Mckenna's eyes flew open instantly. She could hear moaning and sound coming from the other side of the bed.
Mckenna sat upright. It was Jason, he was having another nightmare. Her guess won't be far-off If she said he was having nightmares about Kane.
She shook him gently and he woke up with a start.
"Are you alright?" She asked him.
Jason was sweating, he was temporarily confused and unaware of his environment. Slowly, everything came back to normal for him. He could see his worried wife. The concern written all over her face.
"You are alright, baby. It's just a nightmare. You are safe, darling" Mckenna soothed him.
Jason was quiet at first as he waited for his breathing to go back to normal.
He turned around and he looked at Mckenna.
"Except I am not alright, am I? This is the fourth time you've woken me up because I was having a nightmare about Kane"
Mckenna touched his face. "You went through a lot. You almost died, Jason. It's perfectly normal to not be okay, sweetheart. Nobody is expecting you to be okay"
Jason exhaled.
"If I am doing so poorly, how do you think our little girl is doing? I should check on her" Jason tried to stand up.
"No need, she is lying beside you" Mckenna pointed to Kara on the bed.
"When?" Jason asked in a whisper.
"For few days now, we've been playing this game where I pretend I am asleep long enough for her to fall asleep on the floor then I carry her to the bed. She always disappears in the morning before I wake. It's cute, actually" Mckenna smiled like she was describing a beautiful magical moment instead of a terrified child that was afraid to sleep in her own room.
"Oh God!" Jason whispered as he stared at Kara "you are safe, baby"
He kissed her hair. Kara stirred but didn't open her eyes.
The next morning, Mckenna made breakfast in the kitchen while on a video call with Naya.
"How are you doing?"
"Stop with the niceness, Mckenna. Ask the question you called to ask" Naya said with a smile.
"Did you find the son of a bitch? No offense to female dogs everywhere, Naya"
"Yes, I found him. I even went ahead and left a note. He is here with me. Your family is safe for now" Naya told her.
"Good. Be careful"
"Who are you talking to?" Jason's voice startled Mckenna.
"I am on a call with Naya" Mckenna gave the iPad to him.
"Hey, Naya"
"Hey Jason. Did you enroll Kara into the karate class like I asked?" Naya inquired from her daughter's father.
"No because she is not learning karate" Jason answered with a firm voice.
"Jason..."
"I am sorry Naya but it's not up for a debate" Jason's irritation was rising by the minute.
"I am her mother. I get a say in what she does too and this is the best move for her. She was learning martial arts before I shipped her to Nigeria. It's only reasonable that she continues" Naya's voice was high too.
Mckenna stared at both of them. Two stubborn people that shared a stubborn child together.
"I am sorry? The bruises on her knee and knuckles, did she get them from playing Bruce Lee, Naya?" Jason's voice held promise of future trouble as he waited patiently for Naya to answer.
"Yes. She needs to learn how to protect herself, we won't be around forever and she is miserable in ballet, anyway" Naya told him.
"So help me God if you were here with me right now, I would have given you the same injuries just so you would have matching ones with Kara!" Jason threatened.
"Jason!" Mckenna yelled at him "Sometimes, I swear that you talk crazy. I apologize on behalf of him, Naya"
"I am quite capable of speaking for myself, Mckenna" Jason fumed further.
"Jason, you told me you learnt martial arts when you were a child too" Naya reminded him.
"I had to because daddy dearest kept breaking my arm and stealing my money. I learnt how to fight as a way to survive and if you think I will ever lay a hand on our daughter then you have something else coming to you, Naya. I will never hurt my child" Jason slammed his hand on the table.
"I know that but do you know who doesn't care about that? Kane, he hit her before. If he finds another opportunity, he will hit her again" Naya reminded him.
"I don't like this too but Jason, Naya might have a point" Mckenna spoke up.
"Are you supporting her?" Jason asked his wife.
"I am supporting Kara. Sweetie, just ask baby girl if she wants to learn how to fight, okay? It can be something both of you do to bond" Mckenna rubbed his hand as she spoke.
"She will say no" Jason said.
"Well, ask her first" Naya demanded.
"You are outnumbered, babe. It's two against one, call Kara and ask her" Mckenna told him.
Jason went to the base of the stairs to yell for Kara.
"Hey, Bean...can you come down here for a second?"
"I am coming, Dad!"
Soon, the little girl dressed in her school uniform came down and entered the kitchen.
"Hey, Mama"
"Hi, baby. I miss you" Naya said with a smile.
"I miss-"
Jason interrupted his daughter's conversation with Naya by saying "Do you want to enroll into a martial arts class, sweetheart?"
"Yeah, hell yeah! Ballet is super boring!"
"Language, Kara...hell is not in your vocabulary yet" Mckenna cautioned her.
"Sorry, Umma" Kara said and took one of the pancake, Mckenna was making and took a bite "hmmm, I love this. Can I take some to school? I want to share with Lucy"
"Sure thing, baby girl" Mckenna murmured like Jason wasn't currently glaring at Naya like she was an allien.
"Go on, grab your bag...I will drop you off at school" Mckenna told her.
Kara made it all the way to the door when she turned around to ask her parents.
"Can I have a sleepover at Lucy's on Friday?"
"No!" Naya, Mckenna and Jason all yelled at once. It was the first time something like that was happening, the three of them agreeing on something.
"We mean, you can spend your Saturday there. I will drop you off in the morning and pick you up in the evening, baby girl" Mckenna said to lighten up the mood that got dark very fast.
"I need a sibling" Kara murmured and walked away.
"I will buy one for you on ebay" Jason said sarcastically to her.
"You know she is right. You need to get to work" Naya said with a smile.
"Goodbye, Naya... Mckenna, please hang up on her" Jason told his wife.
"Bye, Naya...my uterus is not up for a discussion" Mckenna said with a smile.
"Just to be sure, it is a yes on the martial arts thing, right?" Naya asked them.
Mckenna looked at her husband. He was reluctant but he agreed with them.
"Yes" Jason whispered reluctantly.
"Will you be able it to make the wedding in Canada?" Mckenna asked her.
"Absolutely, won't miss it for the world...bye, everyone. Can you make sure that he enrolls Kara today-"
Naya was still talking when Jason ended the call.
"That was rude, Jason" Mckenna said with a raised eyebrow.
Jason came closer to her "She deserved it. Do you think we should try and make a baby?"
"I think I am ready" Mckenna answered with a smile.
Jason lifted her up and placed her on the kitchen table. He started kissing her.
"I didn't mean right now" Mckenna said in-between kisses.
"I would say something back but my brain is not functioning. I am kissing the love of my life" Jason kissed her again and again.
Just nibbled on her lips like it was his breakfast and he was famished.
Mckenna kissed him back. She was in love with this rude sometimes over protective man in her kitchen and nothing was going to stop that not even psycho Kane.
Kara picked up her bag and raced down stairs to find her parents making out again in the kitchen.
"Eww! Why can't you be like normal parents? Lucy says her parents hardly smooches but you and Umma do it all the time" Kara said with a mixture of a chuckle and a frown.
"I am not going to apologize for loving my wife, Kara Hope Yagazie" Jason said and kissed Mckenna again.
Mckenna was laughing out loud.
"Then apologize that you distracted mommy from making me breakfast" Kara told him.
"Smart mouth, I made breakfast for you" Mckenna told her and pointed to a plate of pancake that was so close to where she was sitting.
"I am not eating that!" Kara shook her head.
Mckenna looked at Jason and he nodded. He grabbed Kara and both of them started kissing her cheeks.
"No!" Kara was laughing as Jason tickled her back and Mckenna her armpit.
"Stop! Stop! Okay, I will eat breakfast. I will eat it! Just stop tickling me"
They both stopped and Mckenna pushed the plate to her and Kara picked it up.