All her stars | Rafe Cameron

B O N U S (3)

A HERO

"Baby!" Callie hugged Peter as he came back from daycare with JJ, a rose in his hand.

"Mommy!" he hugged back as she picked him up and kissed him all over. "I don't like it there"

"Oh," she looked at JJ and he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Uncle JJ wanted me to give you that!" he spoke as he handed her the rose and she smiled.

"Oh really?" she looked at JJ who smiled at her. She set Peter on the ground and he went to play in his room as she gave JJ a hug.

"How was his first day at daycare? and thanks for the flower, you shouldn't have," she told him, as he kissed her head.

"Come on, you know I can't go home without a flower for my girl," he laughed as he said it, and so she did. "It went okay, apparently he cried a little bit after you drove him and he forgot about it like ten minutes later"

She nodded and sat on the sofa. "But there's something I need to tell you," JJ added as he sat next to her.

"What?"

"So hum.. when we were in the car, he asked me if I was his dad"

Callie's world fell apart to those words and JJ seemed to notice it. She had thought about this day for years, but never found the right words to use in this situation. "Of course I said no," he added.

"That's weird, he knows we're not together, we've told him a hundred times you were my friend," she said, looking down.

"So.. when I told him I was not his dad, he asked me where was his father. And, well I didn't know what to say," he sadly explained.

"It's fine, what did you tell him?"

"That he should ask you, I'm sorry, but I don't think it's my role, and I couldn't find the right words to tell this little baby that his father is a murderer that killed himself because his-"

"Shut up! JJ what if he hears you he's like.. just right there," she pointed at Peter's room and took her face in her hands.

She knew this moment would come but not so early. God he was not even 3? she couldn't tell her baby that his dad was a murderer, but it was okay because he had done it for mom, and then, he killed himself because mom broke up with him.

"So hum.. what are you gonna do?"

"Wait, until he asks me, and come up with.. anything that won't traumatise my child," she voiced, unsure.

"Like what?" JJ asked.

"Well.. I could tell him that daddy's living somewhere else but he loves him very much, and not get into deep detail. I'll save that for when he'll be 12 years old or so"

He nodded, not wanting to hurt her but lying wasn't really the best solution. Suddenly, Peter bursted out of his room, and waddled to his mom. "Mommy! I hurt my head with my toy!"

"Oh come here baby," she waited for him to reach her and picked him up in her arms. She kissed his head many times and hugged him very tight.

"Mommy is it uncle JJ who gave you this?" the little boy asked showing her ring.

She looked at JJ, needing some help but he didn't know what to say either. "No it's hum, daddy offered it to me"

"Oh!" he clapped in his hands. "Can I meet him?"

JJ started to get up, because he felt like it was a private conversation he didn't have to witness but she grabbed his hand as to tell him not to leave.