*Mon Seulement Amour (My Only Love)* -[Chapter 1]

“What do you think sweetheart light blue or dark blue?” Camille asked as she held up two small body suits in front of her one month old son who was sleeping soundly in his stroller. “I like both too,” she stated as she placed the two pieces of clothing in the basket underneath the stroller. After collecting a view more items Camille aimlessly began walking around the Wal-Mart and found herself in the music department. Reaching out with her left hand she retrieved the latest Backstreet Boys CD and tapped it against her right palm.

“Braden, Mommy doesn’t know what to do,” she whispered as she looked down at her sleeping son. “What should I do?” she asked as she shook her head back and forth and began making her way toward the nearest register.

“Camille,” a female voice called out resulting in Camille stopping dead in her tracks and turning to the voice. “Camille Elizabeth Parker, is that really you?” Camille nodded as she stepped into the open arms of the woman.

“Yeah it’s really me,” she whispered. “How have you been Jackie?”

“I’m okay, the boys came back into to town for a couple of days,” Jackie Littrell responded. “I have a big heap of Backstreet to feed, that’s why I’m here.”

“That’s great,” Camille laughed. “You’ll tell them I say hi.” Jackie nodded as she ran her right hand down Camille’s left arm.

“It’s been a long time,” she stated.

“Yeah it has,” Camille agreed just before the soft cry of her son caught her attention and she turned back to the stroller. “Shh baby, Momma’s right here,” she whispered as she placed the blue pacifier in Braden’s mouth then slowly began moving the stroller back and forth.

“Who’s this?” Jackie questioned as she looked into the stroller from over Camille’s shoulder. Camille smiled as she pushed back shield that was shielding Braden’s face from the bright lights of the store.

“My son,” she responded. “Jackie this is Braden.”

“When?” Jackie questioned as she reached into the stroller and ran the back of her right hand across Braden’s forehead.

“Just about a month ago,” Camille replied as she stared down at her son.

“He’s beautiful,” Jackie gushed. Camille nodded before turning to look at Jackie.

“I know he is,” she agreed. “He’s my life.”

“Well I better let you get that little one home,” Jackie stated before retrieving a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. “You should stop by sometime before the guys leave…” she began as she scribbled down her phone number and address.

“I don’t know with Eric working all the time and me having to take care of Braden…” Camille began only to have her protests silenced by Jackie setting a hand on her arm.

“Here’s my number, give me a call whenever you get the chance,” she insisted lightly. “Now get that baby home and get some sleep.” Camille took the number from Jackie and forced a nod.

“I’ll give you a call,” she promised. Jackie nodded as she cupped Camille’s face in her right hand.

“I don’t care what time, call me or drop by anytime day or night,” she stated before leaning in and setting a kiss on Camille’s cheek. “Take care of yourself Camille.”

“Bye,” Camille whispered as Jackie walked away. Turning back to the stroller Camille looked down at Braden before pulling the shield back up. “Let’s go home.”

Camille set her hands on the rail of the wooden crib she’d just placed her son in and blew out a deep breath as she stared down into Braden’s face. She leaned over and turned the nightlight on before finally pulling herself away from Braden’s bedside. As she turned her back to the crib she nearly jumped out of her skin when Eric’s cold eyes greeted her.

“How was work baby?” she questioned as she attempted to still her shaking hands.

“What’s with all of the bags?” Eric inquired as he nodded toward the bags Camille had brought into the house earlier that afternoon.

“I bought some new outfits for the baby,” Camille responded as she attempted to step past Eric, wanting nothing more than to get him out of her son’s room.

“Why do you always buy new things for him?” Eric asked as he grabbed onto Camille’s arms and threw her back into the room.

“He was a month premature Eric, nothing we were given fits him yet,” Camille responded as she swallowed the lump that had risen in the back of her throat.

“Are you saying that it’s my fault that he was born a month early?” Eric inquired as he stepped into the room.

“No,” Camille choked out as she backed herself up into a corner. “Please don’t do this here, not with Braden in the room.”

“All you care about is him lately…” Eric began. Camille blinked back her tears and smacked Eric in the chest as hard as she could.

“He is my son,” she cried out. The next thing she knew she was lying flat on her back and Eric was towering above her.

“Don’t take that tone with me,” Eric demanded before throwing his left foot into Camille’s right side.

“Please stop,” she pleaded trying desperately to hold her voice down for Christian’s sake. “You’re going to wake him up.”

“When are you going to learn that pleading doesn’t work with me?” Eric asked as he pulled Camille up off the floor and practically dragged her out of the room, slamming the door behind the two before throwing Camille up against the wall.

“Stop,” she screamed as her son’s cries filtered out through the crack underneath the door. Eric covered Camille’s mouth with his right hand to muffle her screams as he threw his left fist into her stomach. As Braden’s cries intensified Eric pulled away from Camille and headed for the nursery door.

“No,” Camille yelled as she stepped between Eric and the door. “You are not laying one hand on him, do you hear…” Eric backhanded Camille across the left side of her face before tossing her away from the door and down the stairs.

“I can hurt you so bad,” Eric seethed as he bounded down the stairs and pulled Camille up by the hair. “You keep taking that tone with me and you won’t live to see the little brat in the morning, and believe me that’s not an empty threat.”

“Why do you do this?” Camille cried. Eric looked into Camille’s eyes for a brief moment before throwing her into the glass plated coffee table that was behind her.

“Because I can,” he responded confidently. “Clean this place up,” he demanded before grabbing his jacket off of the back of the couch and walking out of the house. Camille jumped as the front door slammed closed, ignoring her own injuries she scrambled to her feet and practically stumbled up the stairs and into Braden’s room where he lay in his crib screaming.

“It’s okay,” she cried as she retrieved Braden from his crib and held him against her chest. “I’m so sorry baby,” she sobbed as she retrieved Braden’s already packed diaper bag. After returning home that afternoon Camille had done some serious thinking while she nursed Braden. She knew that when Eric came home later that evening that night would end like very other night before it. He’d beat her, try to get to Braden, and then end up leaving her to clean up the mess he’d made. She’d rush to clean up the broken pieces of glass before gathering some clothes and running off to a cheap motel somewhere. When morning came she’d go back home like nothing had even happened, she’d bring her son home to a place where she wasn’t sure he would be safe and when night fell it happened all over again.

“Not this time,” Camille whispered to herself. After putting Braden down for one of the many naps he took throughout the course of the day Camille had packed all of his clothes and set the suitcases in the back of her Expedition. She wasn’t going to bring Braden back this time; she had to protect him no matter what it cost her. After retrieving one of the remaining bags of clothing that were resting in the corner of Braden’s room Camille made her way down the stairs, bypassed the mess in the living room and grabbed her car keys off the kitchen table before exiting through the door that attached the garage to the rest of the house.

“You are not coming back here this time baby,” her shaky voice promised as set the bag of clothes down beside Braden’s car seat before easing him into it and buckling him in. “You are going somewhere where you don’t have to do anything but be loved.”