✔Cupcakes to Kill For

9. Visitation🧁

The dryer spun Casey and Wyatt's clothes around; colorful fabrics swirled as he let himself get lost in thought that afternoon. His son sat at the kitchen table drawing more creative pieces. Casey needed to buy him more paper soon, as they'd be out soon.

Casey wondered if art was something Wyatt would stick with or just a childhood phase. Perhaps he ought to take him down to the art museum some day. He might be interested in seeing other famous artists' works.

Peeking over his son's shoulder, he admired the doodle Wyatt created after he'd pointed out one of the funny-looking figures was him. Wyatt enjoyed drawing his family and animals mostly.

"That looks great," Casey told him. "Who's this beside me though?" Casey couldn't figure out who the purple figure could be.

"That's Mommy," Wyatt said, then pointed to the smaller blue figure. "That's me."

"Ah, I see. Looks really good. I think that might be one we'll put in your folder, okay?" Casey said.

Casey kept all of Wyatt's drawings, stowing them away in folders like his own personal little portfolio.

Wyatt kept his concentration focused on coloring his mom. It broke Casey's heart when Wyatt drew her, knowing how he'd never see her again. Not unless he decided to visit her in jail when he turned eighteen. Until then, Casey wouldn't let him anywhere near his mom or that god-forsaken jail. It was no place for a child to be.

"Hey, whatchu guys up to?" Lani rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Laundry," Casey replied. "Bout to head out to the jail in a bit."

Casey had made his decision. He planned to visit his ex, Veronica today. Despite everything they'd been through, Casey had a smidgen of faith that she might be honest with him and tell him what was really going on. Not to mention, he wanted a word with her about having someone stalking him and his family.

Lani raised a brow. "Oh, wow. You're really going, huh? I didn't expect that."

"Well, I can't keep sitting around hoping she'll call again. Not after everything I've learned," Casey said. "I need answers from her."

"What if she doesn't tell you what you wanna know?" Lani asked. "You know you can't get hostile with her in there or threaten her again."

Casey sighed, waving a hand of defeat. "I know, but sometimes she makes that difficult. And it's not like I was the only one who made death threats. You remember what she said to me in court, right? After her sentencing?"

Lani grinned. "Oh, I don't think anyone will ever forget that. Even made the poor judge blush bright red."

Having Veronica threaten to castrate him amongst several strangers in a jury and the judge had humiliated him. It didn't earn her any brownie points for yelling that while under the influence of narcotics either. She couldn't even stay clean during her trial. Casey should've known better than to believe she'd actually gotten better.

When they learned she was pregnant, Veronica did everything to stay clean. She went to rehab, stuck with her adviser, and delivered their healthy baby boy. Nine months clean; her record. Not too long after Wyatt was born, she got hooked back on heroin and turned to her friends in the Black Vipers gang.

Veronica hid her problems from him for as long as she could, but Casey found out again soon enough. She fell back into old patterns and behaviors, which led to him following her one night and witnessing her get high with some people from her old crew. Casey didn't mind confronting her in front of them after she'd left their son with Casey's parents, promising she just needed some time to be with a girlfriend who'd suffered a terrible breakup.