His Sweet Neko

Epilogue

1 year later - 

I'm 17-years-old, River is 2-years-old, and Hunter is 22-years-old. We are celebrating Christmas in a few days in a few days by going to Paris, France, for a five-day vacation. We are going to celebrate New Year's Eve here at home with a small gathering with Hunter's mum, step-dad, a few friends from work, Cammie and her girlfriend Emily, and Morgan. 

"Hey love, can I ask you a question that has been on my mind since we met?" Hunter asks sitting next to me on the couch as River plays with his toys on the carpet. 

Glancing up at him while I continue to rub my left hand over my extended belly since I am six months pregnant. We are having a boy who we are naming Harrison Boyd Mitchell after Hunter's middle name, and his father's first name. 

"Sure, what is your question?" I reply with a curious smile at him. 

"You never talk about your family, so I'm just curious where your parents are, and if you have any siblings?" he asks with furrowed eyebrows. 

Biting my lower lip as I inhale deeply through my nose, exhailing before I answer; "I never met my da since he was killed in a car accident while mum was pregnant with me. My mum left me at a firestation when I was 7-years-old because she could not take care of me financially." 

Hunter pouts at me as he thinks over what I said for a moment before saying; "Did you try and find her when you became older?" 

"Master Markus tracked her down for me when I was 13-years-old. She lives in the next town over to the west, so I had sent her a letter with Master Markus' address for her to return a letter. She never did, nor did she show at his house while I lived with him, so that tells me she does not want anything to do with me," I reply with a shrug of my shoulders. 

"Do you still have her address, we could go to her house?" he asks with a frown. "What do you know about her?" 

"Um, yes I still have her address. Her name is Clare Matthews, um, she has blond hair, and blue eyes, and she has three other children with a man named Adam Matthews," I tell him curious as to why he wants to know about her. "Why?" 

"Don't you want to see her in person? Get answers to any questions you may have for her?" he replies like it was obvious as to why he was asking. "Don't you want her to know you have two beautiful children?" 

"Honestly, I do not think she wants her new family to know I exsist, or that she abandonded me even if it was for a good reason," I shrug. "So, who am I to disrupt her life?" 

"You're her son, that's who," he returns. "Why don't we go today to see her?" 

"I guess we can," I reply, confident that she will pretend she does not know who I am when we arrive. 

"Good. Let's get ready then, so we can leave," he says standing with a broad smile as he hold hands out toward me in order to help me off the couch. 

Placing my palms onto his, he gently pulls me to my feet with a reassuring smile. Leaning my face upwards, I wait a second before his plump lips mold with mine for a sweet kiss. Pulling apart a few seconds later, Hunter sweeps River up into his arms earning a loud squeal of excitement from the toddler. 

"Da!" River laughs while wrapping his arms around Hunter's neck to hug the man tightly while wrapping his tail around Hunter's arm. 

"Do you want to go on an adventure, River?" Hunter cheerfully asks kissing River's temple. 

"Yesh!" River cheers, tightening his hold around Hunter's neck in excitement.

"Hunter, I am not sure about this," I say looking out the truck window at my mum's home - a two story house with light blue siding, and a fenced in yard before looking over at my boyfriend. 

"Baby, you trust me, right?" he softly asks rubbing his thumb over my hand, and I frown at him. 

"I trust you with my life, and River's," I instantly reply sincerly. 

Hunter smiles softly at me as he says; "Then trust me when I say that having closure with here will make you feel lighter - free. Say whatever is in your heart to her, and then we can leave. You will feel better knowing that she knows what is in your heart despite never answering your letter, by looking her in the eye, and speaking your truth."

Slowly nodding, I open the door to carefully climbing out of the truck as Hunter does the same before he takes River from his seat. They join me by the side of the truck, where he takes my left hand in his right. I tighten my hold on his hand with a deep breathe in before blowing it out as we walk to the front door. 

Lifting my right hand, I tentativly knock three times on the front door before dropping my hand back to my side. A few seconds later, we can hear shuffling behind the door before it opens to reviel a young boy around the age of 8-years-old with Neko ears and tail. 

"Hi, can I help you?" he carefully asks as he looks between the three of us until he notices that River and I are hybrids like him. 

"Mama! Come quick!" he calls over his left shoulder; a few seconds later, my mum steps behind the boy, and she looks like I remember, just ten years older. Her eyes widen as he mouth drops open in shock. 

"Lake, is that really you?" she dumbfoundly asks with a shaky voice. 

"Honey, who is at the door?" a deep male voice asks before a man comes into view. "Hello. Who are you gentlemen?" 

"Um, hello," I softly reply. "I, um, I am Lake Orion, and I'm Clare's son."

Mum's eyes are watery as she silently stares at me while the man replies with regagnition in his eyes; "Honey, is this true? Is he the son you gave up ten years ago?"

"She told you about me? What she did with me? Then why was my letter from four years ago never answered?" I demand quietly while glarring at mum, who looks guiltily back at me.

"I was, um, ashamed that I never got you back when I was financially stable two years after I left you," she murmurs. "I met Adam three months afterwards, and I then moved in with him two months later. By then you were living with the Thompson's who were going to adopt you, and I couldn't being myself to take you from them." 

"I was adopted by them, but they sold me to my master when I was 11-years-old. Master sent me away when I was 15-years-old after I told him I was pregnant with his child," I grit out. "I do not regret my children, but I wish you would have fought to get me back. I guess you did me a favor though by not doing that, so thank you." 

Glancing at Adam, I tell him; "Thank you for taking care of her, and I hope you keep my siblings safe. I will not bother you again, and I am sorry for bothering all of you." 

Turning around I smile up at Hunter and River, and we walk away from my mum, my siblings, and my step-father. I'm walking away from my old live for my life that is sweet, and perfect.