Shooting Star

When Matt brought Marley home that evening, she had begged him to stay for dinner and of course he had given in, especially after she started pouting. Layton knew that Matt didn’t mind staying, especially since Val was out for the night with her friends. So Layton, Matt, and Marley sat around the kitchen table and ate dinner. David would have joined them but he was working a double shift and wasn’t able to make it home for dinner. After they ate, Layton cleaned the kitchen while Matt took Marley upstairs to get her changed into some pajamas. Luckily for Layton, the little girl hadn’t thrown a fit at the mention of going to bed like she usually did, and Layton knew it was only because Matt was there. Once the kitchen was clean and Marley was in her pajamas, they three of them lied down on the couch to watch one of Marley’s favorite movies, Toy Story.

Layton sighed halfway through the movie when she glanced down and noticed the little girl snuggled in Matt’s lap was already fast asleep, “We should put her to bed,” She whispered to him as she reached for the remote to pause the movie.

“Good idea,” Matt nodded before carefully lifting her in his arms, “I’ll go.”

“You sure?” She asked.

“Mhm, I’ll be right back,” He flashed her a dimpled smile before heading up the stairs with Marley in his arms.

Layton drew in a deep breath as she threaded her fingers through her curly locks of hair. While Matt tucked Marley in to bed, she decided to wander into the kitchen to get a beer. She really could use one after the day she’d had, and she was sure Matt would want one too. She couldn’t blame him though. She knew that he must have really had a stressful day what with telling his parents about Marley and what not. Layton felt guilty that he’d had to do it alone, but she felt even guiltier that he had to do it at all. She knew that keeping Marley from him and everyone else for so many years was wrong of her and that she shouldn’t have done it, but she was thankful that they had seemed to have forgiven her for it.

“She all tucked in?” She murmured softly when she walked back into the living room to find Matt already resting against the couch again.

His eyes flicked over to meet hers and he nodded, “And fast asleep too.”

She smiled and walked over to him, “Got you a beer. Figured you might want one after the day you had.”

“Thanks,” He took the beer from her and popped the top off before gulping down a mouthful.

Layton sighed heavily and fell back against the couch beside Matt. She was tired and had so much on her mind between work, Marley, Matt, and a few other things. Plus, she still wasn’t all that sure about going on her date with Greg. She wanted to go, and she had even texted him her address and he was supposed to pick her up the next day around seven, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to go on a date. And if Marley found out, she would throw a fit, and Layton couldn’t blame her. In Marley’s little mind, she thought that Layton and Matt were supposed to be together, and Layton had tried to tell her that nothing would ever happen between Matt and her, but Marley didn’t want to hear it. She was just as stubborn as Layton and Matt were.

“Got a lot on your mind, huh?”

Turning to look at Matt, she nodded her head faintly, “I’m just…I guess I’m just trying to figure out what the future holds for Marley and I, you know? I mean, I appreciate my dad letting us stay here for as long as we need, but I want my own home and someone to—”

“Share it with?” Matt took a guess when Layton stopped mid-sentence.

“Is that wrong?” She asked him, “I know that Marley comes first and she always has, but I get lonely.”

Matt smiled sadly, “You’ll find someone one day, Layton.”

She drew in a deep breath, “I already have,” She murmured.

He narrowed his eyes together as he watched her pop open her beer and then take a sip. “You know that there’s nothing between us anymore, right Layton?”

“Of course,” She said, “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still love you.”

Matt licked over his lips and shook his head, “Layton…”

“Don’t worry,” She muttered, “I understand that you’re marrying Val, and I’m very happy for you, I just regret fucking everything up between us.”

He sighed, “Layton, I know that you regret it, but maybe it was meant to happen. Maybe this is how things are supposed to happen for us.”

“You mean maybe we aren’t meant to be together?”

“Yeah, exactly,” He nodded, “Maybe the only reason we were together was to have Marley and now that she’s here, we’re meant to be with other people, you know?”

Layton smiled faintly, “I get it.”

“I think that you need to start finding someone to settle down with,” He said, “I know that it can be hard dating with a kid but—”

She laughed and shook her head, “No you don’t. It’s horrible. Marley hates anyone I bring around. But I do actually have a date set up.”

“Oh really?” Matt raised one eyebrow, “When?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t think you cared,” She shrugged.

Matt drew in a deep breath, “I don’t necessarily,” He said quietly, “If you need Val and I to watch Marley though, we will.”

“You don’t have to,” Layton murmured, “My dad said he would watch her for me.”

“I don’t mind. Maybe Marley could stay the night with Val and I tomorrow? If you don’t mind that is.”

Layton sighed softly, shaking her head as she leaned back against the couch, “Not at all. As long as you and Val don’t mind having her.”

“We don’t,” He assured her, “We really like when Marley comes over. The house doesn’t seem as lonely anymore with her around.”

She smiled, “I understand what you mean.”

Silence then drifted between them. Layton chewed on her lip nervously before tipping back her beer, gulping down a mouthful. She felt slightly awkward at that moment and wondered if Matt felt the same way. But when she sat her beer down on the coffee table and then turned to him, he seemed fine, in fact, he was staring at her.

Finally, after a minute of them just staring at each other, he asked, “Do you have any baby photos?”

Layton was surprised at first at his question, but knew why he would want to see them or even have a few of them. She said, “Of course. Tons,” and then walked over to the large bookshelf in the corner. She had made her father tons and tons of photo albums filled with pictures of her and Marley, but especially Marley from when she was just a baby.

She grabbed two of the albums and then sat back down beside Matt. “This one is from when Marley was just a newborn, and this one is just filled with all different random pictures from when she was toddler up until about six months ago.”

A smile stretched across Matt’s face as he took the first album filled with pictures from when Marley was a newborn, wanting to see those first. “Thanks Layton,” He murmured.

“You’re welcome,” She smiled.