Wise Fire - Chapter 15 - Toxic

I want to sleep but... I know I don't have much time to just sit and hold him. My baby, my beautiful baby boy, he's finally here. After all the months of tears and sorrow, he's here and he's mine. But for how long?

Aunt Cassie and Uncle Tom came to see him yesterday. All Uncle Tom could do was look at him proudly but Aunt Cassie held him. She was practically glowing when she did. I know I made the right decision to give him them but... the closer the date gets to turn him over to them the more anxious I become about it. Even knowing Aven will be in great hands and that I can visit him any time I like, I know it will be hard, so much harder now that I've held him.

I'm suppose to give them to him in just two days time. I only pray that when the time comes that I am able to let him go at all.

Shannon drove in circles at first as she tried to make sense of it all  and make sure that she wasn't being followed. Once she was sure that she was not, she headed back to her aunt's farm. Once she had parked, she took a fortifying breath and stepped out of her car. Hurrying to Aven's door, she opened it, unclasped his booster's clasp and plucked him gently from his seat. Once he was in her arms he clung to her, his eyes wide and searching.

“Everything is fine, Aven. That mean man won't bother you anymore. I promise,” she reassured him, hoping she wasn't underestimating Austin's devious nature.

He remained quiet as she carried him into the house. Once she was inside she attempted to lower him down onto the couch near his toys to play but he would have no part of it. So instead she hugged him tightly to her as she searched for her aunt and uncle. After calling for them for a short while she finally found them out in the barn feeding the animals. As she approached them, her phone rang again and, like the first, she ignored it, pushing away the stabbing guilt. She was sure it was Aidan and that he was worried about her but until she turned Aven over to her aunt and warned her uncle about the potential threat she was unwilling to speak with anyone else.

When they saw the look upon her face they set aside their work immediately and came to her. Her aunt pulled Aven from her limp hold and brushed his hair away from his face and pulled up his shirt to look at his stomach. As she did she asked, “What's wrong, Shannon? Is Aven hurt?”

“No, no one is hurt,” she managed her voice creaking.

“Then what is wrong, child? You look like you've seen a ghost. I've never seen you so pale,” her aunt mothered.

She turned to look more directly at her uncle, afraid that if she looked into her aunt's wide, gentle eyes that she might cry. Aven burst in to offer an explanation before she could continue.

“A scary man chased us,” he said simply.

“What scary man?” her aunt questioned, looking between the two young ones.

“Austin,” Shannon managed. When the eyes on the two weathered faces before widened she knew she needed to offer up more by way of explanation. They knew who Austin was and what had happened but she didn't want to alarm them further than need be so she said, “he found me and Aven at the playground. He cornered me and tried to question me. Demanding that I pay him his commission from the modeling jobs I had done recently. Aven is right, he did chase us to the car. I locked him out before he could get a hand on me or Aven.”

“You poor dear,” her aunt gushed, taking her into a one armed hugged beside Aven.

“How dare he,” her uncle fumed, “the nerve of the man.”

“We had a contract,” Shannon said quietly.

“Contrast or not contract his behavior was unforgivable,” her uncle continued in his righteous tone. “Scaring an innocent woman and a young child... my lawyer will surely hear about this!” he exclaimed as he marched off towards the house.

Shannon stayed for a moment in her aunt's comforting hug before pulling away regretfully.

“I should probably be going,” she said quietly. “I don't think Austin will come after Aven but I don't want our boy scared or caught in the cross fire. I think that until we resolve everything perhaps it's best that I stay away for a short while.”

Her aunt nodded as she held Aven tight.

“Perhaps that would be best dear,” she crooned.

After giving Aven a hug goodbye and promising to return soon Shannon set out towards her car. Heavy hearted she climbed inside and started up the engine. After watching several white poofs of her breath dissipate into the air about her, she put the vehicle into drive and slowly started home already feeling lonely.

The next morning was Sunday. A fact for which Shannon was grateful. Having nothing scheduled to do, Shannon neglected her chores and, still in her pajamas, sat and watched cartoons for nostalgia's sake. She never jumped out of her skin when her phone rang. Warily she glanced at the screen to see it was only Aidan. She truly didn't feel like talking with him but, she knew that she owed him an explanation for what had gone on yesterday so she answered it quietly.

“Hi.”

“Oh good, you answered. I was beginning to worry something had happened to you...” he said and then when the silence stretched, he added, “what did happen yesterday?”

Shannon took a deep breath and gave the simplest yet most informative answer she had to offer. After a moment he said, “sounds like a fine pickle to me.”

Despite herself a tear slid unbidden down her cheek. She tried to keep the unavoidable sniffle quiet.

“I'm sure it will all be okay, Shannon. That uncle of yours, from what I've heard, is quite shrewd and persistent. If there's a solution to be found he will surely be the one to find it.”

“Thanks,” she murmured.

“Well,” he said, “I guess I'll let you go. I'm glad you and Aven are alright. We'll talk more when everything had settled down a little.”

“Okay,” she uttered quietly, nodding, then hung up the phone.

True to his promise Shannon didn't hear much from Aidan for the next week. The next day she visited her uncle to drop off a copy of her contract and spent a short amount of time with Aven so that he wouldn't feel neglected. He used to be content to wait weeks in between visits but now that he knew she was his “real” mommy he got restless if he didn't see her every few days. The same was quickly becoming true of his father, Aidan. Shannon wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.

As they sat a the kitchen table playing sorry her uncle, glasses low on the bridge of his nose, poured over the contract occasionally muttering to himself as he did. Just as Aven was about to bring his last piece around to home, he uncle suddenly stood up and cried, “that's it!”

Aven, still slightly jumpy from Saturday gave a cry of his own and scrabbled into her lap.

“What's it?” Shannon asked, curious. She had been sure the contract was iron clad, perhaps not.

“This,” he said, pointing to the area that spelled out the length of time that the contract was to be binding.

“It says until the wedding,” Shannon read aloud, “but there isn't going to be a wedding anymore.” She uttered with both sorry and relief.

“Exactly,” her uncle said excitedly, “it simply says “until their wedding” it doesn't give a date. Since there will no longer be a wedding I bet my lawyer can get this contract dissolved in a heartbeat. No judge in his right mind would hold you to a contract with such an ill tempered ex.”

Shannon's heart lightened for a moment, “do you really think so?”

“I am sure of it,” he uncle said proudly, sounding quite sure of it indeed.

“Oh thank you,” she gushed happily.

“Least I could do for my favorite niece.”

“Only niece,” she corrected.

“Favorite,” he returned again, smiling.

Instead of arguing, knowing she had lost, she simply smiled back.

Just as her uncle had promised, his lawyer made quick work of the vile contract. When she finally got the call that said she owed Austin nothing and that her uncle had taken it upon himself to start the process of getting a restraining order against him for her, her heart grew light within her. After nearly two weeks of agony, she was free again. She spent the entirety of the next day at her aunt's farm, soaking in Aven's youthful energy and cheer.

Feeling refreshed, she gave Aidan a call that evening after she got home. This time it was she that met with an unanswered ring. Shrugging, she dressed for bed and settled into watch her favorite show on her DVR. Halfway through the third episode she began snoring and slept soundly until the next morning.