It's one minute before eight o'clock in the morning when the phone rings and I know it's Colton. "Hey, son" I say as I answer the call.
"Hey" Colton replies hesitantly.
I sigh heavily. "Son, there is no easy way to say this—" I say hesitantly before he cuts me off.
"What is it? Is it Momma? Is she okay?" he panics.
"Your momma is fine, son" I chuckle nervously. "Just fine"
"Well, What is it?" he asks exasperated.
Shit, just spit it out, Saint...
"Your birth mom was found dead" I blurt.
Fuck...
The line goes quiet, and I know he's hurting at the loss of his birth mom, though he probably thinks he shouldn't, not about her anyway...
I hear him huff. "And?!" he growls.
"Now, Colton—your momma brought you up better than that" I growl.
he sighs heavily. "I'm sorry—"
"It's alright, son" I sigh. "You have every right to feel the way you do, after the way she treated you, but she still brought you into this world" I tell him.
"How?" he asks me ignoring what I've just said to him.
"Suspected overdose" I tell him.
Colton snorts humourlessly. "Figures"
"I think you should be at her funeral, son" I tell him hesitantly. "Pay your respects"
"My respects?" he hisses. "Why should I? What did she ever do for me, besides not be my mom?!" he cries angrily down the phone, and l leave him to say his piece as I know he needs it. "All I ever wanted from her was her love, and she didn't show me a fucking thing" he chokes.
I get it, I fucking get it, my boy—but...
"You'll regret it if you don't say goodbye" I tell him sadly. "Trust me, I know—I know she fucked up by not being a mother to you son, but she's free now, free from the chain of addiction"
He quiet for a beat, before I hear him sigh heavily. "When is her funeral? Is she even having one?" he asks me.
"Because she has no known next of kin, the state have put her down for cremation" I say letting him know what Lucas told me last night. "On Thursday" I add.
"This Thursday?" he asks me as I hear him walking. "Hey, angel—do you think you could take a couple of days off work, to come to Texas with me?" he asks Layla.
"Really?" I hear her sweet voice. "Of course, I'll talk to Michelle first thing tomorrow morning"
I smile to myself, thankful that my boy has Layla, he's gonna need her...
"My birth mom was found dead, angel" I hear Colton tell her hesitantly.
I hear her gasp and the sound of water splashing. "Oh, my god" I hear her cry as her voice gets closer to the phone. "I'm so sorry, Colton, are you okay?" I hear her ask him.
"As well as I could be, given the circumstances" he tells her.
I know he's not, he's hurting, he's angry because he's hurting...
"Saint, I've gotta go— I'll arrange a flight for me and Layla to fly out as soon as, tell momma I love her" he tells me suddenly.
"Will do, son" I say. "Bye darlin' " I shout so Layla can hear me.
YOU ARE READING
Saint & His Happily Ever After (A Novella Of The "And His" Series)
Romance**READ COLTON & HIS ANGEL FIRST** If we'd never met, I think I would have known my life wasn't complete. And I would have wandered the world in search of you, even if I didn't know who I was looking for. ― Nicholas Sparks. Michael Saint is a detect...
