Falling for Sunshine (Exiled Ink #2)

Prologue

Kash

Eleven years old

“When does Dad get home from work?” Doodling at the kitchen table, I watch my mom as she moves around gathering ingredients for dinner.

“I’m not sure. He should have been home by now.” Pausing to look at the clock on the wall, she pulls her light brown hair off her neck and throws it up in a messy bun. “Maybe he stopped for something or went out to have a drink with the guys afterwards. You know how he is.”

She looks uncertain but I don’t push it.

My dad is a mechanic of some kind. He works on really big machines that seem complicated.

Sometimes, he goes out with his work friends after a bad day.

I’ve heard them arguing about it, even though most days he makes it home shortly after Mom.

“Never let the love of your life wait on you more than you wait on them,” he always says.

I don’t know what he means, but I hope we don’t have to wait on him for dinner. I’m starving.

“Did you finish your homework?” Mom asks with a lift of her brow. I know she’s still mad about my most recent math test, but everyone knows that math is stupid.

“Yes. All done. Can I go watch TV now?”

“Fine.” She sighs. “But dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes. After that, no more.”

“Deal.” Mom doesn’t like a bunch of screen time.

She thinks it’ll rot my brain or something.

It’s fine; I prefer to draw anyway. I love to create cool pictures and make them look like they are something real standing on the page.

I’m in fifth grade, but my art teacher tells me I’m a natural artist, whatever that means.

I’ve been watching TV for about ten minutes when I hear a knock at the door. “Kash! Get that would you?”

“Yeah,” I holler back, lifting myself from my position on the floor. Heading toward the front door, I glance through the peephole there. Mom always tells me to look first. You never know what kind of monster is on the other side of the door.

Seeing a police officer standing on our porch, I gently pull it open. His back is to me, but as I open the door, he turns, giving me a strange look.

“Hey there, kid. Is your mom home?” he questions, looking behind me into the house, as if she’s going to come around the corner.

“What do you want with my mom?”

“I think it’s best if I talk to her, son.” His dark eyes find mine, and he lets out a sigh.

“I’m not your son.”

“Kash!” Mom scolds from behind me. “I’m so sorry about him, Officer. What can I help you with?”

After a quick glance at me, he diverts his attention back to my mom. “Evening, ma’am. I’m Officer Byers. I think it’s best if we speak in private.”

“Not until you tell me what this is about. My husband isn’t home. Maybe you should come back when he is. I’ll have him call you if you leave me your card.”

Yeah. So get lost. Standing next to my mom, I move to close the door, but the officer puts his hand out.

“Please, ma’am. If I could just take a moment of your time. It’s important.” He looks between the two of us, and a sliver of unease goes through me. What could he have to talk to Mom about?

“Fine. But if this is about that woman down the street, she complains about Kash all the time to anyone who will listen. Though I can assure you, he doesn’t do any of the ridiculous things she says he does.”

Opening the door the rest of the way, Mom ushers the officer in. I don’t like the look of him.

When Dad isn’t home, he says I’m the man of the house.

Following them to the kitchen, he pauses and looks at me. “I just need a minute, kiddo, then you can go to her.”

Mom nods, and I park myself on the couch. I keep my eyes on him and shut the TV off so I can hear what they’re saying. I hear some mumbling and then Mom screaming. Jumping off the couch, I run into the kitchen to find her on the ground, the officer’s arms half-holding her up.

“Mom! What’s wrong?” I round on the cop, shouting, “What did you do?”

Wait until my dad gets ahold of him. He’s going to be sorry.

“Kash,” she wails, tears streaming down her face. “Kash, oh Kash.” She hiccups, her shoulders heaving with every breath she takes.

“Mom.” I shove the cop’s hands off her and pull her to my chest. “Mom! What happened?”

The officer looks between the two of us, his expression sad, then makes eye contact with me. “I’m sorry, kid. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

“Mom.” I brush the hair off her face. “What’s wrong?

Talk to me. I can call Dad. Just tell me,” I beg.

I have no idea what’s going on, and I hope Dad walks through the door any minute because he’ll know what to do.

He and Mom have been married for over fifteen years.

They were each other’s high school sweethearts, and if anyone knows what to do, it’ll be him.

“He’s gone, Kash. He’s not coming back.”

“Who’s gone, Mom?” I ask, even though I’m afraid to hear her answer.

“Dad.” She sobs. “Dad is gone, Kash. He’s not coming back.” She cries harder.

“No. You’re lying.” I glare at the cop who’s still standing in our kitchen. “You’re a liar!” I shout at him and clench my fists. I don’t care if he tries to take me to jail. “You’re lying! He’s on his way home.”

Mom is crying into my chest, and my shirt is soaked with her tears, but I refuse to believe what she’s saying is true.

I refuse to believe that my dad is gone.

That he’s not coming back. Yeah, he’s late for dinner, but it’s not the end of the world.

He promised me that we were going to go hiking this weekend.

“I’m sorry. I wish I were lying, son.”

“I’M NOT YOUR SON,” I scream at him. Holding Mom closer to me, I rub my hands on her back and pretend the wetness coating her hair isn’t my tears falling. It isn’t acceptance that my dad is gone, and he’s not coming back.

“I’m sorry, kid. Is there anyone I can call?”

Mom’s sobs turn to hiccups, and she has a faraway look in her eyes. “There’s no one. There was only him.”