𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

eighty-two.

|16 years ago|

A small boy with raven black hair peaked through her door before he went barreling towards her with tears streaming down his face.

Anastasia crouched down in front of him, wiping away the tears from his cheeks.

"Mav, what's wrong?" She asked her son.

"Mommy, am I evil?" The young boy sniffled.

"No, sweetie." Anastasia reassured him, brushing some of his raven hair out of his face. "What makes you say that?"

"Kids at school said so."

Anastasia noticed he was withholding something that he was about to say. "Mav..." She drawled, but he still didn't reply, but instead crossed his arms over his chest in defiance. "Maverick, why would they say that?" Still no reply was given. "Fine. No chocolate ice cream for a-"

"Because my father is a murderer!!" Maverick blurted out, not wanting to not be able to have ice cream. His hands then quickly flew over his mouth as he realized that he said what he didn't want to tell his mother.

Anastasia sighed, "Parents don't make you who you are."

Maverick nodded, slowly, understanding what she was saying, before he did a double take and looked at her with wide eyes and a panicked expression. "Does that mean I won't be like you?" He asked her.

"You can be whoever you want to be, kiddo. Don't you forget that.

~~~~~

|Present|

The golden rays of the sun peeked through the windows of the house. All of them were shining brightly on the mother and son who were on the couch. Maverick, who was just now waking up, and Anastasia, who had been up the whole night.

"Morning." Maverick mumbled to his mother, before he flopped back onto his side, burying his face into the couch. He then slightly turned back. "Do we have any-"

However, he was cut off by his mom. "Coffee?" Anastasia finished, holding two mugs in her hand. One for herself and the other held out for her son.

Maverick gratefully accepted it as he finally sat up on the couch. After taking a sip, he looked around the room, his eyes landing on the large chrome clock on the wall. His eyes widened as he saw the time. He then looked back towards his mother, who didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that he slept later than he normally did.

"Where's Ryder?" He then asked her, wondering where his twin was.

"He went to his college class." Anastasia replied before she took a sip of her coffee.

"Would it be okay if I didn't go to mine today?" He questioned, hesitantly.

"You're an adult, Mav. You don't have to ask."