Soul Searching

"So, where is your daddy?"

Anastacia sighs, slowly looking up from the paper on her desk, "what do you want, Hayden?"

"I want an answer to my question."

"He's dead," Anastacia spins in the office chair. "Anything else I can help you with?"

"Mom got a boyfriend?"

Anastacia shakes her head, "nope."

"Do you?"

Anastacia shakes her head again. "Do you?"

Hayden scowls, "I did."

"Congratulations."

"No need to be a bitch about it," Hayden crosses her arms.

The younger woman shrugs lightly, "I'm not being a bitch about anything."

"He was Violet's dad."

Anastacia's eyebrows raise, "what?"

"My boyfriend was Violet's dad and I was pregnant with his child."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"In case they try and feed you any lies about me."

Anastacia shakes her head.

"You're bound to meet them some time."

"Alright."

Hayden crosses her arms, "they're gonna lie to you. Don't let them, okay?"

"Alright," Anastacia says quietly.

Hayden leaves the room silently, not once looking back to see the look on Anastacia’s face.



"What's wrong, Stacie?"

She shakes her head.

Tate stares at her, "tell me."

"Every time I've seen Hayden, she brings up my dad."

He skips a beat, shaking his head. "That's because she's a cocksucker."

"Tate, my dad died when I was three."

"Having a dad is really overrated, Stacie. Just trust me on that one." Tate lowers himself onto the couch next to Anastacia.

Anastacia sighs quietly, letting her gaze wander away from Tate.

He sighs, "don't let Hayden bother you."

“Yeah, that’s easier said than done.”

“Just tell her to go away,” Tate says quietly.

She nods, “I really love how easy you make that sound, Tate. Seriously. Like she’ll just listen to me and leave when I tell her to.”

“She will,” he nods. “She won’t like it, but she will.”

“You seem really sure of this,” Anastacia’s lips purse as she crosses her arms.

Tate smiles, nodding, “that’s because I am. You tell her to leave, and she’s gone. I mean, she’ll come back. But she’ll leave you be for a good period of time.”

“Alright,” Anastacia nods, slowly making eye contact with Tate. “I’ll keep that in mind.”