Sequel: Pins and Needles ›
Philly Ink
Unwanted Advice
(Vern’s POV)
It hadn’t been something I wanted to do. Not since I left Abby all those years ago. Seeing her mother was about as high on my list as a vasectomy and I wasn’t exaggerating. Talking to the woman was like getting dental surgery or having my eyes pulled from their sockets with a rusty screwdriver. Sitting in my Subaru, I stared at the pretty little brick house in front of me. God, I hated this place.
Climbing from the beat up car, I pulled my shirt straight and walked to the front door. I kept repeating the words I would say to Mrs. Miller over and over in my head. One wrong word or look and she probably wouldn’t let Claudia go home with me. Running a hand through my hair quickly in a feeble attempt to make it look presentable, I raised my fist and knocked on the red wooden door.
A few moments later, the door opened and revealed a neatly dressed woman in her mid-fifties. Her graying blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her blue eyes glanced over my appearance in that judgey way older people do. Sighing, I gave a small wave.
“Hi Mrs. Miller. I’m here to get Claudia.” I said as I stood there looking like a moron.
She made a face which bordered on disgust mixed with confusion. “Hello Vern. Come in. I’ll get her. It will be just a moment.”
I stepped into the pretty and immaculate home. There was never a spot of dust on the furniture. It had been the same when Abby and I were younger and seeing that it never changed over the years brought back some good memories of the times when we were happy. And we had been happy… just not as happy as Abby would have liked.
Glancing at the old knickknacks and old fashioned furnishings, I grew somewhat jealous. Abby had a great upbringing with both her parents giving their all for their children and three brothers who would kill for her. She had enough money that her father happily paid to put her through college. When she got pregnant, however, it all ended and her family always blamed it on me.
It wasn’t just my fault. Abby had stopped taking the pill and hadn’t told me. Maybe she was so used to our usual encounters that it never crossed her mind. Maybe she was trying to get pregnant to entrap me in a relationship. I’ll never know and Abby would never tell me what it was anyway.
A noise came from the door leading to the living room and turning towards it, I expected to see my little girl standing there. Instead, I got Abigail’s oldest brother.
“What are you doing here?” Matt snapped at me.
It was uncalled for and with the way I usually was, I was put on the defensive. “I’m here getting my fucking daughter. What is it to you?”
Matt crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at me with a glare. It was the same glare the rest of the Miller children had so easily perfected. “Maybe you should start acting like a father then and not some crack head babysitter.”
I wasn’t easily offended since I had been called just as bad by Abby, Deron and Chad over the years I had been in CKY, but something about Matt saying something in reference to my daughter’s care irked me. “The way I live my life is none of your concern and don’t bring my daughter into this.”
“Maybe if you took her into consideration, you would get to see her more often.”
“Maybe you should mind your own fucking business.” I barked at him, tired of the way he treated me. I may be a scumbag to him, but the least he could do was at least act like he got along with me for Claudia.
Matt took a step toward me, closing the gap between us and got into my face. “May I remind you that since Claudia is my niece, she is my business.”
To stop myself from throwing a fist, I stepped back a few feet and tried to reason with him. “I kicked out Dana! I stopped smoking. What else do you people expect me to do?”
Matt gave me a look as if I just didn’t get it.
“What?”
“Try acting like a father.” Matt said, slightly calmer, but still angry with me.
I stared at Matt for a moment, unable to believe we just had a conversation… well something close to a conversation. I was about to speak when my daughter’s voice interrupted me.
“Daddy?”
I glanced towards the living room and saw my tiny princess standing there with her large green eyes and her long curly blonde hair. She was so innocent and I didn’t need her to see me fight with her uncle.
“Hey sweetie. Let’s go home ok?” I told her, holding out my hand for her to take.
It hadn’t been something I wanted to do. Not since I left Abby all those years ago. Seeing her mother was about as high on my list as a vasectomy and I wasn’t exaggerating. Talking to the woman was like getting dental surgery or having my eyes pulled from their sockets with a rusty screwdriver. Sitting in my Subaru, I stared at the pretty little brick house in front of me. God, I hated this place.
Climbing from the beat up car, I pulled my shirt straight and walked to the front door. I kept repeating the words I would say to Mrs. Miller over and over in my head. One wrong word or look and she probably wouldn’t let Claudia go home with me. Running a hand through my hair quickly in a feeble attempt to make it look presentable, I raised my fist and knocked on the red wooden door.
A few moments later, the door opened and revealed a neatly dressed woman in her mid-fifties. Her graying blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her blue eyes glanced over my appearance in that judgey way older people do. Sighing, I gave a small wave.
“Hi Mrs. Miller. I’m here to get Claudia.” I said as I stood there looking like a moron.
She made a face which bordered on disgust mixed with confusion. “Hello Vern. Come in. I’ll get her. It will be just a moment.”
I stepped into the pretty and immaculate home. There was never a spot of dust on the furniture. It had been the same when Abby and I were younger and seeing that it never changed over the years brought back some good memories of the times when we were happy. And we had been happy… just not as happy as Abby would have liked.
Glancing at the old knickknacks and old fashioned furnishings, I grew somewhat jealous. Abby had a great upbringing with both her parents giving their all for their children and three brothers who would kill for her. She had enough money that her father happily paid to put her through college. When she got pregnant, however, it all ended and her family always blamed it on me.
It wasn’t just my fault. Abby had stopped taking the pill and hadn’t told me. Maybe she was so used to our usual encounters that it never crossed her mind. Maybe she was trying to get pregnant to entrap me in a relationship. I’ll never know and Abby would never tell me what it was anyway.
A noise came from the door leading to the living room and turning towards it, I expected to see my little girl standing there. Instead, I got Abigail’s oldest brother.
“What are you doing here?” Matt snapped at me.
It was uncalled for and with the way I usually was, I was put on the defensive. “I’m here getting my fucking daughter. What is it to you?”
Matt crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at me with a glare. It was the same glare the rest of the Miller children had so easily perfected. “Maybe you should start acting like a father then and not some crack head babysitter.”
I wasn’t easily offended since I had been called just as bad by Abby, Deron and Chad over the years I had been in CKY, but something about Matt saying something in reference to my daughter’s care irked me. “The way I live my life is none of your concern and don’t bring my daughter into this.”
“Maybe if you took her into consideration, you would get to see her more often.”
“Maybe you should mind your own fucking business.” I barked at him, tired of the way he treated me. I may be a scumbag to him, but the least he could do was at least act like he got along with me for Claudia.
Matt took a step toward me, closing the gap between us and got into my face. “May I remind you that since Claudia is my niece, she is my business.”
To stop myself from throwing a fist, I stepped back a few feet and tried to reason with him. “I kicked out Dana! I stopped smoking. What else do you people expect me to do?”
Matt gave me a look as if I just didn’t get it.
“What?”
“Try acting like a father.” Matt said, slightly calmer, but still angry with me.
I stared at Matt for a moment, unable to believe we just had a conversation… well something close to a conversation. I was about to speak when my daughter’s voice interrupted me.
“Daddy?”
I glanced towards the living room and saw my tiny princess standing there with her large green eyes and her long curly blonde hair. She was so innocent and I didn’t need her to see me fight with her uncle.
“Hey sweetie. Let’s go home ok?” I told her, holding out my hand for her to take.