Dakota, Are You in Love With Me Too?

Sitting at the kitchen table in my Father’s house, I picked through the salad that Tori made. With my nose wrinkled with disgust, I put my fork down before pushing the small salad plate away from me, “Why is all that crap in the salad?” I asked my Father.

“Oh, Tori is on a new health kick,” He informed me softly but avoided eye contact like he’s been doing all day, “And there’s good reason for it, too.”

“It’s not because she’s too fat, I could break that bitch with my pinky,”

“Dakota Mae Jensen,” My Dad snapped at me.

“Dakota Mae O’Callaghan sounds better,” I smirked as I looked over at him only to see his own smile on his face.

“Kyle told me,” He finally looked over at me, “Congratulations.”

“I’m gonna kick that asshole in the balls for opening his big mouth, I haven’t gotten the chance to tell anyone. Everyone has figured it out or heard it from someone else,” I pouted, “What’s the point of getting engaged when you can’t tell anyone?” I asked but the questioned wasn’t meant to be answered and I think my Father knew that.

“Dakota, Sweetie we need to talk.”

“Uh oh, the last time I heard you say that, you talked to me about sex.” I smirked playfully, “Dad, I already know where babies come from,” I joked.

He blushed deeply then he stood to his feet before taking my plate and his to the sink, “Um, this isn’t easy for me to tell you, that’s why I wanted you to be the first to know before your Brothers. I wanted you to hear it from me.”

I tilted my head to the side, “You’re firing me?” I joked.

He chuckled a little then he shook his head, “Always a smartass,” He pointed out.

“What can I say, I was raised with two brothers and our Father has a great sense of humor and our Mother is a bit of a know it all bitch with a potty mouth,”

My Dad laughed then sighed softly, “Honey, I’m having another Daughter,” He told me bluntly but kept his back turned towards me.

I felt my jaw drop only because I was blindsided by that, I was in complete shock. After a few seconds, I closed my mouth and frowned deeply but said nothing.

“Tori’s been pregnant for a while,” He turned around and looked at me with his piercing blue eyes, “But since she’s starting to show to the point where she can’t hide it any longer we’ve decided know is the time to tell everyone and I wanted you to be the first to know.” He walked over to me and sat back down, “We found out it was a girl yesterday at Tori’s doctor’s appointment, I don’t want you to get upset but I understand if you are … hurt.” He whispered softly.

I frowned, “Why would I be hurt?” I questioned.

He licked his lips, “You and Delilah were my little girls for so long then she passed and it was just you … face it sweetie, you’ve always been a Daddy’s girl.” He smiled a little then it was quick to fade, “And I’m having a Daughter with another woman that’s not your Mother, you have every right to feel a bit hurt.”

Sitting still for a few seconds, I shrugged my shoulders, “You’re married to her, why should I care if you want a kid with her?”

“You’re going to have another sister,” He said like I didn’t understand what it meant.

“Ok?”

He sighed, “Dakota, I know you’ve never been real emotional but this isn’t what I was expecting from you.” He pointed out as he stood up and walked back to the sink.

“How do you want me to act, Dad?” I questioned, “Jump for joy?” I shook my head, “No, I’m not going to jump for joy, and I’m not going to bawl my eyes out because you’re having another daughter with your Wife.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about, Dakota Mae,”

“Then what are you talking about, Dad?”

He turned around to me, “You feel nothing towards this news at all?”

I sat there silently, “I’m shocked, that’s all, I came over for lunch to tell you about John and I then you tell me this.” I shrugged, “How do you want me to act, Dad?”

He walked back over and sat down, “I don’t want you to be mad at me,” He admitted.

“Why would I be mad?” I cocked my head, “I’m not thrilled about the news but I wouldn’t be thrilled if the kid was a boy either, I just don’t like Tori.” I pointed out, “It has nothing to do if the kid is a boy or a girl. I understand that you had Delilah and I, and that we were your world … we still are, if we weren’t you wouldn’t have framed pictures of us from when we were just little girls all over your house,” I smiled, “Maybe … it’s you who is hurt,” I mumbled.

He closed his eyes and shook his head before rubbing his head, “I don’t know, when I found out it was a girl … I felt …angry almost.” He whispered then opened his eyes, “I know it isn’t the baby’s fault that she’s a girl and it’s not her I felt angry towards, it was Tori.”

“Why?”

My Dad was silent for what seemed like an hour but was merely a minute at most before he inhaled slowly then licked his lips once more, “I miss your Mother,” He whispered so that I could barely hear him, “When I married her, I never thought in a million years that we would divorce but after everything that happened after Delilah’s accident, it put stress on our marriage and we weren’t lovers anymore and our friendship was the next to go so instead of ruining the relationship we had left, I asked her for a divorce.” He shook his head, “When I married Tori I felt forced into it then she kept telling me how she wanted to get pregnant finally I just gave in to her,” He frowned, “I shouldn’t be telling you this, this isnt something a Dad should be telling his Daughter.”

“Please, I’m a fucking grown ass woman, I’m getting married for crying out loud!” I exclaimed, “Keep talking,”

He eyed me skeptically then shrugged, “I just hated the fact that I’m having a kid with a woman that isn’t your Mom, I love her and I always will. She was my first love, she was there through the thick and thin, we have four beautiful kids together and she still is my best friend.”

I smiled softly then I sighed, “Tell her,” I nodded.

“She has that new boyfriend,”

“They broke up a while ago,” I informed him, “She’s single and just hanging out,” I paused, “Listen, it really isn’t any of my business on how you handle this but if you still love Mom, why not be with her instead of being with a woman that you don’t truly love.”

“I love Tori just … not the way a man should love his Wife. I would do anything for her but I can’t stand to be around her,”

“Settle this before the baby is born, she doesn’t need to be born into a divorce battle or an unhappy home. Apparently babies can sense that sorta shit,” I paused, “If you love Mom, tell her, tell her what you told me.”

My Dad frowned a bit then made a weird face, “Since when do you know so much about relationships?”

“I’ve always known, I’ve had a few,” I smiled, “But like you said I haven’t always been real emotional, until lately.”

“John,” He smiled proudly, “He’s done wonders for you,”

I nodded, “I love him,” I said openly and proudly because I do love my fiancé with all of my heart, even if we haven’t been together for that long I know he’s the one, there’s just that feeling you get and you just … know.

“I know,” My Dad sighed then stood to his feet, “What do you say we go out for a real lunch?” He smiled.

“I would,” I stood up, “But I have plans.”

“Oh? With who?”

“John’s Mom and Katie, John’s little brothers girlfriend, we’re going up to Scottsdale to look at John’s Aunt’s hotel that she is the General Manager of. I think we’re having the Wedding there, or a country club that’s up there.” I shrugged, “But John’s Mom is totally stoked about planning this Wedding, she’s even called Mom about it and they’ve been going on and on about it, it’s like it’s not even my Wedding.” I joked.

He laughed, “I never would’ve guess you would want to get married here in Arizona,”

“I don’t really want to, but it’s not fair to John. All of his family and friends are here, I have less people to fly out here than he would if we have the Wedding in California.”

“That’s nice of you,”

“Compromise,” I made a face, “It’s this new concept I’ve been learning about,” I laughed then I hugged my Father tightly before pulling away, “I’m not mad that you’re having another little girl,” I whispered, “You shouldn’t be either, you’re not replacing Delilah and you’d play hell trying to replace me,” I smirked then I shook my head a bit, “Enjoy becoming a new Dad again, you haven’t been a new dad in nineteen years, get with the program … plus it’ll give you a chance to brush up on your baby skills, because you know I am getting married…” I smirked.

“No, don’t you even be talking about kids yet, Dakota Mae … give me a chance to adjust to you being a married woman instead of my little girl,” He laughed then he shook his head, “Seriously, don’t make me a Grandpa yet.”

“Don’t worry, you have some time before that happens, or at least from me you do … you have two other kids to worry about.”

“Nathaniel I don’t have to worry about but Kyle …”

“Is the one that has a serious girlfriend that he hasn’t introduced us to yet,” I informed my Father, “You might want to look into that,” I laughed then I grabbed my purse, “I gotta get going, but I’ll call you and … Call Ma,” I nodded, “Talk to her, Dad.”

He just nodded then watched me walk away silently. I left his house quickly then got into my car, not wasting a single moment before I started the engine. As I drove away from the house, I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about what I just learned. I know my Mom still loves my Dad and I know that she would take him back in a heartbeat but she will not make the first move and I don’t know if my Father has the balls to tell my Mom what he told me. It would be wrong on my part to tell my Mom what my Dad told me because she needs to hear it from him, not from me. It’s just too much to handle truthfully.

Once back at John’s, I walked in through the front door only to see that John had Jake pinned to the walled, the both of them yelling at each other while Katie stood back screaming at John and crying frantically. With wide eyes, I dropped my purse to the couch and without a second thought, I ran over and pushed my Fiancé off of his little brother.

With wide eyes, John looked at me then he turned back to his brother and threw his fist into his face before he continued with his yelling. I glared evilly at the boy of my dreams before I pushed him away from his brother once more, “Get the fuck off of him, John!” I screamed at him before I pushed him back again.

“Stay outta this, Dakota.” John ordered sternly.

“Fuck you, I don’t have to stay out of shit. Why are you beating the living hell out of your brother!”

John reached over to the coffee table and held up a plastic baggy filled with white powder. I frowned but said nothing as he held it up to my face, “Do you know what the fuck this is!?”

I eyed it then I frowned before nodding a bit, “I think I do,”

“Then don’t tell me to stay the fuck off of him!” He screamed at me with anger before he turned back to his brother, “What the fuck is wrong with you Jacob!?” He wailed at the top of his lungs.

Jake stood there and had nothing to say for a moment, “I’ve only been doing it for a month,” He admitted to his brother.

“And it quits now,” John ordered with a look in his eyes that I haven’t seen before, a look that told me he wasn’t messing around.

Jake looked at John then suddenly the door opened and their parents walked in, with pleading eyes Jake silently begged John not to tell their parents, I took a step to the side then took Katie into my arms, comforting the best I could while John’s parents looked at this situation with confusion.

“John?” His Mother questioned softly before walking over and taking the cocaine from him that he had been hiding behind his back.

“John, what is this?” His Father frowned deeply.

John looked at Jake then back at his Father, saying nothing.

They looked at Jake then over at John before they both sighed, his Father right after his Mother, “Who does this belong to?” Their Father asked sternly.

Silently the brothers stared at them before John broke down and slouched his shoulders, “Mine,” He said softly, “The cocaine is mine, Jake tried taking it from me and we fought.”

“Jake, Katie, Dakota, go outback we need to talk to John alone.” His Father said sternly.

As soon as those words left his mouth I went out back with Katie while Jake followed us. Once the door was shut and Katie was sitting down, I turned around to Jake and glared, “You owe him everything for taking the fall, you know that don’t you?” I pointed out coldly.

Jake avoided eye contact with me then walked over to Katie, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands into his, “Hey … you ok?” He mumbled as he reached up and wiped away her tears.

Katie turned away but nodded her head nonetheless.

“I’m sorry,” Jake apologized as he stood up a bit and wrapped his arms around his trembling girlfriend, “I’m sorry,” He repeated.

Katie simply wrapped her arms around him and held him close. I frowned a bit then looked inside to see John standing there, being scolded by his parents like he was a five year old that just got caught breaking a lamp.

I shook my head then I paced the patio slowly, trying to get my mind off of everything. This is hardly the day I had planned out and I don’t think there’s any hope in saving it now.