Conflicted Heart (Completed)

Thirty Seven

Yani

I wonder who could be at the door this time of morning? I walk towards the door with my baby boy in my arms and I look and I see two police officers.

"Get down on your knees with your hands up!," one of the police officers yelled. I watch in horror as the police officers spin Zane around to face me and force him to his knees.

"What's going on??," I asked while moving closer.

"Please stay back miss!," a police officer yelled.

"I have a right to know what is going on," I said sternly.

"We're taking Zane downtown with us," a police officer said. ZJ starts screaming at the top of his little lungs. He has NEVER screamed like this. Tears fill my eyes as I watch Zane being handcuffed.

"It's ok baby boy. I'm sorry you have to see this," I said softly.

"Can you at least tell me why you are arresting Zane?," I urged.

"We are arresting him in connection with the murder of Robyn Smith," a police officer said.

"No.....no! Zane had nothing to do with that!!," I yelled.

"We are taking him downtown to straighten all of this up," a police officer said.

"Mommy what's going on?," Nia said while entering the room. She looks at the scene and I see her face sadden immediately.

"Daddy? What's going on?," Nia asked sadly.

"Look at me baby girl. I am fine. I will be ok. You take care of mommy and ZJ ok?," Zane said as tears filled his eyes.

"Daddy....what's happening?," Nia said as tears streamed down her face.

"Nia it's ok. It's ok," I said. She looks at me and hugs me waist and buries her face in my stomach. ZJ hasn't stopped screaming since.

"Please don't take him like this. Not in front of his babies," I pleaded.

"You can see him later," a police officer said. The police officers stand Zane up and I try to walk towards him, but the police officers stop me.

"You can see him later," a police officer said sternly.

"I love you," Zane said to all of us.

"I love you too," I said through tears. The police officers take Zane out of the house and I kneel down and I hug Nia tightly as we both cry.

"It's ok baby girl it's ok," I said.

"Will he be ok?," Nia asked.

"Yes he will. We are going to see him right now. Let's go ok?," I said. Nia nods her head and pulls away from me and I wipe her face of her tears. ZJ is frowning with his head against my shoulder. I wipe my tears and I stand up and I rub ZJ's back as Nia follows me upstairs. We all get dressed rather quickly and I get everything I need for ZJ and then we head out. I can't believe this is happening. I don't know why all of a sudden Zane is wanted in whatever happened to Robyn. I know he was gone for a long period of time, but that was to keep a low profile. I don't believe he laid a hand on Robyn. I don't believe it at all. I quickly drive to the police station and as soon as Nia, ZJ and I are inside, I ask where Zane is. They tell me to have a seat and I do just that. Nia sits next to me and I take ZJ out of his car seat and I set him in my lap and I hold him close to me. I rest my free arm around Nia as she rests her head against me.

"This isn't fair mommy," Nia said.

"I know it isn't I know daddy didn't do anything wrong. This is just a misunderstanding," I said.

"I hope so.....I can't imagine my life without daddy," Nia said.

"I feel the same way." I kiss her forehead and then I kiss ZJ's forehead. They shouldn't have to go through this. Their daddy is a good man so I am really anxious to find out what the cops think they know that I don't. We wait somewhat patiently for 2 hours, until they say we can see Zane. I put ZJ in his car seat and then Nia and I follow the police officer to an interrogation room. I open the door and I see Zane.

"Oh baby," I said as tears filled my eyes. I set down ZJ's car seat and I rush to Zane and I hug him tightly. He doesn't hug me back and I noticed his hands are handcuffed behind his back. I pull out of the embrace and I rub his face and I kiss his lips. I move away from him and Nia hugs him tightly and I see tears form in his eyes.

"Hi baby girl daddy's ok," Zane said.

"Are you scared?," Nia asked.

"No baby I'm ok," Zane said. Nia nods her head and pecks Zane's lips a few times. I take ZJ out of his car seat and ZJ squeals in happiness at the sight of his daddy. We all laugh at this, even Zane. Zane puckers his lips and I move closer to Zane and Zane kisses ZJ all over his face. Nia sits in Zane's lap and I sit in a chair across from Zane with ZJ in my lap.

"Baby are you ok?," I asked.

"I'm fine baby," Zane said.

"What did they say? Do they think you had anything to do with Robyn's death?," I asked.

"No.....but she put evidence together of all the hits we did together to get back at me....it doesn't look good for me. She had every piece of evidence to put me away for years Yani. Years.....I could miss out on ZJ's first words, or the first time he walks, his first day of school, just everything," Zane said. I see his lips curl as tears fill his eyes. Oh my god. Zane could be going to jail? No. No. I don't know how I could possible deal with that. Zane puts his head down and just starts crying. Nia turns in his lap and hugs him tight. I look down as tears stream down my face. I kiss ZJ's forehead as I hold him close. Why does it seem like everything is falling apart?

"Yani....baby look at me," Zane said weakly. I wipe my tears before I look up at Zane.

"You will be fine.....without me ok?," Zane said. I just shake my head fiercely. I refuse to believe that Zane is leaving me. 

"Yani listen. You, Nia and ZJ will be taken care of without a doubt. You don't ever have to worry about money I promise you......baby I love you. I love you and our family. You all are my heartbeat," Zane said.

"Daddy what are you saying?," Nia said sadly.

"I'm saying that daddy could go away for a while," Zane said.

"No daddy. You can't. We need you," Nia said through tears.

"I know you do and I need you too.....but I did some bad things and now I have to pay for them baby girl," Zane said. It's so hard to listen to this. I'm about to break down.

"Yani baby....can you look at me please?," Zane pleaded. I take a deep breath and I kiss the top of ZJ's head before I look at Zane.

"I love you so much Yani. You are my heart......I love you so much that I want to marry you. I have been thinking about proposing to you for a while now and I had it all planned," Zane confessed. My heart fluttered at that statement.

"But now.....I can't even ask you to marry me with this situation that I am in. I hope you can forgive me for that," Zane said.

"Zane I don't care about this. I will do anything for you and I would marry you tomorrow even if you were in here for the rest of your life. I want you as my husband," I said as tears poured out of my eyes.

"And I want you as my wife, but I can't make you my wife then abandon you. That wouldn't be fair," Zane said. I shake my head as I look down. I take a deep breath and then I look up at Zane.

"Tell me what I can do Zane. I won't just let them throw you in jail. I will fight this. I'll do anything just tell me," I asked.

"I'm not even sure baby," Zane said through a deep sigh. I just look at Zane and I can tell he is in shock by all of this, but also hurt. I'm hurt too, but the life that Zane and I have built together means too much to me to just give it up.