“It’s so good to see you two. I’ve missed you. I made your favorite Kayden—stuffed red peppers and homemade mashed potatoes.” My mouth salivated as she spoke.

“The bitch sent me a message today,” his mother said as we sat down at the table.

I lost my appetite, bile rose in my throat. She invaded our lives and ruined even the simplest thing.

“What did she want?” Kayden asked.

“Here, read it for yourself,” she said as she handed Kayden her tablet.

Kayden didn’t say a word as he read the messages with furrowed brows. He passed the tablet to me and I was stunned by her acidic words.

Lisa: I’ll send the police everywhere to find your son. You can’t hide him, either can his girlfriend. It’ll be hard for him to run without a truck.

“That bitch, she had your truck towed,” I said handing the tablet back to his mother.

My stomach twisted as I excused myself from the table, leaving Kayden and his mother to talk.

He’d become a fixture in my life, part of my existence, and she was trying to tear us apart. Tears streamed down my face as Kayden walked into the bedroom. He wrapped me in his arms, comforting me. “Everything will be okay, don’t cry, baby,” he said, sorrow filling his eyes.

Probation