To Live Is To Fight (#2)

Chapter 23

I watched as the kids took turns sliding down the mini slide in the park and I watched as one kid hung off the monkey bars. My memory flashed to the day when I fell off a monkey bar when I tried going across. I fell flat on my face and my nose was so badly hurt that I almost fainted at the amount of blood pouring out of the wound. Little Cassandra thought that she chipped off her small button nose that day and freaked out. I remembered running to Bryant who freaked out even more than I did when he saw the blood on my nose.

He scolded me while he rushed me to the hospital with his bike. Even when he was only 12 he knew his way around the area. I was crying and told him to close his piehole because my nose hurt.

I smiled at the ridiculousness of it all when I finally realize there's no connection from my ear listening to his nagging and my hurting nose.

I pulled my jacket's hood up when a breeze passed by and sent a chill down my spine. The joyful squeals of the kids sliding down the slide and chasing each other continued to fill the air but it all seemed to buzz when my eyes caught a familiar face walking by with three kids by his side.

They were the same kids I saw that day in the small cafe on my way back after Adam's small psycho episode in kicking me out after seeing me for the first time since his crash. I felt relief flood through my system that at least the chances of the man whose brother I injured and had sworn to hurt my family and I weren't connected to any child trafficking. It's not that I care about the piece of crap but I'm glad that the children is somewhat in safe hands.

One was still perched on the man's shoulders, his small hands circling the man's head. The other two were holding his hands and once again, it was the little girl who pointed to the park. I could faintly hear her plead with him to let them play. "Please Cole, we'll just be a few minutes. I promise I'll come straight back to you when you say our time is up." I could hear 'Cole' laugh breathily and gave his approval.

My heartbeat started to pick up its pace and soon enough it was doing a mini race in my chest. I pretended to scratch my head and subtly pulled my hoodie lower over my face while still trying to keep an eye on the four.

The children were adorable although it was obvious that they weren't related by blood due to the difference in race. The boy whose hand was in the man's looked to be an asian mix with his dark hair and dark colored eyes. While the little girl was an African American with striking blue eyes and her unruly dark curls were tied into a ponytail while the youngest looking chubby boy looked caucasian with what looked to be amber eyes and wavy brown hair that was almost covering his eyes.

I could feel my features softening and a small smile tugging at the ends of my lips when I watched how the two kids ran off to join the yelling kids in the playground in front of me and the youngest of them all was lowered to the ground. As soon as his foot made contact with the Earth, he was off running after the other two.

I found myself thinking again, losing myself in my thoughts. They called him Cole and not dad. I assume Cole is his name. They didn't call him uncle as well although it is possible that he asked them not to call him uncle. So now I know that they're not his, they aren't biologically related to him although the youngest one could be but I can't be sure of that.

They could be his nephews and nieces but that would make the two adopted.

My heart broke at that thought. Once again, I thought about the possibility that I may have caused those kids a loss by injuring their father and causing him to lose his mind over his injury.

I have experienced loss and to imagine that these kids might have lost their father figure at such a young age is unbearable.

Tears pricked my eyes at the thought of that and a lump formed in my throat. Guilt entered my system in a nanosecond and it made me feel like I was suffocating. Guilt over what I might have done to this poor kids and guilt that I don't think about that possibility much over the past days.