To Be Careless Is to Be Reckless

Lexi

"But, I want to watch The Exorcist."

"Well, I want to watch Repo!"

"God, Des, you've seen it like, a million times!"

"So? Maybe I want to see it a million and ONE times, Nick!"

I was sitting in my living room, my chin resting on my hand, listening to my kids bicker over what movie to watch, when my cell rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lex. It's Frank."

"Oh, hey! What's going on?"

"It's about Destiny. She came over here yesterday."

I listened for a few minutes, staring intently at my daughter all the while.

"Okay. You know what? Let me call you back."

I hung up.

"Guys, we're gonna have to do this later. Destiny Renee Elizabeth, we need to talk. NOW."

Nick looked at me and took off upstairs.

I looked at Destiny and saw my old eyes, complete with that signature glazed-over defiance.

"You explain to me what right you had going to Frank's and doing what you did."

"He's my father, isn't he? Don't I have the right to talk to him?"

She smirked.

"Destiny," I warned.

"You just don't get it, do you? You just don't see how wrong all of this is! You spent years upon years hating him, and the minute he waltzes back into town, you let him right back in and act like nothing happened! Well, I'm sick of it! I know that as soon as something bad happens, I'm going to be the one picking up the pieces!"

I sighed and rubbed the temples.

"The heart wants what the heart wants, Destiny. No one can help that."

"Don't give me that crap, Mom. Just don't."

"Destiny, you need to understand. Your father and I have known each other for a very long time. We were only married a year and a half, and truthfully, that wasn't nearly long enough. I am still just as much in love with him as I was when I was a teenager, and I'm 36 years old. I'm not getting any younger."

"Hah, you got that right."

"Destiny, do not interrupt me. If I have another chance with him, I'm not passing it up. I don't believe in fairytales, Destiny. But I do believe in mythology... and your father is my Fate."