Start Over

Kieran bounced the baby on his knees. I caught something shimmering in the corner of his eyes. It took Ken another three minutes to finally recognise the man holding him. ‘Dada!’ He held out his half-finished apple slice. Kieran took a bite of the drool-covered fruit. ‘Thanks, sweetie.’ Watching father and son, my heart almost melted with happiness. How I wished for Claire to be here. It would have made the reunion perfect. That night, Kieran stayed with Ken until the boy fell asleep in his cot. I listened from the baby monitor as Kieran told a bedtime story about an avenging Transformer. I wondered if Ken dreamed of shapeshifting cars and singing Chevrolets. Kieran returned to the master bedroom and got under the covers with me. I rested my head on his shoulder. We snuggled with each other in the darkness, savouring the moment. My eyelids were starting to droop when I felt his cool lips on mine. ‘Honey, I will take back everything we’ve lost.’ His voice was a solemn whisper. ‘Everythi