Page 35 of Saving Grace

“Hey, it has been a long time,” I was freaking the fuck out. It took everything in me not look towards the theatre my son was in.

Sensing my distress, the fake smile he wore grew wider, colder, taunting even. As if he could feel my fear and it was feeding something in him that he kept barely restrained.

“Yes, the last time I saw you was the night you ran away from me.” His tone was bitter.

I scoffed. I should have said nothing and focused on making him let me go. I knew how to make him if I needed to. A palm strike to the nose would have worked, but I didn’t do that. I responded with words instead of violence because I was my grandmother’s child and I could never let anybody have the last word.

“Ran away? You make me sound like I’m some teen who runs away from home because their parents took their phone. I’m a grown ass woman. I told you I wasn’t staying; you should have believed me.” I snapped before I could stop myself. I swallowed hard, realizing my mistake.

I could see it in his eyes, he was gearing up for a fight. Right there in the middle of a children’s museum with everybody watching and that was the last thing I needed.

“Roman. Where are you Roman.”

I breathed a sigh of relief when a woman I assumed was his wife started calling his name incessantly.

“What.” He snapped, without taking his eyes from me.

A woman with an olive complexion and pitch-black hair to her waist came to stand at his side. His wife. Wow…I had made myself not look her up. I didn’t know she’d be so beautiful. I did know that they had married just before her father passed and had been living happily ever after since. It didn’t escape my notice that he had been engaged to her at the same time he was trying to force me to stay with him.

Ain’t that something?

The wife pointed out how close we were. “What is this?” It was a hissed demand for answers.

She scowled in my direction.

I wanted to tell her to direct her anger to who deserved it, her husband. Atticus growled the word, “don’t,” at me before I could say anything.

He knew me too well. He turned so he faced her— while simultaneously blocking me from her view.

It would have been the perfect moment to make my exit but I had to wait. We were standing too close. Atticus would notice me walking away. I’d be patient. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be too long before his wife became so much of distraction he didn’t notice me leave..

“Who is she?” She yelled.

“Mind your business Sophia, go back and play with Tori. She begged you for this attention, give it to her.”

She wagged her finger. “You don’t dismiss me like I’m the help Roman. I’m your wife,” She wanted me to know, putting so much emphasis on the word wife it became a physical entity that floated around the room.

I rolled my eyes behind his back.

Atticus responded in Italian and an argument ensued. They went back and forth, spitting foreign words out in rapid fire. I didn’t know the language but I knew they were exchanging pleasantries. He wife’s nostrils flared as her face became increasing red. The muscles in Atticus back were tensed, the veins in his neck bulging.

While they were occupied, I walked away, quickly but quietly. I arrived at my destination just time to watch my son coming out of the theatre he’d been in.

Before he could start running his mouth. I scooped him up. He was so tall, his legs nearly long as mine. I had an awkward time carrying him, but I managed to, and as fast as I could away from literal death. “If he finds you, I’ll kill you.” Atticus’ grandfather words repeated on a constant loop in my head as I made my way to the car.

I opened the door and shoved AJ.

“But Momma. We gotta go talk to the--”

I cut him off. Once AJ started talking it was hard to get him to stop.

I rushed, taking my seat behind the steering wheel.

I looked over the seat at AJ. He had his little arms folded across his too wide for a child his age chest and his lips curled up into a pout.

I felt bad. He had been looking forward to this visit to the museum for months. I’d make it up to him later, but now I needed him to listen and cooperate.

“You remember what I told you about one day having to get away from some bad people?”