Take My Heart

Kallie Hughes let out a long sigh as she leaned against the back of her chair, watching as her three year old son colored on the paper the waitress had given him. She noticed that his dark hair was beginning to grow out, fringe now covering his small forehead. His hazel eyes were concentrated on the paper, but he was smiling widely, his deep dimples on display. It nearly crushed Kallie's heart that Jimmy had come out looking so much like his father.

Matt. He was the only reason she had come to this overcrowded restaurant. It was a Friday night, dinner time, and she knew it was only because of who Matt was that they had gotten a table, whilst others were left with a long wait. Kallie had just gotten off a long shift at the hospital, where she worked as a nurse, and had been ready to pick Jimmy up from daycare and head home, when Matt called her, requesting that she and their son meet him for dinner, as he had something important to discuss with her.

The thought nearly made her want to double over. There were only two prior incidents where Matt wanted to discuss 'things' with her; the first had been when he ended their six year-long relationship, and the second being when he had told Kallie he had met someone - Valary. Both events had left her feeling heartbroken and in tears, but she'd been strong enough to be able to collect herself. She had to be strong, because life wasn't just about her now; her son came before anything and everyone now.

Kallie's gray eyes traveled to the watch on her wrist, seeing that it was seven-oh-nine, making Matt nine minutes late. "Your daddy can never be on time, can he?" she sighed, helping the small boy take a sip of his drink. She pushed the fringe from his forehead, laughing as he made a face at her. "Your hair is getting ridiculous, chipmunk. We need to get you a haircut."

"My boy likes his hair long, right buddy?" Matt's voice suddenly came from behind Kallie. He walked across the table, taking the vacant seat across from her. He ruffled Jimmy's hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "The ladies love the long hair. Trust your daddy on that one," he chuckled, making Kallie roll her eyes.

"Mommy's going to be the only girl in your life, right, baby?" she cooed, playfully nipping at the boy's fingers as he reached for her hair, making him laugh.

Matt smiled, opening his menu. "Did you order anything yet?"

Kallie shook her head. "I thought I'd do the polite thing and wait, despite being starved."

"You didn't have to wait for me, Kal. You could've ordered."

She shrugged and opened her own menu. After looking over the choices in silence for several moments, the waitress returned and took their orders before leaving them alone once more. Kallie sipped on her diet coke, despite knowing that it really wouldn't make any difference. She'd managed to cut down on her soda intake, which had proved to be a difficult task as she loved the carbonated drink. However, after giving birth to Jimmy, the baby weight she'd gained had managed to be permanently stuck on her hips, no matter how much she tried to diet, and it wasn't pleasing to her. She blew out a breath of air as she twirled her straw around, suddenly second guessing the burger she'd ordered only moments before.

"I can hear you thinking, you know," Matt groaned, dropping the blue crayon Jimmy had handed to him. "You look great, Kallie. Stop worrying," he told her sternly before going back to coloring.

This made Kallie blush. Of course Matt could read her like a book. They'd been in each other's lives since the ages of seventeen and twenty-one, now twenty-six and thirty, Matt being older. Even if they didn't always want to admit it, they both knew each other like the backs of their hands.

"Thanks," she mumbled, watching Jimmy reach for his drink. He couldn't quite reach the cup, and she reached to grab it for him, but stopped short when Matt's large hand cradled it and held it to their son's mouth.

"Sometimes I think you forget I'm his dad."

Kallie had to laugh at that. She could never forget who Jimmy's father was. "You're such a jackass."

"If I wasn't so used to hearing you call me that, I'd be offended," Matt teased, his smile showing his dimples. Even after so many years and the fact that he'd broken her heart, his smile alone could make Kallie's heart skip beats.

Matt had changed throughout their years together, but the fact that he was one of the most attractive men on earth would never. His dark brown hair was a bit longer now, much like their son's, and he had it slicked back. His beautiful green orbs, though they now had slight dark circles around them, still shone as vibrantly as they ever had. His plump, pink lips made her crave for kisses that only now lived in her memory and his raspy, low voice still made her knees buckle. His lip ring and endless tattoos made her fingertips ache to run over them. Yes, she was twenty-six now, but Matt still made her feel like she was seventeen.

More than that, he still held onto her heart, and no matter how hard she had tried to make that feeling go away, she could never bring herself to stop being in love with Matt. It was simply impossible.

"Kallie?" Matt's voice broke her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him, arching her brows in response. "The food came," he told her, an amused expression on his face.

"Oh," she said sheepishly, looking down to see her burger and fries sitting before her on the table.

"Mommy," Jimmy whined, holding up a single chicken strip.

Kallie immediately knew what he was asking for. "Hold on, chipmunk. Give mommy a minute," she told him as she grabbed his plate, using her knife and fork to cut the chicken strips into smaller pieces. When she was done, she poured a decent amount of ketchup beside his fries, knowing how much he loved the condiment. "There you go, babyboy." She gave him a kiss on the cheek as she gave him his food.

"Tank you!" Jimmy exclaimed, his eyes widening big as he stuffed a piece of chicken into his mouth.

"I still can't figure out if he reminds me of Jimmy, or if Jimmy just acted like a big kid his entire life," Matt laughed, referring to both he and Kallie's childhood friend who had passed away nearly three years prior, right before their son's birth.

They hadn't been able to decide on a name at the time, and when Jimmy's death came so suddenly and unexpectedly, they knew that it seemed only right to name their son after him. James Owen Sanders had been named after one of the greatest men his parents ever knew, and it saddened Kallie that he'd never get the chance to meet 'the Rev' or know him. Jimmy had been a great friend to her, even during the times when she and Matt had rows in their relationship. Kallie had to stop herself before the tears started.

"So, uh ... what did you want to talk about?" she asked before bringing a fry up to her mouth, taking a bite out of it.

Matt's facial expression seemed to turn into a serious one, and he swallowed the large bite of his burger before speaking. "Are you sure you don't want to eat first?" he questioned, making Kallie immediately suspicious.

Whatever he had to share, it definitely wasn't good news.

She sighed and dropped her burger, having only gotten one bite out of it. She wiped her hands on a nearby napkin, looking straight at Matt. "I've suddenly lost my appetite. What's going on, Matthew?" she queried, using his full first name.

Matt wrung his fingers, his tongue swiping over his lips a few times. He glanced at their son, an admiring smile growing on his face. "Before I tell you, promise me that I can still get Jimmy for the weekend."

Although they were no longer together, she and Matt had never felt the need to involve lawyers or the court when it came to Jimmy. For the most part, though, Jimmy spent the weekdays with her, and the weekends with Matt, starting Friday mornings before Kallie began her shift at work. If Matt was going on tour with his band, Avenged Sevenfold, Kallie allowed Jimmy to spend more time with his father, knowing that it would most likely be months before they'd see each other again. When Valary came into the picture, however, things were strained a bit. Kallie wasn't completely comfortable with another woman entering her son's life, especially when it left a lot of room for confusion, but over time, Valary had proven to be a trustworthy person and whenever there was a concern involving Jimmy, she took the problem straight to either she or Matt, and Kallie appreciated that. She didn't know if she'd be comfortable with Valary reprimanding her son.

"Why would you even ask me to promise you that?" Kallie scoffed, shaking her head. "You know I'd never take Jimmy from you, Matt."

"I know that, Kallie," he sighed, running a hand over his face. "I just ... I don't know how you're going to take this."

"Fucking spit it out," she stated, her voice low enough so only Matt could hear.

She watched as he fidgeted in his seat before finally looking back into her eyes. "I bought a ring about a month ago, and I've just been holding onto it since then. I guess I just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision." His eyes dropped to the table, and Kallie could feel the bile rising in her throat. "I'm going to ask Val to marry me, Kallie."

Oh, God.

Kallie couldn't stop the tears that hoarded in her eyes. Her chest felt like it was caving in and she swore she couldn't breathe. Matt had not only broken her heart once again, but he had obliterated whatever hope she'd been holding onto. If he proposed to Valerie, that meant it was really over; there was no chance of she and him ever being together again.

Kallie's hands rolled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She licked her lips, trying to catch her breath. "It's Friday night and since Jimmy's here, you might as well take him," she said, gathering up her purse.

Matt's eyes widened and he reached a hand out, trying to stop her. "Kallie, please, just-"

She shook her head, praying and hoping that her tears wouldn't fall right then. "Don't." She turned to their son, cradling his face in her hands and kissing all over his cheeks. "I love you, chipmunk," she told him, her voice shaking entirely too much. "I'll see you in a couple of days, okay?" Her voice broke near the end, and she cursed herself before straightening up her posture. "I'll come to get him Sunday," she said before going to walk away.

"I hate hurting you, Kallie. I've hurt you so much more than I ever fucking wanted and I'm sorry," Matt apologized behind her, his voice strained with pain.

"Just worry about taking care of our son," she snapped before finally leaving the restaurant.

Once she was safely in her car, Kallie completely broke down. Tears tumbled down her cheeks like a waterfall and her entire body racked with sobs. She felt so completely and utterly hurt.

Matt had been her first everything. Her first boyfriend, her first kiss, her first love and the first boy she'd ever been intimate with. Once upon a time, Matt had promised her the world. He promised that when his band made it, he'd take her on the road with him and give her the opportunity to see the world. He promised the big house and guard dog. He promised her a wedding ring and children, and a universe of happiness. He'd promised to love her forever.

She'd been the only one to keep that promise.