BLUE - Caitlin Szmerling

SIXTEEN

I wake up to hear my phone going off. I look at the time which read 3:29 am. I look at the caller I.D. to see that it is an unknown caller. Usually, I would let it ring and not answer but something about it made me want to answer the phone like something was drawing me to it.

I click the green button and press my phone to my ear, beginning to get up and walk out of the room as not to wake up Bella. "Hello?" I call through the phone, the only answer I was getting was heavy breathing. I speak into the phone again, this time getting an answer. "Is this Cassandra Patrick?" A low, obviously automated voice speaks. "Um.. yes? May I ask who is calling?" The only reply I get is a small chuckle. "If you want to see your son again, I suggest you come to Kingston park right now. Do not bring Bella or the cops. Just yourself, and then we can work out a deal." I was about to answer them before they hung up on me. Since I was wearing pyjamas that can be worn as everyday clothes, I decided to just put shoes on and walk out the door. I decide to leave a short note for Bella in case she begins to worry.

I begin to walk down the street, knowing that Kingston park was only a 5-minute walk. When I arrive, I look around for someone, even a baby in case it happened to be Jamie. After a few minutes of looking around, a car pulls up outside the park and someone gets out of the car, holding something in their arms.

As they walk towards me, I notice that it's a baby that is in their arms, and the closer they got, I realised that it was Jamie. "Oh my gosh." Was all I could muster out in barely a whisper. I hear him begin to cry, which made my motherly instincts kick in and reach out for him. "NO!" I hear a deep voice call out. I look at the person that was holding Jamie in shock and realised that he had all the male features that we were taught about at school. Beard, tall, broad shoulders, all of the masculine features to be honest. I had never seen a grown man in real life so this really shocked me that Jamie was going to look similar to that one day.

The man interrupts my thinking by speaking out again. "I said that you could see him, but not hold him or have him." I looked at him confused. "Then why would you ask me here?" He looks back at me, and I could see a glimpse of something in his eyes but I couldn't work out what it was. Hurt? Sadness? Lost? "I need a reason to be able to let you have Sammy back." I was confused, who was Sammy? "Who? I don't know any Sammys." I tell him. He gestures to Jamie, who was still in his arms. "His name is Jamie, not Sammy," I tell him, slightly pissed off that he would change the name of my son as well as kidnapping him. "And the reasons? Well for starters he is my son, I gave birth to him. There are witnesses to prove that. He is chemically attached to me, and being without his mother can affect his physical health. He can get sick." I list off all the reasons as to how having Jamie back in mine and Bella's life would be beneficial for all of us. It even looks like he was actually considering handing Jamie over to me. "Can I at least hold him?" I ask, my voice slightly shaking from all the emotions building up inside of me, ready to explode. He nods his head, placing Jamie in my arms. He begins to cry slightly, before realising it was me, then starts to coo and eventually fall asleep on my shoulder.

"Why did you take him?" I ask the man. He looked taken aback, clearly showing that he wasn't expecting that question. "I- I am the only man on earth. I have been alone my entire life. When I found out that another boy had been born, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to have someone who is like me in a world that does not accept me at all." As he spoke to me, I heard sirens from a distance begin to get closer. The man stops talking and looks around. "Did you call the police?" He asks, looking ready to run away.

"No. But Bella probably did." I pull my phone out to show him the call that was currently going, showing that Bella had heard everything that was said between him and me. He tries to take Jamie from me whilst the police got closer, but before he could actually take him out of my hands, the man was tackled down by the police. His hands were pinned behind his back as he struggled to try and get away.

"Peyton Smith, you are under arrest for the kidnapping and endangerment of a minor. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law." The police officer listed off his rights as he was taken away. A paramedic approached me and lead me towards an ambulance to be able to look over Jamie to check for any injuries. Whilst I waited, I looked around for Bella, spotting her talking to a police officer that was preventing people from getting past the crime scene tape. I decided to walk over there, hearing her yelling at the police officer as I got closer.

"Let me through, that was my child that was kidnapped. My wife is there." I hear her say. "Ma'am, I cannot let you through. I have strict instructions telling me to not let anyone get past." I interrupt the conversation, explaining that I was Bella's wife and she should be let through to see Jamie. The officer sighs before letting Bella through, lifting the tape up to make it easier for Bella to get under.

As soon as Bella had gotten past the tape, she immediately pulled me into her arms, squeezing me tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, what were you thinking?" She gasps, still not letting me go. "I was thinking that I had to get my son back, no matter what it took." We walk back towards the ambulance where Jamie is getting checked over. We step in, seeing the paramedic playing with Jamie. "All done, just keeping him company until you got back. He is all good to go. Not a single scratch or bruise on him."

Bella picks him up, cradling him in her arms. I notice that there were tears streaming down her face as she begins to speak to Jamie. "I'm so glad that you're okay. I could barely sleep knowing that you weren't in your own bed and where you shouldn't be." I wrap my arms around her and Jamie, finally happy that our family was back together again.