The Book Of Me & You

"No, This Is Not Your Legacy; Not Your Meant To Be"

"Okay... I think we have everything - you ready to go?" She gathered the diaper bag on her shoulder before slinging the whining baby on her opposite hip.

Looking up from his toys on the floor, he frowned, "Why daddy jus no-t go-in to Tanks-givwen wit us, mommy?"

Giving her daughter a toy, she sighed and ran her hand over his head, "We talked about this, buddy. Remember Daddy has a lot on his mind and wants to stay home today?"

His eyes lowered, lip starting to wobble ever so slightly, on the verge of tears as he asked, "Is-is daddy gonna go a-way too?"

She swallowed roughly, not knowing exactly what to tell him in a way he would understand. They had been living in Kathleen's guest house for a week, and not by her doing, ever since Ricky got the letter about Bob. At his insistence, he wanted time to think and plan, and he needed all of them somewhere safe. Even against her pleading, he demanded it. Much like he wanted to be alone for Thanksgiving despite their families' encouragement to come and celebrate.

John was taking it harder than she was though, constantly asking why daddy wasn't with them, or why they only got to see daddy a little bit every day for the last few days versus when they used to live with him all the time. He didn't understand why Ricky was so hellbent on keeping him away from the apartment - because it's the first place Bob would look - and that couldn't happen. But trying to explain that to an almost 4-year-old, was a challenge because all he knew was that daddy was home, and he and his sister weren't. And he didn't like it.

Raking her fingers through his hair, Amy shook her head, "No, sweetie - daddy's just trying to figure some things out. He's not leaving, okay?" Emma whined in her ear, headbutting her shoulder and causing her to wince, "We just need to give him some space for a little bit."

"I mwiss daddy..." His lip puckered, fisting his right eye tiredly. He wasn't sleeping much those days due to all the uncertainty and confusion.

She sighed again, taking his hand into hers, "I know buddy." Stroking his knuckles with her thumb soothingly, "I do too."

The door opened suddenly, his face just as emotionless and hard as it was the night they were essentially kicked out of the apartment. She knew he was dealing with a lot, but the way he was choosing to deal with it, angered her. And he knew it.

"You okay, buddy?" Ricky glanced over at her, noting their son's sad demeanor.

With a quick nod, she hoisted the baby higher on her hip, "We're going to be late."

Taking a step forward, he gave a small nod and did something she didn't expect. Wrapping one arm around her, he leaned in for a quick kiss and whispered softly, "Bye, I'll see you guys later." Raising a brow, she patted his chest with one hand and headed for the door. "Have lots of fun, okay?" He smiled at his boy, tousling his hair which made him grin. He missed seeing it and missed seeing them every day.

With a sigh, he watched as they walked out the door and closed it behind them, encasing the apartment in eerie silence.

A tear slid down his cheek, pondering why he continued to thrust himself into this isolated state instead of surrounding himself with the love of his little family. But then he looked down and saw his son's discarded action figures on the floor and it all came flooding back - He was alone because it was what was best for everyone. For Amy, Emma, and most importantly John.

The night he received the letter felt like a lifetime ago, even though it had merely been 8 days.

8 days since his perfect little life had crumbled down around him. Bob was up for parole and he had 8 days to figure out what he would do about it.