Philly Ink

(Abigail’s POV)

A light tug on my hand caught my attention. I had been so focused on the beat up Subaru Outback that had pulled in I had barely noticed my daughter’s tiny voice. Glancing down, I looked into the bright green eyes glancing up at me in interest.

“Is Daddy here yet, Momma?” Her sweet melodic voice asked of me. My seven year old daughter waited for my answer patiently. She was definitely her father’s child. She didn’t get any of my impatience and somehow I didn’t understand why. Maybe I should be grateful. Sometimes it just hurt me to look at her since she was practically the spitting image of her father.

“Yes, baby. Daddy is here.” What creature had Vern Zaborowski and I created? She was way too smart for a seven year old.

Yes, Vern had been my college sweetheart… well, sweetheart was nowhere near what he really was, but it was the term my friends liked to use to describe our relationship. He and I were together when I first graduated high school and started college as a business major. But after I got pregnant in my junior year, I dropped out to care for Claudia Rose and Vern left us. I didn’t hate him for it. I was actually relieved when he had disappeared for the first four years of my daughter’s life. Then he returned claiming to want to get to know Claudia. Since he had come back to Philadelphia three years before, Vern had maybe seen her fifteen to twenty times.

I think most of that had to do with my older brothers, I did have three of them, but I couldn’t say for sure. All I knew was they all hated Vern with a passion I could neither describe nor believe.

When Vern finally met me outside of my apartment building, I could tell he hadn’t done much in way of his appearance. His shirt was wrinkled and his pants were so grimy it was as if he had put them on and rolled in dirt before coming through the city. His hair had grown out once more and lay in shaggy layers over his eyes. He was unshaven and smelt like stale cigarettes.

“You are taking her home in that thing?” I nodded towards the Subaru that looked as if it were on its last wheel.

“Hello to you too, Abigail.” Vern muttered before glancing at my side where Claudia stood clutching my hand. “Hey princess. Ready to go?”

Claudia tugged at my hand again. “When are you picking me up Momma?”

I smiled down at my darling girl before answering. “Tomorrow sweetie. I’ll come get you from Daddy’s house, ok?”

Nodding shyly, her hand dropped from mine before putting it in Vern’s. She didn’t say another word as I kissed her goodbye and watched as she went with Vern to the car. I didn’t like sending her away but it was something I had to do if I wanted her to know her father at all.

As I closed the door to my apartment, I heard the familiar sounds of my cell phone ringing. Cutting off the “Nightmare Before Christmas” ringtone I had bought on a whim, I lifted the phone to my ear.

“Abigail Miller speaking.”

“Babs!” My brother’s voice shouted through the phone at me. “What are you doing?”

The sounds of a club or bar echoed in the background and I had to strain to hear Deron even though he was practically screaming. I thought he had given up drinking and the idea that he was doing it again made me sigh.

“I just handed Clauds over to Vern. She’s gonna be gone until tomorrow night. What are you doing?”

A laugh in the background had a distinct feminine sound and I hoped to God that Deron wasn’t cheating on his wife. I loved Felissa as if she was really my sister and I would kill Deron if he ever hurt her, blood relation or not.

“I’m at the Note. Hey! You should stop by! We’re playing a show tonight!”

“You’re in West Chester? Since when?” I asked in shock. My brother avoided Pennsylvania religiously. Think it had something to do with my parents and Vern living in the same county, but I never said it out loud.

“Since last night.”

“Nice of you to tell me… Or anyone else for that matter.” I snapped as I reached for my coat. September’s weather had turned chilly recently and it was really upsetting that it was time for coats already. “Wait- you’re playing a show? With who?”

“CKY… what other band would I be playing with?” Deron asked seriously.

“Last time I checked you weren’t together anymore, not to mention without a bass player.”

“We have Matt Deis.” Deron answered. “He replaced asshole a few years ago… remember?”

“Who?” I asked him in total confusion. I didn’t keep up with the band like I used to when Vern was my boyfriend and a part of CKY, but I don’t remember another guy unless my brother meant… “Oh you mean the child?”

“Don’t let him hear you call him that.” Deron growled over the phone. Forgot he had a tendency to do that.

“What’s he gonna do? Go cry to his mommy?” I had to learn how to control my mouth… on second thought fuck it.

“Stop bitching and get your ass over here, Babs. You have nothing else to do anyway.”

I hated it, but Deron couldn’t have been more right. I had nothing else to do.