Custody War

Chapter 44

Essence  

 
Silence filled the room, Lucas and I looking at Kendric.
 
“Daddy,” Kendric says with worry in his voice.
 
“Come here,” Lucas says picking up Kendric continuing to talk.
 
“Do you remember when you ask me about your mom, and I told you she died?”
 
Kendric nods his head, “I remember?”
 
“I was told your mom died,”
 
“Daddy I don’t want to talk about this. Can we do something else please?” Kendric asks with tears in his eyes.
 
“We can’t put this off any longer. I was told your mom died, but she did not, and she is not dead. She is alive.”
 
Kendric froze locking eyes with Lucas.
 
“Where is she?”
 
“Kendric, Ms. Essence is your mom.”
 
Kendric sat on the couch between Essence and me. He begins looking back and forth between Lucas and me with a look on his face I could not decipher.
 
“When did you find out, daddy?” Kendric questions. 
 
“I have known for a while, I ha- “
 
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?” Kendric yells at Lucas then turns his attention to me, “Why didn’t you tell me, or was it better not to have me as a child.” He questions with tears streaming down his face.  
 
Before either of us could speak, Kendric ran off to his room.
 
“He hates us.” Essence says with tears sliding down her face. 
 
“He doesn’t hate us, he is sad, heartbroken, confused, and doesn’t understand what is going on. I will go talk to him in a little bit. He needs to hear this part from me, this way he will be able to comprehend your side of what happened.”
 
“I never want him to feel like this or that he can’t trust us.”
 
“He will. Right now, he just needs to know some of what happened, just not everything.”
 
“I agree with you, Lucas. I never want Kendric to know how he was conceived or the hell they put me through. Even when he gets older, I still don’t want him to know unless he finds out.”
 
Taken Essence’s hand in mine looking in her eyes I spoke, “Kendric will never know from me and if in so crazy way it does come up, we will talk to him and we will get through it together, as a family.”
 
Nodding her head, “thank you. I’m sorry for all this chaos my so-called parents caused. I – “
 
Interrupting Essence as she was speaking, “You have nothing to apologize for. The created and caused all this havoc, you are a victim also. Don’t ever apologize on behave of them.”
 
“Lucas, before anything else happens, I need to tell you to thank you. If you did not show up when you did, I don’t know how much more damage they would have done to me. They could have left me for dead. I do not know how I can or will ever repay you. I am so thankful you came.”
 
“Essence”
 
“No, Lucas you go above and beyond, and I am eternally grateful. Not just me but for Kendric. You are the father I always envisioned for him, but I never thought it would happen. My parents may have created all this havoc, the one thing they didn’t count on was you. Thank you for everything.” She says with tears slowly rolling down her face.  
 
Gazing deep into Essence’s eyes using my thumb to gently wipe away her tears. Inching closer to her as I am about to kiss her a loud thump startles us.
 
“Let me make sure Kendric is okay.” Getting up going the stairs going to Kendric’s room I see him sitting on the side of his bed.
 
“Some of my books fell.”
 
“That’s okay, we will pick them up later, right I want to know how you are doing.”
 
“I don’t know, I am trying to understand everything.”
 
“Is that the only thing that is bothering you, Kendric?”
 
“When did you know and why couldn’t I know?”
 
“When Ms. Essence first came, I thought she was lying to me.”
 
“Why daddy?”
 
“When you were born, I couldn’t be there, some very mean people told me and Ms. Essence a lie about you, they were convincing, and we believed them.”
 
“What was the lie, daddy.”
 
Looking at Kendric, struggling on how to answer his question.
 
“Daddy, I’m a big boy I can handle what you say,” Kendric says as I smile at him.
 
“These unbelievably bad people told Ms. Essence you died, and when they brought you to me, they told me Ms. Essence died.”
 
Watching Kendric’s eyes swell up with tears as a few escape his eyes. As he wipes some tears away, more tears quickly fell as his eyes meet mine.
 
“Those horrific people caused you, me, and Ms. Essence a massive amount of pain, suffering, heartache, grief, and anguish. For Ms. Essence her torment and misery were worse because she thought you died.”
 
“But I’m not dead daddy.”
 
“No, son you are not, but that’s what Ms. Essence knew. You remember when you asked me why you didn’t have a mom and where she was?”
 
Nodding his head in a yes motion, I continued, “You cried all night when I told you she died. I told you she loves you more than anything in the world.”  
 
“Then why didn’t she come before now? Why didn’t she tell me who she is if she loves me so much?”
 
“Me and Ms. Essence had to work out some mommy and daddy issues before we could tell you.”
 
“Daddy, when you took me to meet Ms. Essence for the first time, did she know then, and did you know?”
 
“We did, but we had some things to figure out.”
 
“She could have told me.”
 
“Kendric,”
 
He was looking at the floor and didn’t respond to me.
 
“Kendric, look at me.” His tear-filled up looks up at me.
 
“For years, all she has done was go to grave that she thought you were in just to be close to you. When she found out you were alive, she came for you because she does love you. We both love you more than you will ever know. The ones you did all of this is who you should be mad at, not Ms. Essence. I realize this is a lot for you, however, I won’t allow you to be angry and upset at Ms. Essence for something that was out of her control.”
 
“Kendric” Essence, a soft voice spoke as he glances up at her.
 
“I wish I did know you were alive sooner; I would have come. There is nothing that would have stopped me from coming. The day they told me you died; my heart shattered. I screamed, called out for you I didn’t hear anything except them telling me you were gone. I cried every day, I prayed I could have at least heard you cry, but nothing brought more pain and heartache to me. I was never whole and complete again until I found out you were alive. When I saw you for the first time in my life, my heart got mended and burst again only because I was overjoyed and happy to finally see you. I am so sorry I didn’t know, and it took me so long to get to you, I am never going anywhere. I’m going to be right here with you and your dad.”  
 
Kendric slowly stands up with tears streaming down his face as he ran into Essence’s arms.        
 
 

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