My Little Bump

Chapter 40

I walk up to the facility with Caden and Tommy at either side, holding my hand. Tommy is practically skipping into the place while Caden is at my other side, pulling me in.

"Come on, Nicole!" Caden says, yanking my hand towards the jail.

"You know, pulling me isn't going to get us there any quicker. We have to go at a certain time." I tell him.

He lets out a loud groan, giving up and walking beside me. Tommy continues his skipping, letting out a cheery and adorable laugh.

We finally get to the entrance and I give the guard her name. He tells us to wait, so we sit down in the room. Tommy sits down also, but bounces around in his seat. Caden paces back and forth in front of me nervously.

"Caden, it's going to be fine." I say, trying to sound reassuring.

They finally call out the visitors and we walk through the metal detector. I lead the two to the visiting room, and we finally walk through the door.

She sits at the same table, fiddling around with her hands. She doesn't notice us at first, but I can already see that she's gotten more sleep and she actually did her hair this morning.

"Mommy!" Tommy screams, sprinting straight for her with his arms open wide. She looks up, her eyes brightening immediately and she opens her arms wide also.

Tommy charges in and almost knocks her frail body down to the ground. She tightens the grip right away, closing her eyes.

Caden goes in next, nervously walking up to her. She looks down at him with loving eyes and kneels down. She opens her arms and he happily jumps into them.

Mom stands up and looks to me. She gives me a hug before asking me about Kate. "She's hanging out with someone. She said she'll be here next time." I say.

"So she's not mad at me?" Mom asks, suddenly sounding anxious.

"No mom. We've all forgiven you." I say truthfully.

"Are you sure? I mean, I tried to kill Tommy." She whispers while wiping a quick tear away from her eye.

"Mom, you were absolutely drunk, and you're better. We all love you. It took a little while, but we have all forgiven you."

"Yeah mommy! I still love you!" Tommy yells up, coming in between us looking up at her.

We all sit down at the table. Tommy and Caden talk about school, but don't mention Kathy or dad at all. They do exclaim about Charlie, not mentioning that he's at Shelby's.

They do tell him about Ken moving away, and mom is really disappointed that she never got to meet him.

"Don't worry, he's coming back when he turns eighteen to be with Shelby!" Tommy exclaims. The guard has to tell us to quiet down three times because Tommy yells or mom laughs loudly. We get a few glares from other visitors, but mostly smiles.

Mom spontaneously cries a couple times because she's so happy about seeing us. "So who did Kate see?" She asks randomly.

"She said a friend. I didn't ask who though. She was in a hurry to leave."

"Oh, well I better see her here next time. I need to talk to her about some things." Mom says smiling. Kate and mom have always had a weird relationship. They always either really get along or they really hate each other.

I stopped caring at fourteen, since it was way too confusing. "Ten more minutes." The guard calls out, looking really annoyed.

"When do we get to see you again mommy?" Tommy asks.

"Soon, real soon." She says reassuringly, placing her hand on top of his. He gives a big smile and it's silent for a few moments.

"How much longer do you have in here?" Caden asks, suddenly sounding sad.

"A few months. I promise it'll go quickly." She gives me a discreet sad smile, knowing they don't want to live with dad anymore. "Then I'll fight for custody, and I'll win."

"Okay." Caden gives a half smile to her, only halfway believing her.

"So have you decided on a name yet?" Mom asks me, and I realize that I've placed my hand on my belly.

"No, but Austin and I are trying a lot of names out. None feel just right yet."

"Give your last hugs and stuff." The guard says, specifically looking at us.

I stand up first, giving mom a lingering hug until I realize that Tommy and Caden are waiting for one. I pull away and the two jump into her open arms together. She kneels down so she can hug them easier. They both giggle as she kisses at their foreheads, and she pulls away. She lets a single tear fall, but quickly wipes it away.

"I love you two so much." She says, emphasizing the so. They respond with an 'I love you' also, and she stands up completely.

We're forced to leave a second later, and I drag the boys out of the jail. We get into the car and Tommy goes on and on about how much fun he had. Caden, on the other hand, is unusually quiet. Well, until Tommy falls asleep.

"Nicole?" He says.

"Yes, Caden?" I ask, giving him a quick glance before turning back to the road again.

"I don't like living with daddy." He says, a few tears already falling down his cheek. I immediately pull into a parking lot and stop. I look over at him and he instantly jumps into my arms, sobbing.

I hug him tightly, trying to reassure him, but I end up quietly crying myself. I stop first, trying to snap back into reality. Caden pulls away to look me in the face. He still sniffles though.

"I hate him." He says with a stone cold look. I have no idea what to say though. I pull him into another tight hug.

"When mom gets out, she'll get us back." I say with a determined tone. She better.

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Hey guys! I really hope you're all enjoying the book! Sadly, there's only about four or five chapters left. Question time!

What do you all think about the visit? Why don't you all think Caden or Tommy talked about their dad to their mother? What do you all think about Caden at the end?

Thank you all so much for reading this far! Please vote, add to your reading lists/libraries, and comment! Love you all so much!!!