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“A Mother’s Tale”

~Chapter Three- Going Through The Motions

He runs through the soggy grass: his laughter filling the air as he stops before her, extending his hand out to her. “Come on mom, this one last time I swear and you’ll love it.” A small smile forms on the curves of his lips while his light eyes shimmered in the early evening’s soft glow.

“No Nick, you go.” Jasmine whispers out, “Go with Eli, she wants to get in the sprinklers.”

Nick snickers and rolls his eyes, “She’s already soaked. I want you in the water. Come on its burning outside right now, get in.”

Jasmine laughs and nods: “Ok how about this, I’ll get in a little later to make you happy ok.”

Nick grins: “Fine but if you don’t live up to your word then I’m gonna personally carry you into the sprinklers.” Casting her a mischievous smile, he goes back to his little sister who was sitting on the cement ground squealing as the water rained down on her.

“Him and that water. I’ll never understand Nick.” A young woman’s voice speaks out.

Jasmine tilts her head smiling, “Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t give birth underwater cause then it would make more sense. He has a fascination for the ocean.”

“Tell me about it. He can’t get enough of sailing and I keep wondering if he plans on moving on there.” The young woman states, brushing a lock of dark flaxen hair down her back.

Jasmine giggles and shakes her head: “Don’t be surprise to hear that from him, who know maybe you’ll get married on there as well.” She teases the woman who breaks into a gentle smile giggling.

“Marriage huh? Sounds nice.” The woman states, her gray eyes look over to Nick who was holding a squealing two year old Eliez in his lap and sits down on the grate where the water was shooting out of.

Jasmine nods: “You’re the best thing that happened to him besides getting his degree in marine biology that is.”

The young woman smiles and nods, “Thanks and yeah I think I am.”

“Arianna! Baby check this out!” He shouts out from the sprinklers as he drops his pants and sits on the squirting water in his boxers.

Arianna laughs hard shaking her head, “Oh boy…and to think I love this goofball.”

“He has that charm about him.” Jasmine laughs as she hears a distant shouting coming from her daughter.

Opening her eyes, she gasps and looks around the dark room sighing out in relief as a warm tear caresses down her cheek. “It was just a dream.” She whispers out, gulping as she rolls to her side cuddling the pillow. For that one moment, she was recalling the memory so vivid and clear that she believed it was occurring just now. That she was still seeing her son. That he was perfect the way he was, no bruises, no broken bones, no mishaps of any kind. But that Nick she always known and loved was captured in that memory as the son she always remembered.

She tiredly gazes over the red numbers on the clock radio resting on her nightstand besides her. “3:30” She whispers out faintly, feeling her eyes lids close to the touch of sleep. It had only been a few hours ago since she had came back from the police station and was dropped off by officer Dorough. She had told him that she was fine but he saw through her and informed her that he would stay in his car and keep watch over her place in case he sees anything suspicious just for tonight.

“Just until your husband gets home. I don’t want you to stay alone. I’ll be here in the car if you feel afraid at any point. I’ll keep guard.”

Jasmine had agreed and felt as much as she didn’t want to say it: relieved that at least there was someone she can run to in this neighborhood.

Oakland is a vast suburban area with houses spread out which made it difficult for Jasmine to actually make close friends within the community. The middle class area surrounded a bank and the high-class companies that help refunded many of the lost programs that have been reinstated.

Sighing softly, she closes her eyes once again feeling the small bundle of warmth besides her. Smiling gently she runs a hand through Eliez messy locks, holding her child close to her, letting sleep take over for the time being.
~*~

He enters the threshold, letting the front door slam behind him. He stands still soaked from the rain outside, listening to the silence in his house. “Where you at?” He calls out, waiting for someone to respond. Tossing the keys on the mantle, he pulls off the drenched black hoodie walking into the small cozy living room. Quietly stepping to the sofa, he looks down and smiles, seeing a young woman curled fast asleep, her arms wrapped around a small plush pillow.

He smiles and brushes a hand down her arm whispering in her ear: “I came back.”

The woman shifts and opens her eyes to look up at her boyfriend’s face. “Mmmm…” She yawns sitting up, a smile making its way to her lips. “About time. I was beginning to wonder when you brought your behind back here.”

He sits besides her as she crawls on his lap crinkling her nose: “Eghhh…you’re all wet.”

“Got caught up in the storm.” He tugs on his soaked t-shirt matted down with water.

“Should have listened to me when I said take the umbrella.”

Damien shifts in the sofa and smirks: “I like the rain then.”

She smirks, leaning over to kiss him: “How did it go?”

“I saw her…its crazy you know. I got there and I was talking to Eli when I found out Mrs. Carter was passed out.”

“Ooooohhh…she saw the body right?”

Damien sighs, wrapping his arms around her waist: “Yup.”

Raising her light eyebrows, she exhales resting her head on his chest frowning: “I’m just worried about her daughter. The poor girl.”

He rubs her back gently leaning back: “She’ll be fine, she doesn’t really understand what’s going on yet.”

“Well good, she doesn’t need to deal with all that.”

Damien nods and stands up carrying her: “Moving on…I’m wet, tired and hungry, care to help out in that Arianna?”

She smirks, her gray eyes twinkling: “Sure thing sugar. I think I left some food in the fridge. I’ll get that set up while you go change.”

Damien puts her down and smirks: “Heh, see you in a few.” Spanking her butt gently he heads to his bedroom as she laughs waltzing into the kitchen.
~*~

She stretches her arm out above her feeling the bathing of the morning sun rays splash upon her sun kissed skin. Smiling, she steers her eyes to the bright hazy rising sun creeping up in the horizon a distance away. She can feel Eliez’s lithe small body curl around her for comfort as she slowly sits up to take the morning in. Pulling the thin cotton blanket off her waist, she places her bare feet on the shiny wooden planks. Grabbing her robe, she pulls it around her body tying it. The quiet morning was welcoming to her as she exits her room, leaving the door open in case her child needed anything.

Descending down the stairs she begins to head to the kitchen when a gun shot sounds off outside her house. Gasping, she clutches the robe tightly around herself, rushing over to the nearest window to see the officer leaning on the side of the police car scratching his head in confusion. Gulping, she inches her way to the front slowly opening the front door. Exiting slowly, she hears the soft chirping of the Robins who flutter above her on a pine tree besides her front yard. Her eyes fall on the officer who glances over at her with a small smile.

“Morning Mrs. Carter. Sorry about that. Hope I didn’t wake you up worried. I was eating my sandwich and some raccoon put up a fight for it.”

She holds back a chuckle eyeing the man: “So who won?” She crosses her arms, watching him with interest.

“Heh…well take your pick. I’ll help you out. I still don’t have a sandwich and the raccoon isn’t dead.” He sheepishly smiles, dropping his head.

Jasmine smirks, hearing a soft giggle escape her lips. “Ohh poor thing…I can fix you up something to eat don’t you worry. As for the waking up to a gun shot, well perhaps you should consider another method.”

“Right, right of course! Again I apologize for such a startling way to wake up.”

“That’s alright. And…since you lost your breakfast, how about you join Eliez and I for some breakfast? We could always use the company.” Jasmine smiles: opening the front door.

“I would love to! Thank you so much ma’am.” Howie beams and quickly follows her inside for a hardy meal to begin the start of the early day.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**