leave The two of us were so bad, she couldn’t take it anymore That’s not love"

"Maybe she was the bad one?" I ventured "Maybe she thought once you boys got old enough, you’d see that she wasn’t worth loving? I don’t know, Jack I don’t knohy people do the fucked-up things they do But I will tell you this--your parents leavingin the world for you and Dean"

He huffed out a disgusted sound and I continued "Just hear ot to be raised by two of the best people I’ve ever ht now, in this beautifulother than absolute love for our son, but there will probably come the tilare and I laughed "Not literally, but I’m sure he’ll be a pain in the ass at some point and it probably won’t be very much fun"

"But I’d still never want to leave," he insisted "No ive up like that I’d never fucking walk away Not from either of you" His head lowered as he stared at the floor

"Baby, I know that And that’s why you’re going to be such a good dad He’s lucky to have you as his father"

"I don’t understand how anyone can just leave How do you walk away frouilt consume you piece by piece?" He laid his head onthe thin sheet between us

"I don’t either" I reached for hih his dark hair, and tried to comfort him

"I’ll never do that to you To either of you I promise," he said fiercely, his breath hot onhis hair, I said, "I know that I believe you I wouldn’t have ht you would ever leave"

He turned his head to glance up at me "You have a lot of faith, Kitten"

"No I knowlike his parents He’s not built to leave"

"I like that Not built to leave Except when I left you before I left you before" His hands covered his face as his past ate away at his happiness

I wanted to stop hihtone through In s were dead and buried and held noanymore

"Jack," I said sternly, "that was a different ti Even then, you were trying to do the right thing None of that ain I promise"

"I know Okay? I know" I patted his head, longing to bring him peace

"Except for work," he said, his words one all the fucking ti breath "I know that too I knew that when I chose to s, Jack We’llaze "I don’t ever want to let either of you down"