My Son's Father

My Son's Father Chapter 4

I was scared; Terrified, to say the least. Benny wondered why I’d been teaching him about stranger-danger so much, but I couldn’t tell him that somebody was trying to hurt us. I hadn’t been able to sleep while I was in the hospital, lying in that room with my eyes wide in fear that my little boy could be some sick maniac’s target. I didn’t care that I was being stalked as well; that didn’t matter. At least I was finally going home to make sure I could protect my little Benny.

“Mama! Papa told me you can come home today!” Benny laughed as he bounced up and down in his seat. Romano and I decided to allow him to refer to Romano as his father because there was really no stopping that Romano was the only father-figure he’d ever had. Plus, the whole “my son and I are being stalked by someone who wants to kill us” thing made Romano really protective of us, so we could say he was the “man of the house” (though sometimes he acted more like a girl than I did).

“Yes, I can come home. I can’t play with you too much when we get home though, because I still haven’t healed, Benny,” I reminded him. He thought the crutches I had were toys that he could swing around. It would be cute from your perspective, as the reader, but then again you weren’t the cripple trying to chase him while hopping on one foot to get them back until you used your serious “mom” voice. Something tells me that didn’t come off as hypothetical like it was supposed to.

“That’s okay! Papa, can we get ice-cream after this?” he asked with hope in his eyes. I could swear he’d been getting more and more manipulative, it was scary.

“Why not? What flavor do you want?” Romano asked, chuckling and resting his hand on Benny’s head as he ruffled the already unkempt mess.

“Chocolate! Mama wants that green one! Right?” he turned to me with those few words and I nodded my head. I felt very tired of being stuck in my hospital bed, thanking the Lord that I was leaving once the doctor checked me one last time.

“Hello? Ms. Kelly?” the doctor asked as she poked her head into the room. The woman had to be in her late fifties, but you could only see a sprinkling of gray in her ebony hair.

“Yes, come on in. I’m ready to get out of here!” I laughed as Benny hid behind Romano’s legs like he does to me, as I saw Romano take his hand and move for the seat.

“Would your husband and son like to stay for the check-up?” the doctor asked, as her eyes darted to Romano. I sighed and then got ready to explain.

“Oh no, I’m not her husband. But we’ll stay anyway.” Romano smiled at the woman, who was blushing and apologizing. The woman gently inspected the cast and the areas around it, made sure I could walk in my crutches (as well as wheel around in the wheelchair), and she wheeled me out with Benny in my lap.

We did get our ice-cream. There’s nothing cuter than Benny with his mouth covered in melted chocolate ice-cream. Nothing. Romano’s face covered in strawberry ice-cream came second, especially when he got frustrated that his tongue couldn’t reach all of the liquid treat left on his face. I had to lean over and wipe off both their faces. Boys will be boys…

“Mama, can we sleep with Papa tonight?” I nearly spit out my pistachio ice-cream all over the car.

“W-what? Why would we do that?” I asked dubiously. Out of nowhere he suddenly wanted to say in Romano’s bed?

“Well, while you’ve been in the hospital he’s been sleeping in my bed. He says he’s been having nightmares,” Romano explained. I almost laughed at the fact that it wasn’t the strawberry ice-cream making his face pink anymore.

“Oh, well if you want to stay in his room- and he says it’s okay- then go ahead.” Benny shook his head furiously, and I sighed as I understood what he meant. “Benny, we’ll talk about it tonight. I don’t want to argue right now.”