“I’m trying Ava, but things aren’t great right now.”
“I know, but she’s trying too.”
“I know, ok? I do and I will try to fix it. I’ll make it better.”
Ava pats my hand. “Right now things are hard, everything will get better soon.”
“I hope you’re right.” I whisper, staring out into the car park.
A moment later a knock sounds out at the door. Ava walks over and opens it to reveal Angel. He grins and kisses her softly, then smiles over at me.
“Hey Angel, what’s up?”
“Hey girls, you got a minute?”
“Is everything ok?”
“Sure, where’s Jen?”
Why does he want to know where Jenny is?
“Um, out I think, why?”
He nods his head towards his apartment. “Come and find out yourself. Be warned, it’ll shock you.”
Ava and I exchange confused glances and I quickly go and put Cody into the pram. He stirs a little but quickly falls back to sleep. We follow Angel towards his apartment and he opens the door for us, letting us in. I skid to a halt when I see the man sitting beside Angel at the table. I vaguely remember his face, but I’m sure he didn’t look like this before. It’s officer Huck, but…oh no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. Cody begins to stir and numbly I lean down and pull him into my arms. Ace is beside me in minutes, taking him and steadying me when I sway a little. This is too much.
“Did you know about this?” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “Only Jagger did.”
“Jagger?”
“Yes, it’s why we haven’t seen much of him.”
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
I swallow and stare at Huck, who stands and walks over to me. God up close he’s so like her it burns. I knew it as soon as I walked through the door. Huck is Jenny’s father. My head swims and Ava grips my arm, she’s silent and staring.
“Did you know?” I whisper hoarsely to him.
He nods, “Only for the last few years.”
“And you did nothing?” I cry.
“Wasn’t my place Willow, your momma was sick and…”
“She had the right to know!”
Huck nods. The only difference between Huck and Jenny is that his hair is medium brown and hers is more like mine and moms. His eyes and her eyes are that same light green. His skin is creamy just like hers but it’s the shape of his face, his expressions and his build that is nearly identical to her. It’s scary. Why don’t I remember this? I saw him when my father died but…it didn’t click. Jenny wasn’t there and I was in a bad place, it just didn’t click.
“I’m sorry Willow, I’ve tried to stay out of this and…”
“How did Jagger know and why do you owe him so much? I want answers Huck, and I want them now.”
He nods and indicates the couch. I sit down and he sits beside me. Ace sits on a chair, rocking Cody lightly and I can see he’s already gone back to sleep. Huck sighs and stares out the window a moment, and then he turns back to me.
“I met your dad through the academy, we graduated together. He met your ma one night up at a club. We all became friends, that was before you were born. Anyway, he started working more and more and when you came along your mom was struggling. I used to go over and help her, we were friends and he wasn’t there. One night, we had a few drinks and…it started and…well…I wanted to help her so I continued seeing her. When she went away, I heard she had a child but I assumed it was Kane’s so I did nothing. It was only a few years ago that she told me whose child it was. I was in deep then. I’d become involved in the case that your father was working on with the gang, I had dangerous information. It was risky and a bad time, so I didn’t contact Jennifer.”
“Did my father know?”
He shakes his head. “He knew she started seeing another man but he didn’t know who, he also knew Jennifer wasn’t his.”
“He was always gone,” I whisper. “I basically raised Jenny. He was kind to her, even though she wasn’t his. How did he not know, her
“I know, but she’s trying too.”
“I know, ok? I do and I will try to fix it. I’ll make it better.”
Ava pats my hand. “Right now things are hard, everything will get better soon.”
“I hope you’re right.” I whisper, staring out into the car park.
A moment later a knock sounds out at the door. Ava walks over and opens it to reveal Angel. He grins and kisses her softly, then smiles over at me.
“Hey Angel, what’s up?”
“Hey girls, you got a minute?”
“Is everything ok?”
“Sure, where’s Jen?”
Why does he want to know where Jenny is?
“Um, out I think, why?”
He nods his head towards his apartment. “Come and find out yourself. Be warned, it’ll shock you.”
Ava and I exchange confused glances and I quickly go and put Cody into the pram. He stirs a little but quickly falls back to sleep. We follow Angel towards his apartment and he opens the door for us, letting us in. I skid to a halt when I see the man sitting beside Angel at the table. I vaguely remember his face, but I’m sure he didn’t look like this before. It’s officer Huck, but…oh no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. Cody begins to stir and numbly I lean down and pull him into my arms. Ace is beside me in minutes, taking him and steadying me when I sway a little. This is too much.
“Did you know about this?” I whisper.
He shakes his head. “Only Jagger did.”
“Jagger?”
“Yes, it’s why we haven’t seen much of him.”
“He knew?”
“Yes.”
I swallow and stare at Huck, who stands and walks over to me. God up close he’s so like her it burns. I knew it as soon as I walked through the door. Huck is Jenny’s father. My head swims and Ava grips my arm, she’s silent and staring.
“Did you know?” I whisper hoarsely to him.
He nods, “Only for the last few years.”
“And you did nothing?” I cry.
“Wasn’t my place Willow, your momma was sick and…”
“She had the right to know!”
Huck nods. The only difference between Huck and Jenny is that his hair is medium brown and hers is more like mine and moms. His eyes and her eyes are that same light green. His skin is creamy just like hers but it’s the shape of his face, his expressions and his build that is nearly identical to her. It’s scary. Why don’t I remember this? I saw him when my father died but…it didn’t click. Jenny wasn’t there and I was in a bad place, it just didn’t click.
“I’m sorry Willow, I’ve tried to stay out of this and…”
“How did Jagger know and why do you owe him so much? I want answers Huck, and I want them now.”
He nods and indicates the couch. I sit down and he sits beside me. Ace sits on a chair, rocking Cody lightly and I can see he’s already gone back to sleep. Huck sighs and stares out the window a moment, and then he turns back to me.
“I met your dad through the academy, we graduated together. He met your ma one night up at a club. We all became friends, that was before you were born. Anyway, he started working more and more and when you came along your mom was struggling. I used to go over and help her, we were friends and he wasn’t there. One night, we had a few drinks and…it started and…well…I wanted to help her so I continued seeing her. When she went away, I heard she had a child but I assumed it was Kane’s so I did nothing. It was only a few years ago that she told me whose child it was. I was in deep then. I’d become involved in the case that your father was working on with the gang, I had dangerous information. It was risky and a bad time, so I didn’t contact Jennifer.”
“Did my father know?”
He shakes his head. “He knew she started seeing another man but he didn’t know who, he also knew Jennifer wasn’t his.”
“He was always gone,” I whisper. “I basically raised Jenny. He was kind to her, even though she wasn’t his. How did he not know, her
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