Chapter Two

I hold Stephen's hand as we walk through the exhibits, watching the monkeys swing and the lemurs leap from tree to tree. He loves the small furry creatures and constantly asks if we can take one home. I casually remind him I already have one monkey in my house and don't need another. He cries with indignation.

"Did they have monkeys in New York?" Stephen asks, licking around the edge of his ice cream cone. He is completey absorbed in their movements. I recognize his intelligent gaze- its another trait of his father.

"At the zoo they did." I remember visiting the zoo with Simon when we were younger. It had always bored me for some reason. Luke and my mother had insisted on taking us anyways.

My heart twists. Luke. I wonder how he's holding up. I can just imagine how worried he is. My mother would be a whole different level of frantic. In Magnus's letters he had told me that she hadn't stopped pestering him to track her. He had lied for me, saying I had placed a rune open myself that made me impossible to track. I knew she wouldn't approve of me giving birth to and keeping Stephen and that made it a little easier to not miss her.

We stroll around for a couple more hours before Stephen gets tired. I carry him to the small, crappy car my wage provided us. Even doing art on the side wasn't enough to get us a high class vehicle but at least we had a place to stay.

Driving home I notice something peculiar on the inside of my wind shield wiper. Pulling into the parking lot of our building, I clamber out, unsticking the object. It's a note.

Clary, it reads at the top in bold sloppy lettering. Not from Magnus. Don't ask how I found you. Don't be mad at me either but I already booked a flight. I'm landing at 3:35 your time. Magnus sent this for me and he says not to be mad at him either. We seriously need to talk about something. -Is

Something burns in my chest and I am not sure if it is anger or worry. Inside the car Stephen is stirring, rubbing his hands against his eyes. He's awake. I frantically think of my options. I can't leave him alone at the house. Goodness knows what he'd get into. Climbing back into the car, I tuck the note into my pocket. His regular babysitter, Joan who lives across the hall, cannot take him while I get Isabelle either. It's a Sunday and she'll be volunteering with the church.

I have no choice but to bring him with me.

"Mommy? Can we go inside?" Stephen's sleepy voice comes from the back seat. I hear him fumbling in his car seat.

I look at him in the mirror and paint on a false smile. "Not yet. We need to go to the airport first."

He tips his head to the side, his beautiful blond curls contrasting against his dark blue sweater. "The airport? Where the big planes go? Why are we going there?"

"Mommy's friend is coming to stay for a while." I explain as we merge into the traffic. I try to keep my head clear as we drive. The last thing I need is to get too caught up in my feelings and risk us both getting injured.

"A friend from New York? Are we going to New York?" The question makes my pulse freeze.

I shake my head, my red hair falling around my eyes. "We're staying right here Steph." I answer as solidly as I can. That is one thing I used to be dead sure of. I would never go home. Never. But now with Isabelle just minutes away I couldn't be so sure.

Things were changing much too fast. I didn't like it.

When we get into the airport Isabelle's plane has already landed. I jostle for a place to park. Stephen is hyped up, craning his head left and right. Every female that walks past he assumes is Isabelle.

"Is that Izzerbelle?" He asks, pointing at a dark haired woman leaning against the wall, her slim hand holding onto a sleek black suitcase. To anyone walking past she might seem relaxed but I can tell the difference. She's tense, ready to flee. My heart pounds at the sight of her.

"Stay put," I murmur to Stephen, sliding out of the car. I walk slowly towards the woman, my heart in my throat. It doesn't take her long to notice me, black eyes widening. She mouths my name then begins to move towards me.

When she reaches me her thin arms trap me and she crushes me against her chest. She's still taller than me, although I'm about five-three now. I had a final growth spurt before giving birth to Stephen.

"It's been so long," Is whispers, taking me in. I let my eyes wash over her too. I may not admit it but I had been starving to see one of my old friends.

"Yes, it is," I answer. I reach out, taking her suit case. "My car's down here," I lead her down the line of cars, shoving her suit case in the trunk. She waits for me to unlock the door and then climbs into the front seat.

It takes all of five seconds for Stephen to announce himself. I close my eyes as he speaks, waiting for the axe to fall. "Hi Izzerbelle!"

Isabelle whips around in her seat, mouth dropping. "Jace," she whispers under her breath. Hearing her say the name - his name - is almost too much. I tense up, slamming the car into gear.

Stephen chatters to Isabelle all the way back to apartment but eventually grows quiet when I hand him a granola bar. Isabelle takes his silence as a time to attack.

"He's Jace's," she mutters under her breath. I nod curtly. "Figured. He looks just like him. How old...?"

"He'll be five in two weeks," I cast a glance at him in the back seat. He is busy eating the granola bar, making the rapper fly along the buildings and cars we pass. Isabelle's dark eyebrows narrow. "He was born premature."

It so happened that I had went into labor early. After a long hard fight, Stephen had been born on January 14th. The same birthday as his father. It was ironic that the identical boys had the same birthday. It had made forgetting Jace that much harder.

Isabelle looks at him for the thousandth time, shaking her head slightly. "I had no idea you went through with this. He's beautiful," she adds, almost as an afterthought. "What's his name?"

"Stephen," I sigh, "Stephen Lucian Herondale." My boy's golden eyes flick up to meet mine in the mirror. They are Jace's eyes, and for a moment I am lost in the memory of my former love. But the moment passes and I'm back in the car with Isabelle.

Its time to face my past.