One Wild Night

Chapter 972: That’s Unfortunate

As they walked into Harry's apartment, the sight that greeted them was far from welcoming.

A soft, heartbreaking wail echoed through the house as Jamal stood in the living room, his little face wet with tears.

Candace was crouched beside him, trying her best to comfort the distraught boy, but Jamal seemed inconsolable.

The moment Jamal spotted Lucy, he broke away from her and ran towards her, his small arms outstretched. "Lucy!" he cried, his voice trembling with sorrow.

Lucy knelt down, catching him in a tight embrace. "Oh, Jamal, what's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, her heart breaking at the sight of his tear-streaked face.

Candace sighed, standing up and brushing her hands on her jeans. "He's been crying ever since Andy told him he can no longer talk to Dawn."

Lucy's eyes darkened with concern. She pulled Jamal closer, rocking him gently as he continued to sob. "It's okay, Jamal. We will all figure something out."

Harry and Jade who were seated on the couch stared at Jamal helplessly since they too had tried to console him, but nothing they said had worked.

Jamal turned his tearful gaze to Tom. "Uncle Tom, you promised me we could go see Dawn for my birthday. You said you would take me, remember?"

Tom knelt beside Lucy, placing a hand on Jamal's shoulder. His expression was filled with regret. "I know I did, Jamal. I really wanted to take you to see Dawn too, but Kimberly... she doesn't want us near Dawn anymore. She said we can't come to see her."

"She told you that?" Harry asked before Jade could do so.

Tom sighed as he gave her a nod, "I reached out to her last night to inform her that we were coming over to see Dawn. She said Dawn was no longer a Hank and we shouldn't make any attempt to reach her," Tom said, and Jade frowned.

"What does she mean by that?" Jade asked and Tom explained that Kimberly's husband had adopted Dawn.

"I guess this explains why she hasn't been responding to Lucy's texts," Candace said with a frown.

Jade's frown deepened, "How can she make such a decision without consulting the family? Tom, did you tell Mom and Dad about this? This doesn't make any sense. Dawn is a Hank. Kimberly can't just cut us off from her like that."

Tom shook his head, his voice tight with frustration. "I haven't been able to get hold of them. I tried calling, but their phone keep going to voicemail. And even if I do get through, what can they do? Kimberly has made it clear she doesn't want anything to do with our family when it comes to Dawn. We were not really in her life in the first place."

Jamal's sobs grew louder, his small body trembling in Lucy's arms. "But... but Lucy, Dawn likes you. Can't you talk to her mommy? Please? I just want to talk to Dawn..."

Lucy bit her lip, trying to hold back her own tears. "I've been trying, darling. I've been texting her mommy, but she hasn't responded. I see now why she's been ignoring me. I'm so sorry, sweetie."

Andy, who had been leaning against a couch silently, finally spoke up. Her voice was low, almost defeated. "I don't know what Kimberly is thinking. None of this makes any sense."

Andy had been filled with guilt all day since she received the message from Kimberly. She wished she had not reconnected Jamal and Dawn in the first place.

Lucy straightened and took Jamal to the couch with her where she held him close, patting his back as she tried to console him.

As they continued to console Jamal, Aaron stepped into the house, whistling a cheery tune. His mood shifted instantly when he saw his grandson crying. The usual sparkle in his eyes faded into a frown.

"Jam, what's wrong?" Aaron asked as he approached, his voice filled with concern.

Candace sighed, "It's about Dawn. Kimberly said Jamal can't talk to her anymore, and now he's heartbroken."

Aaron's frown deepened as he listened to the explanation. He crouched down to Jamal's level, wiping away the boy's tears with a gentle hand. "Hey, buddy, listen to me. I don't want you to worry about it, okay? If Uncle Tom can't take you to see Dawn because he's not allowed to, I'll fly you there myself. I'll make sure you get to see her."

Jamal looked up at his grandfather, his tears subsiding a little. "You promise, Grandpa?"

Aaron smiled warmly, ruffling Jamal's hair. "Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

Jamal shook his head. "No..."

"Then trust me on this one, alright? But you have to stop crying and be a good boy for me. Can you do that?"

Jamal sniffled, nodding slowly as he wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Okay, Grandpa..."

Aaron chuckled and patted him on the back. "That's my boy. Now, why don't you go inside and take a little nap? I don't want you having a headache."

Jamal nodded again, giving Lucy one last hug before he obediently headed for the bedroom.

As soon as Jamal was out of earshot, Aaron's smile faded, replaced with a worried frown. He stood up and turned to the group, "This doesn't make sense in anyway. Is she cutting Jamal off because of his relationship with the Hanks? Or is there another reason?"

Harry shook his head, "I have no idea."

"It's not like Jamal talks to Dawn everyday. The only talk on Saturdays. I feel really angry about this yet I can't even confront her. Dawn is her daughter. Her child, her rules," Candace

said with a sigh.

"This is all my fault. This would never have happened had I not reached out to them in the first place. Jamal would most likely have forgotten about her by now had I not helped him reconnect with her," Andy said but Lucy shook her head.

"It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. You did right by helping him reconnect with her. And no, I don't think he would have forgotten about her so easily. So, don't blame yourself," Lucy said, and the others nodded.

Aaron turned to Lucy, "How have you been, Lucy? Sorry I haven't had the chance to greet you," Aaron said as he embraced her.

"You haven't greeted me either," Tom pointed out and Aaron chuckled as he held out his arms

to embrace Tom.

"Nah. I'll pass," he said, and they laughed.

Lucy looked up at Aaron with a grin, "How's your girlfriend doing, Aaron? You seemed to be in good spirits when you got here."

Aaron's face lit up again. "She's doing fine. I came a bit late because her son wanted to meet me. Funny thing, her daughter-in-law said her and her sisters have met Jade and Candace."

Jade and Candace exchanged puzzled looks, "How so?"

"Now I'm even more curious about your girlfriend's family," Harry said, looking at his father with interest.

"Something about the name Lisa Steel ringing a bell?" He asked, and Harry exchanged a look

with Tom.

"Lisa Steel?" Jade echoed as she exchanged a look with Harry and then with Candace, as did

Tom and Lucy.

Aaron nodded, glancing between them. "Yeah, that's her name. You know her?"

"Why are you all looking at each other? Who is she?" Andy asked curiously when she noticed the way they were all looking at each other.

A heavy silence fell over the group as they exchanged wary glances. Harry was the first to speak, his voice tinged with concern. "We know them. I didn't realize your girlfriend was Lisa's mother-in-law. Did she say anything else?"

"Is there something else she should have said? How do you know her family?" Aaron asked

looking confused.

Harry let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "It's... complicated. But let's just say it's all in the past now," Harry said, and the others nodded in agreement.

Before Aaron could press for more information, Jade changed the subject again, her voice filled with curiosity. "I wonder what's become of her sisters."

"Me too. Especially Anita. It seems like she disappeared after the apology video," Lucy said while Andy narrowed her eyes at them.

"You're going to tell me what's up later, right?" Andy asked, looking from Candace to Lucy

and Jade.

Before anyone could say anything else, they were interrupted abruptly by Harry's phone ringing. His brow pulled together when he glanced at the caller ID and saw the call was from

the prison where his mother was being kept.

"It's the prison," he told them, and everyone looked at him as he answered the call.

"What?!" Harry asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "When did this happen?"

The rest of the group watched in silence, tension hanging in the air as they waited for Harry to

finish the call. When he finally hung up, he let out a deep sigh.

"She is dead." he announced in a flat voice.

A stunned silence followed his words. No one knew what to say, each grappling with the

sudden, jarring news in their own way. But that lasted for only a second.

"I'll go heat up lunch. I'm famished," Candace announced, breaking the silence as she headed

for the kitchen.

Andy, who was still curious about who Lisa Steel was, hurried after her, curious to hear all about it from Candace.

Jade looked at Harry, "Are you alright?" she asked softly and he nodded.

"Sure. Now that she's gone I feel like I can breathe," Harry said, and Jade patted his back.

"I'm glad you're okay, Harry. What about you, Aaron? Are you fine?" Lucy asked, and he

shrugged.

"I've moved on from her. I don't care whether she's dead or alive," Aaron said and Lucy

smiled. "Good. Then I can say this. Can any of you imagine the feast that must be taking place in hell right now as they welcome Henry and Sara?" Lucy asked, and Tom chuckled, surprised that Lucy could say something like that out loud.

"You've changed so much," Harry said with a chuckle.

"I'll call my Mom to let her know her evil twin is gone," Lucy said, and everyone laughed.

Lucy dialed her Mom's number and the moment the call connected, she broke the news to her, "Hello, Mom. Harry just heard from the prison. Your sister is dead."

"I don't have a sister. But if you're talking about Sara, that's unfortunate. She died too quickly. I was hoping she would suffer for a long time before dying a miserable death. Too bad

she died so soon," Janet said irritably.

After Lucy ended the call, they all moved on from the subject just like that and progressed to

have a hearty lunch.