Return To Me ( Book 3) ON HOLD

Chapter Two : Pancakes!

Mark

If life was not something to cherish then what was the point of waking up each day? Why go through the days doing what you do if you were not thankful for it? Mark Warren was not one of those wasteful people who wasted their days to no end. He had to cherish his life otherwise he would not deserve it. The simple truth is that he should be dead. If it was not for an intense stroke of determination and some luck he would have never been able to get the heart transplant he needed.

His survival without a new heart was incredibly slim. For some time all his family could do was begin funeral preparations. Having a second heart gave him a second chance. It gave him the ability to give love back to all the people who loved and cared for him.

It finally gave him the ability to live. Become a man. Start his own family. To be Happy. Maria Forbes, his mother or human incubator as he preferred to acknowledge her, used to make him believe that there was something wrong with him. She had no love for him and no one else ever would. With all the pain and abuse she blasted him with he believed her. He accepted his cruel fate. How wrong she was. How wrong he was.

Now he was a man blessed with a family. Two brothers, a sister, a mother, a father, and a wife and son. If a fortune teller had told him that this would be his life today he would have never believed it.

"Pancakes!" Matteo yelled the cutest little voice in the world. He was sprawled across his father's chest with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Uncle, uncle!" Mark laughed. The little tike was getting better with his sneak attacks.

"I scare you, daddy." He laughed.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes yes, you jump. I see it."

Mark laughed and ruffled his hair. "You are getting too scary for me Lil man."

Mark smiled at his little son. At three years old he was the most energetic little thing since his cousins. It is was absolute glory to have a mini version of himself. Following him around and whatnot. Getting to teach him everything there was to know about life. loving him the way he deserved and giving him all the things he had never gotten as a child.

"Matty, bath time." His beautiful wife called.

"No no, I play with daddy." He whined.

"Yeah mom, five more minutes pleassse." Mark chimed.

She folded her arms shooting daggers at him with those yummy caramel brown eyes of hers. "You're not helping Mark."

He smiled and whispered kiss, kiss time in Matteo's ear. Then stood up with him. "Alright, come and get him."

Mind you Matteo had a horrible poker face and he was one second away from a giggle fit. Afé eyed them.

"Come on babe we won't bite."

"Come, we no bite"

She sighed but came over. As soon as she took Matty the attack was launched. Mark's minion did his best but he was too busy laughing. So he lay sloppy kisses all over both of their faces. Their laughter was music to his ears. His day would not feel right without hearing these sounds.

"Mark...haha...you'll... Be ..hehe... Lah ahh haha..for ....haha...work." She was fighting hard to get away but Mark's grip was firm. The three of them lasted like that for three more minutes.

"Okay straight into the bath soldier."

"Aye aye capin." He chirped and ran off.

"Thank you." Afé sighed.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soft lips letting one hand roam over her baby bump. "Have a nice day mama."

" Ohh, Don't be late for dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Did I forgot to tell you, my parents are coming over." She smiled.

He groaned. "Baayyybeee."

"They wanna see Matty." She justified.

"Then they should just video call, like normal stuck up people."

"It's just dinner then they leave."

"It has never been just dinner, Afe. Never."

She kissed him knowing it would make him smile. "I'll make it up to you."

"You better."

"You never know they could change."

He gave her a blank stare. Her pregnant state had her talking crazy once more. Her folks would never change.

"I'll make it up to you, now get going." She smiled pushing him to the door. He stole one last goodbye kiss and was on his way.

Mark loved Afé but her parents. Well, they were not the best of friends or in-laws or people. Her father had been his high school homeroom teacher already had his impression of him. It is believed that he made his wife Adella hate him through the stories of troubles he had with the no-good Warren boys. Could someone hold a grudge or what? They did not see him as the hardworking provider for his family. The saw him as the same sixteen-year-old troublemaker he once was. They had even gone as far as trying to stop the wedding. He was not that awful in high school but they did not want their daughter with the likes of him as they put it. A harsh reality to accept but Afé's parents hated him. He still tried on account of her but those two were set in their ways.

Mark parked and headed into headquarters because saying police Station or police department was so lame. He was a badass detective solving crimes and protecting citizens. His workplace needed a badass name as well. Some days he still could not believe what his line of work was. Having dropped out of school once and when he did return he'd had more than a fair share of detention and run-ins with the principal.

It was not just luck though. His mom had taught him that nothing was unachievable if he wanted and worked for it. She helped him gain the focus and determination needed to achieve his goals. Something Maria would have never done. He signed in and went to his office. His phone began to ring. It was Jared.

"Bro."

"He's working at the school." Jared spat with his voice twisted in anger. Only one person could get a rise out of Jared like this so early in the morning.

"That son of a bitch."

"Could you go arrest him before I kill him?"

It was one thing to be abandoned before birth and it was a whole other heartache to nearly be killed for the sake of a relationship. All the victims left in his wake wanted nothing to do with him. It was too hard. Jared had been left without anyone to call Mom or dad for the first five years of his life. Mark had been disowned and abused because of it. And their sweet mom Jasarie was losing her memory as time went by all because of one man.

This man was determined to be remembered when everyone wanted to forget about him. A couple of months ago he had shown up at Mark's house. Intruding on Afé and Matteo by inviting himself in with this sob story about reuniting with the son he had never known. Mark had punched him in the face and kicked him out. He has not tried any more home intrusions since. Now he's trying to work another angle by working at the school his nieces and nephew were attending. The only thing that might keep him away was putting him back behind bars. And that was not an unachievable option.

"I'm gonna find that piece of shit right now."

Woop. Looks like Mark wants nothing to do with his father as well....oh well......

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