"So, you're just going to leave him? Just like that?"
"Yup, just like that. On second thought, maybe I'll take him with me then he won't have to deal with his failure of a father."
"What about her?"
"Oh you mean the daughter I didn't even want? She's all her father. You're just lucky I didn't get an abortion when I found out about her."
"And I thank God every day you didn't. You can't just leave your children?"
"Child. I have one child! That one lying in the bassinet is not mine! I didn't want her, she's not mine!" As if the baby knew what was being said, she started crying. Her mother wanted to smirk thinking that the little mistake knew she was one, but her father knew it was from the yelling. He went over to the small human and picked her up. He started to gently rock her. "See, she even favors you over me."
"She favors me because I actually take a chance to try and care for her." He said as the baby nuzzled his neck and he felt one of her small fists go to her mouth.
"Well, now she doesn't have to worry about me anymore." She picked up her bag and left the room. He heard the front door slam and prayed with everything in him that it hadn't woken up their three year son. His prayers seemed to be answered. He started to gently rock and bounce his daughter.
"Shh, it's okay Hannah. It's okay, Papa's here, Papa's got you. Everything's okay, don't cry." He started to softly hum her favorite lullaby hoping it would put her back to sleep. He wanted to go back to sleep knowing that in six hours his son would come jumping onto the bed waking him up and then the questions of where his mother was would start. He looked back at his daughter and saw that she was now sucking on her thumb contently and asleep. He breathed a silent sigh and put her back in her bassinet. He made a mental note to finish the crib later that day. He looked at the clock and saw it was one in the morning. He rubbed his tired eyes and crawled into the bed. He had just put his head down when he heard little feet running and he knew right away it wasn't their imaginary dog. The door opened and a body crawled into the bed. It snuggled into him. "Nightmare?" The boy shook his head. "What is it Neal?"
"Mama tried to take me. I don't wanna go." He wrapped his arms around his father. The older man wrapped his arms tightly around his son. So his now ex-wife wasn't kidding when she said he would take him with her. His phone beeped and lit up. He grabbed it and looked seeing he had message from his wife.
'I'll sue you for custody of him'
'You do realize if you get custody him you get custody of Hannah as well right? No matter what you say biologically, she's yours'
'I don't want her. You can keep her'
'I'll give you joint custody if that's what you want. I'll give you whatever you want, I just don't want to make hard on him'
'If you mean what you say, then you'll sign off your parental rights to him and let him live with me'
'I can't do that he's my son as well. I won't abandon him so you can tell him I never wanted him.'
'Then, I'll see you in court'. That was the last message that was sent from either party that night. The father put his head back on the pillow and drifted asleep with son sleeping beside him and his daughter across from him.
