JADE

Chapter 23

Chapter 23
March 8, 2024

I heard loud crying come from the room down the hall. I didn't move from the bed because I knew Braxton would be taking care of it. The floor creaked as he rolled out of our bed and left the room.

It's been a week since we brought Tyler home. The last week has been kind of rough. I have my online college classes, 2 children and Braxton is working more and more.

The good thing is, Ashton had been around more often. So I'm not completely alone during the day. The loud cried stopped and I heard heavy footsteps coming back. The door swung open then the bed dipped on the opposite side of me. Braxton wrapped his arms around me causing me to drift to sleep peacefully.

*
March 9, 2024

I was awakened by someone shaking me. My eyes pried open and I saw Dawson lying next to me. "Mommy! Wake up!!" He shouted. I closed my eyes again because they were hurting from the sunlight that was present in the room. Two large hands grabbed my waist and I curled up to the person's chest.

"Come on, you need to go to Florence's," Braxton stated. I shook my head and groan, not wanting to move.

"I will later," I mumbled in a hoarse voice. He laid me back down on the bed and disappeared for a little bit. I just laid in the bed comfortably until I felt something cold hit my body. I screamed from the sudden contact with ice water. My head lifted itself off the bed and moved away from the wet spot.

Braxton stood over me with a sly smile, there was an empty cup in his hand. "Florence's waiting for you. She won't stop calling." I grumbled and moved out of the bed then to my closet. My hands wandered the closet until it found an outfit. It was a black shirt with some dark shorts.

I grabbed it and changed in the bathroom that's connected to our room.

"Dawson, are you coming with me? Or do you want to stay?" I asked as I emerged into the room again. He shook his and smiled at his father.

"I want to stay with Daddy!" Braxton smiled at him then attacked him with tickled to his stomach.

"Boy's day, huh?" I countered. They both nodded their head with wicked smirks on their faces. I smiled to myself and left to Tyler's room. He was peacefully sleeping when I picked him up and placed him in the carrier. I grabbed his bags and him, then head to the front door.

My ears perked up when I heard loud giggles from the kitchen. The boys were making food, which resulted in the kitchen being drenched in food. They both had messes on their faces, but they looked happy. Dawson ran up to me and hugged my legs. "Bye Mommy. Bye TT." He kissed his little brother's cheek.

"I will see you later, Grey. Remember, save me some food. I love you kid." I kissed his cheek and went over to Braxton. He quickly kissed Tyler's forehead.

He then dunked his whole face in the pancake batter, causing his whole face to drip with the mix. Braxton puckered his lips at me. I tried to wipe away the mix from his lips but he was too quick. His warm moist lips were connected with him, now mine was covered in batter. "Ew!" We pulled away and saw Dawson standing between us.

"Hey, without this you wouldn't be here," Braxton stated to him, putting his hands on his hips. Dawson started giggling at his dad's messy face. I laughed one last time before leaving the house. I buckled Tyler in the back before settling myself in the driver's seat.

*
Third person POV

At the moment of Braxton's friends' arrival, they began to create a ruckus downstairs in the office. He and Dawson had a lot of fun making breakfast this morning. After their fun time, Dawson got tired and took a short nap.

In the meantime, Braxton thought it was a good idea to have his friends over. Since Jade was out of the house and Dawson was fast asleep. They came over, with drugs in hand and started making noise.

Dawson woke up almost automatically. He headed downstairs to see what the noise was. The little boy found his father sitting at a poker table with a white stick in his mouth. Braxton's eyes were shaded with red, but his son didn't understand that. All of his friends were surrounded around the table, enjoying each other's company

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Everyone's eyes snapped towards Dawson. Braxton just stared at his son. "Didn't you eat earlier?" Braxton asked. The boy nodded.

"You shouldn't be hungry, you can wait until dinner." The grown man snapped. Dawson looked down. "When is Mommy coming home?"

"I don't know and I don't care," Braxton growled at him. "Go play your games."

"I don't know how to work it." The child answered. His father scoffed, "figure it out." Dawson walked out of the room with sadness in his heart. That wasn't his father, that was a man who didn't care. Dawson headed back up to his room to play with his toys.

Once he got himself situated nicely in his room. All of the lights went out in the house. It was totally dark. There was no more noise in the house, only one door slam.

"Daddy!" Dawson called out. No one answered. "Dad!" He called again. Silence.

The young child was alone in a large house with total darkness. His mother still visiting a friend. His father nowhere in sight.

He curled himself up into a ball, the tears began to flow. He felt alone in the world. In his small brain, he thought he was abandoned by his family.

Jade didn't know Braxton was going to leave their child alone in the house. It was supposed to be a "boy's day" clearly she misunderstood.

The boy's soft cries turned into loud sobs. His shirt was wet from his tears. He didn't know what to do. He was alone in the world in his mind.