Angel gave her a look that said "Mommy is odd too" and she couldn't blame him. He had said that the messages were for Angel. Why the hell was she smiling?
She was pulled out of her thoughts by the boy's giggles. He threw his head back into the pillows and laughed his little heart out at the cartoon drawing on the cover of Rumpelstiltskin.
A soft laugh left her mouth. "Do you want me to read you this one?"
He nodded happily so she kept the other books away and opened the storybook he had chosen.
"Once upon a time, there was a miller who had a daughter. She was pretty and clever…"
Angel fell asleep before she was five pages into the story. She stroked his cheek and kissed it. Sometimes she was convinced that it wasn't the stories but her voice that lulled him to sleep. Most of the time she would read him a story but when his emotions were ruffled, she would sing him a song. She had done it for four years but it still felt new every time.
She tucked in his little body and kissed his forehead, then turned off the lights and left the room.
On other nights, she would go to her room, take a bath, snuggle into her bed and fall asleep. But not tonight. Well, at least not after getting into bed.
Sleep had deserted her and while she knew that she shouldn't, she reached for her phone on the night stand and tapped it to turn the screen on. She launched her messaging app and started reading through Damon's texts, over analysing them.
[I ate too. My dinner was boring. I only had instant noodles and they were overcooked. Not the yummiest.] There was nothing to analyse about that one but she couldn't help picturing a smile on his face when he wrote it. His lips would curl on both sides and slight dimples would form on his face. His very handsome face.
She scrolled to the message.
[But I kept thinking about you while I ate so it tasted good. You are so cute when you chew cookies. I can't stop thinking about it now even as I write this. Your beautiful eyes will probably widen when you read it.]
Her eyes did widen when she read it. She was no longer certain who the message was for. He had said that she should show it to Angel but the content seemed odd.
[I'll stop rambling now or you will start to think I'm out of my mind. Go to sleep soon. Remember to dream about me.] She read the third message, which had made her even more confused. Did dads usually ask their kids to dream about them? She was not sure because she didn't have any experience. If they did, did the words make the kids' mums have a kaleidoscope of butterflies in their stomachs?
[See you tomorrow, angel.]
She scrolled down, up, and then down again and tried to assess the last word of the text she had read more times than the others.
He had written angel. Not Angel.
There wasn't a difference and it was probably a typing error or autocorrect working its infuriating magic but her mind ran wilder than it should. She had not forgotten that he had always called her 'angel' in the past.
She rolled to her side and placed her phone facing down on the pillow. It must be a typing error.
She didn't want to see the last text message which had made her eyes go wide earlier. She shouldn't take a peek at it. She should return her phone to the night stand and go to sleep yet she didn't. She flipped it and glanced at the three words at the bottom of the chat window.
[I love you.]
She closed her eyes for a few seconds as she rolled onto her back and placed the phone on her stomach. When she opened them, she read through the entire conversation as if looking for something. Anything that could tell her that these messages were all meant for her son and she was being ridiculous by acting like they were for her.
Then she saw something that pinned the last nail on the coffin.
[Please show the text below to Angel.] read the first text message.
The text below. Her mind zeroed in on the word text. He didn't say texts. Did that mean that the rambling that came after the second text was not meant to be shown to Angel?
Nope. No way. She should sleep and stop being ridiculous.
She groaned into the dark of night. "Damon D'aboville, why are you doing this to me?"
___
AN
Who do you think the texts are for?
Let's bet, lol.
Avery jerked awake with a gasp. Her chest was heaving and her head felt like it had been run over by a truck. She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
What was that? Did she have a nightmare? She couldn't remember having any dream but it felt a lot like waking up from a nightmare. She looked around and slid out of bed. The house was eerily quiet and when she checked the time, it was already 10am. That was odd.
Angel rarely slept in beyond 9am and when he woke up, he would knock on her door incessantly to wake her so they would play. It was Sunday and she had promised to take him to the zoo—well, Damon had promised to take him to the zoo—but he should have been too excited to sleep beyond sunrise.
She poured herself a glass of water, downed it and washed her face, then she walked out of her room. He was not playing in his room either. An ominous feeling settled in her stomach as she opened the door to his room.
"Angel?"
She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him sitting on the floor of his room, but her relief soon turned into worry when she saw his little shoulders jerk. He was crying.
She rushed over and picked him up, sitting on his bed with him on her lap. "Baby, what happened?"
He didn't say a word and didn't react to her presence. It was as if he didn't even notice she was there. Her brows furrowed when she felt his forehead. He was running a fever!
"Diana!" She yelled for his nanny and the latter rushed in in a few seconds.
"Madam," She bowed her head and was yet to say a word when Avery interrupted her.
"When did Angel wake up?"
"About…"
"You are not certain?!" She snapped before Diana could answer. "Did he stay on his own since he woke up?"
Diana trembled as she looked down. "He was crying and he likes to be alone so I let him calm down but…"
Avery closed her eyes and hugged her son closer to her chest. He must have been crying for at least half an hour. He was having a meltdown. She took a few deep breaths and carefully placed the boy on his bed, and rushed to her room to grab her phone. She frantically dialled Dr. Chris' number. The call went to voicemail. Just her luck.
Damn it! She cursed and redialled, this time leaving a message.
"Get to my house right now! You better hurry!" She gasped for breath and shut her eyes. This was not happening.
She would much rather see Angel throw a tantrum and thrash his room when he broke down but this silence was killing her. She didn't know what he was thinking. He wouldn't communicate in the slightest and the last time it happened, he was unconscious for four days afterwards.
How did this happen?
"Madam?"
She turned when she heard a knock and Diana's voice. That was the last person she wanted to see.
"Diana. I hired you to take care of my son. Is this how you take care of an autistic child? Ignoring his emotions when they get out of control? Why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't know I should." She answered, infuriating Avery so much that she would have hit her if she had any strength left in her.
She brushed past her and rushed back to Angel's room. He was back on the floor, hugging his chibi plush toy and crying harder as he squeezed it. It didn't make any sounds.
She hurried over and gathered him into her arms. "It's the toy, isn't it? Is it broken?"
He didn't say a word so she pried it out of his arms and checked it. She didn't hear the recording either. She was slightly relieved.
"Baby, I'll get it fixed. I promise."
He looked up at her and instead of his tears slowing down, he burst into a fresh bout.
"No…" Her eyes stung. "Do you miss him? I'll call him over."
"Avery?" A familiar voice made her look up.
She stood up, cradling Angel. "Damon. Why the hell are you here?"
"You called me." He held his phone up. "Is everything alright?"
When did she call him? She wanted to ask but her mind was a haze. She looked down at her bawling son. "Angel, Papa is here."
"What's wrong?" Damon asked. He had felt that something had gone wrong from her tone but seeing her like this, he couldn't help worrying. He closed in on her and took a look at Angel.
"A silent emotional meltdown?" He asked.
"He was hugging the chibi toy. I thought he missed you." The tears she had been holding came gushing out.
"It's okay. Let me." He took the boy in his arms. "Angel, I'm here. I'm sorry I'm late."
He wrapped his little arms around Damon's neck.
Avery was about to let out a sigh of relief when the boy buried his face in his father's chest and broke down.
"I'll call Mabella." He shifted Angel onto one arm and reached for his phone.
"Your sister?" She asked.
He nodded subtly. "She is nearby."
Before he could dial her number, she grabbed his phone and smashed it onto the floor.
"Don't you fucking dare!"
His brows furrowed. "Avery, this is not about whatever grudges exist between you and my family. It's about Angel's health. Mabella is a pediatrician."
Her hands flew to her hips and she scoffed. "It's not about the grudges? Whose fault is it then? Who should I thank for my baby's autism?"
"Avery!" He barked.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me!" She angrily wiped her tears. "It's all because of you and your vile family! Why does my son have to pay for your sins?"
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