Page 106 of Blinded By Hate

Jaclyn gives me a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I say before licking my bottom lip.

“Are you ready?”

“I’m scared,” I admit.

Jaclyn steps out of her apartment and closes the door softly. She puts her hands behind her back and her chest rises and falls with every breath she takes.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” she assures me. “Junior is an amazing kid and he’s going to love you. If anything, he’ll just need time with you.”

Jaclyn did show me a bunch of videos and photos of Junior because I was curious about him and what he’s like. Jaclyn told me everything there was to know.

It made me even more excited to see and meet him.

I nod my head. “How are you feeling?”

Jaclyn shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter.” I narrow my eyes at her.

Does she really think her feelings don’t matter or something?

“No. I’m going to ask again.” I take a step closer to her. “How are you feeling?” I hold her face in my hands to make her look up at me.

Jaclyn takes my hands off her face and steps back. “I’m fine. Junior’s waiting,” Jaclyn says before opening the door and holding it open for me. I continue to worry even as I walk in and see a boy, who looks so similar to me, jumping up and down on the couch while laughing. “Junior, what did I say about jumping on the couch?” Jaclyn says, walking past me and towards the couch.

Junior looks at his mom with a guilty look on his face.

I put my hands in my pockets, not wanting him to see how my hands are sweaty.

God, I’m fucking nervous.

I feel my eye twitching and my stomach clenching. My heart is beating against my chest hard and fast and I feel like it’s going to burst.

“Who’s that, mama?” Jaclyn helps Junior off the couch and she grabs his hand as she walks towards me.

Jaclyn looks at my hands in my pockets, glaring at them making me take them out. She looks at me and mouths, “You okay?”

I nod my head before kneeling in front of Junior to be at the same height as him.

Junior looks at me skeptically. “Is he a stranger?” Junior asks, moving closer to Jaclyn.

“No baby, he’s safe.” Jaclyn kneels with me and she looks at Junior. “Baby, you know how everyone has a mama and a papa?”

Junior nods his head. “Sometimes people have two mamas and two papas.”

Jaclyn nods her head. “Yes, that's right. But everyone has two parents. Sometimes it’s two mamas and sometimes it’s two papas. Most of the time it’s a mama and a papa.”

Junior nods his head before looking at me. “Well, I just have you and Brandon.”

Brandon?

My eyebrow raises and I look at Jaclyn. Her body tenses but she doesn’t look at me.

Who the fuck is Brandon and why is he spending time with my family and why did Jaclyn not mention this to me?

“Yes baby but you also have a papa.”

“Where is he?” Junior furrows his eyebrows and tilts his head a little bit.