Five Years Later • JIARA •

alt. 22

JJ's POV:

Cole just came in here acting like a total dick. I don't know why Kie is still with him. I was holding my son and Cole claimed the baby might be his. If I wasn't holding the baby, I would have gotten up and punched him. He claimed even if the baby was mine, he wanted to adopt him and have full custody with Kie.

I was filled with rage. Kie said nothing. Cole left and Kie broke down crying. I was so pissed and she ran upstairs and I could hear her crying from downstairs. Liam was asleep, so I laid him down in his fancy kook swing. Kie's parents bought it. I turned it on and watched him for a second.

I then ran upstairs to Kie's room and found her sitting on the floor, her back against the bed. She was crying so hard. She was breathing so fast, almost to the point of hyperventilating. I sat down next to her and I pulled her into my arms. She didn't stop crying so I started talking, "Listen to me, today is supposed to be a happy day. We brought our son home, he's healthy and happy. Don't focus on Cole, focus on us... Just breathe with me"

I took some deep breaths with her to steady her breathing and she finally calmed down I said, "I grew up in a toxic house, and childhood trauma is a real thing. It clearly fucked me up. I don't want to traumatize our son. Your emotions are completely valid and I want to help you figure things out and be there for you right now, but I don't want to do it in front of our son."

"Our son? So you really believe he's yours?" Kie asked

"I don't know, but until I'm proven wrong, he is my little boy" I said praying he was mine

Kie stopped crying and she got up and we went downstairs and she saw him in the swing. She smiled at me and it was hard for me to not think about what Cole said. Kie and I spent the whole day together with Liam. Watching Kie be a mom was one of my new favorite things.

Kie had always been my safe place. She made me feel loved and safe. No one has ever made me feel like that before. I knew she was going to be an amazing mom to our son because she would make sure he knew how much she loved him.

It was getting late and Kie asked me to stay over. I agreed and I spent the night on the couch as Cole was in the guest room. Kie and I got up every few hours with Liam. I felt useless as he usually woke up hungry and she had to feed him. She wasn't producing a ton of milk that she could pump yet.

So I just did my best to support her. I'd rub her back, get her water, and lay Liam back in the bassinet. I stayed for three days and today, Kie and I were taking him for a walk in the stroller.

We met up with Sarah and John B and they asked all the questions about how Kie was. She didn't tell them anything about Cole. I wondered why she was keeping it a secret.

I had to work the next day, so I just stayed at my dad's house. Thankfully, he wasn't home. I missed Liam all day at work. I didn't realize I was capable of loving someone so much.

The next day, Kie texted me and told me to come over. Apparently, the paternity test results were in. I got on my bike and sped over to her house I walked in and Cole was there too.

"Where's Liam?" I asked

"He's with my mom... I know there's going to be fighting and I don't want him to be around that" Kie said and I realized she understood what I was talking about

She was holding an envelope and said, "So, I've made some decisions"

The envelope hasn't been opened yet.

"JJ will be the legal father, you will never adopt Liam, his last name will stay Maybank, and you will have no parental rights"

I smiled and I felt so much relief. Part of me knew that Kie would never take my son away from me, but then again you never know. Cole started arguing and he said, "Just open the damn envelope"

Kie opened the envelope and started reading. She didn't show us the papers but she looked at us and started crying. She held the papers to her chest and my heart was racing and my stomach dropped to the floor. I felt sick.

Cole looked at me and then at Kie and he smiled. Fuck. This baby better not be his. If it is, I'm leaving this island and never coming back. How the hell could this happen?

Kie wiped her tears and she said, "The baby is JJ's"

I looked up in shock, she was crying. They must have been tears of relief, I hoped. She walked over to me and hugged me. Cole grabbed the papers and it showed I was the match and Cole wasn't.

"I knew he was your son" Kie whispered

"So did I" I whispered back

Cole was pissed and he said, "Whatever, you can have him. He's not that cute anyway, explains why he's your kid. Babe, we can make more babies, together"

"Cole, I can't think about that right now" Kie said

I left to let Kie and Cole figure their shit out. I left with the biggest smile on my face. Liam Jackson Maybank was my son and his mom was the girl I've been in love with for years, Kiara Anna Carrera. Now, I just needed to find a way to win her back.