Red Hair And Mistakes
So Here We Are
Garret watches his child play with his fingers. She is beautiful, the most beautiful creature in the world. He is sure of it. He knew that most people thought that about their children, it might even being clichéd. But he couldn’t help himself, he just knew, she was.
Anna studies Garret intensely. He has changed in a way she can’t quite name He looks so mature; his face looks rugged and slightly worn in. But past that she could still see the boy she fell in love with. In the past she wished that their daughter had more of her father in her. But no she looked overwhelmingly like Anna.
“What did you name her?”
“Novala.”
“That’s different, but I think it suits her.”
Garret admiringly stares at Novala and Anna stares admiringly at Garret and Novala.
“Your different.”
Garret looks up and meets her eyes.
“How so?”
She straightens up and says,
“You seem more mature… Gar- did- did I hurt you? When I- when I left?”
Garret’s brow furrows and he looks down.
“What do you think?”
Anna jumps startled by the hard ball he threw, but she knows she deserved it.
“Y-yes, I’m sorry Garret.”
Her voice cracks and she brings her hands to her face, she then recovers and toughness shows on Anna’s face, that Garret has never seen before.
“But I don’t regret my decision. You are one of the most successful photographers in Seattle, working for a music based magazine, you would have never gone this far, if I stayed.”
Garret gapes stunned at her sudden sureness.
“I-- how-- you still could’ve stopped by, called, or send me an e-mail. Something, do you know what it’s like to know you have a child but can never see her, do you know how many times I goggled your name to see if I could find you?! God I loved you, and you just left with no trace.”
Garret carefully puts Novala down and strokes her soft hair and fresh pink cheeks. The old Anna would burst into tears, but it seems being a mother has toughened her up.
“Well I’m here now! And just so you know it hasn’t been easy for me. I moved in with my aunt so I could finish school, I had to deal with the ridicule of being called a slut and whore and things you can’t even imagine, just because I made a mistake…”
Garret interrupts and shakes his head.
“You think it was a mistake? Being with me? Novala?”
Anna locks eyes with Garret and she holds it in the most confident way.
“No… but I use to sometimes… especially as soon as I finished school and my aunt died. I had to get a job, start college and take care of Novala. Novala hardly saw me anymore, I was always gone and I left her at daycare 90% of the time… That’s why I came here, I need you, and I miss you. I’m not expecting you to take us in or send us money I just need you to understand.”
Garret tries to imagine a day without them in his life, but can’t.
“I have a roommate, but there’s an extra room up stairs next to mine. If you’re worried about Kyle, uh my roommate, then I’ll ask him to leave or something. I want you and Novala to stay with me.”
Anna is about to object but a man walking down the stairs then interrupts her thoughts.
“Yo Gar-bear are they gone?…”
He stops to see Anna and Novala standing by Garret and mouths an O. Kyle then gracefully come down the rest of the stairs and kisses Anna’s hand and shake Novala’s,
“You must be the infamous Anna. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Anna tries to smile but Garret can tell she’s uncomfortable, as Kyle bends down and coos to Novala, who is smiling standing pigeon toed and clutching on to her fathers pants. Kyle rises up to Garret and Anna’s concerned faces.
“What? - I like kids.”
Kyle soon leaves with Novala in his arms and Anna leans in to whisper in Garret’s ear
“Should I be concerned?”
Garret smiles and leans down while holding the side of her face.
“Nah he’s harmless, as long as he’s feed. Which reminds me are you hungry?”
Anna studies Garret intensely. He has changed in a way she can’t quite name He looks so mature; his face looks rugged and slightly worn in. But past that she could still see the boy she fell in love with. In the past she wished that their daughter had more of her father in her. But no she looked overwhelmingly like Anna.
“What did you name her?”
“Novala.”
“That’s different, but I think it suits her.”
Garret admiringly stares at Novala and Anna stares admiringly at Garret and Novala.
“Your different.”
Garret looks up and meets her eyes.
“How so?”
She straightens up and says,
“You seem more mature… Gar- did- did I hurt you? When I- when I left?”
Garret’s brow furrows and he looks down.
“What do you think?”
Anna jumps startled by the hard ball he threw, but she knows she deserved it.
“Y-yes, I’m sorry Garret.”
Her voice cracks and she brings her hands to her face, she then recovers and toughness shows on Anna’s face, that Garret has never seen before.
“But I don’t regret my decision. You are one of the most successful photographers in Seattle, working for a music based magazine, you would have never gone this far, if I stayed.”
Garret gapes stunned at her sudden sureness.
“I-- how-- you still could’ve stopped by, called, or send me an e-mail. Something, do you know what it’s like to know you have a child but can never see her, do you know how many times I goggled your name to see if I could find you?! God I loved you, and you just left with no trace.”
Garret carefully puts Novala down and strokes her soft hair and fresh pink cheeks. The old Anna would burst into tears, but it seems being a mother has toughened her up.
“Well I’m here now! And just so you know it hasn’t been easy for me. I moved in with my aunt so I could finish school, I had to deal with the ridicule of being called a slut and whore and things you can’t even imagine, just because I made a mistake…”
Garret interrupts and shakes his head.
“You think it was a mistake? Being with me? Novala?”
Anna locks eyes with Garret and she holds it in the most confident way.
“No… but I use to sometimes… especially as soon as I finished school and my aunt died. I had to get a job, start college and take care of Novala. Novala hardly saw me anymore, I was always gone and I left her at daycare 90% of the time… That’s why I came here, I need you, and I miss you. I’m not expecting you to take us in or send us money I just need you to understand.”
Garret tries to imagine a day without them in his life, but can’t.
“I have a roommate, but there’s an extra room up stairs next to mine. If you’re worried about Kyle, uh my roommate, then I’ll ask him to leave or something. I want you and Novala to stay with me.”
Anna is about to object but a man walking down the stairs then interrupts her thoughts.
“Yo Gar-bear are they gone?…”
He stops to see Anna and Novala standing by Garret and mouths an O. Kyle then gracefully come down the rest of the stairs and kisses Anna’s hand and shake Novala’s,
“You must be the infamous Anna. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Anna tries to smile but Garret can tell she’s uncomfortable, as Kyle bends down and coos to Novala, who is smiling standing pigeon toed and clutching on to her fathers pants. Kyle rises up to Garret and Anna’s concerned faces.
“What? - I like kids.”
Kyle soon leaves with Novala in his arms and Anna leans in to whisper in Garret’s ear
“Should I be concerned?”
Garret smiles and leans down while holding the side of her face.
“Nah he’s harmless, as long as he’s feed. Which reminds me are you hungry?”