Memories

April Squeezed my hand tightly. Gesturing to me that everything would be fine. We were finishing up packing up my car and moving van while Phil was inside with Kurin. I was going back to West Chester. To admit to that asshole that I had his daughter. April had been stressing to me for the last year that she wanted her grand daughter to be raised in Pennsylvania and start school there, with her family. She was holding me now as I stared at the house that I had every memory with my daughter in. I didn't want to go back home. My parents weren't there, my sisters weren't there, who was I supposed to hang out with now?

"Everything is going to be okay honey. I've had Dunn setting up the house all week, he's the only one who knows your coming." April said holding me.

My heart sank, I'm sure if Dunn knew I was coming home then Bam knew already too. April tried to talk about Bam as little as she could but he was the reason I had to go back, April didn't want to hide being a grandmother from him anymore. The only reason she had kept it a secret in the first place was because he was so reckless and out of hand. He could never handle a child. But now April tells me he has finally nutted up and popped the big question to his girlfriend, justifying that if he was mature enough to be married he'd be mature enough to meet his daughter.

"I don't want to go back there, it's cold there." I said brokenheartedly. I had always hated the snow.
"It's May!" April laughed. It was May, which meant that teaching was over for the summer.

I was a Twelfth grade English teacher. But not anymore in Tennessee, April had hooked me up a job at my old high school. A place I never wanted to see again.

Once all of our things were in the car. I sighed. Tears starting to roll down my cheeks. I ran inside and looked at Phil holding onto Kurin. He had the car bags already in his hands.

"Ready to go sweet cheeks?" He asked noticing my tears. I pulled my daughter into my arms and walked to the back door, trying to be strong for her.

"Say bye bye Rin'. We're going to a new place now." I choked slightly.

I didn't want to go home and see Bam. I didn't want to face him. I didn't want to see his reaction when I told him he was a daddy. Maybe he would hit me? Hopefully not. He's never hit me. But I didn't want to see that slut he cheated on me with, bringing down six years of my life. He wasted six hears for a few fun weeks with her while I was on vacation. He disgusted me.

As I walked to the front door April to Kurin from my hands and brought her to the car. I stood on my front porch. Phil put his arm around me gently, "It's not so bad sweet heart. Everyone does miss you." I practically laughed through my tears. remembering my old friends. They were so infuriated at me when I left. I had no choice not to believe Phil, I would bet money that none of them had thought of me in years.

Phil got into the drivers seat of my car and he put it in drive. Slowly we backed away from the place were I had made a home for myself. I had to go back. I held Kurin's hand as she dozed off into the car seat. This was going to be a long ride.

~~~

Fourteen hours later, give or take a few minutes, we had pulled up in front of a cute white house. Most of the yard was covered by trees but there was a cute wooden swing out front and a pool in the backyard. I couldn't help but smile at how homey it looked. And then I saw who was standing on the front porch. Ryan Dunn. My heart turned into knots. I hadn't seen my best friend in a little over four years. He looked bad, drunk and bearded. Just how I remembered him.

Ape turned at me and smiled. "Everything is fine love."

Ryan practically ran at the car when I stepped out, he pulled me into the tightest hug I had ever partaken in, my back cracked a few times. He had a few tears in his eyes. He looked upset with me, I didn't blame him. I frowned and turn to take Kurin out of her car seat. He held his face in pure joy and sadness, like it was the first time he was seeing his own child.

He pulled the little girl into his arms tightly and held her close. "Hi there, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Uncle Ryan.." He cooed at her as she sleepily looked up at him. He was crying so much now. April tried to take her from him but he had a hard time letting go.

"I'll give you guys a little time." She said walking towards the house with my child, leaving me with my very upset best friend.

"How could you do this to me Mira." He whispered. If he was this upset I was not looking forward to Bam. But he didn't let me reply.
"You had a fucking baby Mira, you didn't just dip out on our friendship, you had a fucking kid, Bam's kid. I should have been part of this! We were best friends!" He started to shout now.

I kicked the dirt by my foot. "Everyone was at different place in their lives Dunn, I was mad, I didn't want to leave you, you are my best friend, you still are."
He rubbed his puffy eyes. "I wish you hadn't left. I missed so much."
I stared at him quietly. "So Bam's getting married." He said in a sarcastic tone. "Why the fuck did you pick now to come back? As if he's not stressed out enough by that crazy controlling bitch." He muttered.
"Ape's idea, I didn't plan this." I said getting the feeling Ryan didn't like Bam's new girl.
He sighed and hugged me. "At least your back babe. We need a woman around desperately."
I laughed a little. "No one knows I'm here right?"
"Just me sugar."
"Good."