Page 111 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

“YouTube Kids,” she says, and my eyebrows go up. Time for stricter parental controls. “And I’m just asking. He has a gun and has a lot of people around who carry guns, so I didn’t know…” The crack in her armor shows as her words fade away.

“I understand, Tems,” I say.

“Did he leave because of us?” The question startles me, and not just because Raiden asks it while still looking down into his plate.

“No. He didn’t—” I stop myself, because I don’t want them to know that he just found out about them, but maybe I should tell them that part? Then they’ll know their father didn’t purposefully stay away.

He didn’t reject them.

He simply didn’t know…and I chose not to make sure he did.

“It’s complicated, but I promise you, he didn’t leave because of you two. He’s now able to…be here more. For you two. And he’ssoexcited to get to know you.”

Tempest’s face goes through a few emotions before she pushes back from the counter.

“Can I go to bed now, Mom?” she asks suddenly. But she’s already out of the kitchen before I can give her permission.

It’s just Raiden and me, and the silence is even more uncomfortable. I don’t know what to do about his sudden attitude change or how to reach him.

I wish I had a child psychologist on call. Or a psychologist for my own damn self, because I’m making as much sense as a football bat.

“Rai…will you talk to me? You seem so sad, honey.” There. That’s a good way to approach things.

Raiden eats another slice of pizza, and I wait for him silently.

After a few minutes, he mumbles something into his plate of discarded pizza crusts.

“What’s that?” I ask.

He goes silent again, his shoulders coming up to his ears.

I try to soften more.

“Just tell me how you feel, baby. The truth.”

He sucks in a shuddering breath before asking his heartbreaking question in a voice so low I almost miss it.

“Did he not want us?”

My heart clenches, stutters as a wave of guilt so potent nearly knocks me off the chair.

“Raiden…” I choke up, completely at a loss for what to say. “He is so excited to be your father, honey. He couldn’t do so before now.”

That’s the truth.

“Butwhyhas he been gone for so long. If he’s excited now, where has he been?” I press the sides of my temples, still giving him my full attention as I rest my elbows on the expensive countertop.

“Raiden, I promise you. It’s complicated, but?—”

“Whatever, Mom,” he says, infusing an amount of attitude that I’m completely unprepared for. I mean, he’sseven. Shouldn’t I have a few more years on this shit?

“Raiden Alexander Rivers,” I press. “Fix yourself, son.”

I immediately see that taking the disciplinarian track is the wrong move, because his face goes hard and tears fill his eyes before he pushes away from the table and runs in the direction his sister went.

That went well.

“Good job, Shae,” I say, groaning and pushing the tepid pizza aside.