Why, oh why, didn't she take him with her? She knew he could open the deadbolt, but after the final time she locked it, she thought he had finally given up trying to go with her.
Just once she wanted to go do the laundry by herself. It was so much quicker when she went alone. If she'd lost him forever, she would never forgive herself. She moved toward the street, hoping beyond hope, that he would be within sight.
Jenny looked to the left, then to the right. There was still no sign of him. "My baby," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Nearly defeated, she looked up and saw her husband walking towards her. The frown on his face indicated that he had no better luck than she did. She looked down at her belly and then back down the road. Here I am about to have another baby, and I lose my firstborn. The irony didn't escape her. She rushed towards them.
"We're going to go back to the house. If he doesn't come back soon, I'll phone the cops," he said.
All she could do was nod her head. Jenny watched as Aaron and Chris, her stepson, walked back to the house. She wanted to scream and cry. Anything to let out the panicked animal caged inside her.
If he would have just paid attention to his son, just once, this wouldn't have happened. She should have known that he would be too caught up in his game to pay any attention. It happened every other day. Why did she think today would have been any different?
Returning back to the street, she continued to look around, calling out for him. Praying and hoping that he would answer. The road was deserted. She was alone. Exhausted and out of hope, Jenny collapsed to her knees. "I can't do this anymore," Jenny cried out to the heavens. "Please, God. Bring my baby back."
She buried her face in her hands as her body shook violently. The baby in her womb kicked in protest. Her stomach tightened with another contraction. Only God could help her now. He was the only one who knew where Michael was.
Her son's face flashed before her eyes. His short, dirty blond hair and deep blue eyes filled her with misery, knowing they might be lost forever. What if someone took her little boy?
Another sob escaped her. "Please, God. Please bring him back to me."
The knot in her chest nearly engulfed her. Sharp pains resonated throughout her whole body. Feeling dizzy, Jenny placed her hands on the ground and squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to take a few deep breaths, but her chest refused to let her.
"Miss?" A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder, startling her.
Jenny looked up into the face of a young man wearing a plain blue baseball cap, brown hair peeking out the sides. He was sitting on a black mountain bike. She blinked rapidly. The tears marring her vision now created a halo over him.
"I think we found your boy." He held his hand out to help her stand up.
"Where is he?" she said huskily, her voice hoarse from the tears.
He pointed up ahead. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up the street. Her vision was still hazy, but she could make out two figures up ahead. The relief was almost instant. She recognized his walking style.
"We found him trying to cross the street."
"Thank the blessed Lord," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. God had heard her cry. As she approached her son, he looked perfectly content, not scared in the slightest.
It was quite the contrast to the tumultuous emotions welling up inside her. She gathered him up into her arms, despite her large belly getting in the way.
"You scared mommy to death. Don't you dare do that again!" she said sternly, placing him back on his feet again. "Thank you, Jesus."
Jenny turned her attention briefly to the two young men, taking a moment to hug them both. "You can't even begin to imagine how much this means to me. You guys are both angels, thank you so much."
She dropped to her knees and pulled her young son into her arms again. "I thought I was never going to see you again," she cried softly, trying not to scare him. "I love you so much. Don't ever wander off again. You need to stay close to us."
Standing back up, they walked back to the complex and up to the townhouse. Her husband was waiting anxiously by the door, remorse written all over his face. "Before you say a word, I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Her voice raised an octave. "You're sorry? We could have lost him. All because you thought playing your game was more important. Why couldn't you have just watched him like you were supposed to?"
"I honestly thought he went with you. But I promise, I'm never going to let anything like that happen again." He opened his palm, revealing a chain lock. "We should have put this on a long time ago."
She stared at the chain lock still sitting in its original store wrapper. If they would have put it on when they bought it, all this trouble could have been avoided. Nausea settled deep in her belly and tears filled her eyes. This was as much her fault as it was his. She could have put the lock on herself, but she didn't. She waited—waited until it was almost too late.
She shook her head, crying. "What kind of parents are we?"
Aaron held his arms open and walked towards her. "We found him, hun. It's okay."
Picking up Michael, she smothered him with hugs and kisses and moved into her husband's waiting arms. Lifting her eyes to the heavens, she praised the Lord. "Thank you, Jesus, for taking care of him and bringing him home."
Looking at her family, love filled her soul. Being a mom wasn't always easy and sometimes she felt like she needed time alone, but after her experience today, if she had to decide between a life with him and a life without, Jenny knew exactly which one she'd pick.
Michael would always be a reminder of God's amazing grace. A grace she never deserved, but one he blessed her with anyway. Today, she almost had to say goodbye, but thankfully, God had other plans.
"I love you guys," she said, kissing each of them on the cheek.
The End