Just an idea that popped into my head after watching that cute Lilly and Oliver commercial.
I'm twenty-two years old, and I have given up on love. I have one daughter who is a two years old. Her name is Alyssa May Truscott. I dropped out of college to help support her. I needed a job, and I couldn't balance a schedule with work, a job, and raising a child. I regret that I couldn't finish college, but I don't regret having my daughter.
I have given up on love ever since the awful night when I conceived Alyssa. I'm not the type of woman that will let a man boss her around. But I'll admit men are stronger than women. I was twenty the night I went out on a first date with Alyssa's father. His name is Brandon Stromatt. He took me to his apartment. Every nerve in my body told me to run back, but I'm pretty darn stubborn. And my head was practically screaming at me when he brought in two cups of beer. The last thing I remember is drinking the cup of beer. I woke up the next morning naked in his bed. I figured I just had way too much to drink, and that was why I couldn't remember a thing that had happened the night before. When I walked into his kitchen though and saw a open bottle of date rape pills, it clicked in my head of what had happened. It made me pretty upset to. It was my first time, and I was raped. That was not how I wanted my first time to be. I'm pretty old fashioned when it comes to things like this. I wanted to wait until my wedding night, so it could be with the special man that I would spend the rest of my life with. He was still asleep in his bed, so I quickly got my clothes and put them on and ran from his apartment. I ran to a phone booth and called the police to tell them what happened. And to my relief, they arrested him, and he was put in jail.
Ever since then, I just roll my eyes at men. I think they're all the same. I was looking for love, but I woke up one morning and discovered that they were all just pigs after one thing.
There was one man that was an exception in my book. He had his perverted times every now and then, but over all he was a decent guy. He was my best friend Oliver Oken. He had helped me ever since I found out that I was pregnant with Alyssa. He was like a husband who found out his wife was pregnant with their first child. He stayed at my small two room apartment the whole time I was pregnant. He was their in the mornings to hold my hair back for those nasty morning sicknesses. He was patient with me through all my up and down hormones. He helped me move around since it was so hard with a bun in the oven. He told me if I had different shoes on, which happened quite a lot. He went with me to birthing classes. I was just lucky to have him. It was even better when Alyssa was born because he was like a father to her. Alyssa even calls Oliver daddy. It's just so adorable.
I walked into my apartment holding the mail in my hand and setting my purse on the table that was right next to the door. The first thing I saw was Oliver playing with my blonde head, blue eyed Alyssa. I was so relieved that Alyssa looked like me and not her dad. I don't think I could take seeing his face all the time.
"Hey mommy," Alyssa said running to me smiling. She came up and hugged my legs. My heart melted at her excitement in seeing me. My mom told me to treasure it while being your child's best friend lasted because soon enough she's going to be a teenager yelling I hate you.
"Hey Alyssa," I said getting down to her height and hugging her.
"I missed you today," she said speaking slowly and clearly. I was surprised at how clear she spoke for only being a year old.
"I missed you too sweetheart," I said.
"Guess what," she said.
"What?" I asked.
"Daddy took me to the zoo. We saw lions, tigers, and bears," she said.
"Oh my," I said giggling. "Have you had dinner yet?"
"No," she said.
"Well, I got paid today, so I was thinking we can go get a happy meal from McDonald, and you can play on the playground," I said.
"Yea," Alyssa said jumping up and down.
"Okay, let me go get your jacket okay," I said.
"Okay mommy," Alyssa said letting go of me.
I walked over to Oliver and gave him some money for watching Alyssa.
"Lilly we go through this every night. I don't want to get paid. Alyssa is like a daughter to me. Fathers don't get paid for watching their kids," Oliver said.
This time I didn't argue back. Instead I just smiled and nodded my head. I would put it in his coat pocket just like I did every night.
As if Oliver read my mind, he says, "And don't you dare put it in my coat pocket tonight."
I started to stutter and giggle, "Ii wwould nnever ddo tthat." I'm a terrible liar. Probably the worst on the planet.
"Well don't do it anymore," Oliver said.
"I feel awful for not paying you anything," I said.
"Lilly you barely get by already," Oliver said. "You need the money more than I do."
I looked into Oliver's brown eyes that reminded me of fresh chocolate brownies that just got pulled out of the oven. Instead of being my stubborn self, I agreed with him. "Okay, I won't do it anymore." I don't know what it was about his eyes that always got me to agree with him, but they did.
I walked over to the coat closet and got Alyssa's jacket. I put it on her. When I got up, Oliver had my jacket ready for me to put on. I smiled. "Thanks Oliver."
I turned around and faced my best friend. He wasn't the goofy, klutzy, donut anymore. He had really grown up ever since we graduated from high school. He was more mature. He finally had the six pack he had always dreamed of having, straight A's at school, and it was easier for him to get girlfriends.
"I like your hair," Oliver said stroking his hand through my curls. I blushed.
"We need to get going," I said. I grabbed my purse and opened the door. "Come on Alyssa, it's time to go." She came running to me, and I picked her up. Oliver left, and I went after him locking the door behind me.
We walked to my car. I put Alyssa in the back seat and strapped her in her car seat. I closed the door when I was done buckling Alyssa in her car seat. I went and got in on the driver's side. I stared at Oliver in the passenger seat before I started the car. Oliver stared right back at me.
"So has your day been Alyssa?" I asked turning my eyes away from Oliver.
"I went to the zoo," Alyssa said. "I already told you mommy."
"Yeah right," I said. "Did you see any penguins?"
"Yeah. They walk funny," Alyssa said.
"Ha-ha, I bet," I said.
I could feel myself blushing. What had come over me? I told myself that I would never look at a guy again. Here was Oliver making my heart pound right out of my chest, making butterflies in my stomach, and he was just making me fall head over heels. I told myself this wouldn't happen again after the last time I fell for someone.
I drove, actually speeding, to McDonalds and pulled into the parking lot. I parked roughly. I wasn't that bad of a driver, but so much was going through my mind. I turned off the car and got Alyssa out of the back seat. I held her in my arms with her head leaning on my shoulder. Oliver stood right beside me looking at me. It seemed like the perfect family photo.
We walked inside the greasy fast food restaurant. I didn't like the greasy food. In face, I was extremely picky when it came to fast food restaurants. I always ordered a salad. Oliver always laughed at me. He told me I reminded him of his middle aged mom who was always concerned about her weight. I laughed. Oliver's mom and I are alike in a lot of ways, but I definitely wasn't ordering a salad for my weight. The only reason I ate at fast food restaurants was for Alyssa. She loved the happy meals.
We ordered our food. Alyssa got a chicken nugget happy meal. Oliver got a Quarter Pounder meal. He laughed when he saw a salad on the tray.
"Ha-ha," I said sarcastically. "You just laugh, but when you're forty and you have a heart attack, then we'll see who will be laughing."
"You'd laugh at me for having a heart attack?" Oliver asked. He had a hurt look on his face. He looked down to floor, well technically the tray since he was holding it.
"Oh no, Oliver, I was only joking. I would cry if you had a heart attack. See even my eyes are tearing up for even thinking about it," I said. I hated it when he would make me regret something I said.
Oliver lifted his face up with a childish grin on. "Chill Lils, I'm only kidding!"
"Ugh, Oliver!" I slapped him on his arm.
"You're so mean. Making me feel bad for you."
"I'm mean? You're the one who said you would laugh if I had a heart attack," Oliver replied defensively.
He wasn't going to let the heart attack comment go.
We went and got our drinks from the soda fountain. I set Alyssa down and got her orange soda. I filled my cup with coke. I set our drinks on the tray.
"So you just go and make the tray heavier for me to carry?" Oliver said.
"Well you're a guy. You're supposed to offer to carry them for us," I said smiling. "Be a gentleman for once."
"I am a gentleman," Oliver replied defensively. "I hold the door open for you, I carry your tray, and I—"
I could tell Oliver couldn't think of anything else he did that was gentleman. "Well I paid for tonight's dinner."
"You only paid for yours," I said smirking.
"Well that was because I didn't want to get an argument with you about how anything guys can do girls can to," Oliver said.
I laughed. I am pretty feminist.
"Well at least you know that women are in charge of men," I said to Oliver. He rolled his eyes at me. We went outside and sat at one of the tables.
"Can I go play now mommy?" Alyssa asked.
"First you have to eat," I said.
"Okay," she said back to me. I watched her as she ate her food as fast as she could.
"That little tummy of yours isn't going to be able to take all of that food in as fast," I said patting her stomach softly.
"I just wanna play," Alyssa said.
I looked at her food. She ate most of it already. "Okay, you can go play."
I watched her run to the ball pit. I laughed at her.
"You know, she's going to be an amazing girl when she gets older," Oliver said. "Just like her mom."
I blushed. "You think I'm amazing?"
"Yeah. Who wouldn't?" Oliver asked. We were silent for a couple of minutes until Oliver finally spoke up again. "Lilly there's been something really important that I want to tell you."
"What?" I asked nervously. My head was telling me to grab Alyssa and go home, but my heart had me glued to my seat and my mouth shut so I wouldn't interrupt Oliver.
"I love you," he said.
My jaw dropped.
"Can't you say something back?" he asked.
"I'm speechless," I said.
"Well that's not the response I was hoping for," Oliver said looking a bit down.
"I mean, Oliver you have to understand, after the last guy I went out with, I gave up on guys. I told myself I would never fall in love again. I mean, I know I wasn't in love with Alyssa's dad," I hated calling Brandon Alyssa's dad even though he was, "but it's just that all that happened to me."
"And Lilly, I completely understand," Oliver said. "But I would never hurt you that way."
"Oliver, I believe you, but I'm going to need some time," I said.
"I understand," Oliver said.
"You do?" I asked with a smile.
"I understand that you're afraid of commitment, you're scared. Well Lilly, you need to face your fears one day," Oliver said. He walked up and left.
My heart broke into pieces. The thing is, is that I've never hurt this much before about a guy. I started to burst into tears. What was it about Oliver?