Before I Fall

VII

I finished the lesson for my class as Aiden laid beside me.

In the middle of the night Colt dropped him off without even a word. It was strange for him to act this.

I could see he was still mad about the kiss but I knew eventually he'll find the girl for him. It just wasn't me.

I picked up Aiden walking into the kitchen. He woke up as I sat him down in a chair.

I looked through the cabinets to find something to cook. I decided on pasta.

I boiled water and started to break apart the meat. "Help?" I gave him one spaghetti string to break apart.

He giggled when he broke out then threw it on the floor.

I picked up the noddle throwing it away.

Someone cleared their throat. I looked up to Xander staring at us uncomfortably.

"Good morning." I smiled.

He looked between me and Aiden before leaving.

What's his problem?

I turned my attention back to Aiden.

He gave me a wide smile. It was so unreal that he was turning two.

"Hey Harmony . When did you get in?" Roy entered the kitchen dressed in a suit.

"Last night." Lately Xander has been acting strange. "Was Xander ever bad in school?"

I knew Roy being his dad would Know something.

He turned to face me with a cup of coffee. Now that I could see his face him and Xander had so many similar traits.

The dark eyes, chiseled jaw and black hair.

He seemed hesitant but answered anyway.

"When Xander was younger he had a very hard time fitting in. He never talked to any of the kids they all thought he was." He paused searching for the word. "Crazy."

"Why would they think that?"

Roy placed his coffee cup down. "Xander's mother was a very religious woman. Every day she would go to the school throwing holy oil on the children telling them to ask God to forgive their sins."

"Xander always got into fights when people talked about her. He started to do underground streets fights to help with the rent. Heather refused to get a job so I was the only one bringing in money."

He took a sip from his coffee. "He earned a lot of respect. Many people started to look up to him.When Heather found out she went crazy. She started choking him then beating him. One time he came home all bloody and she just couldn't take it she tried to stab him."

I sat a bowl of food in front of Aiden.

"She said that he was the worst sinner of all, that he needed to be punished. She came charging at him with the knife so he shot her. I came home from work with police surrounding our entire house. The judge gave him two years in a juvenile detention center. After he got out we moved away."

"Did Heather die?"

"No Xander sends her money, writes her letters. She only responded once. To tell him to kill him self. Xander was on a suicide watch list up until a year ago but he's getting better."

Roy picked up his brief case. I returned to cooking.

It was shocking. When I asked about his mother before it seemed like they were close.

."And Harmony."

My attention turned to Roy. "Xander isn't a bad guy."

"I know."