Say You'll Stay

Heartbreak

"Jayden!" Olivia bolted toward him.

"That didn't happen! Daddy would never! He loved me! He loved us, he wouldn't choose to leave us!" He slapped his hands on Spencer's legs. Spencer crouched down, pressing his hands to his shoulder, holding him still.

"Of course, he loved you" Spencer glanced at Olivia, his eyes full of regret.

"You can't yell at my mommy!" Jayden chastised while thrashing in his arms.

"You're not my dad!"

"I know, little man. I'm not, but I care about you"

"No, you don't! You'll never be my dad! I hate you!" The stitches that had held her heart together slowly ripped apart at the seams in this moment. Her son was hurting, once again and she was so inept. She didn't know how to do this. Olivia snatched Jayden pulling him into her arms.

"Stop! Jayden! Stop it!" Jayden fought her off, lunging at Spencer.

"Jayden" Spencer's voice was desolate.

"Jayden, I'm not...I....I would never try to replace your dad" His eyes filled with tears with each word. 

"I'd never hurt your mother" Oliva cradled him.

"Spence and I..." Olivia started then stopped.

"I'm sorry, Jay"

"Why'd you lie about Daddy? Why did you say he killed himself? He didn't" Jayden burst into tears.

"His heart stopped!" Olivia swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"His heart did stop" Olivia mumbles trying to soften the blow. Her son's eyes glower at her with so much pain in them.

"You told me he was in heaven. You never said he killed himself! You didn't tell me that he didn't want to be with us anymore" Olivia took Jayden's cheeks in her hands.

"No, he loved you and wanted to be with you!"

"You're lying!" He cried, pushing her away.

"You made us move here. We didn't want to be here. We wanted to stay in our home" His tears streamed and Olivia's heart continued to break.

"I want my daddy back!"

"I know you do, I wish he never left us either"

"You can't say that!" He wailed.

"You love Spencer!"

"Jayden," Spencer says, touching his arm gently.

"Your ma loved your daddy so much. She told me how much she misses him. She told me all about what an great man he was. How he took care of you, took you to basketball games"

"My daddy was the best!" He utters with defiance as Spencer nods in silent agreement.

"He had to be if he had you and Zayden" Jayden tore his eyes away with the tears falling.

"Jayden" Olivia chimed in with tenderness.

"He was yelling at you! Daddy never yelled at you!"

"What's going on in here?" Nina asked out of breath, her frame appearing with Zayden's hand in hers. Her eyes darted between everyone, taking a mental note of the dried tears apparent on their faces.

"Jayden?"

"Tell her, Aunt Nina!" The young boy begged.

"Tell mommy that daddy didn't kill himself!" Zayden's body locked and Nina held him close to her side. His eyes searched to Olivia's and Nina's.