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Chapter Fifty Eight

"When we tell you that we tried to get you back from him," the man said, finally acknowledging my presence. I looked over at him, past the woman's shaking body. "We mean it." His eyes glanced at his wife for a second before peering at me. "But every time we got so close, William would run away with you nowhere in sight. He would tell us to give up— that we would never see our son again."

"You loved your toy penguin..." I heard the woman murmur. I peered back at her, seeing her hand glow blue. A police officer almost reached for her, but the only thing that appeared from her hand was a stuffed penguin. It was old and raggedy, with a blue string sewn into the side. The woman peered down at it, smiling lightly as her finger ran over the sewn string. "You slept with it every night after we put you to bed. When he took you away, it tore because you wouldn't let go of it. I tried to fix it for today, but it still looks a bit broken..."

I felt the tears streaming down my face, but sobs were nowhere to be found. That.. was mine? For a moment, I tried to reach forward, but my hand was still trapped in the straitjacket. I stood up from my seat instead, making the police officers around us stiff and alert.

"After today, you'll be able to keep it," she said, smiling over at me. Her eyes were kind and gentle towards me, even with the evident tears pouring out of them. She kissed the penguin's forehead lightly, putting it down on the table. "And then, we'll be gone." My eyes widened as the yellow glow disappeared, making them turn back to their original color. Gone..? She smiled up at me, but it seemed empty and broken. "You won't ever have to see us again— I promise."

"N-No..." I protested quietly, my voice croaking from my mouth being so dry. She looked up at me, startled when I said something. I felt my eyes tearing up even more, and I shook my head. "Don't promise that!"

If she doesn't visit again, no one ever will...

No one.

My eyes shut when I felt tears becoming heavier, and I threw my head against the glass, attempting to shatter it. The woman screamed, taking a step back, followed by the police officers pulling out their tasers.

"Step away from the glass!" One of them yelled. "You have three seconds to step away from the glass!"

I didn't listen to them, trying again. C'mon.. crack open already! My left temple started pounding, and I continued trying over and over again. A gun pulled out from someone's pocket, and I felt it being pointed at me. The glass began cracking slowly, barely shattering. One more hit!

"Dexter, stop!" The woman exclaimed, crying. Her husband tried to pull her away, but she resisted his touch, trying to get through to me before the police officer could shoot. She looked at them, her eyes wide. "D-Don't shoot him!" They glanced back at her, confused as she turned towards me. "You're injuring yourself, Dexter! Stop it!"

My eyes widened, and I froze.

"You're still too weak. Those injuries don't need any healing whatsoever, so continue with your training, unless you don't want to eat dinner tonight."

"B-But sir, they're all so much bigger than me. I-I'm only s-seven."

"Get back to your training or I'll throw you back onto the streets! Don't forget who saved you from your monstrous parents!"

My breathing became fast and shallow, and I looked up at the woman by the glass window. Tears were on her face, and her husband looked horrified by my actions. They're different from him. I completely fell apart in that moment, collapsing onto my knees. The impact made the glass shatter suddenly, and I started crying, feeling so lost about what I was told when I was little and what I believed. The woman was quick to hop over the table, reaching for me.

"Layla!" I heard her husband exclaim.

As soon as I felt her arms wrap around me in a warm hug, my face dug into her shoulder, flushed and full of tears. The police officers cautiously put away their weapons, watching the scene unfold. The woman held my face in her hands, making me look at her in my weak state. She smiled with her own tears streaming down her cheeks, and I felt her kiss my forehead lovingly.

"You grew up to be such a strong young man, didn't you?" She commented in a gentle voice. Her eyes softened at me, and she whispered soothingly, "Be strong for Mom just a few more years and wait for me, okay?"

I nodded vigorously.

That night, as I laid down on the flat and hard mattress of my cell, my hands held the stuffed penguin toy that the police let me keep at the request of Layla Lowse. My eyes glazed over the blue string that patched up the small hole in the side of the penguin, and I felt my thumb trail over the short thread. Gavin Lowse is my father, and Layla Lowse is... my mother. I hugged the toy to my chest, closing my eyes as slumber took me over as a warm feeling grew in my heart.

Mom made this for me, so I'll hang onto it until she can take me home.

A/N

Wow this chapter was way longer than I intended. I think it's because this is the first time I ever write in depth about a mother's love towards her child, especially after not seeing them their whole life.

Also, the end of this story is nearing!