Accusing, Denying - Flower Husbands Book 2

Chapter 1: Pen and Paper

Fwhip cried, too.

Jimmy coughed. He coughed and gasped, desperate to breathe. He couldn't. Blood and phlegm sputtered from his lips and dripped down Fwhip's shirt. He passed out.

Fwhip felt almost immediately the way his friend's body had stopped moving. He shook his shoulders, jostling the fish. "Jimmy?" he whispered.

No response.

He pushed Jimmy away.

Jimmy's head lolled uselessly.

"Oh, hell," Fwhip panicked. He readjusted Jim quickly and jankily, scooping his much bigger body into his arms.

Marjorie sniffed. "Is... Jimmy okay?"

Arli blinked from where she'd buried herself in her mothers arms. "He's... asleep, right?"

Fwhip nodded.

Cerrano - with the most experience handling Jimmy like this - pressed himself to Fwhip's back and helped him to his feet. He pointed towards the nearest body of water.

Fwhip nodded. He stumbled as fast as he could towards the murky beach and dropped Jimmy's limp body into the water. He fell into the sand beside him.

Jimmy's chest began to rise and fall, stronger now.

Behind him, he heard the rustling of footsteps. Faint light was cast over the water.

He turned over his shoulder, the water swished against his stomach.

Jimmy's people had begun to gather. They had sensed his anguish, heard his crying, felt his pain. They knew something was wrong when the water of the swamp stilled, when the crickets stopped chirping and the fireflies' lights went out. The water carried the news over all of the Codlands.

Every hybrid - cod, axolotl, frog - each and every one held a lit candle. It was a vigil to a lost soul.

Very few of the citizens had gotten to meet Scott, but all of them had heard from Jules, from Marjorie, from Arli, from Ms. Pad and the children. All of them knew the effort Scott had been making. All of them knew his legacy and what he'd promised to his people, nay, the world.

The water rippled as citizens of every flavour emerged from their houses underwater. They, too, held candles, unlit, to offer in Scott's honour.

Each one found someone else to share their wick and fire.

Fwhip felt Jimmy shift in his lap and sit up.

Jim took in a shaky breath, eyes alighting on his citizens. He choked back a fresh bout of tears. Instead, he hugged Fwhip tight.

Fwhip didn't mind the way his shirt soaked all the way through. He hugged Jimmy back.

Jimmy's face contorted and he swallowed thickly. He pulled back only slightly, gesturing to Cerrano with open arms.

Cerrano surged forward quickly, wrapping himself around Jimmy.

Fwhip held them both, while they held each other. Fwhip decided he'd stay with Jim until he was either kicked out or Jimmy was better.

. . .

Two days later, Jim couldn't cry any more. His tears had run dry; Even if he needed to cry, he couldn't.

He sent Fwhip home that morning, a steely, determined look on his face.

Losing Scott put something into perspective for Jimmy. Scott was gone. Jim should have held onto him that night in the Grimlands. He should have pulled Scott back to the swamp with him. If he had, he could have delayed, maybe even prevented , the inevitable.

Either way, he couldn't stand to lose another person close to him, someone he loved so much. This time, he would hold on.

He couldn't hold Lizzie, he knew, but he could hold Cerrano.

With a bundle of papers in hand, he set out.

It was a quick, thoughtless walk to the orphanage. He gave himself no chance to turn around.

He marched straight to Ms Pad's office, where he knew she'd be this time of the day - most of the children slept until nearly noon.

He tossed the papers on her desk. "Ms. Pad. Sorry for barging in unannounced."

She frowned, staring up at him for a moment before moving to the papers. She skimmed them quickly. She gasped, a hand coming up to her mouth. "Oh, dear!" She looked back up at him.

Jimmy nodded. "Please sign it, before I lose my resolve."

"You're sure?"

"As I can be, yes," Jimmy nodded again. "Look, I lost Scott, I barely have Lizzie. The least I can do for myself is make sure I have him."

Ms. Pad didn't bother reading more than a page before she flipped to the last, etching her name on the line. She stood, coming around her desk and offering a hug.

Jimmy accepted gratefully. "Thank you."

"I'll fetch him. You wait here."

Jim nodded. Fear plagued his mind. What if... he didn't want this? What if he didn't need Jimmy the way Jimmy needed him? What if he didn't love Jimmy the way Jimmy loved him? He swallowed anxiously and shook out his shoulders.

The door behind him creaked open slowly.

He didn't turn around.

Ms. Pad breezed past him on her way back to her desk. He felt Cerrano stop beside him.

Cerrano yawned. "Mr. Jimmy? Do you have an early meeting today?"

Jimmy shook his head. "No. Not entirely."

"What's going on?"

Ms. Pad cleared her throat. "Cerrano." She offered him a few papers and a pen. "If you will."

Cerrano frowned. He took the papers, shuffling through them.

Jimmy watched as his face dropped. The pen shook in his hand.

Cerrano made a strangled noise and turned his face up to Jim. "You... want to be my dad?"

Jim nodded slowly. "If you'll have me..."

Cerrano grinned. He jumped high into the air, latching himself to Jimmy's neck.

Jimmy held him steadily, not stumbling even once. He hugged Cerrano tight.

Cerrano wrapped his legs around Jim's middle and squeezed his neck as much as he could. "You're gonna be my dad!"

Jimmy laughed hopefully.

"Can I call you that?" Cerrano pushed Jimmy back to arms length, staring deep into his eyes. "Can I call you dad?" His tail whacked hard against the desk behind him.

Jimmy nodded quickly. "You can call me whatever you'd like, Cerrano."

"Dad!" Cerrano cried suddenly. "I love you, dad!" He leaned back into his dad .

Jimmy held him just a bit tighter. "I love you, too." He would tell him that every day. He would tell him because he'd never told Scott, and he'd regret it every day for the rest of his life.

. . .

1550 Words

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