There was a jostle of the lock before the front door opened. My little sister's voice called out into the apartment. "Where's my niece?" she asked dramatically. Layla started screaming as my sister started yelling. They collapsed in each other's arms in the foyer, like they hadn’t just seen each other last weekend. Pinning the corners of my lips down, I started prepping dinner. "How are you, my little Layla?"
"I'm sad."
"Aw, why’s that?"
"Daddy's making me do homework."
"Hey!" I warned from the kitchen, knowing full and well we’ve already had a discussion about complaining.
They both turned their attention to me. Karen looked back at her, bending down to her level. "That sucks, honey, but you should listen to your daddy. When he says it's time for homework then it's time for homework. After, we can eat dinner and watch whatever movie you want, okay?"
Layla sighed more dramatically than ever before. "Fine. I guess I should have known you'd take his side."
"Layla!" I warned again. This time her eyes widened. "Enough with the attitude. My mind’s not gonna change. Homework. Now."
She ripped out of Karen's arms, snatched her backpack from the ground, then stomped off to the dining room. Karen stood, crossing her arms as she shook her head. "She's too cute."
My own head shook. "Don't encourage her."
No response as she joined me in the kitchen. She leaned against the open doorway, watching me bread a chicken strip then put it into the sizzling pan. "Kinda weird her school’s still in. It's winter vacation."
I shrugged. "Desiree has her in this weird private school. It starts and finishes a week later than everywhere else. It kinda pisses me off since she's getting her for both holidays. I won't even get to see Layla again until the new year."
My sister nodded at my rant. She didn't say anything, knowing she was also leaving me for Christmas. Her new boyfriend's family invited her to stay with them in Ireland. "I'll be alone this year," I managed to mumble, hating how sad I sounded.
"You won't be alone," she said, "you'll have Charlie."
I scoffed. "Right. Because your stupid dog is going to be great company."
"Hey!" she warned. "He's not stupid, and he is great company." She playfully punched my arm. "You'll be in love with him by the time I get back."
"Yeah, doubt it," I said under my breath.
Layla ran into the room, curly hair bouncing off her shoulders. "Aunt Kaykay, will you please help me?" She batted her eyelashes, pressing the palms of her hands together.
Karen pinched her cheek. "Sure, girlie. I'll try my best." She took Layla's hand as she followed her out of the room.
I continued cooking as their quiet voices flowed through the apartment. I couldn't make out exactly what was being said, but it made me happy. Desiree and I fell apart, but I could always depend on my little sister to influence Layla in a different way.
Desiree was more materialistic and spoiled while Karen was humble and sweet. Desiree married, or dated, rich men as an income while Karen worked her ass off to pay her way through school. Layla needed balance. She could be a beautiful woman who deserved to be cherished and pampered, but she could also be practical and work hard.
I plated two dishes before carrying them into the dining room. Karen pointed to something on Layla's page as Layla nodded and circled an answer. "All done with your homework?" I asked, placing the plates in front of my two favorite girls.
Layla shook her head, holding up one of her papers for me to see. "No. One more."
"That's okay, baby." I leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead and running my fingers through her hair. "You can finish on Sunday when you go back to Mommy's, okay?"
Her eyes lit up. "Really?”
I nodded.
“Thank you, Daddy." She practically bounced in her seat as she sorted through papers, putting them back into her folder.
Back in the kitchen, I fixed my own plate. Karen followed me to the fridge for Layla’s juice and two beers for us. We gave each other these secret looks we used when Layla was over.
When we returned, Layla was frowning, staring down at her plate. "What's wrong?" I asked, thinking she suddenly didn’t like chicken tenders. It wouldn’t be the first time she just flipped her favorite foods on me.
She huffed. "Daddy, I'm sad."
Frowning back at her, I straightened out her napkin. "Why are you sad, baby?"
She picked up her fork and stuck it into one of her diced pieces of the chicken, avoiding my eyes. "Because I was mean when you asked me to do homework."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "Are you apologizing?"
Her head tilted as she thought for a moment. She nodded before looking back up at me. "Yes, I'm sorry, Daddy. I'll be good."
My thumb rubbed against her cheek. "Thank you, baby.” I planted another kiss on her little forehead. “I forgive you. You were never a bad, okay?"
She considered my words before nodding in agreement. "Okay."
Karen and I shared another one of those looks.
❣❣❣
Tiny hands slapped my face, tearing me from my sleep. Layla giggled as she continued to pat my cheeks. My eyes fluttered open, catching sight of her cute little face right above me. She stopped slapping but still held my face in her hands. "Wake up."
I blinked a few times, sighing. "What time is it?"
"Morning."
I laughed. "I know it's morning. What time in the morning?"
She shrugged. "Seven."
I groaned, wrapping my arms around her then rolling over as she squealed. "It's not time to wake up yet," I mumbled then kissed the top of her head. "Back to sleep."
She giggled again, bringing a smile to my sleepy face. "No. I can't sleep anymore. I've spent my whole life sleeping. It's time to live!"
I leaned back and looked at her. "Where'd you learn all that?"
She grinned as she shrugged. "I don't know. TV or something." She started to wiggle her legs. "I want breakfast."
"Okay, go make me some."
She laughed, way too loud. "Daddy! I'm not old enough to cook."
"I trust you."
She wrapped her arms around my neck. "Please make me breakfast, Daddy. Please." She nuzzled her nose against my jaw.
I sighed, rolling my eyes to feign annoyance. She could never annoy me. She was too perfect. "You're lucky you're so cute." I kissed her forehead. "Go brush your teeth and get ready and then I'll make us breakfast. Mommy asked me to take you shopping today."
She groaned, also very loud. "I hate shopping."
"No, you don't. Now go get ready." She sighed one last time before nodding. She leaped from the bed, taking off out of the room. "No running!" I shouted. No verbal response from her, but the thumping of her feet slowed.
I laid in bed for a few minutes, adjusting my aching body to the early morning. How did she get up so early? I didn't even open my eyes until nine most days.
Our breakfast and morning routine were rushed. Layla kept herself busy with her books and coloring. I tried to clean up around the house as quick as possible before getting our stuff together for the long day of errands. Her little hand was in mine as we walked down the hallway. I let her push the button for the elevator and listened as she rattled on about school and Desiree. She mentioned some new boyfriend, and I made a mental note to confront my ex-wife about it.
Once we reached the lobby, I waved to Bobby as he explained the visitor rules to a couple. Walking out the front, I got distracted as I dug my keys out of my pocket. "Look, Daddy, dogs!" Layla said, tapping my arm and pointing.
I followed her trail of sight to the dog-walking girl. She stood at the edge of the property with her arms crossed, watching the dogs sniff and pee on the bushes. I didn't like dogs, yet something about the girl drew me in.
She was pretty and young with her wavy dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail, like always. She often wore loose t-shirts and black yog
a pants with the blue sneakers and the black fanny pack. She was nice to look at.
We crossed paths almost every Thursday. She’d always look at me with that same wide-eyed expression like a deer caught in the headlights. I didn't understand it since I always gave her friendly smiles, and she always returned them. Maybe it was because I was an older man. I'm sure her parents told her to stay away from guys like me, and she was probably a good girl who listened to her parents.
"Can I pet the dogs?" Layla asked, looking up at me with pleading eyes, tearing my attention away. Her lip pouted out as she batted her lashes.
I sighed, squatting down to her level. "Not today, baby. We have to stick to a schedule, right? We gotta’ make it to lunch with Aunt Kaykay."
She didn't seem pleased but nodded anyway. "Okay, Daddy." She took my hand as we walked down the steps and into the parking lot. This weekend was going to go by too fast. I already missed my baby girl even though she was right beside me, holding my hand.
Chapter Three
Emilia
Sundays were an odd day for a dinner party. Playoffs were coming up. Dad decided it might be a good idea to have people over every once in awhile for a game, if the Dolphins were playing, which they were.
I sat on the arm of my dad's chair while he cheered and jeered with his boss, Mr. Navarro. Cam, his son, kept glancing at me, grinning like we were having some cute connection. I kept scowling in return.
My aunt Amy came strolling into the room with her half-empty bottle of tequila. When the night first started, she made margaritas for everyone, you know, for fun. At some point, she got too drunk to work the blender, so she started to drink straight from the bottle.
We all sat back and watched, not saying a single thing while she swayed on her feet. Mom was stone cold sober, the way she liked to be when my aunt was over, glaring.
"Baby, will you go check on the food for me?" Dad asked, his eyes glued to the TV. A Dolphin player fumbled the ball, so he and Mr. Navarro jumped up and started shouting at the screen.
I rolled my eyes before getting up and drifting into the kitchen. Mentally, I counted to three before Cam stalked in behind me, grinning like a goddamn idiot. I didn't look over at him as I grabbed an oven mitt and pulled open the door. I reached in and grabbed the pan. The wings were done, and the bacon-wrapped jalapenos were definitely done.
After a pregnant pause, Cam finally spoke, "Good game, huh?"
"Riveting," was my response as I turned all the dials to `off' and started to plate everything. He didn't make a move to help which annoyed me more than anything else.
"God, you're such a fucking drag," he mumbled.
My eyes shot to his, but he didn't look away. He leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed as he assessed me. He was tall with shaggy blonde hair and a skinny body. He was attractive but definitely not my type, especially with his `won't take no for an answer' attitude. "Fuck off, Cam. Stop trying so goddamn hard, then maybe you'll get a girl."
"Oh, I get girls all the time."
"Then stop trying to get with me."
He scoffed but didn't move. My tongue clicked against my teeth as I shook my head. Shoving a stack of paper plates under my forearm, I balanced the wings and jalapenos in each hand. I brushed past him, bumping shoulders. A commercial was running as I noticed both my aunt and mom were missing.
"Thanks, sweetie," Dad said with a quick glance as I placed everything down on the coffee table. Mr. Navarro beamed at me before grabbing a wing.
"Where's Mom?" I asked, handing Mr. Navarro a paper plate. Dane pretended to sniff the carpet, scouting around for scraps.
Dad shrugged. "Your aunt's sick or something." The game returned, so I knew it'd be like pulling teeth to get any more information from him.
Cam finally came out of the kitchen, and he was sulking, hard. He made eye contact with me for a moment before looking away. He joined his father on the couch again who wrapped an arm around his son and pulled him into a `father/son bonding' hug.
Rolling my eyes for what felt like the millionth time tonight, I went to my parents’ bedroom door and knocked. No one answered. After a few seconds, the men shouted at the TV again. I opened the door.
Puking sounds filled the room which was definitely not a good sign. The bathroom door was wide open. Mom leaned against the sink as my aunt hovered, her head in the toilet. She kept saying, "I just wanted to have fun. Why did I do this? Why am I like this?" The usual dramatics.
Mom kept shushing her. "We all make mistakes. You'll feel better tomorrow."
She let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. People often said me and my mom looked similar. She was beautiful in her tight black body-con dress. Her arms were toned and her body slim. I knew I wanted to look like her when I was older.
She glanced over. Her eyes widened for a second before softening. "Hey. You okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Didn't know where you were."
She smiled understandingly as Amy puked again. "We’re in here. We're fine."
I nodded a second time. Normally, that’d be the end of the conversation, but my fingers wrung together as I shifted my weight. Mom watched me. "I could take her home… if you want."
She looked at me like it was super cute I wanted to help but shook her head. "You don't have to worry about that. Amy can sleep on the couch."
Dad really wouldn’t like that. "I don't mind. I kinda wanna get out the house."
She studied me for a moment. I was sure she was going to say no until the bedroom door opened again as Dad joined us.
He looked at me, then my mother, then at Amy's legs. "Everything alright?" he asked, knowing perfectly well that nothing was alright.
Mom nodded, sounding confident. "Just a little too drunk. Not a big deal."
Dad's eyebrows scrunched together. "Is she staying again?"
Mom shrugged. "I don't know, Kevin."
A pause. "Let Mia take her home."
She shook her head. "No. It's late."
"It's down the street. She'll be fine."
Mom stood there, thinking it over. She looked at me, and I tried my best to appear neutral. "Amy?" she asked, not breaking eye contact with me. "Would you rather go home or stay here tonight?"
"Go home," she groaned.
Mom let out a sigh, weighing the options in her head once more. "Take her, but call me when you get to her apartment, call me when you leave her apartment, then call me when you get back, okay?"
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
My parents helped Amy off the bathroom floor a few minutes later. I grabbed her purse and stood by the door while my dad put her arm around his neck and led her through our condo.
Mr. Navarro and Cam seemed concerned, but Mom brushed the whole thing off as an accident. "Do you need any help?" Cam asked as my dad walked out into the hallway.
"No. Go away." I barked before following them out, slamming the door behind me in his stupid face. Maybe that was immature of me, but I didn’t care.
Amy straightened up more as we reached the parking lot. Frantic, I clicked the fob a gazillion times to unlock the doors. Amy was well enough to stand straight, grabbing the handle. "Thank you, Kevin. You're a sweet bro." Then she disappeared into the car, banging her head as she did so.
Dad turned his attention to me. "Be careful. Get her inside and into bed. Advil and water on the nightstand."
I nodded and gave a little salute. "Yes, sir." He beamed and kissed my cheek before letting me go to the driver's side. He stepped back, watching as we backed out then straightened onto the road and drove out of the lot.
My aunt actually did only live about a block away. I walked to her apartment all the time for sleepovers, especially when my mom was being extra shitty.
My apartment building had valet and a gate for the residential lot. Her building had four tiny condos with two spots in front of each unit. Any more than one guest and they'd have to park on the stree
t.
I parked in her usual spot and kept her keys in my hand as I got out of the car. Her neighbor was standing on his front porch, smoking a cigarette and watching us. I didn't like that.
Amy's car door flew open, and she stumbled out. Her eyes connected with mine, and she couldn't stop herself from giggling. She closed her passenger door then collided into me.
We fell inside, slamming the door behind us. She tripped over her feet as we reached the couch, tumbling down onto it face-first.
"What am I going to do with you?" I whispered before going to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of Advil for her.
When I returned, she had already kicked off her heels and turned over to her back. "Trashcan," she mumbled as I placed the water bottle and medicine down on the coffee table next to her.
Rushing back into the kitchen, I pulled out the old bag, replacing it with a fresh one before putting it by her head. "Here you go. You'll be okay." I pushed the hair out of her sweaty face.
She looked up at me and snorted. "I don’t deserve you."
My hand found hers as I playfully rolled my eyes. "Sure you do. You're the one who babysat me for all those years. You even wiped my ass, right?"
She shook her head, groaning. "Don't remind me." We stared at each other for a moment. She took a few seconds to blink before she beamed. "Thanks, kid. I owe you."
I wasn’t exactly sure what to say so I said goodnight. Her head turned to the side, eyes slowly closing. I kissed her forehead then headed home.
Chapter Four
Stephen
Letting Layla go every other Sunday got harder and harder. Each time, I had to drive an hour out of my way where Desiree would force me to say goodbye on the front steps. Once I even asked to use the bathroom and she denied me. For some reason, I wasn’t allowed in her home under any circumstances.
I said goodbye to Layla and kissed her too many times to count. She kept giggling and asking for one more, so I'd oblige, not wanting to let my beautiful little girl go. Desiree stood in the doorway with her arms crossed like always. "Okay, bug, get in the house," she commanded.
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