Puzzles and Pieces ✔

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I didn't expect to spend my entire day in the hospital, yet here I was.

It had been five hours since I arrived as I waited to hear back from a worker. The ghastly white light shone over the faces of waiting people, which only fed my increasing anxiety. I could see the dark bags under the eyes of the people around me. There was no doubt they might have been waiting longer than I had, yet I wanted to see Caleb as soon as possible. My heel bounced against the floor and my mind was fixated on the worries and possibilities surrounding him.

"Mr. Alves?"

My eyes slowly focused onto the nurse in front of me. I didn't realize that the room was now nearly empty. The nurse looked me in the eyes with mild concern, as if she was wondering if I should be medically treated too.

"Yes, that's me." My voice cracked. My mouth was dry, and I was in desperate need of a drink.

"I'm sorry to tell you but Caleb didn't make it."

The hours of anxiousness and worried thoughts came to a sudden drop and my body tensed. My eyes stung and I shut them tight. Nothing felt real in that moment. Caleb was like a part of me that held everything together. Without him, everything felt lost. I didn't want to lose him. I couldn't possibly lose him.

"What?" That was all I could manage to say.

"On the bright side, your son will make it." The nurse put a gentle hand on my shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish for all the love and support to come to you and your son."

Instead of the sadness that should have come over me with the news, a wave of confusion clouded my mind.

I didn't have a son.

"Would you like to see him?"

I must've nodded yes because she led me through the winding corridors of the hospital before we stopped in front of a room. The nurse made sure to give me a hug and parted with more condolences before leaving me alone.

The hospital bed was propped up slightly and there laid a sleeping kid on the bed. He looked to be around the age of five and my confusion intensified. There was a chair next to the boy and I debated to sit there for a few seconds. I eventually decided it was better sitting there instead of standing awkwardly by the door.

I looked at the kid and I pressed my lips together in thought. He looked familiar. His coiled hair was closely shaven, and his hands were clenched as if he was desperately holding onto something important. It took me a moment, but I realized he looked so much like Caleb.

Maybe... it was Caleb.

My eyes became fixated on trying to find any feature to tell me that I was wrong in thinking that the kid was Caleb. My mind might have been deluding me from the hours of waiting. I probably just really needed a drink and a meal. I kept thinking of other possibilities and explanations until I saw the small scar on his jaw. Caleb had the same scar.

Quickly I took out my phone and went to Caleb's Facebook page. I took a shaky breath before rapidly scrolling through the feed. When I found the picture, my heart sped up and I could feel my throat tightened.

There Caleb was in a life jacket holding a fishing pole as he sat beside his grandfather. His bright blackish brown eyes stared at the camera in joy while I looked back with disbelief. It was barely visible, but the scar was there. Same size, same shape, and exact same face.

It wasn't a coincidence. The boy on that bed was Caleb.

The kid turned in his sleep and his fists uncurled to reveal something in his palms. The puzzle piece tumbled onto the ground and my eyes followed it. Hesitantly, I picked it up and turned it over with my fingers a few times, analyzing it for any clue. "C. M." was written on the back in a messy curl that Caleb was known to have.

I knew where this was from.

A yawn caught my attention and I quickly pocketed the item. The kid rubbed his eyes sleepily and his eyes soon focused on me. He slowly sat up on the bed and gripped the covers tightly as he looked at me with fear.

"Hey, there." A small cough escaped my mouth and I raise the back of my hand to it. "What's your name?"

"C... K?" He seemed uncertain. "It started with a K sound."

My heart sank. It was Caleb. His name was Caleb.

He twirled his fingers on the sheet, trying to distract himself. His mouth formed a grumpy pout and I gently placed my hand on his back, giving him a small pat.

"I'll just call you Kyle." The words left my mouth unexpectedly and he nodded his head. "Do you know where your parents are?"

He tilted his head and gave me a confused look. "Aren't you my dad?"

It was official. I was a father. I never thought I would have a child produced from unprotected sex, especially since I never had been with a woman before. On the other hand, nobody told me adults could turn into children.

"Yes, I am." The words were stretched out and slow but that didn't seem to faze him. "Do you... remember anything? Any other adults you know?

He looked at me blankly before shaking his head.

At this point, it was no longer the Caleb I knew. Caleb had a rough childhood. He struggled so much to try and achieve his goals, only to fail and I could see that sadness whenever I talked to him before. C... Kyle was someone else. He didn't have the same sadness but was blissfully ignorant like any other child.

He glanced over to the television across the room and pointed at it. "Can I watch it?"

"Uh, sure." I grabbed the remote before fumbling with it to get it to a kid's appropriate channel. The screen lit with brightly coloured characters and Kyle watched the television with glee.

I leaned back in the chair, feeling the weight of the situation on my shoulders. Caleb was gone. His experiences made him who he was and that was taken away. Kyle was someone completely different or he will be.

At least I'll get the chance to make things right and give Caleb the childhood he deserved.