The Stolen Wife.

Chapter One.

In the fall he would be going to school, a fancy private school his father picked that Elizabeth hated.

The moms all looked down at her and she had no doubt the kids would be just as bad.

Mya's cries on the baby monitor alerted Elizabeth that she was awake and glancing one more time to be sure Alexander was in the yard she headed upstairs to dress her daughter for the day.

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Elizabeth pulled her mini-van around to the window at the drive through, handing her card to the young girl behind the window with a smile.

Jordan hated the small fast food chains but they had always been a guilty pleasure of hers, one she passed on to Alexander who was practically bouncing in his booster seat waiting on his kids' meal.

She retrieved their meals and pulled over to the small picnic bench at one end of the parking lot. After helping Alexander climb from the minivan and making sure he was seated with his meal she checked Mya.

The baby was sleeping in her car seat and Elizabeth decided to let her sleep was better than waking her, leaving the door open so she could see and hear the baby she joined her son for lunch.

"Mom?" Alexander spoke around a mouthful of fries.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, what?" She asked.

He swallowed his mouthful then took a long drink of milk before he spoke again, clutching more fries in his hands.

"Can we get a dog?"

"A dog huh? That's what you want for your birthday?"

"Uhhu, a big one. Like Scooby Doo."

"Like Scooby Doo? That's an awful big dog." She pointed out.

"I'll train him real good, I promise."

She smiled at him, if it were up to her he would have had a dog years ago but Jordan was adamant that there were no pets in his expensive home. She leaned over with a napkin to wipe some ketchup off his chin and he made a face.

"You know your daddy doesn't like dogs," She said gently.

"Dad doesn't like anything, he doesn't even like me." He said sadly.

"Hey, you know that's not true. He loves you so much, he just works hard," She said, placing a hand on his small shoulder.

"Benjamin's dad takes him out every Saturday just the two of them, they go fishing and golfing and swimming. My dad doesn't do those things."

She didn't know how to reply Benjamin had hit the dad lottery unlike her own son, she wanted to point out that Benjamin's father was a lot older than Alexanders but she knew that wasn't an excuse.

"He's just busy, Alex."

"Benjamin has a Dalmatian."

"I know."

"His name is Spike, he's really nice mommy." Alexander tried.

"I'll talk to your Daddy but no promises, okay?"

"Okay."

Alexander returned to shoving fries in his mouth, two fists at a time. She turned her attention to her chicken sandwich and was lost again in thought when his voice piped in.

"Mommy, who is that?" He asked pointing behind her.

She frowned and turned, several yards away stood a man, she wouldn't find that odd except he was clearly watching them and doing nothing to hide it. He didn't blend in with this side of town where soccer moms and Cadillacs roamed the streets and a coffee house stood on every corner, playgrounds dotting empty spaces. This was supposed to be a safe neighborhood.