After the Storm {Book 2}

Prologue

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It's been 6 months since Bridget's funeral. Six months filled with agony, misery, confusion..emptiness.

If only there was something I could've done to help her.

 I splashed some cold water on my face and stared at my emotionless face in the mirror.

Who am I kidding? Bridget couldn't even help herself. She was too far gone. There's nothing I could've done.

"Jason?" The familiar high pitched voice echoed through the bathroom. I turned around to see Cindy holding our 4 month old daughter, Annah.

"Are you alright?"

I cleared my throat and grabbed a towel to wipe my face off. "Yeah, I'm fine."

It's been six months and I still haven't told Cindy about Ryan. I had no real reason why. Was I a coward? No. Was I afraid? No, not of telling her. I was afraid of losing her.

"I was about to go to the gym. Can you watch Annah?" She said, handing me the precious little gift God had blessed us with.

I forced a small smile and nodded. I stared at the little girl who I was fortunate enough to call my own. She had Cindy's light gray eyes and my slim nose.

"Are you sure you're OK? You're acting kind of strange." I hadn't noticed she was still standing in the doorway.

"I'm fine." I managed to put on a more sincere smile. "You go on to the gym."

"Alrighty!" She skipped out.

She had been trying to lose weight ever since she gave birth to Annah. The girl was already slim even while she was pregnant. I didn't understand why she was still going to the gym.

Women.

"I will never understand your mommy." I said to Annah. She giggled as if she knew what I said.

As I walked into the kitchen to get a bottle for Annah, the memories of that day began re-playing in my head. I set her down in her bouncer on the floor.

I tried to focus on not spilling the formula rather than hearing Bridget's words repeat in my head.

I'm dying, Jason.

I clenched my teeth and squeezed the top back on the bottle of formula. "Keep it together, Jason." I mumbled to myself.

You are his father, Jason!

I stumbled back, being frightened of my own thoughts. I looked over at Annah who was happily playing in her bouncer. At least you're happy.

I heated up the baby bottle in the microwave for a few seconds.

"Alright, I'm out babe!" Cindy said prancing out of the house.

I shook my head at all of the energy she had. You'd think she had never been pregnant.

Annah began fidgeting in her bouncer and reaching for the bottle she had spotted on the counter.

I chuckled. "You're just like me. You can sense food from anywhere."

I picked her up and sat down in the kitchen chair. Annah's skin complexion was way lighter than mine and a tad bit darker than Cindy's; effects of having biracial parents, I guess?

Cindy was white and I was black, but in our eyes,love was colorblind.

A few minutes after Annah began drinking her milk, she drifted off to sleep. She looked so peaceful and calm, it were as if she was one of those porcelain dolls.

Don't leave!

The panicked cry sounded in my head again. This time, louder than ever..

"What do you want Bridget?" I had said as I stormed into her hospital room.

"Jason, I have something to tell you. I have to tell you before it's too late!"

"Bridget, shut up with your crap. You've been trying to convince me of your vicious lie for the past week now!" I yelled at her.

"It's not a lie!"

"Oh yeah? Well if that's true, then why are you waiting until you're on your deathbed to tell me?"

She pulled out a stack of papers from under her pillow and handed them to me.

I stared at them. "What is this?"

"Paternity test results. You are his father, Jason!"

I thoroughly read over the paper and it did indeed prove to be true. Ryan was my son.

"Bridget, are you insane? You wait till now to tell me this? You do know I have a baby on the way?"

She sniffed as she wiped her face. "I know, but I just had to tell you before it was too late."

"What do you expect me to do, Bridget? This is your mess. You get yourself out of it. I'm out of here." I threw the papers on the floor and began making my way out of the room.

"Don't leave!" She screamed before I shut the door on her.

That was the last time I saw her - alive.

I snapped out of my daze and noticed Annah had stopped sucking the bottle. I carefully removed it from her mouth and set it on the table.

There was no way I could keep having these nightmares every night and these horrible thoughts everyday.

I knew what I had to do.

I had to finally tell Cindy about Ryan.