Shooting Star

Matt sighed as he stood next to Layton in an awkward silence. He had so many things he wanted to ask her about, but he just wasn’t sure how to spit it out. He hadn’t talked to Layton in so long and that’s what made it even worse. What exactly was he supposed to say to squish the awkwardness? He really wasn’t sure. He was at a lost as to what to do.

“I’m really sorry about all this,” Layton finally mumbled to him as she looked up from the floor and right at him. “I don’t know what happened. One minute I watch her get in the car and buckle up, and the next she’s on the ground crying,” She sighed and shook her head.

“It’s fine, Layton,” Matt said, clearing his throat, “Really. It’s no big deal. Kids will be kids.”

Layton swallowed hard and nodded, not saying anything.

“How old is she?” His voice was soft and quiet, yet firm at the same time.

“Six,” Her barely audible voice cracked.

Matt breathed and ran a hand through his short hair. He knew it. It was easy for him to figure out. The little girl looked just like him. If he didn’t know what to do before, he definitely didn’t know what to do now. He had a daughter that Layton had kept from him, and he was angry about that.

“You should have told me,” He said, shaking his head, “I deserved to know a long time ago.”

Layton wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked at him. “I’m sorry, Matt. Okay? I’m so sorry I never told you.”

“Nope, instead you told me you had gotten an abortion before disappearing and never speaking to me again,” He said, ignoring her sorry, “I had rights, Layton. I had the right to know that I had a fucking daughter.”

Layton shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “I wasn’t about to ruin your life, Matt. You had the band to think about. Plus, you weren’t able to take care of yourself, much less a kid.”

Those words only flared Matt’s temper even more. “I could have still been apart of the band, Layton, and I could have still helped you raise our daughter at the same time. So don’t you even fucking go there with me! I would have loved to have helped you and been there for the both of you,” He assured her, “I would have loved her, Layton.”

Layton licked over her bottom lip and took a deep breath to calm her emotions down. “When you agreed with me on getting the abortion that day, I thought that was because you didn’t want the baby. I thought that it was wrong timing for the both of us and you agreed. So don’t you dare say those words like I tricked you or something when I didn’t. I told you I was getting an abortion and I was planning on it. I went to the appointment and waited in the waiting room for an hour, but when they called my name I froze. Okay? I couldn’t do it. As much as I knew I should, I just couldn’t.”

“Then why didn’t you just tell me that in the beginning, instead of leaving me out of the picture?” He questioned.

“I was scared.”

He frowned slightly as he stared into her eyes, “Scared of what?”

“Everything! I was scared of everything. I was scared that you would hate me if I told you I was having the baby, and that you might feel the need to be in her life just because it was the right thing to do instead of what you actually wanted,” She explained, trying to keep her voice down so the entire hospital wouldn’t know their business. “I was afraid that you would blame me for the rest of our lives for ruining everything by having the baby, and that you wouldn’t love me anymore or want to be with me. So I did the easiest thing I could think of. I packed up and went to live with my Aunt.”

Matt leaned back against the hospital wall behind him and shook his head; trying to wrap his head around everything she was telling him. He was confused, freaked out, angry, and sad that she actually thought some of those things. He thought she really knew him as person. He thought she knew that he would never hate her for getting pregnant. And he definitely never thought that it was her fault and that she was ruining their lives because of it. It takes two to tango, not just one.

“I wanted her,” He murmured.

Layton looked at him with confusion written all over her face. “What do you mean?”

“I only agreed for you to get the abortion because I thought that was what you wanted,” Matt admitted, “I thought that was what would make you happy, and at that point, I would have done or said anything for you to be happy, but I lied. It wasn’t true. I didn’t want you to have an abortion to begin with. When you told me you were pregnant, I was shocked. I thought to myself how could we let this happen? But that shock quickly turned into excitement, but then you said you could have an abortion and we could just move on. Simple as that.”

Tears stung Layton’s eyes after listening to what he had to say. “I really am sorry, Matt.” That was all it seemed she could say.

“I know,” He muttered, nodding his head, “I know you are, Layton.”

“Do uh—do you want to get to know her?” She asked him softly.

Nodding his head, he looked her straight in the eye, “Yeah, Layton. I do. I really, truly do.”

“Okay, I’ll introduce you to her,” Layton promised.

Matt sighed and when Layton looked away, he smiled to himself for a moment. He actually had a daughter. A six-year-old daughter. It didn’t matter that he had missed out on six years of her life, and it didn’t matter that he and Layton would have to explain to everybody about her, especially to his fiancé. All that mattered was the little girl who looked just like him with her hazel eyes and dimples.