Free Night Fury: Second Act by Belle Aurora Page B

money to provide for you. I had to prove we could school you, clothe you, feed you and a fuck of a lot more.” He places his hand over mine. “But you were worth it. All the headaches of the world and more. You were worth it.”
    My fingers twitch under his and he grips my hand tight. “Want to know the exact moment I knew I loved you?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. “Frankie was just a kid. A runaway. She was a baby herself, and from the moment you arrived, she never left your side. Ari was in charge of feeding you, changing you, basically being a mom to you, but one day both of the girls were out which left me to look after you for the first time. So I was thinking that babies were messy, noisy things and I was already dreading it.”
    I cut in with, “The beginning of this story sucks.”
    He shushes me. “So I took you into my office and watched you while I worked. Before I knew it, I’d done everything I needed to. And it only took me two hours to realise that I hadn’t heard a peep from you. I look over and you were staring up at me with those big doe eyes.” He grins. “And you were smiling a toothless smile. So then I had to feed you, and I didn’t know which end was which. I tried to open the jar of food and I ended up splattered with apple sauce.” He chuckles. “And you laughed at me.”
    I lower my face to hide my smile. Bob never talks about me as a baby.
    This is a gift. A rare treat.
    He sighs, “After I fed you, I ha d to bathe you and, boy, were you a little mermaid or what. Splashing around, squealing, laughing and kicking your little legs out. Every time you laughed, I did too. I dried and dressed you in your pink fluffy sleep suit and warmed a bottle. You fell asleep in my arms, and as you did, you reached up and touched my cheek with your little fingers.” His voice turns soft. “As I was watching you sleep in my arms, I knew I would do anything to keep you. And from that day on, you spent most of your days with me in my office. Keeping me company.”
    My insides warm and my throat’s thick; I don’t say a thing. I can’t.
    He adds emphatically, “I love you, Catarina. You’re my sunshine. Always have been.”
    I swallow hard and respond meekly, “I love you, too.”
    He sighs in relief . “Good, ‘cause I don’t know how long I would’ve been able to stand you being upset at me. Now, about Frankie…”
    “She’s gone.”
    “Yeah, she is.”
    Then he says something that stops my heart and singes my insides.
    “I need you to understand why I sent her away.”

Chapter Fourteen

    My mind goes a hundred miles an hour. My breathing heavies as I clench my fists and seethe, “You- you sent her away?”
    The expression on his face tells me he thought I already knew this.
    I did not.
    “How could you? She needs us. She needs you ! And you sent her away? You’re going to be a father, Bob. Your baby needs you.”
    Putting on his poker face, he adopts a distant tone. “I don’t want children. Frankie should have known better. We’re a church, not a brothel. Nuns don’t just get pregnant, Cat. People would know. We can’t risk it. We can’t risk our reputation. People trust us. They trust the church.”
    I don’t buy it. “She could have gone into hiding for a while. Come back when the baby was born. We could have raised it as a family.”
    “She’s aborting the pregnancy. There will be no child.”
    My mouth gapes.
    She wouldn’t do that. I know Frankie. She would never do that.
    Or would she?
    It’s then that I remember something Frankie said before she left.
    “I don’t want him raised like you! He’s going to be normal!”
    Standing, I utter, “I don’t know what Frankie told you, Bob, but she’s not aborting the pregnancy.” He tries to hide the look of surprise that crosses him, but I catch it. I begin walking backwards. “You’re going to be a father. Whether you like it or not.”
    As I move to walk away, I call out without feeling,