Chapter 7: Three Years Later

Ashley was looking over her designs for the fashion business she was working for when Hayden came running down the stairs. "Mommy, mommy," he called. Ashley set her pencil down and turned in her chair to see the tears falling down the three-year-old's face.

"Aw, what is it sweetheart?" She asked.

Hayden showed her the cut on his arm. "I feel," he replied. Ashley picked the toddler up and carried him to the bathroom.

"How did you fall, munchkin?" She asked.

She set her son down on the counter and pulled out the ointment so it wouldn't get infected. "Coming to see mommy when I tripped," he replied. Ashley put the ointment on her son's elbow and kissed it.

"There mommy kissed it to make it all better," she told him.

Hayden smiled and Ashley kissed his cheek. "Mommy, how come I don't have a daddy?" Hayden asked. Ashley set her son on the floor.

"Your daddy and mommy just can't be together," Ashley replied.

"Why?" He asked.

"You're too young to now."

Ashley laughed when the three-year-old latched himself to his mother's leg. "Let's go play mommy," he laughed. Ashley smiled as she tried to walk with her son on her leg.

"Go play? Mommy has to work," Ashley answered.

"Awww, come on mommy, let's go play."

Ashley looked over at her work station to see her unfinished design staring at her. However, she looked down at her son to see his big brown eyes looking at her full of hope that she would play with him. "Okay, we can play for a little while," she answered.

"Yay!" Hayden cheered.

She smiled as he got up and ran to get his shoes. Ashley sat down and pulled on her shoes when she saw Hayden trying to get his sneakers on. "Come here, munchkin," she told him. Hayden got up and walked over to his mother He sat on the floor and she got his shoes on his feet. She looked at her son with a smile on her face.

Hayden had chin-length brown hair with blonde streaks, brown eyes, he was wearing white sneakers, blue jeans, a red t-shirt, and his hair was pulled back in a small half-ponytail.

"Ready to go?" She asked. Hayden nodded his head furiously and Ashley picked him up from the floor, setting him on her hip, and they left the house.

They came to Hayden's most favorite place in the whole world, the park. She set Hayden down and she smiled when he immediately went straight for the slides. She sat down on the bench and watched her son play with the other children. "Isn't it nice to see children have so much fun?" A voice asked. Ashley looked over at a young woman who was walking up to her.

"Yeah it is," Ashley replied.

The woman sat next to Ashley with a smile. "Makes you want one doesn't it?" She asked. Ashley smiled and looked over at Hayden.

"Yeah, had mine three years ago though," Ashley replied.

"Really? Which one is your little one?" The woman asked.

Ashley pointed over to Hayden who was just coming down the slide. "That one right there. That's my little boy," Ashley replied.

"He's a handsome little boy," the woman commented.

Ashley smiled. "Thank you," Ashley answered. The woman looked at Ashley and held a hand out to her.

"I'm Lisa McLean," she informed.

Ashley shook her hand. "Ashley Hammond, that's my son, Hayden," Ashley answered. Lisa smiled and looked over when Hayden started to play with one of the other children.

"So where's the father?" Lisa asked.

Ashley bit her lip and the heartache came back at full force once again. "Umm, he's not around," she replied. Lisa saw the pain in her face and she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business," Lisa told her.

Ashley shook her head slowly. "It's alright. His parents didn't approve of me even though we were engaged, but they said some threats to him about me so I just left. I regret that my son won't know his father, but I don't regret having him," Ashley explained.

"That's a good thing," Lisa agreed.

Hayden then ran up to Ashley. "Mommy," he said. Ashley looked at her son with a smile.

"What is it, sweetie?" She asked.

Hayden climbed onto the bench and kissed her cheek. "I love you mommy," he replied. Ashley smiled and hugged her son tight.

"I love you too munchkin," she answered.

Ashley watched as Hayden ran off to play again. "That had to be the cutest scene I have ever seen in my life," Lisa commented. Ashley smiled as she watched her son play.

"My baby boy," she sighed.

She rubbed the back of her neck and smiled at Hayden. "I love the streaks you put into his hair," Lisa commented. Ashley laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hayden was born with those streaks," she answered.

Lisa looked at her in disbelief. "You're kidding right?" She asked. Ashley shook her head.

"No, his father was born with the streaks in his hair, guess it's genetic that our son would get it too," Ashley replied.

Ashley then pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down. "I have to get my son home so I can get back to work, but I would love to chat with you some more," Ashley commented. Lisa nodded with a smile.

"That'd be great, have lunch sometime and bring that kid with you," Lisa answered.

Ashley handed Lisa her home phone number and cell-phone number. "Hayden, sweetheart, it's time to go," Ashley called. Hayden whined for a minute, but then Ashley walked over, picked Hayden up from the ground. She set her son on her back giving him a piggyback ride as she walked home.

That night, Ashley was sitting up in bed reading when she heard a storm coming in. She heard Hayden hurrying down the hall to her room and smiled to see her son standing there. "Mommy, can I stay with you?" He asked. Ashley lifted the blankets and let him crawl in next to her.

"You don't like thunderstorms?" She asked.

Hayden shook his head and buried his head into Ashley's side. Ashley bit her lip as she watched him fall asleep beside her. She looked outside at the storm as her thoughts drifted back to the night that Hayden was conceived, that night during the storm. When she and Andros first became engaged. As she sat there, his touch and kiss seemed to haunt her. She bit her lip as she slid down under the blankets and turned off the light. She smiled as her son cuddled up to her as if to hide from the storm in his sleep. She kissed the top of his head and closed her eyes as she slowly fell asleep. That night through the storm, Ashley dreamt about that one wonderful night she spent with Andros when she promised to be his wife.