A Sequel to 'Strong Enough' based on the alternate ending of that story

Chapter 14

"You ready?" He asked as he handed her the phone, "you want me to sit with you?" He knew how hard this was for her and all she would have to divulge.

She quickly swiped the tears from under her eyes away and took the phone from him, "I need to do this by myself"

Adam nodded, "Alright, I love you" he bent down and kissed her cheek.

"I love you too baby" she waited until he left the room and took a deep breath before placing the call.

She paced as she listened to the ringing of the phone.

Adam grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and sat down at the kitchen table.

Never in a million years would he have thought he would be doing this, that he'd be reaching out to him.

He couldn't be in the same room as him, for fear he would kill him and he needed him alive.

He was about to beg him.

To plead with the man who had raped his wife, the man he hated with a passion.

The man who may be able to save his son's life.

He'd do anything for that boy, anything at all.

Even this.

"Hello" she heard him say, tears springing to her eyes it had been years since she heard his voice, she struggled to speak.

"Hello?!" He asked with a bit of annoyance, "anyone there?"

Kim sighed, "Dad, it's me"

"Who?" He was certain someone was playing a twisted cruel joke on him, "Who is this? I don't think prank calls are funny, I'm gonna hang up"

"No, don't." She hurried, "It's me, Kim"

She could hear the shock she had sent him into, "Kimberly, is it really you?"

The use of her full name sounded odd, he was the only one who ever called her that, "Are you okay?" He asked, "Where are you, what's wrong?" His questions coming at her in quick succession.

She sat down on the bed, she didn't want to get into all of it over the phone, "I'm still in Chicago, and I'm okay"

He motioned for his wife Stella to join him, "Your mom is here, I bet she'd love to hear your voice" he smiled against the phone, "it's been too long princess, too long" a muffled sob lingering between his words.

Kim wiped her eyes again, "I know it has Daddy, I need to talk to you and mom about something but not over the phone" she knew this was a face to face type of conversation, "and I'd really like you to meet my husband and your grandchildren"

Kenneth smiled, "Grandchildren?" Stella at his side clutching a tissue to her face.

"Yea, two" she chuckled "a boy and a girl, almost 8 and 5" one positive thing may have come out of this whole ordeal.

She could hear him relay the news to her mother, her mother's soft cries filling the silence.

"When can we meet?"

"As soon as possible" she told him.

They spoke a few more minutes and ended with plans to meet the following day, she and Adam would go to their house just outside of the city limits.

She told them it would just be her and Adam, that she felt it was best if it was just them the first meeting.

Adam sealed the envelope and placed it in the mailbox.