Ace (HS)

Epilogue

Four years later

Lightning. Eruptions of thunder sounding through the room, following each flash of light that penetrated the night sky. Heavy droplets of rain drummed against windows of Carmen's home. The curtains were drawn, windows sealed shut, but the fury of the storm still filled the room, much to her dismay.

Carmen had detested thunder storms since she was a child. One of her few inexplicable fears, siding with heights and snakes. It was times like these, where Carmen experienced typical yet overwhelming emotions, that she had to remind herself it was okay to feel things outside of her comfort zone. Even after all these years, she was still a work in progress when it came to accepting the aspects of herself that simply made her human.

She knew he would be awake within a matter of minutes. Sighing out of exhaust and irritation, she grabbed the silk robe that was draped over the chair, and sat up in the bed while putting it on. Her hand subconsciously grazed over her bare stomach, protectively almost, before her fingers latched around the fabric belt and tied it around her waist.

Carmen's eyes glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

12:45

Her dark eyes rolled high to the ceiling. Of course tonight of all nights was the night he decided to stay out late and refuse to answer his phone. Perhaps it was the hormones, but she planned to show him just how exasperated she was the second he walked through the door.

Deep down, however, she was actually more hurt and disappointed than angry; tonight was supposed to have been celebratory. She was supposed to have made dinner for all three of them, maybe even find some fancy recipe online just for the occasion, and then after dessert she would have shared the news with him. Carmen had been looking forward to the look of shock on his face, and then of course his grin.

But instead here she was, sauntering down the long dark hallway alone. Her hips were slightly wider than they used to be, with a bit of extra meat clinging to them, but she swayed them as she walked with just as much seduction as when she was in her early twenties. Her gait was less provocative, though, and her face was softened by wisdom; the past four years had done her well, and with her twenty sixth birthday coming up, Carmen had never felt more content with herself.

Soft whimpering could be heard from the other side of the door as she stopped in front of a room at the end of the hall. It was almost droned out by the clashes of thunder, but Carmen could still hear it, and it made her heart ache. He must've been so scared, waking up to the loud storm outside, alone in his pitch black room and the small bed that he was still getting used to.

She wrapped her hand around the door knob and quietly opened the door, stepping into the dark room.

"Hayden?" she whispered, not wanting her voice to startle him. Her hand reached over to blindly pat the wall, until she felt the light switch and flicked it on. Light flooded the room, and she could now see the small bed against the wall, where a visible mass was hidden under the blanket.

Carmen ambled toward the bed. Kneeling beside it, she carefully grasped the blanket and pulled it back, revealing a head of curly golden hair. Emerald eyes flickered towards her, fear mixed in with the hues of green.

"Mommy," the small boy, aged three, reached his hand out to her, needy of his mother's comfort. Carmen kissed the small palm of his hand before getting into the bed beside him.

"Come here, monkey," she smiled and enveloped the child in her arms. He buried his face into the fabric of her robe, his little hands fisting the silk. Another bang of thunder filled the room, and Hayden whimpered in fright, clinging to Carmen.