Chapter 3

3.

When we got home, Jamie locked himself in his room. No matter how much I tried to coax him, he wouldn't come out.

I knew that today had shattered his tiny world.

Night fell, and Clara still wasn't home. I checked social media and saw she had posted a video.

She was wearing a floral apron, awkwardly stirring a pan on the stove.

The caption read: "Learning to be a mom. Making a healthy meal for my little guy."

I looked at Jamie's closed door and felt a surge of cold fury. Both were children, yet she treated them like they belonged to different worlds.

At three in the morning, Jamie's fever spiked. He was burning up like a coal, mumbling for his "Mommy."

Terrified, I scooped him up and rushed to the hospital. On the way, he begged me in a daze.

"Daddy, I want to see Mommy... can you ask her to come see me?"

I wanted to say no. The harsh words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them. Looking at his flushed, miserable face, I caved.

I called Clara. It took forever for her to pick up.

"Jamie has a high fever. We are at the hospital. Can you come see him? Just for a few minutes."

There was silence on the other end. Jamie looked up at me weakly.

"What happened? Did she say no again?"

Just as I was about to hang up, Clara finally spoke.

"Fine. I'll be there in a bit."

I told Jamie she was coming. He curled into my arms with a tiny smile. Even though the medicine was making him sleepy, he forced himself to stay awake, waiting for her.

Two IV bags had finished dripping, and Clara still hadn't shown up.

Jamie forced a smile and said softly, "It's okay. She must be very busy."

Anger boiled in my chest. I was about to call her and scream when she suddenly burst into the hospital, carrying Leo.

"Doctor! Where is the doctor? My son is hurt!"

I looked over. Leo had a tiny scratch on his finger. There was barely a drop of blood.

Jamie saw her and cried out, "Mommy! I'm over here!"

Clara turned around, but her eyes were filled with nothing but irritation.

Leo wrapped his arms around her neck and yelled arrogantly, "This is my mommy! Go away, you brat! Don't you have your own mom?"

Clara didn't correct him. She just defended him coldly.

"Leo is just a child. Don't take it so personally."

The light died in Jamie's eyes. He looked away stubbornly and whispered.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. You aren't my mommy."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Miller."

He grabbed my hand to leave, but Clara frowned and blocked our path.

"What is that supposed to mean, Jamie?"

"Silas, what kind of lies have you been telling him?"

I looked her straight in the eye. "Exactly what you wanted him to believe."

Before she could respond, Dante hurried over.

"Clara, hurry up. Leo needs to see the doctor before the scratch gets infected."

The moment she heard that, Clara rushed Leo toward the emergency room without looking back at us once.

I held Jamie's hand as we walked away. His skin was like ice.