Home is Where the Heart is(21)

She dreaded introducing her son to his father if he was only going to bail on being his dad. Jake didn’t deserve that one bit.





A couple of days had passed since Jordan’s impromptu, drunken, late-night visit to Cassie’s house, and she was surprised by the fact she hadn’t heard a peep from her baby-daddy, making her wonder whether he had mulled over the decision of becoming a dad.

Cassie didn’t understand what went through her ex-boyfriend’s mind at the best of times, but she figured it must be nice to be given the choice of whether he wanted to be a dad or not. Six years ago, it was a no-brainer for herself. Although Jake wasn’t planned, she really didn’t see any other option but to go through with the pregnancy and become a mother. Abortion was simply not an option for her; she couldn’t see herself going through with terminating her pregnancy. Adoption was out of the question, especially when she had carried the baby boy for nine months. To simply give him up—whether it would be for a better life or not—she couldn’t do that. She was his mother, plain and simple.

Becoming a mom was the only choice that felt right to Cassie, and although it meant having to grow up a lot faster than most people her age, she wouldn’t go back and change her decision if given the choice to do so. Jake was her world. He meant everything to her.

It was just another typical Saturday morning at Cassie’s house. Today was game day for Jake. Since the beginning of the season, he was a proud team member of the Little Devils Baseball Team, and he loved it. They played their games every Saturday morning at the local sports park in Yellow Valley with Nick as their coach, which usually meant that after every game, Nick treated the team to either pizza or ice cream—whether they won or lost.

“Have you brushed your teeth?” Cassie called out to Jake from the kitchen.

In a full burst of energy, Jake came striding into the kitchen in his baseball attire, consisting of white pants, cleated sneakers, and team jersey that read Little Devils on the front, and had the number eight stitched on the back.

His face was full of smiles. He loved Saturdays and being able to play baseball with his little friends from school, but also the fact one of his favorite adults was his coach. He adored Nick just as much as Nick adored him. He was the best choice Cassie had ever made when she nominated him as Jake’s surrogate father figure.

“I’m ready!” Jake said proudly, his mouth opening widely to show his mother how clean his teeth were, knowing she’d make him prove he’d actually done what she asked. It wouldn’t have been the first time Jake tried to fib his mom into thinking he had brushed his teeth when he really hadn’t.

“Have you got everything in your bag?” she asked him, referring to his bag with the baseball mitt and bat Nick gave him as a present for his fifth birthday.

“No, I’ll go get it. It’s in my room,” he replied then he sped off to his bedroom to retrieve his items.

Cassie walked through to the foyer, pulling her blonde hair into a neat little twist on top of her head while she waited by the front door. Make-up was minimal today; she was thankful she was blessed with clear skin—regardless of the amount of make-up she did wear though—as she checked the light coat of powder and blush she had put on before she left her bedroom.

Just enough, she thought to herself with a small smile.

Even if she didn’t have somebody to look pretty for, it was nice to do it for herself on occasion.

The shrill sound of her iPhone buzzed at her from within the side pocket of her black handbag.

Cassie slipped the phone out and turned it over so she could see the lit-up screen. Jordan’s name flashed across the middle, next to the little text message symbol.

She unlocked her phone, instantly entering into her messages to read his text.

I’m sorry, but it’s just all too much for me right now. I can’t be the kind of dad Jake deserves to have, when I didn’t have it growing up either. It’s better if he doesn’t know about me.

She should have seen it coming, but instead, there was a tiny piece of her heart ripped to shreds by Jordan once again. She couldn’t allow herself to think of him right now.

Jake came running to the door with his bag on his shoulders, a huge smile planted on his face like he didn’t have a care in the world and all that mattered was baseball.

Cassie’s heart melted back together slightly.

Today and every other day would be all about Jake.



Meanwhile, at an airport a few hundred miles outside of Yellow Valley, Jordan sat pondering over the choices he had made in his life as he waited for his flight back to Miami.

What a bust of a return trip home this had been, he thought to himself.