We Only Breathe For So Long.

“Charlotte?” He waited somewhat patiently for an answer looking down at her, but she avoiding his gaze, staring down at her twined hands, it had become known to John that this was a habit of hers when she was nervous.

“John, I-I’m not sure it’s a good idea to—“

“Charlotte please, I-I swear I won’t tell a soul, but I do fucking care about you a-and Garrett, no matter how much of an asshole he is being, but…I saw him hit you a-and Garrett is never--and I mean never one to hit a girl, let alone anyone. I saw a different side of him a-and…fuck Charlotte,” he began to pace in front of her bed, running a hand through his growing hair, “I know it’s not my place to know, but it’s fucking killing me to see both of my friends like this.”

Charlotte was quiet for a second, before raising her head to look up at the distraught boy, “F-Friend?”

“Yes friend Charlotte, that’s what we are? Y’know the relationship between two friends.” He slightly chuckled and even though at this point in time he should have been continuing to argue his point, she seemed to bring this different light into his world at her cluelessness.

“Oh.” Her head dropped back down to her hands. He stood at the foot of her bed staring over at her for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and sitting in front of her on the hospital bed.

“Please Charlotte?” She could tell without looking up at his face that his eyes were pleading her to tell him.

With a sigh she began to tell John just how this hatred for Charlotte came along…



Charlotte had only been 7 years old at the time, old enough to know her mom was upset and annoyed by something. At the age of 5 she kept to herself, went to school, learnt and came home only for her mom to be in the same state she had been when she had left.

They were financially struggling to keep the roof above the head, jobs around Arizona were very scarce and when you had very little qualifications like Gwen did—it was beyond difficult. But somehow the local diner had pulled through for Gwen.

At first the job Gwen had taken up as a waitress at the local diner had been enough to cover for food and somewhat of the bills, but it began to become difficult once Charlotte had been born. Charlotte had been a spur of the moment type child.

She wasn’t unwanted, she wasn’t a mistake—she just happened.

Once Charlotte had been born Gwen had taken matters into her own hands, she had to do what she could for her child so she did what a struggling mother would do—go straight to the father.

Confronting the father of her Charlotte was a bit harder than Gwen had originally thought; tracking him down had been easy it was getting him away from everyone that had been a difficulty.

But one day she had caught him eating lunch alone at a sushi place down town, so she had followed him whilst Charlotte had been at school.

She had parked her car not far from the café, taking a deep breath before willing herself to get up and get in there.

Entering the café she had been welcomed by the fresh air of sushi, one thing she had found that she had in common with the father, this had just been one of the many places they would meet up and seeing him here after 5 years of having not seen him, bought back many unwanted memories.

“Henry.” The familiar man’s face had been glancing over the newspaper before him, but hearing the voice he knew so well bought a whole new shock factor to him.

Henry looked up at the woman before him, much had changed in the five years, and he could see that now she looked five years older than she actually was, she had been a beautiful woman, she still was—but he could see the changes in her, the dark circle underneath her eyes.

She was at the ripe age of 35, but she looked close to 40.

“G-Gwen, what are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in…years, p-please take a seat.” Gwen slid into the booth, sitting across from Henry, “did you want something to eat? I can get you it? Or to drink? Did you want something to drink?” The questions continued to come, Gwen just offered a small smile and a simple no.

The rambling of Henry had been something she had always loved; she seemed to be the only one that would pick up on the cute little things she adored.

“What brings you here Gwen? It has been too long since I last saw you…”

The last time they had seen each other had been the downfall of them, they had broken out into a fight.

They had known each other since high school, at first they had been just friends, Gwen had been the girl everyone wanted, but she had never wanted any of them, she wanted it to be special and she knew better then to trust all the horny teenagers wanting her just for a simple fuck.

But there was one kid who seemed to stand out to her; Henry, he was a bit on the nerdy side and seemed to be the only guy not chasing after her.

He was awkward like and had this cute demeanour about him, after that she had made the first move and befriended him, to say he was awkward beyond ever was an understatement. The first time they had ever hung out at another café shop, he had worn his jumper back to front, messed up his words and had almost sweat through both his top and jumper.

But she loved that about him, eventually they had become an item and from there, they were not only lovers, but best friends too.

“Henry,” she had reached across the table to rest her hand atop of his, “the last time we met we didn’t leave on too much of a good foot a-and I need to ask a favour.”

There was a moment of silence, Henry processing what possibly the favour would be and trying to get over the fact her still soft as ever hand was resting atop of his, “Y-Yes?”

Usually she would be one to smile at his stutters, but this was a serious matter, “I-I’m struggling Henry, I have a child now and it’s—I’m struggling to pay for everything.” this caught his attention, his head snapping up with wide eyes.

“She’s five and at school right now, I named her Charlotte. She’s beautiful Henry.” Gwen smiled at just the thought of Charlotte.

“And the father?”

Gwen was quiet for a second, “He’s absent from her life.”

Henry simply nodded his head, “W-What is it you want Gwen?” Henry’s head had snapped up, his eyes tired and annoyed which Gwen had caught onto.

“I’m sorry?” She was confused.

“You said you needed a favour? If it’s to babysit her for a week or whatever, I’m a friend, not her sit-in father.”

“N-No of course not, Henry.” Gwen looked over at him with furrowed eyebrows. She hadn’t noticed that he had changed, whilst she looked five years older, he looked to be five years younger. Sitting before her in a button up white shirt and dress pants, he looked good.

“Well?”

“Well...I need money.” She hadn’t meant for it to sound so blunt, but he was intimidating her and never had she been intimidated by Henry, that had always been her role.

“For what?”

“For Charlotte. I’m struggling to pay for rent, for food, for everything.”

“I-I can’t.”

This had taken Gwen by surprise, “I-I’m sorry? What do you mean you can’t Henry?”

“I have a life—“

“And I have one too.”

“But I have a wife and two kids—“

“I have a fucking child too Henry!” Gwen was getting louder by the second, but she didn’t care, she was pissed.

“I can’t all of a sudden just give you money! We left off on a bad foot and you all of a sudden want me to give you money f-for…whatever her name is.” Before Henry could finish his sentence, Gwen had raised her hand and slapped him the hardest she had ever slapped anyone.

They were both quiet, tears and Gwen’s eyes and a red hand print on Henry’s cheek.

“Charlotte happens to be the best thing that has happened to me, I came to you because I trusted you.” Gwen whispered her voice breaking.

“Yeah…well people change Gwen.” Henry tried to put as much force and anger into his statement, but fell short.

“And I actually thought you’d help me.” Gwen scoffed, “you’re just as much of an ignorant fuck as Kristine was. I’m guessing she was the one you married?” Gwen took his silence as a yes, “of course, you’d believe that bitch over someone who put all their trust in you.”

“You were the one who believed her lies!” Gwen cried.

“Whatever Gwen, she ended up being right anyways about you, sleeping with other people’s husbands, partners. You were just like all those other sluts. I bet the father is some drunken slob.” Those words there hit Gwen straight in the heart.

“I don’t want to ever see you again Henry.”

“Good, but I’m warning my children and wife of you and that little…thing, you were a mistake Gwen, always were, always will be.”

After those words Gwen had taken herself, stood up, but before leaving had socked him one right in the face, before walking out past the shocked people sitting in the sushi café.

The last time she had ever heard from or seen Henry.



“….and that was just how she told me the story went, he told his kids of my mom and me—who happened to be Garrett and I think his name is Trey or something? Anyways, when I came back to school, things turned sour and yeah…there’s more to the story but mom said she’d tell me when I’m older or something.”

Charlotte turned towards the gaping boy, “Shit.”

“Yeah.” She chuckled.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but visiting hours are over.” A nurse walked in, leaving with a smile.

There was another awkward silence, both of them thinking over the story, “Why do you let him walk all over you though? I understand why he hates you, but why do you?”

“I don’t have it in me to argue back. I barely know him and…arguing would get us nowhere.” Charlotte lightly shrugged.

“He should know the truth though.” John argued back.

“H-He can’t know John, please John, please! Y-You can’t tell him. It’s between his parents and my mom, if he wants to hate me, he can.”

“He shouldn’t though Charlotte! Y-You’re not to blame for your mother’s past.”

“Yeah…well, everybody has a past their not proud of.” She whispered, “You should go John, it’s getting late.”

John was going to argue back, but seeing Charlotte turn to the other side of her bed; he knew it was time to leave.

“I’ll see you around Char.” He said before leaving her side and heading out the door, searching for someone he needed to talk to.

He spotted the person sitting outside in a chair in the waiting room, a cup of coffee in their hands, their head down.

“Gwen.” John spoke up.

Gwen jumped a bit, startled by the sound of John, “Oh, is she alright? Is she just resting now?” John nodded, taking a seat beside Gwen.

“S-She told me about you and your past—well what she could.” Gwen nodded in response to John, “y’know she’s beating herself up over your past.”

“I know, I heard you talking to her, I left once you were finished. My past is my past, my future is Charlotte and what happens between Henry’s family and my family stays between us. I have my reasons for why Charlotte mustn’t confront Henry and his children of the truth and that is between Charlotte and I.”

“I understand that—well I really don’t, but there’s one thing I don’t understand.” John stated, turning to face towards the older woman.

“And that is?” Gwen looked over at him with a raised eyebrow and annoyed look.

As Charlotte had told John of her mother’s story, something had clicked in his head and he had seen just how oblivious Charlotte was to the surreal truth.

“Why have you never told Charlotte that Henry is her father?”