24. Jasmine

Chapter twenty-four

Jasmine

I 've loved spending the day bonding with this family, and I couldn't be happier. Dinner was amazing and I'm in no hurry for this day to end. The close bond between Zane and his sons is obvious as they drink together in the living room. Wine passes freely between their three glasses, while mine sits untouched. It's hard to reach the coffee table with Alex choosing me as his pillow while he plays on his tablet. I would never put a glass of wine above the boy's comfort. His small form sinks into the cushions of our former pillow fort, very little weight leaning into me, but the emotional support I'm offering is monumental. I'm enjoying the humorous tales exchanged by the three men, the topics light and child-friendly, yet breathing insight into the history between these three. Alex joined in at the start, including his personal adventures with Flippy-floppy, his stuffed bunny. But now, he clings to the tatty toy with a strong emotional attachment. His mother's kidnapping ploy has my heart pining for the boy. The obvious wear to the rabbit's fur from countless nights of being held too tightly in the dark. The soft toy has been a silent guardian for a time before his dad's protective embrace, and I wonder at the secrets it keeps locked within its synthetic heart. With gentle motions, I comb my fingers through Alex's hair, easing the tension that never quite seems to leave his small shoulders.

"Can I call you Auntie Jasmine?" he suddenly asks, his voice a soft whisper barely rising above the male voices filling the room. "Nana makes you sound old."

I stifle a laugh, touched by his earnestness. "Of course, you can," I reply, keeping my tone light, my smile reassuring. There's an innocence to his question, a search for a balance between what he wants and what I can give him.

"Thanks," he murmurs, nestling closer, and for a moment, I am grateful for this chance to be someone's haven, even if just for now.

"Absolutely," I whisper, and Alex's smile gives my life its missing purpose.

"Here's to the two of you, and the beginning of something special." Lenny lifts his glass to toast whatever this thing is between Zane and I.

With the clink of glass against glass, we toast the relationship I've somehow become entangled in. The smile on Zane's face reminds me it's not all bad. I could be happy here. I'm already happier than I was last week.

"Dare we pry a few stories from you?" Marcus questions. His interest is more for his son's sake than his father's, but I can oblige them with details about my past woes. "Do you have any family?"

"Family," I begin, my voice betraying the fluttering in my stomach. "It's complicated, isn't it?"

Nods of agreement greet my words, and I sense the camaraderie that comes from mutual hardship, the kind that etches itself deep into one's soul. It's time to pick up the wine.

"Mine did what they could after... Well, after my father made some choices that cost him dearly." I let the sentence hang, sipping the wine to moisten my lips, suddenly dry from speaking truths long buried. "He was a cop, but sometimes lines blur, and people fall. He started turning a blind eye to some things, then he started getting paid for it. It wasn't just his reputation left in tatters when he got caught. It also got tough, money-wise."

"What about your mother?" Zane inquires gently, his dark eyes reflecting his own struggles as a single parent.

"She's a fighter. I was seventeen, my sisters were younger. I did what I could to help her out but in the end, I was costing her more than I could bring in. Moving out and making my own life was the only option."

"I'm sorry you didn't get any help from those who put your father in that position." Zane's downward glance gives me little hope that he would take care of the families of his informants and paid-off cops. I know it wouldn't be Zane's fault if anyone got caught. My dad didn't cover his tracks well enough.

"They are doing better now."

A silence settles over us, not uncomfortable but full. I'm sure these three men know someone on the inside. It's an occupational hazard in their line of work. I can't judge them for their lives, I am a killer now myself.

The wine is going down too well, as I listen to Zane open up about his father. The nods from his sons and the weight in his words indicate his father's loss is a recent one.

"Antonio was more than just my dad. He was the capo for Edward's father. He taught me everything I know and supported me nonstop, even after he retired. He passed away three years ago."

There was a collective nod, a gesture of respect for the departed. He was clearly a big part in all their lives, proving that the men in this family live long and full lives even if the women don't. Staying with this family still feels like a better deal than being out there running for my life and freedom.

Marcus comes to stand beside us with a patient and tender look in his eyes. "It's time to go, champ," Marcus announces, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately. "You've still got reading to do for school tomorrow."

"Can I come back after school tomorrow?" Alex asks, his eyes on me as much as they are his father.

"If Jasmine and Grampy don't mind?" Marcus turns the question on me.

"I'd love to have you." I pray that's the right answer, but the collection of nods confirms it.

Alex's grip on the teddy tightens briefly before he releases it to his father. He jumps up, working around the room to hug his grandfather and uncle before returning for a final squeeze in my arms. He reclaims Flippy-floppy from his father's grip and then they leave the room together.

"Come on, Len. I'll drive you home." Marcus jabs his brother in the ribs and the younger son concedes he has drunk too much to drive himself.

Finally, I can shift my position in the seat, but miss the little body beside me. Zane humours me with his account of his adventure into the land of Gardonia to build a den with Alex and the number of times dangerous beasts would have devoured him if it wasn't for Alex being there to save him. I smile with interest, but even without a psychology qualification, I'm worried about the consistent theme of fighting monsters in Alex's play. I need to look into this before saying anything, having only sisters, I've no idea if I'm worrying about nothing here.