Acceptance

Chapter Part 14

                                                                                  Chapter 14

"Mum! Mum its Cade are you okay?"

Releasing a huge sigh of relief Jaz spoke to her daughter. "Yes Cade I'm fine. I'm guessing my protection has now ceased. We are about to head back towards the highway. I'm not sure where you are and," she groaned. "I have no doubt my brothers will be close by you. I'll wait for you at the service station with the good coffee and doughnut shop. It has a huge doughnut on top of the shop. Jacob will appreciate having to stop there."

"Okay. Mum are you... are you all right?"

Jaz smiled at her daughters concern. "I'm doing okay Cade, but I will be a great deal better once I'm home with all my family around me."

"Mum, we kind of gave your brothers the slip early this morning so we have about an hour on them. I'm hoping we can keep that so we have time to talk before they show up."

"Me too sweet-heart, not go, I need to get moving." With that Jaz hung up, took one last look at where their safe house had once been then climbed into the car.

It took just over two and a half hours for Jaz to get to the designated meeting place. She parked the car away from the shop, closer to the picnic tables, grabbed her bag and firstly got Liam out of the back seat. "Okay buddy, you're the oldest so I need you to hold Kody's hand while I get Riley." The little guy nodded and did as he was asked.

Within minutes they were walking into the doughnut shop, two sets of eyes lighting up at what they saw behind the class counter. The young woman serving smiled, "What can I get you today?"

"I'll have a pineapple doughnuts and," she turned to Kody and Liam, "You can pick one each, what coloured icing would you like?"

"Pink!" stated Kody.

"Chocolate!" Came Liam.

"What about Riley?" Asked Kody.

"I was going to share some of my pineapple doughnut with him."

"Oh. Okay." She smiled and nodded at the young woman behind the counter who nodded back as she went about gathering the order.

Jaz also bought a small juice for each of the children and a coffee for herself as well. The woman that served them had put the doughnuts in separate bags and handed them to Liam. Kody helped by carrying their drinks in another bag. Jaz had Riley and her coffee as well as her bag over her shoulder as they walked closely together back to the picnic area near their car.

Jaz put her coffee on the table then got a blanket out of the car to spread on the grass. Once done they sat on the blanket and had their doughnut and drink. Jaz did indeed share her pineapple doughnut with Riley, in fact Riley probably ended up eating most of it.

When they were finished eating Jaz got Riley's nappy bag and pulled out the wet-wipes out to clean everyone up. She placed them and the bags that the doughnuts had come in in her now empty coffee cup and looked around for a garbage bin.

Liam spotted one first and pointed it out. "I can do it!" Jaz smiled and handed the cup to him, keeping an eye on him until he returned to safety of their blanket.

Kody was eyeing the park equipment longing to have her brother push her on the swings, but wasn't sure about leaving Jaz and Riley. Liam too wanted to get up and move, but again didn't want to leave his family.

Jaz wanted her children to be children and not afraid to have fun. "Go!" she said. "Go play in the park. Riley and I will watch from here." When no one moved... "Go!" she laughed, "it's alright truly, go have some fun while we wait." They ran for the swings not even looking back.