Chapter 3 Sebestian Will

Since her school is basically near her house, Allen needs to travel no more than a few steps. Alvin, however, works at a small recording studio near the town market, a place so close to Alexander pre-school. It is why, especially since the year started, it's mostly Alvin who takes Alexander to pre-school.

If Allen finishes her class early, she'll tag along with her neighbor, Lady Jane, in her car to pick up Alexander. Sometimes the mother-son duo would spend some quality time in the marketplace, buying ice cream and rice cakes.

They would either return home by bus or with Alvin again if the Alpha was ready to go back.

Today is no different than those days, with a bounce in her steps as she steps down from the bus, Allen heads straight to the school her son attends. Some of the small store owners along the way greet Allen with a smile, which she returns as politely as she can.

As a single mother, there's been a certain stigma around them for as long as she can remember. It's a baseless hatred that is obviously very unwarranted, but since it's how it has always been, all Allen can do is just live around it. Which is why, out of ten people who look her way with a smile on their faces, she knows for a fact that there's at least one who actually means it.

She just doesn't know (and is too exhausted to bother to) which is it. Every time she goes to pick up Alexander, she has zero intention of thinking of anything else but having a good day with her baby. Even Alexander's homeroom teacher hates her with a passion because of her being a single mother.

Which is why Allen thanks the gods above that Alexander is not a thing about her. Even living in poverty, male and female with each other are still respected more than even single mother in power.

Allen shakes off her wandering thoughts just as she arrives right in front of the school gate. She's not seeing the familiar figure of her baby yet, but she could see some of his classmates starting to come out of the school building. Alexander is probably following closely behind them, so Allen makes herself comfortable by leaning against the side of the gate.

True to her beliefs, no longer than a minute later, Alexander walks out with some of her friends that Allen half recognizes. There are a couple more, but Alexander never talked about them, which probably means that they are not as close as he is with them.

It takes even less for Alexander to finally realize she is here, and when the young boy does, his whole demeanor lights up like the sky when the morning sun is fully out of its hiding place.

"Mommy!" The grin on his face is just as bright as Alexander's when Allen once again feels a baby barrel straight into her embrace. She plants kisses on the crown of his son's head, or any place she could reach, with the way Alexander is nose-deep into her neck. Again.

"Hi, my heart," Allen greets back, her heart feeling extra full and warm when the contentment of

Alexander's smile is strong enough to be caught by Allen's loneliness.

This is why she opts for to pick Alexander up herself whenever she's not too busy.

"You had a great time today?"

Alexander hums, still not yet done with his cuddling session. So Allen just chuckles and bends down a little to pick her son up. "Do you want to talk about it now, or should we wait until we get ourselves some dessert?"

That finally brings Alexander's face away from Allen's neck. With his eyes that sparkle like a night sky littered with stars, Alexander agrees easily. So easy that big boy Alexander doesn't even mention being carried in the arms of his mommy in front of his peers.

After a brief session of "see you tomorrow, Allen walks away from the school with Alexander humming contentedly on her shoulders.

She remembers how six years ago she would cry on the hospital bed, wondering why the deities above were cruel enough to give her a baby when her husband is a criminal who lied to her. Pregnant Allen was wailing in pain, begging gods, goddesses, anyone-whoever could hear her first-to make her husband a good person that she'd be willing to trade the growing child inside her stomach.

Yet Allen of today, despite not wanting Sebestian to find her, if he did, she would do everything in her power to keep Alexander safe in her embrace forever. She will never let that man take her life away.

The dessert destination of the day is this pretty old shop that sells the best shaved ice around. Allen and Alexander, sometimes along with Alvin, often went to this specific place because of that. The shop owner, an old woman, loves having them around and is always full of praise for Alexander and how well Allen is raising him. She prefers this shop better than the one across the street (the ice cream café), and it seems like her son shares the same sentiment too, judging by how earlier he pointed at the shop as soon as it was within eyesight.

Walking inside the worn-out yet homey shop always feels like taking a break from a very tiring day. Alexander is all smiles when he spots the old woman by the cashier, and she returns the smile as soon as she spots the mother-son duo.

"Allen, Alexander! Welcome!" She greets them as they stop right in front of her. Allen bows a little and smiles as well, her hands still full of Alexander, who is still comfortable in his mommy's embrace.

"Good day, grandma," Alexander greets back excitedly, only one second faster than his mommy, making the adults present smile at him. "I can't wait to eat the shaved ice you told me about last time!"

"Sure, my love." The old lady said that both mother and son duo spent their evening eating and laughing.

Without realizing that someone is following them and even giving all their information to the one whom Allen is running for years.

One Week Later:

It's the last week of the current month, and all Allen has thought about these days is money. From the minute she woke, she started counting: the splash of milk in the coffee, the tear in her clothes, the ever-increasing price of gas.

A decade ago, she wouldn't even have considered anything beyond her immediate desires. But now, as a single mother with her son, it swallowed her every waking moment, even as she waited to pick her child up from school.

"Mommy!" Alexander shouted as the door swung open and he climbed into the stained and tearing back seat.

Allen sighed, his hand reaching back to ruffle Alexander's hair.

Today she asks Jane for her car so she can drive her baby nearby. Alexander has been falling down for a couple of days.

"My teacher said my painting today was very impressive," Alexander said, raising his hands into air quotes. "I think she wants me to draw her."

Allen laughs at her son and says, "You're only baby; are you sure that's allowed?"

"Mommy, I am a big boy." Alexander said, which made Allen laugh even harder this time.

"Sure, my love." She shook her head and started driving.

When she was pregnant, Allen liked the house for the garden. When they were little, the baby played in it, tumbling over her, giggles darting through the air.

That had been worth dealing with the peeling paint and constant leaks from the roof, with winter air always finding a way in.

"Heartbeat, go inside; I am going to give Aunt Jane her car back," Allen said to her son, who nodded with a big smile and did as he told while munching his chocolate.

Allen then parks Jane's car on her driveway and thanks her while taking the surprise that she brings for her son.

Everything is perfect in her life because of her baby, including her nightmares and money, but these days she feels like someone is watching her, but she always lets it go. People are always watching her because of her status; she knows very well that no one wants her among them, and to be fair, Allen also didn't need an husband.

Well, Allen had gone shopping yesterday, and her heartbeat was in the house doing his god knows what, and when she asked him to come, he said, He wants to do some Big Boy work'

Allen just laughs and lets him; she actually tries to give him everything he needs as a child. Allen also knows her baby wants a father, or at least he wants to know about him, but she can't give it to him, and being a big boy, Alexander never asks about his father; he knows his mother is only for him.

'Sorry, my heartbeat, I can't give you a father.'

After she does some snack shopping, she starts walking fast for home. She knows her heartbeat must be starving, so she needs to go fast to make something as soon as possible.

After walking, she finally reached her house. 'Mommy is coming, heartbeat.'

As she unlocks the door, locks it again, and sees where her heartbeat is, her heat stops.

Bump

Her shopping bag fell on the floor, and her eyes became wide with horror.

There was a Sebestian Will sitting on her small couch with all his friends, and he has her heartbeat in his lap, who is sleeping peacefully.

Tears started gathering in her eyes. God, please tell me it's a dream.

"Hey, love, it's been a while."

"Miss me?"