DONOVAN (Book Three)

ONE

I open the bedroom door to find Leo still sleeping. His legs and arms are spread apart, and his snores are soft but not loud.

I chuckle and close the door behind me. I went onto the bed and kissed his forehead. He moves and groans in his sleep.

My chuckles turn into giggles. "Come on, darling. It's time to wake up."

He groans again and shakes his head on the pillow. "Five more minutes, Mum."

"Darling, you need to get up, sweetie. I made your favorite."

He popped his head and could see the sparkle in his eyes vision in a dark room. "Chocolate chip waffles."

"Shaped like Mickey Mouse, drizzle with strawberry jam, whip cream, sprinkle with more chocolate chips along the side a glass of chocolate milk."

It is unhealthy for any kid to eat sweets in the morning, but Leo loves his pancakes, which is my source of leverage to wake him up.

"Yay!" Leo jumped off our bed and went straight to the bathroom.

I shake my head giggling.

It's been two months and two weeks since I arrived at my cousins' house. I open the curtains as the sky is dark, but the sun is about to set. I walk over to the mirror on the dresser and stop. I'm wearing a turtle neck sweater and pull it down to reveal my neck. I see the bruises fading away.

Since I ran away from Eddie with my five-year-old son Leo, we flew straight from London to Long Beach and surprised my cousins by crashing a party. I haven't told them what happened as to why I ran away from home before my wedding.

My cousin Athena wanted to discuss letting me and Leo stay with her for the time being before I find a place to stay. But they are anxious to know from seeing bruises all over my body.

The one most interested in the topic is Don. He kept asking questions like he was a fucking cop and scared the Jesus out of me. He apologized afterward and then went away to think of his actions. Then, my cousin, Athena, told me he hates men who battered women. It explains his behavior.

I have never met a man to act that way, especially to a stranger like me.

His older brother, Rex, told me he knew a woman who would get beaten daily by her husband. After a misunderstanding, she died in a car accident while riding with her husband. But the woman still killed both of them.

I had something similar to that event. I was lucky to survive. Wearing a neck brace and walking on crutches wasn't so bad.

While Leo was washing up, I went back downstairs to finish breakfast. I had leftover pancake batter, homemade orange juice, and muffins in the oven. Then I hear steps from the stairs. "Morning, Claire."

I looked over my shoulder to see Effie, the first person to wake up.

"Good morning, Effie. How are you feeling today?" I flipped the egg as it sizzled on the hot frying pan.

"I threw up," I chuckled as she took a table chair. "Pregnancy is exhausting."

I spot her baby bump.

"Here, I made something for your queasiness," I hand her a cup.

Effie took it and drank it, then made a sour face. I laugh. "What is this?"

"Lemon juice."

"So sour."

"My mom says it is good for nausea. When I was pregnant with Leo, I had to buy lemon drops everywhere." I say.

Multiple steps were heard as Athena, her fiancé Rex and Effie's boyfriend Logan came downstairs.