Asher chose that moment to squeal out “dada” as he began to attack Levi with an open mouth. Levi chuckled softly as he leaned over and dug a teething toy from Asher’s diaper bag.
Seth leaned around me, glaring at him. “How pathetic! You taught him to say that, didn’t you?” he said, his voice rising with each word.
Levi gave him a sincere smile. “I didn’t teach him to say anything. He calls me Daddy because to him, that’s who I am.”
Seth glared at me. “Will you at least turn him this way so I can see his face and talk to him?” He softened his voice, “Please, I want to get to know my son.”
I took a calming breath and turned to Levi. He leaned over to me and whispered, “It wouldn’t be good for him to know the truth with you and Ash sitting this close. As much as I hate it, you just need to play along.”
I nodded my head and moved Asher to my lap. Seth leaned down and touched his baby soft hair. “I remember seeing my baby pictures. I had blond hair too, but it was never this light.” I just shrugged my shoulders. Seth patted him on the head like a dog. I clamped my mouth shut because I knew anything I said would just make everything worse. “His eyes are so blue,” he said, looking up at my face.
I tried to stay calm, and focused on keeping my face blank. I felt Levi’s leg tense against mine again. “Lots of babies have blue eyes. They change color as they get older.” I replied and was amazed at how normal my voice sounded.
He touched Asher’s cheek. “Really? I didn’t know that.”
I glanced over at Levi and watched as his entire body seemed to relax. I didn’t know if what I’d said was true or not, but it seemed to satisfy Seth, so I was glad for that.
The woman at the desk called our names. We stood up along with Levi, but the woman held her hand up. “I’m sorry, but only the people named in the court order can be present for this test. You’ll have to wait out here, sir,” she said to Levi.
He didn’t take this news well and looked like he might snap at any second. I stretched up on my tiptoes, trying to get close to his face. “We’ll be fine. We won’t be alone.” He shot Seth a hard look before taking his seat again.
We were shown into a small room with lab chairs. I was directed to one and Seth the other. “Are you going to have to stick him with a needle?” I asked the lab tech.
“No. We only do cheek swabs on the little ones.”
I felt better about that at least. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth smile wickedly. “So how are things with your new boyfriend?”
I kept my answer brief so not to provoke him. “Good.”
He furrowed his brow like he was thinking of something else he could say or do to get to me. I heard him sigh and figured he gave up. I smiled and said a silent thank you to God.
The lab tech drew Seth’s blood first, and then swabbed his cheek. I hoped he would leave when she was done, but that was wishful thinking. He stayed put.
Asher was next and he seemed to like the feel of the swab in his mouth. He tried to chew on it and both Seth and I laughed.
Then it was my turn and Asher was starting to squirm. The tech swabbed my cheek quickly and said, “Can someone else hold him so I can draw your blood?”
Seth stood up. “I can.”
I reluctantly let him take Asher from my arms. I watched him as he awkwardly tried to adjust him. Obviously, he’d never held a baby before. He seemed to figure it out though and got him settled on his hip. He looked into Asher’s face and said, “I’m your daddy.”
My heart fell. I hoped Seth’s words didn’t confuse him, but Asher did me proud. At the word “daddy”, he began to look around the room for Levi. This didn’t go unnoticed by Seth. I saw his lips press into a thin line. Asher, unable to find his daddy, turned back to Seth and tried to stick his fingers up his nose. I watched in horror as Seth swatted his hand hard and blurted out, “No, Asher.”
My sweet boy puckered his lips and began to cry. I jumped out of the chair so quickly I ripped the needle out of my arm. I snatched my son away from him and got up in his face. I poked my finger in his chest as I spoke, “Don’t ever put your hands on my son again! He is just a baby. You don’t spank a baby. Do you understand me?”
Seth’s eyes grew wide, and he took a step back. I was livid and didn’t even notice the blood pouring from my arm until the lab tech grabbed some gauze and applied pressure.
She turned to Seth. “We’re done here. You need to go ahead and leave.”
He walked away without saying a word. I looked at the tech as she bandaged my arm. “Thank you for that,” I said softly.
She laughed. “Girl, I wasn’t worried about you. I was afraid for him.”
I laughed and cuddled Asher; he’d finally stopped crying. I looked down at the red spot on his chubby little hand and it broke my heart. I brought it to my lips, kissing it. His lip quivered as he said, “Momma.”
I kissed it again. “Oh, baby. Momma will make it better.”
I carried Asher back into the waiting room where Levi paced the floor. He took one look at Asher’s tear stained face and asked, “Why was he crying?”
I showed him Asher’s red hand. “Seth spanked him.”
“What!” he growled out. “What do you mean he spanked him?” he asked in a lower voice, taking Asher in his arms. He held his red hand tenderly and kissed it. “I’m so sorry he did that to you, baby boy.” Asher laid his head on Levi’s shoulder and began to suck his thumb.
“Someone had to hold Asher for the tech to draw my blood, and he was the only one there.” I proceeded to tell him what Seth had done.
When I finished, Levi had a hard look in his eyes. “I’m going to kill him,” he muttered.
I gasped. “Levi, don’t say things like that. You don’t have to worry about it anyway. I handled it.”
He raised his brows. “You handled it? How?” I told him what I’d done and what the lab tech had said. He chuckled. “I’m impressed, baby. Don’t you see how God is answering your prayers and giving you strength? You didn’t cower down to Seth. You stood up for yourself and for Asher. I’m proud of you. I’d still like to hurt him for putting his hands on that baby, but I’m going to let it go because that’s what God expects from me.”
“You’re exactly right,” I said and smiled. “Oh, I almost forgot. Seth told him he was his daddy. When Asher heard the word, he looked around for you. It was like he was saying ‘I already have a daddy.’”
Levi grinned and rubbed Asher’s back. “That’s my boy.”
***
We went back to Levi’s house where I fed Asher and put him down for a nap. Levi stepped out to check the mail. He returned with a large manila envelope in his hand. He laid it on the counter and joined me in the kitchen for lunch.
“I need to call my parents and let them know what Seth did,” I said as we finished cleaning up the kitchen.
“Okay, but first I need to talk to you about something.” The look on his face said it was serious.
I swallowed hard. That was never a good thing to hear. He picked up the manila envelope from the counter and led me to the couch. He handed it to me, and I gasped when I saw my parents return address in the corner. There was only one thing my parents would mail to him. Oh my gosh! This is what Dad and Levi talked about on the phone the night Seth came over.
I felt the color drain from my face as I fought back my panic. “Did my dad tell you about these pictures on the phone that night?” Levi didn’t respond. He just looked at me, sadness filling his eyes. “Please, I’m begging you. Don’t look at them. You don’t need to see me like that.”
He pried the envelope from my hands. “I have to see them, Katie. I need to know what he did to you.”
I hung my head as the tears fell. “I never told you about the pictures for a reason,” I whispered.
He lifted my chin to face him. “And what reason was that?” he asked gently.
“These were taken the night I was raped. I was so messed up,” I replied mou
rnfully.
He slowly took a deep breath and ripped the envelope open, the sound shattering the silence of the room.
“Have you seen these?” he asked before pulling the pictures out. I shook my head. “Are you sure you want to?”
“If this has to happen then we’re going to do it together,” I replied.
I held my breath as he slid them all out in a pile. They were 8x10’s and thankfully, came out face down. I tensed as he flipped over the one on top.
Levi groaned when he saw the color image of the large bruise on my upper back. I noticed my mom’s hand holding up my hair. There was a square ruler held against the bruise that showed it was six inches long and three inches wide. Levi flipped it back over and laid it on the table.
He turned the next one over. It was a close up of the faded bruise on my shoulder. It measured three inches long and two inches wide by the ruler. He set that one down and moved to the next. This was a close up of one of the hand print bruises on my upper arms. I could distinctly make out the finger shapes and fingernail gouges on the ends. Levi laid it face down and shook his head. He turned over the next one. It was the same but only the other arm.
He came to the last one, and flipped it over quickly. When I saw it, I yelled out a curse word as I flew back against the couch and covered my mouth. I was not a person that cursed, but I was so shocked by the picture, I couldn’t help it.
It was of me from the waist up, in only my bra. The hand print bruises were visible on both arms, but that’s not what shocked me. It was how I looked in general, like a wounded wild animal. My eyes were huge and my pupils were so dilated, I could barely see the amber color around the edges. The skin below my eyes was a dark purple color and my hair was a crazy mess. I’d never seen it like that before. The worst though, was my face. It was completely blank, no expression, like I wasn’t even inside my body.
I looked over at Levi. He stared at the picture with eyes so big, I thought they might pop out of his head. I reached over and tried to pull it from his hand, but he had a death grip on it. I watched in horror as the picture began to shake.
“Levi, stop looking at it right now,” I pleaded as I reached over, covering his eyes.
He let the picture slip from his hand and gently took my hands away from his eyes. His breathing was fast and shallow. When our eyes met, I saw the explosion of rage in his. He shot off the couch so fast it startled me, causing me to flinch. He stopped, reached over and put his hand on top of my head. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. He continued past me and out the sliding glass door.
I’d never seen him like this before. I’d seen him angry, but this was way beyond that. I wasn’t scared of him. I knew he would never hurt me.
I heard a loud crash and yell come from the back deck. I stood up and heard it again. I ran to the sliding glass door, throwing it open. Levi stood by the rail with one of his deck chairs raised above his head. I rushed to his side as he threw it over the edge, shattering it into pieces on the lawn. He bent to pick up another one.
“Levi, stop!” I yelled, putting my hand on his forearm. He stilled for a moment, breathing heavily. He set the chair back on the deck before falling to his knees. He covered his face with his hands and began to sob.
I didn’t know what to do. Here was my big strong man, falling apart right in front of me. Levi was my rock and now, he was broken by what he’d seen.
I closed my eyes, silently calling out to God for help. “Tell me what to do, Lord. I don’t know how to comfort him.”
The wind blew my hair and I heard a whisper, just one soft word, “Sing.” I smiled when a song came to mind, and I knew it was the one he needed to hear. It was a song I’d heard on the Christian radio station shortly after we’d gotten back together. For some unknown reason, I had downloaded it to my phone and listened to it until I knew every word. Now, I knew why.
I dropped to my knees in front of him, cradling his head to my chest. I opened my mouth and began to softly sing “Angel By Your Side” by Francesca Battistelli. I knew he was listening when he stopped sobbing and pulled his hands from his face. He wrapped his arms around my waist and clung tightly to me, as I continued to sing the words to him from my heart. I rubbed my hand over his back, feeling his muscles slowly relax. His breathing had returned to normal by the time I finished the song. I gently raised his face to mine and whispered, “Levi, I thank God every day for bringing you into my life. I didn’t think I could ever open my heart to another person, but you changed all that. You take away all the darkness and fill it with light. Please let go of what you saw. I have and it’s because of you and God.”
I wiped away his tears with my thumbs and kissed his lips. He pulled me into his lap and held me close. “You are my angel, Katie, and I’m sorry I fell apart. It was that last picture. I love you so much, and I couldn’t handle seeing you so broken. The look on your face, baby,” he said and choked up again.
“Hey, it’s okay. Look at my face. Do you see that same girl now?” He shook his head, holding my face in his hand. “And you never will again,” I said and put my hand over his.
He gave me a small smile, lifted me off his lap and stood up. He took my hand, leading me back into the house. I looked in on Asher; he was still sleeping peacefully. Levi came out of the kitchen holding a lighter. He picked up all the pictures and held them against his chest, making sure that neither of us saw them again.
I followed him outside to the fire pit where he put all but one picture in. He held the remaining one and the lighter out to me. I lit the corner of the picture and once it began to burn, he threw it on top of the others. He moved behind me and held me with his strong arms around my waist. I gripped his forearms like a lifeline, watching the pictures burn and curl, the images melting away forever. He rested his chin on the top of my head, and we watched in silence until the pictures were nothing more than a pile of ash.
I felt the breath leave his chest in a rush. “Are you okay?” I asked.
He turned me around and looking into my eyes, replied, “I am now.”
I smiled, stood on my tiptoes, and kissed his lips gently. We went back into the house, where he went straight to his room to check on Asher. He wasn’t awake yet, but Levi picked him up anyway, snuggling him close to his chest.
“I just need to touch him after seeing what Seth is capable of. He will never see Asher or you again,” he whispered.
I understood his need to be near Asher. Seth put his hands on him too, and we both knew that he could do much worse. We lay down on the bed with the still sleeping Asher between us. His little body sandwiched between ours so we could both feel him against us. In silence, we watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Levi finally spoke, “I’d die before I let him hurt either one of you again.”
“I know you would, but we’re going to be okay,” I said softly, fighting back a yawn. I was beyond tired.
“Close your eyes, baby. I’ll be right here watching over you both.” I did as he said and fell asleep knowing we were completely safe.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Asher and I went back to our apartment Wednesday night, just like I’d already planned. Levi brought an overnight bag and slept on the couch once again. He wasn’t ready for us to be on our own after seeing those pictures. I didn’t argue with him. I wanted us to be together too.
Mom called the next day, saying Dad had to come to Jackson on some business Friday morning. I thought that was odd, since he rarely went out of town for the construction company, but I didn’t say anything. Levi invited them over to his house for lunch and they excitedly accepted. They planned to stay the night in a hotel but really wanted to spend some time with Asher.
Levi came home from work a little before noon. My parents would be there any minute. “I’m ready to finally meet your parents,” he said as he helped me with lunch.
I cringed, thinking he didn’t know what he was in for. “Well, get ready. If you think my dad asked a bunch of questions ove
r the phone that day, you just wait until he sees you in person.”
Levi chuckled and moved to set the table. “He can ask anything he wants. I don’t mind.”
I had just put lunch on the table when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and was immediately barraged by hugs from both my parents.
Mom ran her hand over my hair and kissed my cheek. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said.
Dad repeated the same motions. “You look good, pumpkin,” he said with a big smile.
I led them into the house, introducing them to Levi. He shook Dad’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Crane. You have an amazing daughter.”
Dad’s smile was full of pride. “We think so. You can call me Paul and this is my wife, Lisa.”
Levi reached over and tried to shake hands with my mom, but she pulled him in for a hug instead. “Katie has told us how you’ve taken such good care of her and Asher. We can’t tell you how much that means to us. God must have known they needed you in their lives.”
Levi patted her back and smiled. “He knew I needed them too.”
Mom asked about Asher, eager to get her hands on him, but I burst her bubble when I told her he was napping. I knew I needed to tell them about what happened that day at the hospital. I’d been putting it off after the whole picture debacle. I glanced over at Levi and he nodded his head. I took a deep breath and told them that Seth had spanked Asher and how it all came about. They were very upset, Dad especially. He took it hard when he found out Seth had been hurting me and now for him to hurt his grandson too, made it much worse. He walked away, pulling out his cell phone. He didn’t say who he was calling but in a few seconds, I’d figured it out.
“Tom, this is Paul Crane. We need to talk. Uh huh.”
Dad exhaled a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. He must have been on hold. After a minute, he spoke again, “I wanted you to know that your son spanked Asher on Wednesday, hard enough that he left a red hand print. He is just a baby! You better have a talk with him because if I see him near my daughter or grandson again, it won’t be talking that I’m doing. Yes, please do and it better not!” He ended the call with an angry huff.
Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series) Page 22