Alpha Zach

It was a minute past ten when I arrived at my mom's house to pick up Francesca. Mom's house was thirty minutes drive away from my house. I felt it was better for Francesca to stay at her granny's than hiring a nanny to look after her. So I always left her at my mlm's house, spend an hour or two with her, before returning to the office.

"Good evening, Alpha Zach." Mom greeted when I went into her view. She was sitting on the sofa in her sitting room, reading the bible with her thick lensed glasses on.

I stared into that once beautiful face which was now wrinkled from old age. She was sixty two but age quickly. Currently looking like she gained twenty years in existence to her appearance. Because of the H.B.P and diabetes she had.

She also had a short hair which had the variation of grey and black. Despite my mum was ageing fastly she knew a little about fashion. She was dressed in a pair of blue jean pants, and paired it up with a thick pink cotton sweater. Since it had earlier rained that evening.

I stared at my mum who was once very beautiful. She had refused to remarry since dad died twelve years ago and I was her only child. Whenever people told her to accept the suitors that were coming to ask for her hand in marriage, she'd refuse. Saying she was contented, having me. That she needn't to be marry for the second time.

"Good evening, mom." I greeted, pecking her.

"How was work today?" She inquired.

"Work was all good." I didn't want to tell her what happened earlier. She would have been shivering and her H.B.P would have affected her. Her H.B.P normally came up when ever she was shocked. So I wanted to avoid it by not spilling what had happened.

"Where's Francesca?" I asked searching for her with my eyes.

"She's asleep." Mom told me, getting up from her chair." Let me go get her for you."

"Alright."

Few minutes later, she came out with the sleeping child in her arms.

"Here you go." She said handing Francesca over to me. I took hold of her, then kept her head on my shoulder.

She heaved in satisfaction, turned her head to the other side of my shoulder. Before wrapping her hands on my neck. Although she was asleep, she knew she was in my arms.

My child. I bit back a smile, as I caressed her back.

"She needs a woman in her life, you know." Mum said pushing her glasses up, as her eyes darted between mine.

"What?" I feigned I didn't hear her.

"You heard me." She crossed her arms over her chest, and darted an eyebrow up at me.

"She doesn't need any woman in her life when she has you." I said looking away. My mood got ruined whenever mom brought up the discussion of a woman.

"Silly child. She needs a mother, and you need a wife. It's not right you and Francesca living together without a woman's homeliness in your lives."

"Stop it mum, I'm contented with my life. I don't need any woman in my life or my daughter's. Both I and Francesca, we're okay. We're happy living together."

"But Francesca needs-

"Francesca has got me. She doesn't need any woman in her life"

"Who told you she doesn't need any woman in her life? She's very young. The poor child has not had motherly love and care since she was brought into this world. You can't punish your daughter because her mother tossed her for you, at a very tender age." She closed her eyes, raised her hands up to massage her forehead.

"I'm not punishing her, I'm just doing what's best for her. The right thing." I screamed forgetting I was holding a sleeping child.

Francesca snapped her head up that moment. She was a light sleeper and had very keen ears. I gave her back gentle strokes.

And Mom waited until she was back to sleep before she spoke.

"She needs a mother Alpha Zach. All women are not the same. There are many good women out there. Good women, son. Or I should say you've stayed with her, to the extent that you're now selfish to share your daughter with another woman."

"What!?" I whispered-yell in disbelief. "How can you even come up with such a thing? Being selfish is the last thing I am. I don't want any woman maltreating my child." I pointed out, closing my eyes to keep my tempter in check. Because I was already balling my free hand into a fist.

Flash back

Francesca's mum, Alicia was nineteen years old when she got pregnant for me. We were both young and in love. She gave me her virginity the night she turned nineteen.

Few weeks on the later, her furious parents brought her to my house that she was pregnant for me. And dumped her there.

Mom gladly took her in, and I was happy I'd get the chance to be with the woman I loved. That I'd be a dad soon, at my young age. But Alicia was not happy, she became very cold, distant and bitter to me. She ignored me whenever I tried talking to her. Often times, she'd lock herself up in her room for days, and would refuse to eat or touch anything.

It even got to the extent she'd scream my mom, whenever mom tried going close to her, to feel the baby.

Life became so unbearable living with Alicia. But when she put to birth, her attitude changed towards my mom and I. She went back to being the nice loving girl I used to know. Taking care of little Francesca, even proceeded into cooking and washing for the family. Unknown to us, she was planning her escape.

That faithful day, Mom had left for the women's organization meeting they were having at the church. While I had gone in search of a Job to start putting food on the table, since I now had a family to tend to.

When I returned few hours later, both mother and child were no where to be found. Assuming they'd gone out for a late afternoon stroll, I layed heavily on my bed and drifted to sleep.

I woke up half an hour later when I realized I was thirsty.

I made my way to the refrigerator to get a drink. When I opened the fridge, I got the shock of my life.

I found little Francesca inside the fridge sleeping peacefully.

I quickly took the baby out and almost screamed my brains out, frightened. Every fucking fibre in me had gone haywire.

I rushed into Alicia's room, but her wardrobe was wide open, which signified that she'd ran away.

That was when I knew Alicia was a monster, keeping our two months old baby inside the fridge for the baby to die.

Little Francesca opened her eyes when she heard my scream for the second time, and gave me a huge baby grin, before vomiting her mother's milk.

I couldn't help kissing her that moment, as I felt hot tears well up in my eyes. I felt it was God who had saved little Francesca because he wanted her to stay with me. She had so much to offer.

I wipeed her with a cloth, then held her until she drifted back to sleep. Ever since that day, I felt all women were heartless and despisee them. Well, except my mum.

I moved out of my mom's apartment, six months later when I got employed as a cop which I had applied for with my high school certificate. Mom couldn't sponsor me to a higher institute because we were still struggling to make ends meet. I had applied for a cop, and was accepted and went for a five months training. While I was away, mkm was the one taking care of Francesca.

After the training, tests and scanned results, I was called to start working as a cop. I was also paid a huge amount of money monthly which made me secured an apartment of my own. I moved out of my mum's house with my daughter.

When I shoved the thoughts of those painful thought, down the memory lane, mom was still watching me cautiously. Awaiting for me to speak up.

"I'll only get married, if the lady is like you."

I stated then left with Francesca in my arms.

I could hear her calling out to me, come back. All I did was ignore her, as I advanced towards my car. I was not in the mood to talk anymore. All I needed was to get a drink after I put Francesca to bed.

Yes, that was what I needed, to drown away those painful memories. Mum asking me to get a wife, made me recall Alicia and the scar she left on my heart.