Page 111 of Stolen Kisses
What a foolish question. “Of course I do. I love him with everything in me.” I looked at Flynn and saw his little face gazing at me.
I was so sorry for this. For him having to go through all of this. He deserved better, a mother who could protect him.
Maybe it would have been better for him to have been taken away from me rather than this.
“Flynn, do you love your Mama?”
“Yes.” He cried.
This was all pure evil.
“Flynn do you think your Mama would do anything for you?” Franco asked in a taunting voice that carried across the distance between us.
The cold night air stung my cheeks. It made the pain rippling through me feel so much worse.
“Yes,” Flynn answered.
Franco looked back to me. “Well Maria it seems like the boy thinks you’ll do anything for him. Is that true, what would you do for him?”
“Anything.” I shouted.
“Good, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.” He held up his gun and pointed it at Flynn.
“No! Please ... No ...” I screamed unable to stop the tears.
“Maria you decide what happens next. In order to secure Flynn’s ticket with me back to Florida and save his life you will jump. You will jump off the side of this building and kill yourself.”
Oh my God. My God.
No.
Kill myself? Just walk off the side of the building and allow my baby to see me do that knowing I’d be dead.
Flynn started crying again. Franco tightened his grip on his arm hurting him. He was hurting him, digging his fingers into his shoulder torturing him.
“Franco … please, why don’t we just both go with you. Flynn needs me. He’ll need someone to take care of him. I’m the best person to do that.” It was a final attempt to save both of us.
Franco growled. “You should have thought of that when you turned me in to the police. You fucking bitch, fucking selfish bitch. You were just looking for a chance to leave me. You turned me in and issued the divorce papers a week after I was sentenced. Of course I will not take any form of pity on you. Jump now.”
“Please just shoot me. Just shoot me.” I wailed, because I couldn’t kill myself. I couldn’t.
He pulled the trigger getting ready to release it on Flynn and my soul screamed.
My little boy, my little baby, he was only four years old and his father stood over him ready to kill him.
The seconds that passed made me think of Dante and all the love he showed us. Like everything else I touched I screwed up with him. I was grateful Flynn had him if only for a little while. Flynn had him in his life to show him what real men did.
I was grateful for that and angry that Flynn would have to grow up with a monster like Franco.
So, so very sad, knowing I had to go. I was going to do this, because I would do anything for Flynn.
It was wrong to regret. Ridiculous now to think I could have done things different.
Foolish to blame myself for not being with the guy who was always there. The man who always had my back.
Dante with his charm, and his vibrant personality. Dante who meant so much to me.
I was a foolish girl way back then who never realized she had love. A foolish woman now to have lost it.
