When Hate Turns to Love

Ch. 41

"Mommy!" Connor shouted when he saw her walk into the room. Ricky and Charlotte turned towards the door and gave her a grin as she walked up to them. They were all sat on Connor's bed playing Go Fish. Charlotte was winning.

"Hey baby boy. How ya feeling?" Nini asked.

"I'm good mommy." Connor said, "We get to go home soon."

"That's what I heard." she ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. "Ricky, can I talk to you outside a minute? Charlotte, can you entertain Connor?"

"Yes mommy. I'll just keep beating him at Go Fish" Charlotte said, proud to do the task.

She pulled her boyfriend out into the hall.

"What's wrong babe?" he asked after giving her a kiss.

"Kourtney said I should talk to you about something that happened last night with Connor?" she asked.

She was worried when he turned white and started to sway a bit.

"Ricky! What is it?" she said, pushing him into a set of chairs in the hall.

"She wasn't supposed to say anything." he said, a blank look in his eyes.

"Just tell me. You're scaring me." she begged.

"Connor c-called me 'daddy'." he said.

"What?" she gasped, sitting down next to him.

"He was just waking up and he doesn't even remember saying it." Ricky said quickly, now concerned for his girlfriend, but felt she needed to know one more thing, "And Charlotte told her class that she wished I was her daddy."

Nini shook her head in disbelief.

"Are-are you angry?" he said, her silence disconcerting.

"N-no. Just shocked." she said finally, "Though, I shouldn't be. They were bound to notice they didn't have one. And you have you have sort of taken the 'daddy' slot."

They sat in a confused silence for a bit.

"Can I make a confession Nins?" he said.

She nodded. He took her hand in his own.

"I don't mind." he said, "I know it's crazy, but I don't."

Nini smiled him and let out a laugh.

"It's not crazy." she said.

"Really?" he asked.

She went and stood in front of him and grasped his hands.

"Really." she said, "Because I don't mind either. It's something we'll have to talk about more of course, but I really don't mind."

He stood and wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you so much baby. And I love Charlotte and Connor." he said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I know you do." she said in return.

They laughed when they heard arguing from Connor's room.

"Well, you want to try a bit of parenting?" she teased.

"Why not." he said with a grin and a shrug.

LINE BREAK

Kourtney had moved Brookelynn into Nini's bedroom. She couldn't even begin to imagine what the poor girl was going through but she had a feeling that it was worse than Nini... and that was bad. As she looked at the sleeping girl, she remembered the day that Nini came to her with her black eye and busted lip. Nini hadn't been acting like herself prior to Kourtney seeing her like that. She was always isolating herself and the kids, and nearly stopped talking to Kourtney altogether. Kourtney knew her best friend though, and new that she would never just abandon people that she loves. That's why she felt shocked when Nini told her about EJ hitting her. He even nearly broke her arm once by throwing her down some stairs. Kourtney shuddered at the memory and looked down at the sleeping girl. She heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head, eyes tearing up slightly. They were saving this girl. She gets to go home.