Coming Home to You; My American Boy
Ten
Cady
The shrill ringing of my home phone cut into the peace.
I jumped to my feet and raced over to where it was situated. I'd only just put Kimi to bed; if she woke up now she'd never get back to sleep.
"Hello?" I answered quickly - keeping my voice at a low tone. A few seconds of silence followed my greeting. I was about to put the phone down when:
"Cady?"
I recognized the voice straight away - my breath caught in my throat "Brian!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering Kimi I lowered my voice to a whisper "Brian? What're yo- how?"
"You leave your number on Lightning Strikes answer machine."
"Oh," I replied, slowly sinking down onto my couch.
"Zach told me about his run in with you. I think we need to talk."
I shook my head "No. No way."
"Please Cady!" He pleaded "I won't bring Zach. It'll just be me and Val."
"Val?" I said, the thought of seeing her again brought a smile to my face "I-" I sighed and closed my eyes tightly. Unable to believe what I was about to say "Okay then. Come to the shop about 12is tomorrow."
*
"Cady are you okay?" Camarin asked as I paced the center of the room.
"Yeh, you're putting me off dude!" Pixxie called. Her, Cam and Adam had clients with them.
"I'm fine," I answered with a small - and very fake - smile. I glanced up to the clock for the millionth time that minute.
11:55am
"Orch, if anyone comes for me send them to the office," I said, unable to cope with the wait for much longer.
"Are you o-?"
"I'm fine!"
*
minutes past like hours before there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," I called, my voice blank, as I flipped through one of the many tattoo photo albums we kept.
"Uhm, your mum dropped Kimi off," Orchid said softly as my daughter stormed the office "She's going Christmas shopping."
"Thanks Orch," I replied, forcing a smile. My heart dropped into my stomach. I wasn't ready for my 4 year old future to meet my past.
"And there's 2 people here for you..." I knew she knew who they were but I was thankful that she didn't make a scene.
The heart was back up again - this time bursting up to a million nervous butterflies."Send them through."
Orchid nodded and disappeared from the doorway as I supplied Kimi with pieces of paper and some crayons.
"Cady?"
I turned my head sharply and there they were.
Brian Haner Jnr and Valary DiBenedetto.
Here to crash into my life once again.
I stood not knowing what to do next.
Luckily, Val decided for me. She rushed over and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.
"I've missed you chick," she said, her voice muffled by my hair.
"I've missed you too," I replied as we all sat down.
"Is that her?" Brian asked, he hadn't taken his eyes off Kimi since entering the room.
"If you mean my daughter Brian," I snapped in a whisper "Kimi say hi to Val and Brian," I smiled as my daughter stood and waved.
"Hi Val and Bwian!"
"She looks just like him," Brian muttered once Kimi had gone back to her drawing. "Why didn't you tell us? Or, more importantly, why didn't you tell Zach?"
"She's Zacky's kid?" Val exclaimed quietly so Kimi didn't hear, shock plastered on her face.
"Kimi, why don't you go show Auntie Orchid your drawing?" I said, jumping to my feet and opening the office door for her. "Are you forgetting what you and him did to me Brian??" I snapped once I was sat back down.
"What did they do?" Val asked "We were never told details. Just that you wanted to be left alone."
I gulped. I hadn't let these 6 words pass my lips since prom "Brian paid Zach to date me."
Val's jaw dropped.
"One date!" Brian exclaimed "And it was more like lending him the money not paying him!"
I scoffed "You just let me know when that dick deserves to be a parent."
Before either Val or Brian could answer Orchid breezed into the room.
"Just getting some forms," she explained, usual smile stretching across her face. I knew she was only coming in to check up on me and I was grateful.
"How's Kimi?" I asked.
A frown replaced the smile "I haven't seen her. I thought she was with you..."
And that's when my world came crashing down.
The shrill ringing of my home phone cut into the peace.
I jumped to my feet and raced over to where it was situated. I'd only just put Kimi to bed; if she woke up now she'd never get back to sleep.
"Hello?" I answered quickly - keeping my voice at a low tone. A few seconds of silence followed my greeting. I was about to put the phone down when:
"Cady?"
I recognized the voice straight away - my breath caught in my throat "Brian!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering Kimi I lowered my voice to a whisper "Brian? What're yo- how?"
"You leave your number on Lightning Strikes answer machine."
"Oh," I replied, slowly sinking down onto my couch.
"Zach told me about his run in with you. I think we need to talk."
I shook my head "No. No way."
"Please Cady!" He pleaded "I won't bring Zach. It'll just be me and Val."
"Val?" I said, the thought of seeing her again brought a smile to my face "I-" I sighed and closed my eyes tightly. Unable to believe what I was about to say "Okay then. Come to the shop about 12is tomorrow."
*
"Cady are you okay?" Camarin asked as I paced the center of the room.
"Yeh, you're putting me off dude!" Pixxie called. Her, Cam and Adam had clients with them.
"I'm fine," I answered with a small - and very fake - smile. I glanced up to the clock for the millionth time that minute.
11:55am
"Orch, if anyone comes for me send them to the office," I said, unable to cope with the wait for much longer.
"Are you o-?"
"I'm fine!"
*
minutes past like hours before there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," I called, my voice blank, as I flipped through one of the many tattoo photo albums we kept.
"Uhm, your mum dropped Kimi off," Orchid said softly as my daughter stormed the office "She's going Christmas shopping."
"Thanks Orch," I replied, forcing a smile. My heart dropped into my stomach. I wasn't ready for my 4 year old future to meet my past.
"And there's 2 people here for you..." I knew she knew who they were but I was thankful that she didn't make a scene.
The heart was back up again - this time bursting up to a million nervous butterflies."Send them through."
Orchid nodded and disappeared from the doorway as I supplied Kimi with pieces of paper and some crayons.
"Cady?"
I turned my head sharply and there they were.
Brian Haner Jnr and Valary DiBenedetto.
Here to crash into my life once again.
I stood not knowing what to do next.
Luckily, Val decided for me. She rushed over and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.
"I've missed you chick," she said, her voice muffled by my hair.
"I've missed you too," I replied as we all sat down.
"Is that her?" Brian asked, he hadn't taken his eyes off Kimi since entering the room.
"If you mean my daughter Brian," I snapped in a whisper "Kimi say hi to Val and Brian," I smiled as my daughter stood and waved.
"Hi Val and Bwian!"
"She looks just like him," Brian muttered once Kimi had gone back to her drawing. "Why didn't you tell us? Or, more importantly, why didn't you tell Zach?"
"She's Zacky's kid?" Val exclaimed quietly so Kimi didn't hear, shock plastered on her face.
"Kimi, why don't you go show Auntie Orchid your drawing?" I said, jumping to my feet and opening the office door for her. "Are you forgetting what you and him did to me Brian??" I snapped once I was sat back down.
"What did they do?" Val asked "We were never told details. Just that you wanted to be left alone."
I gulped. I hadn't let these 6 words pass my lips since prom "Brian paid Zach to date me."
Val's jaw dropped.
"One date!" Brian exclaimed "And it was more like lending him the money not paying him!"
I scoffed "You just let me know when that dick deserves to be a parent."
Before either Val or Brian could answer Orchid breezed into the room.
"Just getting some forms," she explained, usual smile stretching across her face. I knew she was only coming in to check up on me and I was grateful.
"How's Kimi?" I asked.
A frown replaced the smile "I haven't seen her. I thought she was with you..."
And that's when my world came crashing down.