With Love: The Motherland

/Epilogue/

Six years later.

Nothing about spending Christmas with River excited Jackson. He only agreed to coming because Hadessa pressed the matter. She wants him to see his father one last time before he dies. In all honesty, Jackson has forgiven his father but wants nothing to do with the man.

Beau had been sentenced to jail for 40 years but with the connections and old money he had, he was able to plead mentally insane and because of his vigorous cancer, they allowed to let him out since honestly he's going to die any week now.

Upon arriving at the house they received a warm greeting from River who they are closest with. River divorced his adulterous wife two years ago, started going to Church and is looking for love again. He finds comfort talking to Hadessa about women more than Jackson. He knows his little brother who married a black woman wouldn't judge him for having a preference for women of color but still there's a voice in the back of his head that eats at him.

Natalie runs into his open arms and River tosses her up in the air, "Look how big you've gotten sugar! Your gonna be riding a big girl bike real soon eh?"

Natalie grins showing off a missing front tooth, "You got me a bike for Christmas!"

He shrugs nonchalantly and gives her a sweet kiss on the cheek, "We'll see tomorrow morning".

It seems to him that just yesterday Jackson had called him asking if he knew anything about Evendale, Ohio. River had told him he didn't know much besides that they have a picture which has been missing before Jackson was born, of his grandfather standing next to the 'Welcome to Ohio' sign. And right after that Jackson had called Dallas who told him that his father had told him years ago when they were teenagers that his grandfather had land over there and he was fixing to build a house over there.

And after searching all of Evendale Ohio, they found Hunter working as a Police man, he was using a different last name but he hadn't been smart enough to change his first and middle name. From there they found his address which led them straight to Hadessa and the kids.

"I really think we should have invited Holden and William", Hadessa says as she gives River a hug.

"I did and they both refused. I can't force them, they are teenagers who are old enough to make that decision for themselves".

She pulls away and sighs, "Yeah well I was hoping Jasper could at least meet his brothers for the first time".

"They don't want anything to do with the kid, they say he's contaminated. Let it go Des, they'll come around or they won't", he says with a shrug.

Hunter's boys live with their widowed aunt on their mothers side. There had been a custody battle between them and Dallas who had wanted to raise the boys because 'they carry my family name, I oughta have em and raise them to be real men. How's a woman gonna teach a boy to be a man?" Dallas lost, mostly because it wasn't sitting well with everyone that the brother of the man who just got life in jail for murdering his wife and now on trail for past murders, was now going to be raising the kids.

It honestly didn't make much of a difference because Bailey's whole family is in the Klan as well so the boys were still going to be taught how to hate. They blame Hadessa for Hunter going to jail and for 'stealing' their baby brother although Hadessa offered to adopt them as well, to which they refused.

"You guys hungry? I could whip out something quick?"

Hadessa and Jackson shake their heads at the same time, "No, we just ate Chick Fil A in the car but we sure do need some sleep".

Jackson nods his head and rubs her round belly, "yeah, it's late, we should get the kids in bed-"

"Actually Jackson", River says coming closer to them. "Please...go see him. The Doctors called me this morning and said it's any day now-"