Soul

I had just finished signing the last copy of Look But Don't Touch when my phone rung. I had expected my publisher to be on the line but the phone call I received was not expected.

"Hi, may I speak to Noah Karlin."

"This is she."

"Hello. My name is Ellie Rife. I'm calling from Clawsville Hospital Maternity Ward, we don't know if your aware but upon his birth you were giving full parental rights of a baby boy by the mother, Tiana Madison."

"I'm sorry. You say what?"

"We figured you didn't know being that the baby has been here for almost a week now. We're calling because if you don't agree to take custody of the baby, he will be placed into foster care and you're rights would be suspended. However, if you choose to take in the child we can discuss further details at your arrival."

"Um. This is so sudden. I don't have anymore time?"

"No mam, your time was last week."

Tiana left me her fucking kid. What the hell?

"Ms.Karlin? I need an answer."

"I'll be there. Give me thirty minutes."

When I got there they told me that Tiana declined her rights before even having the baby. The father wasn't there and they were left with no contacts other than myself. Saying I freaked out was an understatement. They took me to him and he was perfect. I didn't really want kids by this point, but I couldn't leave him. He was so innocent and he smiled at me in amusement.

I named him Soul. I don't know why but it just seemed right. Now here we are almost two years later and I couldn't be happier. Soul knows me as his mom. I tried to reach out to Tiana, but she disappeared.

Oh yea Tiana. I use to be her mentor. I met Tiana when I was 26. I had just published another book and was dropping some off at her school. She was maybe thirteen at the time and I just felt like I needed to help her. I ended up taking her for lunch and finding out that she had a rough home life. She was in foster care and it wasn't the best situation, I looked into some things and became her foster mom of some sort. She lived with me until she turned seventeen. Then she left, I found a note saying she was in love and that she was living in with the guy. I guess that didn't work since I'm raising their baby now.

My little boy is so bright. I don't know who his father is but he has his dad's eyes because Tiana's were brown. His are hazel but sometimes green. I do know that his thick black hair also did not come from his mom. His skin tone though, it's weird you'd think he'd be lighter like her but he's just as dark as me. He's perfect honestly. Our life is perfect.