FINDING MR WRONG (B1)

Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CADE,
Some months earlier...
"Jo, won't tell you herself, but she'd like for you to get to know your grandson. So, thats why im here. I want to fix this. First, I want to apologise for everything. I know I messed a lot of things up, and I know I'm probably making it worse. But I need to make all this right. She needs her family, aside from our son, I'm all she has. So, if I can bring a little more happiness to her life, ust a little by getting you all back together. Well, I'm going to try my best to make it happen. I know you hate me. I understand it, but please don't hate her or Jamison. He's only a baby, so he doesn't understand any of this! I don't want him to either. I'd like for him to have a normal life with his parents getting along, while getting to know his grandparents. No matter what you think of me or how wrong you think it was. You know, for me to fall in love with your daughter. But please don't make them suffer for it."
While I stand at his front door, he's just looking at me with a shocked expression on his face. Sadly, by the time I finished, it turned to stone.

"You have no right to come here! You should be locked up for what you did to my innocent daughter. Because of you, she turned into..." He paused and when he finally found the word he was looking for, I lose my cool. I pull my fist back and almost knocking the fucker out cold.
"Nothing but a sinner, she's a whore-sinner, who-"
Fucker!
He's on the floor, holding his nose while his wife rushed to his aid, frantically asking if he's okay.

"You ever call her that again. I'll have you locked away with the men, in white fucking coats! You don't deserve a daughter like Jo. She's worth a million of you crazy fuckers! Now I know why she wouldn't come to you, you're fucking nuts! I tried to be nice. I tried to fix this! Not only her, but you too! I made the mistake of thinking I could bring you all together, for Jamison. But you know what, I don't want you near my son, or her. I know now that all they need is me. Yes, I let her down once, but there's no way in hell I'll do it again! Not ever!"

He snapped, telling me to leave and rot in hell along with his devil-spawn. Instantly, I move to hit him again, but I stop myself and told him he's not worth it. None of them are worth it.

"I'd gladly go to hell and spend years of getting tortured by the devil himself as long as she's happy. That's what people do when they love somebody. They go through hell and back, just to make sure they're safe and happy! But you, both of you will live on and go to heaven, no doubt. You'll both carry on in your warped, sad way of life! Never truly being happy. You'll never get to experience what it's like to have your only grandchild here. He'll never get to run around this garden, and you'll won't get to hear the sounds of laughter. Trust me, you'll be here, rotting away in your pathetic existence. Sinner? Seriously? Is that what God says? Is that what Jesus says? That to fall in love is a sin? If that's a sin, then send me to fucking hell and burn me alive! If it means loving Jolie for the rest of my life, so be it. I love her. I love the ground she and my son walk on. I wouldn't change her for anything. She's perfect. She's my perfection, and I'll tell her so every day. Granted, she doesn't want me anymore, but I'm happy with just being around her.
I love her enough to respect what she wants. As long as I am around her and my son, I'm content with that. You've no idea what's she's done for our kid! No idea at all! She's practically given up everything for him. Her family, her home. Hell, including me. Jolie's lost everything, and she still crawled her way back on her own. She's so strong; probably the strongest I know. She loves our son more than anything in this world. It's unconditional. It's just a shame you don't feel the same.
You could have had the joy of having both of them in your lives. Unfortunately, you've blown it, big time!"

With that, I turn and storm towards my car where my son was sleeping in his car seat. I tried to fix it, even though Jo said they'd never want to know her, I still thought I could fix it. They're complete freaks.
Once I'm inside my car, I turn my head to look at my world. He's there, looking at me with his beautiful smile staring back at me.

"Sorry you had to see that, son, but those people are crazy arse-holes. Don't tell your mother I said that. That's just between us boys. Don't worry though, you'll never have to meet them. There's no way I'm allowing their crazy ways to influence you. Your mother made the right choice. Hell, I'd say the best one too in leaving them. Come on then, we'll go into town and treat your mum to a few gifts. After finally understanding what she had to go through with those freaks, I'd say she deserves a holiday. Well, I'm still saving for that one. I'm hoping she'll agree to it and come with us. So for now, small gifts will have to do."

I've always bought her and Jamison little gifts. She asked me to stop, but it's something I like to do. I like to see them smile. Don't get me wrong, Jamison smiles all the time. It's Jo who's the tough cookie. Since Jamison had his first birthday, it's all I've tried to do. I know I shouldn't, but after what she told me about her eyes, I couldn't help seeing it. I had no idea it disappeared. I guess I was blinded with my happiness, being allowed in their lives again. I didn't see it.
All I've ever wanted was her happiness. Seeing her smile at our son is one of my greatest pleasures. Sadly, it's one I don't get anymore. I know I should walk away, I should leave her to get on with her life, but I don't think I could ever do it. Just being close to them makes me happy. Well, as happy as I can be anyway. I'd be a lot happier if she'd just agreed to give me another chance. I sometimes wonder what it'd be like if I wasn't around. Would she miss me? Would she call me up and tell me to come over? She's never done it of course, and I don't blame her. Yet every night, I hold my phone just staring at her number, contemplating calling, just to hear her voice.
Karah says I need to move on, just like Jo wanted. I told her I'm doing just that, but I'm not. I'm still hanging around her, needing to be close because she's still mine. The fact she's still not moved on to someone else is causing me to believe its still there. What she feels for me is still there, deep down. It's just buried under all the hurt I caused her.

"Okay, buddy, what would mummy like this time?" I ask and turn my head to look at him while he sits on my hip. His little hand is touching my beard, something he does when he's tired.
"Don't worry, we'll find one for you."
"Can I help you with anything?"
I hear somebody ask, and when I turn to look at him I notice he's wearing the store's uniform.
"Ah, I'm just looking for a movie for his mother, but we're kinda stumped for ideas."
He grins, telling me he's just had a few horrors brought in.
"No, no horrors. They give her nightmares. No, it needs to be something girly, something to make her smile, with a bit of music in the mix."
Yeah, she loves her music. Well, she used to. It's been a while since I've heard her sing. My ex, she wasn't into this stuff. She was always too busy to sit and watch anything, so I never had a reason to come in here until Jolie. I'm never out of here now.
"Ah, okay. Well, there's a section over by the doorway. I think she might like pitch-perfect. It's a chick flick with lots of singing." He responds and smiled.
"Great, thanks."
As I turn to leave, I turn back to ask how the owners doing. He had a bit of a fall a while back, and I've always wanted to know how he's been, to which he tilts his head.
"Sorry, I was here that day looking for a DVD for her birthday. I walked in and noticed he was down there. I helped him up, but he didn't look well, so I called the ambulance. How's he doing?"
His eyes go a little wide, but then I watch as it then turns into sadness, especially when he tells me he's no longer around.
"He passed away, not long after that day. Cancer, he was riddled with it. Sadly, we didn't find out until after that day of his fall. Thank you though, you know, for helping him."
He reached out his hand, and I reciprocated, telling him it was nothing.
"I'm sure anyone else would've done the same. It's just fate I was there that day to help. There wasn't anybody else in here. Not one person came into the store before the paramedics came. Luckily, I've had a bit of first aid training with the army, so I knew how to make him comfortable. I'm so sorry though. He was a nice man, you know, when he came around. But while we waited for the ambulance to arrive, he told me about his son, and how proud he was of him."
Instant tears filled his eyes, and now I'm realising he must be the son. Christ, this is rough. I, of course, know the feeling of losing a parent. I lost my mother to it. My dad's still around, only I don't see him as much as I'd like. Maybe after today, I'll try to make a better effort.
"Thanks. I needed to hear that. It's been kinda rough trying to keep going, but it's getting there."