SMACK! your head snapped to the side from the force of Luke’s calloused palm. The ragged breathing from his angered words filled the room- combined with silence. “take the kid, and get out.” he slurred, pushing your shoulder harshly.

without a second thought, you made a beeline for the backyard, chest rising and falling- face blossomed with a red mark from his hand as you stepped down the half-broken stairs. “mama!” JJ- only 5 years old, ran over to you with mud across the skin of his cheek- similars to the slap mark, just unpainful.

you didn’t respond. You felt as if you couldn’t breath, all you could do was scoop JJ up and wrap an arm around his small waist- he just giggled- thinking it was some game. No Not a game.

approximately 5 minutes later, your shaky hands grabbed onto the cars steering wheel, jj in his booster seat- eyes focused on the beach and scenery outside of the window.

Luke said get out so you’re getting out. Of his life. With your son.

11 YEARS LATER

“mama, you do look..” JJ trailed off, blue orbs focused on the scrapbook you had made awhile ago, the book in his lap as you sat beside him- you’d only had JJ when you were 18. “you look exactly like me.” his finger pointed to a picture of you in Highschool, luke beside you with a look that you missed. A look of love, that was later replaced with raw hatred. “and that’s dad..”