Troubled Indeed

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"That's it! I can't wait any longer. I need to find my son and I will call the police if I have to, and I don't care what Anthony says or thinks," I snap at my mother, an innocent bystander.

She has been there for me through the whole evening and up until now she managed to help me deal with stress. But without any information or even a little clue about my son, I'm going to lose it.

The moment I pick up my phone and hit 911, my phone starts vibrating. It's Anthony.

"Yes," I answer eagerly, my hands shaking. I hope Benji is okay, that's all I care about right now.

"We got him. He's a little shocked but mostly tired. We'll be home in fifteen." He hangs up before I can say anything.

I'm relieved that he's found and well. I collapse on my knees, sobbing uncontrollably. My mom is by my side in a nanosecond, hugging me, and kissing the top of my head.

"They...they found him," I stutter through my sobs.

"Is he okay?" Mom asks softly, looking at my reaction, dreading the answer.

"I think so...," I reply, tears still flowing down my cheeks, "I need to go outside, I want to wait for them to arrive."

"Okay," mom replies, and we both get up.

***

Exactly fifteen minutes later, as promised, Anthony's Mustang pulls up in front of the building. Alexi is driving, and Benji is asleep in Antony's lap. I'm relieved immediately, but I won't be okay until I get to hold him. It's not the safest way to drive around with a kid, but I guess if my son needed comforting after what he's been through, this would also be my preferred way to get him home.

I can feel tears pooling in my eyes again, and now my mother starts sobbing next to me. I guess the severity of this situation finally dawns on both of us. I think we were in some kind of protective denial up until now. My child was actually kidnapped. It didn't happen somewhere else with someone else. It happened to my family.

Anthony slowly gets out of the car with a small boy attached to his torso.

I stretch out my arms to get him, but Anthony hugs him tighter to his chest, saying, "He's sleeping. I got him."

So instead of taking him, I just hug them both, relieved that they are unharmed and back home. I softly kiss Benji on his tiny cheek and realize that he's still so small. How could I ever live without him? The thought alone makes me shudder and I hug both of my boys again.

"Thank you," I whisper, looking at Anthony.

I slide my hands down his back and stop on his lower back when something edgy and hard bumps against my fingers beneath his sweatshirt. I don't even have to look to know what it is. Instinctively, my eyes go wide as I look at him. He knows that I know.

"Don't say anything," he whispers, then kisses my cheek, "I'll explain later."

Benji stirs in his lap and it's the perfect moment for him to give me the boy and take several steps away from me to talk to Alexi. I eagerly take Benji and hug him tight to my chest. This is the moment tension finally leaves my body. I can feel that tight feeling in my throat again but suppress my tears. I need to be strong for him. He's been through a lot for one evening and I'm ready to take him home. And possibly never leave the apartment again.

"Thank you, mom, for being here for me tonight," I say in a low voice.

"Oh honey," she says, wiping away her tears, "I'm sorry you had to go through this. It's torture for a mother to lose her kid. I should know."

I think she's implying that during my teenage years, I was basically lost to her, but I let it slide. It's all in the past, even if she still beats herself up about this. I'm glad she's here for me now, whenever I need her.

I see Anthony giving Alexi some sort of bro-hug and they exchange some words, but they're too far for me to hear.

We say goodbye to my mom and Alexi and head upstairs. I'm so relieved my little boy is back home safely and unharmed. I had a thousand bad scenarios in my head, but I tried to shove them aside and hope for the best. I don't know what Simon's purpose for doing this was. I don't know what Simon did to my son. I don't know how Anthony found Benji relatively quickly. I don't know why Anthony has a gun on him and whether he used it or not. All I know is that my boy is back home. All the other unanswered questions must wait until the morning.