All for Helena

When I got to work on Monday morning, I looked like hell. I had gotten zero sleep last night. I was so worried about what Frank would say when he talked to me, or if he’d even talk to me. When I got behind the counter, Michelle looked at me.

“Woah, are you okay?” Michelle asked as I was hunched over the counter. I looked up at her.

“I didn’t sleep last night,” I murmured. She looked at me with concern.

“Why not? Helena okay?” she asked. I nodded.

“She’s fine. I just kinda told her father that he was her father, and now he hates my guts,” I sighed. She looked at me.

“You saw her father? That’s awesome!” she exclaimed, a little too loudly. I winced.

“You did too. It’s Frank,” I said. She looked at me with wide eyes.

“As in Iero?” she asked. I nodded.

“NO WAY!” she shouted. I fell backward and hit the ground with a thud! I groaned and sighed.

“Ryan! Are you okay?” Michelle asked. I nodded.

“Excuse me?” a voice asked. Michelle looked up.

“Is Ryan here?” the same voice asked. Michelle nodded. I grabbed the counter and pulled myself to my feet. I saw Frank. He looked worried.

“You okay Ryan?” Frank asked. I nodded.

“Didn’t sleep last night,” I mumbled. He sighed.

“Well, can we talk?” he asked. I nodded and walked to the back room. I sat down and so did he.

“Ryan, I’m sorry for yelling at you yesterday,” Frank started. “And I’m sorry for running off,” he added. “I was just kinda freaked out. I mean, I just found out had a daughter. I was scared, that I could do that,” he sighed. “But I have one question,” he said.

“Shoot,” I said.

“Does Helena know?” Frank asked. “That...I’m her father?” he added slowly. I shook my head. He nodded and sighed.

“I just keep telling her Daddy got lost,” I sighed. Frank looked at me sadly.

“I feel like such a piece of crap for not caring about anyone but myself while your here raising our daughter, and struggling to do so,” he said. “It...I...” he stuttered.

“You...don’t have to say anything. You’re here now. We have to tell her, and that’s a couple’s thing,” I sighed. “But you have no idea how much I want to sleep,” I sighed. He nodded.

“If you want, I’ll pick her up at the bus stop and we’ll do something, and you can sleep,” Frank offered. I looked at him.

“You’d do that?” I asked. He nodded.

“She is my daughter,” he said.

“She doesn’t know, and you’re not going to tell her,” I added to his sentence. He nodded. I told him where Helena’s bus stop was and what time to pick her up. Michelle let me go home early and I went straight to sleep.