Shattered Secrets

"Come on, Dad," I called as I waited by the car. He had stopped to talk to an old friend as we were walking out of the door almost 15 minutes ago.

"I've got to pick up Bronx soon!" I shouted as he waved me off.

I saw his friend laugh and nod his head as my father jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at me and then said something to the man in front of him. Finally my father came walking over and shook his head at me playfully.

"If it weren't for Bronx you would be still standing here, alone," he stated and unlocked the doors to the car. I rolled my eyes and got in. I buckled my seatbelt and we drove back to the law firm as quickly as we could.

I followed my dad back into the building so I could grab my things and say goodbye to the ladies. As I followed him out of the elevator and around the corner, I stopped in the center of our desks and smiled brightly at my boyfriend.

"Hello, Nissa." Greg greeted with a smile as I stepped to my desk and reached over it for my bag.

"Hey Greg," I smiled as he walked over. I turned around and ran my fingers over his freshly cut hair.

"Are you going to pick up Bronx, now?" he asked taking my hand in his and walking with me towards my father, who stood near Nadine, questioning her about a few documents of his.

I nodded to Greg. "Yeah."

Greg grinned at me suspiciously and asked, "Could I come with? I want to spend some time with the two of you before you leave him with me tomorrow."

I smiled. "You have to work, Greg," I murmured gently.

"I already talked to your Dad this morning. He said it was fine." Greg shrugged, letting go of my hand and walking down the hallway to his own personal office.

I sighed and shrugged as I gathered all my things and stuffed my cell phone and papers into one of my bags to be ignored until after this weekend. "I'll see you Monday, ladies." I said with a smile as Greg came walking back over to me, pulling his suit jacket off and his tie as well.

"Have fun, you two!" Maggie called with a smirk as Greg smiled and I shook my head in disapproval of her attitude.

"Say hello to that boy of yours for me, will you?" Nadine asked as I walked over to the door that lead to my fathers office, while Greg stood near my desk with my bag. I knocked on my father's door before I entered. He was sitting at his wooden desk with a few files in front of him. When I entered he looked up and then smiled slightly.

"You heading out?" he asked, standing up and holding his arms out for a hug.

I nodded, "Yeah. It's almost time." I leaned into my fathers arms and wrapped my own around his waist.

"I love you, Darling," My dad whispered as he kissed my forehead.

"Love you too, Dad," I murmured as I let go and turned away to leave.

Greg and I waved goodbye to the ladies and then we made our way to the elevator. We walked out of the building with his warm hand clasped in my own. Greg opened the door for me like a true gentleman, and I got in.

"I'll follow you."

He slammed my door shut and waved before going over to his own silver Honda Civic. I pulled out of the parking lot behind Greg and then passed him as we pulled out onto the high way. PCA seemed less crowded today as I began my 15 minute drive from Stanton to Huntington. A while later I was pulling into the big parking lot of Bronx's elementary school. I noticed the other parents standing outside before the hall attendant let them in seconds later, five minutes before the last bell rings, right on time.

I got out of my car that was parked in a stall a little farther back then usual, and I noticed Greg doing the same. I scurried across the asphalt and to the glass doors of the main entrance. I felt Greg take my hand in his own as I walked down the hallway avoiding other mothers and fathers as they walked and waited.

"Here we are," I murmured as I found the familiar group of parents outside of room 14. I said my hellos to the people who I waited with everyday and introduced them to Greg.

"This is my boyfriend, Greg Larson," I stated with a small smile as the other ladies and men said hello.

"Nice to meet you all," Greg told them, clasping my hand tighter in his.

Soon enough sixteen kindergarteners were running out of the class and into the arms of their waiting parents, excited that it was finally Friday.

"Mommy!" a familiar voice shouted as a young boy came racing towards me. I crept down to his level and scooped him up into my arms, standing as I did so.

"Hey Baby!" I greeted as I set him back on the floor.

"How was your day, Bronx?" Greg asked slowly, reaching his hand out to give the younger boy a high five.

Bronx shrugged indifferently, "It was fun. What are you doing here?"

This time Greg shrugged. "I thought that I'd hang out with you and your Mom."

Bronx scrunched up his face, "Did you ask him to?" Bronx asked me, turning to face me from where he stood in front of us.

I nodded offhandedly, knowing that Bronx was bitter that Greg was cutting into our time together.

Bronx had always been the kind of kid who once he got used to something, someone, he expected it to stay that way, for the person to come around like usual and so the fact that Greg was here earlier had Bronx shaking his head in disapproval.

"Oh, Okay," he murmured quietly, taking my hand and tugging on it.

"It's alright, Bronx," I said, "We're all just going to hangout and have some fun." I tugged him back to me as he tried to pull me down the hall towards the door.

"It's fine," he sighed, "I just want to go home and watch movies."

I nodded, letting go of his hand so that he could lead the way. As he marched away towards the front of the building I turned back and reached for Greg's hand, apologizing for Bronx's moody attitude.

"It's fine," he answered, "He's a kid. I understand that he likes his routine."

I wrapped my arm around his and lightly bumped my shoulder with his.

We caught up with Bronx and he ran over and grabbed my free hand, pulling me away with all his strength. When we got to the car he pulled open his door and climbed inside, demanding that I close it for him.

I giggled as he folded his arms over his little chest and looked straight ahead.

Greg chuckled too. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to screw up your schedule." He stepped up and leaned against the passenger's side of the door, peering at my son and then at me.

I laughed. "Do you really think that it bothers me? If I didn't want you around I would've told you not to come in the first place, Greg, I'm not the kind of girl who gets stepped on." I laughed, shoving him away playfully.

Greg only nodded and rested a hand on his chest where I pushed him. "Meet you at your house?" he asked, dropping his hand back into his pockets.

"Yeah, definitely." I nodded, opening the driver's door.

"Great." Greg smiled, placing a kiss on my cheek before he walked around to the left side of his car and got in as I did.

I drove back to our house slowly, not too worried about time seeing as I had the whole weekend to relax, minus tomorrow night when I would spend that entire Saturday in L.A watching Avenged Sevenfold play their hearts out with Mike Portnoy.

I sighed in relief as I pulled into the familiar neighborhood with Greg's car close behind. I drove through the neighborhood taking in the looks of the familiar houses and the people who were outside enjoying the last day of August. I parked my car in it's usual spot, shut it off, and wondered to Bronx's door to let him out. I opened the back door and unbuckled him as the four year old raced to the front door and banged on it as if it would magically unlock and he would be granted entrance.

I smiled at Greg as he walked beside me up to the door. I unlocked it effortlessly and pushed it open, daring Bronx to take another step into the living room with his dirty shoes still on his feet.

"Sorry Mommy," he apologized as he yanked them off, wiggling his toes as he tossed his shoes on the mat by the front door.

"It's fine," I said as I took my own off and pulled my cell phone from my back pocket, "I need to call Amanda," I told him, referring to my friend who was also going to the concert tomorrow.

Both of the boys nodded and wandered into the living room to watch T.V. I walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast bar, my phone cradled between my hand and my ear.

"Hey Nissa!" The loud, hyper woman greeted into the phone.

I replied, "Hey Mandi! Are we still meeting up at two tomorrow?"

"Hell yeah!" she shouted, "I'm so excited, I can't wait!"

I could almost hear the younger girl jumping up and down on the other line and I grinned knowing that this would be the 23 year old's first Avenged Sevenfold concert.

"Me too! But I know that it won't be the same without The Rev."

Mandi tisked quietly, "It's really a shame that he died so young. He could've done great things with the world," she said quietly, her voice dropping an octave as we both thought about the man who had intense blue eyes and a crazy personality that truly helped give A7x the reputation that it has now.

"I know," I said, "He seemed like a great guy and a kick ass drummer."

A little gasp startled me from behind and I turned around to see my son standing there with Greg at his side, suppressing a chuckle. "What are you doing?" I questioned, holding my hand over the talking part of the telephone.

"You said a grown up word!" Bronx shouted, pointing at me incredulously. I sighed as I heard Amanda chuckled. "I just love that kid!"

I ignored Mandi's outburst and said to Bronx, "I can say grown up words because I am a grown up, you are not." He pouted briefly before he raced off towards his toy box in the living room, Greg following behind him with a smile.

"Sorry about that," I laughed, holding the phone back to my ear.

Mandi laughed as well, "No problem! Your son is just the cutest thing to walk this earth. Well, except Johnny Christ, of course." She boasted, her voice taking on a dreamy sound.

I scoffed, "As if! Synyster Gates is so much hotter than Johnny!"

We argued back and forth for awhile, finally agreeing to disagree. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" I asked.

"Definitely," she agreed, promising to meet up early tomorrow to enjoy the whole day and we hung up, both of us even more excited than before.