My Son's Father

My Son's Father Chapter 1

I had no idea what I was doing, driving down unfamiliar streets in an unfamiliar neighborhood. I guessed I was crazy during the summer. I soon found my final destination when I saw police gathered around a house. I saw and ambulance being opened to take away a white-clothed body; I immediately turned away. I didn’t like death, nor did I like seeing it. The sad part was that this was just the place I was looking for.

“Hey, what happened here?” I asked a police officer on the scene. He looked at me in bewilderment before seeing the badge around my neck; I was just coming home from a late night at my assistant journalist job downtown. I was only an assistant, but my boss didn’t like to come to work very often and I was always sent in her place.

“A woman was shot by a suspicious man. We think it’s her ex-husband. What a shame- she had a little boy who’s almost four,” he looked at the curb, shaking his head as he clicked his tongue. “Emily, before you leave, please hand this photo of the man to your office. We need to catch this man as soon as possible.”

“Right away, Officer Capelli. Who is the boy going to stay with?” I asked, more concerned with the boy than my story, forgetting the tape recorder in my pocket.

“He didn’t have any other family or relatives, so he might have to go up for adoption.” My eyes widened. The poor boy just lost his mother and now he’d be put through foster care? I couldn’t let that happen, and I tended to act on impulse (though quite surely).

“I could take him, you know. I mean, I’ve been looking for a place closer to work and there’s a daycare next to our office. I think he could-” I began before being abruptly interrupted by Officer Capelli.

“You wouldn’t be able to handle a kid, trust me. You’re only twenty-three; enjoy your youth while you can.” I stiffened at his words. Of all people he should know why I wanted to have the little boy in my home.

“What about his youth? Should we just send him from uncaring family to uncaring family in foster care? You know why I care so much, Officer Capelli. I won’t leave without being guaranteed some adoption papers by the morning.” He sighed at my persistence and gave a hesitant nod before ruffling my already mussed brown curls. He remembered responding to the case of my parents’ crash. “I’m going to go talk to him, okay?” I strode across the driveway to the curb where the boy sat crying. The other police officers were watching him closely, but in this situation they didn’t know what to tell the poor soul.

“Hi, my name is Emily. Would you mind telling me yours?” I asked softly, knowing exactly how to deal with this poor child.

“Benjamin. Where’d they take my mommy?” he asked with a tearstained face. I hated to tell him, but he needed to know.

“Somebody came into your house and shot her. By the time anybody got here she was already in heaven. I’m sorry, Benjamin, but she isn’t coming back,” I sighed as Benjamin’s eyes filled with even more tears as his worst nightmare was confirmed. His single mother and only relative was gone; there was nothing else he could do but cry at that moment. That’s why I let him hug me and soak my clothes with tears. I remembered being like him at one point. The best thing was to just let him cry until words could be said. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Just let it all out, that’s right.” I rubbed his back until he couldn’t hold himself upright from exhaustion. I hoped to God I could take him home and show him the right way. I wanted him to know he wasn’t alone, and I wanted to make him feel loved again. I wanted for him what I didn’t have at his age.

“So you’re going to take me home? Why?” he asked as I drove him to my house about two weeks later. I’d finally convinced everyone necessary that I could take care of Benjamin. Even though I was on my own, I could handle anything if it meant saving him from my own perils.