Free Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman

front porch. “Arrangements?” She was yelling now. “I tried plenty of times to make arrangements with you in the past, and it never fit into your schedule, and . . .”
    Kade waved his hand in front of her, trying to shush her, and was suddenly reminded of Sadie. He dropped his hand to his side. “That’s bull. And you know it. You never wanted to work with my schedule. You intentionally made it difficult for me to spend time with Tyler. You went all the way to North Carolina to ensure it.” Kade didn’t shut the front door all the way, and he glanced into the den. “Is he okay in there by himself?”
    “He’s fine.”
    Kade left the door ajar anyway.
    Monica marched to the black Lexus and popped the trunk. Kade followed.
    “My family is in North Carolina,” she said. “And I wanted to be near them. You had plenty of opportunities to spend more time with Tyler, and you chose not to.”
    “Don’t even bother taking out any of those things.” He pointed to the suitcases piled in the back. “I’ll get you a hotel room, and we’ll figure out what to do in the morning.” Kade chuckled in disbelief. “But there is no way you can just show up here and drop off Tyler like this.”
    One by one, she pulled suitcases out of the trunk and set them on the ground. “I suggest you get these into the house before the snow gets everything all wet.”
    Monica had that look in her eyes. The look she had the day she took Tyler and left. There was no talking her out of it. But he was darn sure going to try. “Monica, what kind of mother abandons her child like this? Maybe you’re just having a rough time right now. And with a little notice, I’d be glad to help out with Tyler.”
    She practically threw the last suitcase at him, a small, red one. Then slammed the trunk. “Abandoning? Do you want to talk to me about abandoning? You are the one who abandoned your son, and now you can make things right!”
    “You left me , Monica! I did not leave you. When I said I’d love and cherish you forever, I meant it.”
    “You are not going to make me feel guilty about this. You are not!” She stormed up to the cottage. Kade was on her heels.
    “You’ve done some crazy things, Monica. But you can’t leave Tyler here. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of him.” She twisted her head around as she walked up the porch steps. “Well, I guess you’re going to learn.”
    Without missing a beat, she went to the couch and retrieved the big, black bag she had carried in on her shoulder. She reached inside and pulled out a thick, black binder and dropped it on the couch beside the divorce papers.
    “That is your Bible, Kade. Read it. It will tell you everything you need to know about Tyler, about his schedule, and everything I have learned about having an autistic child. Tyler is considered high-functioning, compared to some of the children in his class who don’t speak at all and who can’t do simple things, like feed themselves or go to the bathroom on their own.”
    Kade ran his hands through his hair, exhaled loudly, and said, “I’m sorry, Monica. You can’t leave him here. I want to be a part of his life. I always have. But you can’t just show up here and do this.”
    She squatted down beside Tyler, who seemed oblivious to the commotion around him. Cupping his cheeks in her hands, she was crying. “Mommy loves Tyler.”
    He smiled. “Mommy loves Tyler.”
    Kade watched in horror. How she could leave a child that she had raised since birth? He knew it was hypocritical, but the thought still surfaced. Second, if she really did walk out that door, what in the world was he going to do?
    Monica threw her arms around Tyler. “Mommy loves Tyler soooo much.”
    “Mommy loves Tyler soooo much.”
    And with that, she ran out of the cottage. Kade was right behind her and grabbed her arm before she reached her car.
    “Let go of me!” There was the hysteria he had heard so many times on the phone. “I have to