I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In
Chapter Fifteen
It had been a long day, ending with a family dinner at Dog and Beth's home. Zahli had remained glued to her mama's side all day, maintaining a firm grip on her hand. It was blatant how much she missed her mom.
Isabelle bent over, cradling her daughter in her arms. Zahli's tiny face buried into her mom's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around her mom's waist.
"Do you have to leave, mommy?" she asked, her bottom lip quivering as tears threatened to spill.
Fighting back her own tears, Isabelle kissed her daughter's porcelain forehead, "I do sweetheart, but it won't be for much longer. Mommy promises. Have you been having fun at Grandma and Grandpa's?" Zahli nodded, her bottom lip still dropped, "You just ask Grandma Beth to call me if you want to talk to me, whenever. It doesn't matter what time it is, okay?"
"Maybe one day soon mommy can stay here the night with us? We can show her how much fun we have. Does that sound like a good idea, Zahli?" Beth smiled, bending down beside Isabelle and tickling Zahli's tummy. This caused a smile from Zahli, before her arms enveloped her mom's neck tightly once more.
Leland stood to the side, his arms folded across his chest and a saddened look on his face. He shook his head, silently cursing the man who had forced Isabelle and Zahli apart. He was broken from his thoughts by a heavy sigh beside him. He turned to face his dad, hard lines ingrained on his tanned face. He too was shaking his head, his eyes watering.
"Heartbreaking."
That was met with a stern nod from Leland, "I'll kill that motherfucker if I ever see his face again."
Zahli was eventually pried from her mother, settling on the lounge watching a movie with Bonnie. She had formed a deep affection for Bonnie, who took her out to play with their animals often which Zahli loved. The only animal she had been allowed to have at home was a fish, because her dad had decided that any other pet would have been too expensive for him to pay for.
Isabelle stepped outside, taking a cigarette from her purse and shakily placing it to her lips. Her eyes were stinging with tears and her breath was shaky from holding back sobs. Leland moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her briefly before walking towards his father and Duane Lee, who had remained from dinner. Beth came over to Isabelle, lighting her cigarette for her and enveloping her in a tight embrace.
"Poor girl," Duane Lee spoke solemnly as the three men watched Beth comforting Isabelle, "I couldn't even imagine having to leave my child for so long."
"She's so lost. She wakes up in the morning and goes straight to Zahli's room."
"You'll just have to distract her until all this mess is over," Duane Lee chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows. This caused Dog to laugh and Leland to shake his head, pushing his brother. "Please tell me you've been keeping her occupied, Leland?"
His brother shook his head again, "We haven't done that yet. I don't particularly feel like coming onto her while she's depressed about her daughter being away."
"You haven't slept with her?!" Duane Lee exclaimed, copping a shove from his father as the two women glanced over at the commotion, "Maybe your charm has started to fail you, Leland. I mean you are getting older."
Leland snorted, "You're older than me, you idiot."
"Yeah, but I'm married. I don't have to be charming anymore," Duane Lee noted, before nudging his brother, "I think Beth's cheered her up."
He averted his eyes to Isabelle, who was laughing as Beth wiped a few stray tears from her face. She turned to face him and smiled a genuine smile, which he returned.
"Go on, son. Keep that smile on her face," Dog laughed, nudging his son towards Isabelle who was stubbing out her cigarette and ready to leave, "We'll call you tomorrow."
Isabelle bent over, cradling her daughter in her arms. Zahli's tiny face buried into her mom's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around her mom's waist.
"Do you have to leave, mommy?" she asked, her bottom lip quivering as tears threatened to spill.
Fighting back her own tears, Isabelle kissed her daughter's porcelain forehead, "I do sweetheart, but it won't be for much longer. Mommy promises. Have you been having fun at Grandma and Grandpa's?" Zahli nodded, her bottom lip still dropped, "You just ask Grandma Beth to call me if you want to talk to me, whenever. It doesn't matter what time it is, okay?"
"Maybe one day soon mommy can stay here the night with us? We can show her how much fun we have. Does that sound like a good idea, Zahli?" Beth smiled, bending down beside Isabelle and tickling Zahli's tummy. This caused a smile from Zahli, before her arms enveloped her mom's neck tightly once more.
Leland stood to the side, his arms folded across his chest and a saddened look on his face. He shook his head, silently cursing the man who had forced Isabelle and Zahli apart. He was broken from his thoughts by a heavy sigh beside him. He turned to face his dad, hard lines ingrained on his tanned face. He too was shaking his head, his eyes watering.
"Heartbreaking."
That was met with a stern nod from Leland, "I'll kill that motherfucker if I ever see his face again."
Zahli was eventually pried from her mother, settling on the lounge watching a movie with Bonnie. She had formed a deep affection for Bonnie, who took her out to play with their animals often which Zahli loved. The only animal she had been allowed to have at home was a fish, because her dad had decided that any other pet would have been too expensive for him to pay for.
Isabelle stepped outside, taking a cigarette from her purse and shakily placing it to her lips. Her eyes were stinging with tears and her breath was shaky from holding back sobs. Leland moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her briefly before walking towards his father and Duane Lee, who had remained from dinner. Beth came over to Isabelle, lighting her cigarette for her and enveloping her in a tight embrace.
"Poor girl," Duane Lee spoke solemnly as the three men watched Beth comforting Isabelle, "I couldn't even imagine having to leave my child for so long."
"She's so lost. She wakes up in the morning and goes straight to Zahli's room."
"You'll just have to distract her until all this mess is over," Duane Lee chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows. This caused Dog to laugh and Leland to shake his head, pushing his brother. "Please tell me you've been keeping her occupied, Leland?"
His brother shook his head again, "We haven't done that yet. I don't particularly feel like coming onto her while she's depressed about her daughter being away."
"You haven't slept with her?!" Duane Lee exclaimed, copping a shove from his father as the two women glanced over at the commotion, "Maybe your charm has started to fail you, Leland. I mean you are getting older."
Leland snorted, "You're older than me, you idiot."
"Yeah, but I'm married. I don't have to be charming anymore," Duane Lee noted, before nudging his brother, "I think Beth's cheered her up."
He averted his eyes to Isabelle, who was laughing as Beth wiped a few stray tears from her face. She turned to face him and smiled a genuine smile, which he returned.
"Go on, son. Keep that smile on her face," Dog laughed, nudging his son towards Isabelle who was stubbing out her cigarette and ready to leave, "We'll call you tomorrow."