Beautiful Disaster
Present Day
Layla's POV
We were headed to my uncle Leland's house for my sweet sixteen. He had insisted that he throw the party! He was crazy like that, always fun to be around. We went to the beach together a lot, mainly because my dad didn't care for it as much as we did!
"Are you excited about your party pumpkin?" my dad says breaking my train of thought. "Um... yeah I guess so. I'm glad everyone is coming." I say watching the sights go by as we drove.
I had a million cousins, aunts and uncles, so it would be a full house! I wish that I had my own brothers or sisters like everyone else had, but my dad had explained to me once that my mother only wanted one. I understood that more now than I did then.
You might wonder why I haven't said much about my mother. She's a nurse and works a lot, so its usually just me and my dad. But that was alright, I liked it that way. But I hoped she would make it to my party tonight. Pulling into Leland's driveway I see the many car's that belong to my family. Looking around I don't see the one person I wanted to be here.
"She'll be here" my dad says patting my knee. "Maybe" I say getting out of the car. My dad walks around to my side of the car and wraps his arms around me saying "If she doesn't make it, the three of us will celebrate together tomorrow, I promise"
Walking into the house I'm surrounded by my huge family. Everyone stopping me to tell me Happy Birthday. It's chaotic but I love every minute of it. Leland stops to hug me "Happy Birthday baby girl." he says squeezing me really tight. "thanks!" I say barely able to breathe. I feel someone else's arms around us, looking up I see my dad, great I'm trapped in a group hug. This was what it was like to be part of this family. "Okay...cant breathe." I say smooshed into Leland.
My birthday party had been pretty typical, I think to my self sitting in my Uncle Leland's favorite chair. I watched as the camera guys talked with different family members about my birthday. There were times that I didn't mind them being around, and then there were moments like this that I wished it was just me and my family. Sometimes you just wanted some privacy.
Leland plopped down beside me in his big chair, patting me on the knee. "Are you having fun tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, just wished my mom was here." I say looking over at him. "I know, I
wish she was here too... for you, I mean" he says laughing. "I cant believe you're turning sixteen today, it seems like it was just yesterday when you were born. I remember that head full of dark hair...you were such a sweet baby." he says to me with a faraway look on his face. "Oh, you and dad sound just alike...I think the two of you are more mushy than the women in the family" I say laughing and getting up out of the chair.
I found my dad on the swing in the back yard and sat down beside him laying my head on his shoulder. "I had to run away from Leland he was being mushy again" I say wrinkling up my nose. "Oh, why was he being mushy, what did he say?" my dad asks. "Oh you know.. he cant believe I'm sixteen and it seems like yesterday when I was born..and blah blah blah.." I say looking at him. I could feel my dads chest shake as he laughs at me.
"I don't think mom is going to make it babe." he says to me as he swings us on the swing. "yeah, I kinda figured that. You think she would at least call or something. I am her only child." I say feeling a tear at the corner of my eye, I quickly wipe it off, not wanting my dad to see.
Duane Lee's POV
As I swung my little girl like I had so many times in her life, I felt terrible that her own mother wasn't here for her birthday party. I could say she was a great mother and did everything she could to be here, but that would be a lie. If she wanted to be here, she would have. I was use to her behavior but when it came to Layla, it broke my heart. I wanted this to be a happy day, she was turning sixteen. I had bought her a car, but she didn't know about that yet.
I know I might spoil her a little but she was a good kid. She worked hard in school and she never got into trouble. Unlike her father and uncle when we were in school. I guess in a way I felt guilty that she was an only child, so I over compensated.
I see Layla reach into her pants pocket and pull out her phone, and open her text messages, I guess to see if she got one from her mother. Empty is all it says. I just shake my head and pull her closer to me.
I hear Beth tell everyone its time for cake. "Dad, thanks for my party. Even if mom isn't here I'm still having a good time." she says to me getting up off the swing. "Anything for you pumpkin." I say smiling at her as we walk into the house.
We were headed to my uncle Leland's house for my sweet sixteen. He had insisted that he throw the party! He was crazy like that, always fun to be around. We went to the beach together a lot, mainly because my dad didn't care for it as much as we did!
"Are you excited about your party pumpkin?" my dad says breaking my train of thought. "Um... yeah I guess so. I'm glad everyone is coming." I say watching the sights go by as we drove.
I had a million cousins, aunts and uncles, so it would be a full house! I wish that I had my own brothers or sisters like everyone else had, but my dad had explained to me once that my mother only wanted one. I understood that more now than I did then.
You might wonder why I haven't said much about my mother. She's a nurse and works a lot, so its usually just me and my dad. But that was alright, I liked it that way. But I hoped she would make it to my party tonight. Pulling into Leland's driveway I see the many car's that belong to my family. Looking around I don't see the one person I wanted to be here.
"She'll be here" my dad says patting my knee. "Maybe" I say getting out of the car. My dad walks around to my side of the car and wraps his arms around me saying "If she doesn't make it, the three of us will celebrate together tomorrow, I promise"
Walking into the house I'm surrounded by my huge family. Everyone stopping me to tell me Happy Birthday. It's chaotic but I love every minute of it. Leland stops to hug me "Happy Birthday baby girl." he says squeezing me really tight. "thanks!" I say barely able to breathe. I feel someone else's arms around us, looking up I see my dad, great I'm trapped in a group hug. This was what it was like to be part of this family. "Okay...cant breathe." I say smooshed into Leland.
My birthday party had been pretty typical, I think to my self sitting in my Uncle Leland's favorite chair. I watched as the camera guys talked with different family members about my birthday. There were times that I didn't mind them being around, and then there were moments like this that I wished it was just me and my family. Sometimes you just wanted some privacy.
Leland plopped down beside me in his big chair, patting me on the knee. "Are you having fun tonight?" he asked. "Yeah, just wished my mom was here." I say looking over at him. "I know, I
wish she was here too... for you, I mean" he says laughing. "I cant believe you're turning sixteen today, it seems like it was just yesterday when you were born. I remember that head full of dark hair...you were such a sweet baby." he says to me with a faraway look on his face. "Oh, you and dad sound just alike...I think the two of you are more mushy than the women in the family" I say laughing and getting up out of the chair.
I found my dad on the swing in the back yard and sat down beside him laying my head on his shoulder. "I had to run away from Leland he was being mushy again" I say wrinkling up my nose. "Oh, why was he being mushy, what did he say?" my dad asks. "Oh you know.. he cant believe I'm sixteen and it seems like yesterday when I was born..and blah blah blah.." I say looking at him. I could feel my dads chest shake as he laughs at me.
"I don't think mom is going to make it babe." he says to me as he swings us on the swing. "yeah, I kinda figured that. You think she would at least call or something. I am her only child." I say feeling a tear at the corner of my eye, I quickly wipe it off, not wanting my dad to see.
Duane Lee's POV
As I swung my little girl like I had so many times in her life, I felt terrible that her own mother wasn't here for her birthday party. I could say she was a great mother and did everything she could to be here, but that would be a lie. If she wanted to be here, she would have. I was use to her behavior but when it came to Layla, it broke my heart. I wanted this to be a happy day, she was turning sixteen. I had bought her a car, but she didn't know about that yet.
I know I might spoil her a little but she was a good kid. She worked hard in school and she never got into trouble. Unlike her father and uncle when we were in school. I guess in a way I felt guilty that she was an only child, so I over compensated.
I see Layla reach into her pants pocket and pull out her phone, and open her text messages, I guess to see if she got one from her mother. Empty is all it says. I just shake my head and pull her closer to me.
I hear Beth tell everyone its time for cake. "Dad, thanks for my party. Even if mom isn't here I'm still having a good time." she says to me getting up off the swing. "Anything for you pumpkin." I say smiling at her as we walk into the house.