Choices the third of four in the Shattered Series, (Shattered, Forgiven, Choices, and The After,with)

Chapter 48

"Here baby" Kim said handing over a chocolate chip cookie, "I don't have the strength to fight with her, Adam, I'm worried about Anthony"

Anthony pulled the picture from the jeans pocket tossing the jeans on the floor and stuck the picture under his pillow and went into the living room.

"Hey Buddy" Adam greeted him, "how are you"

Anthony sat down on the couch and changed the channel on the television, cartoons replacing the morning news.

Kim went behind Adam, "Will you talk to him, I'm going to get his laundry together" she made herself scarce.

"What are you watching?" Adam asked sitting next to him.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Anthony replied his eyes glued to the screen.

"We need to talk" Adam told him, "what you said last night, why did you say that?" He was careful as to not put words in his mouth or lead him in any direction.

"I don't know" his shoulders slumped, his thumb going to his mouth.

Adam pulled his thumb out, "You're a big boy, don't suck your thumb, and you do know why you said it. It hurt your mom's feelings, and mine too"

"Are you my real dad? Or a pretend one?" Anthony asked, "because she's my pretend mommy" he pointed to a picture of Kim, his eyes searching Adam's for answers.

"What do you mean?" Adam turned the television off, "who told you that?"

"No one. I just knows it" he lied, "Did Harper grow in her belly?"

Kim filled the hamper with the dirty clothes and started pulling the sheets off when she noticed the picture fall to the floor. She picked it up, and was shocked to see a smiling Wendy and who she recognized as Katrina Cameron. If there was any doubt at all who had told Anthony it was erased.

"Yes Harper grew in her belly" Adam told his son, "but it doesn't matter whose belly you  grew in, she loves you"

Anthony folded his arms across his chest, "I don't want her" his bottom lip jutting out, "I don't want a pretend mommy, I want a real mommy"

Kim stopped dead in her tracks, "Adam?" She held the picture out, "look"

He took the picture from her hand, "where was this?"

"On his bed, she must've given it to him" Kim whispered.

Adam went back to Anthony, "Who gave this to you?"

Anthony snatched it out of his hand, "She's my mommy, not her!" He yelled pointing at Kim, "I want this mommy" his finger on Wendy's face, "She's Harper's mommy not mine" Anthony ran from the couch the door to his bedroom slamming shut.

"Alright, time for art" Katrina announced, helping the kids line up, "Ms.Reynolds, will you walk the children? I'd like to see about Anthony, it's unusual for him to miss school"

"Of course" Ms.Reynolds said, "you know that stomach bug is making the rounds again"

Katrina waited until the class was gone before calling down to the office to see if anyone knew where Anthony was.

"You aren't going to work?" Kim asked Adam.

"No, not with everything that's going on" he told her, "our son is confused, he needs us both to help him understand this"