Chapter 3.
She looked good. I don't know if I had been expecting to find a weepy remnant of the woman I'd known…but it would have been more comforting than this put-together visage. Did I want her to still be pining? Boy was I a selfish jerk.
Her hair was a bit shorter- worn sleeker in a bob that got gradually shorter as it reached the back. It looked good on her, made her seem more adult. It was then that I had to remind myself that she was an adult, not the nineteen year old kid I'd left behind when I'd been locked up. Her jet black eyes were the same as they flashed over me in observation. She was sizing me up as I had done her. There was some guarded emotion there- pity? Scorn? Anger?
I dropped my eyes and glanced subtly at her companion. I felt a bit scraggly compared to the Herculean figure standing next to her. Tall, muscular, blonde, clean-shaven with a face that could be on the front of some California surfing magazine- I hated him instantly.
Lydia stepped closer with a brief smile and held her hands out to take Laura- who was still squealing.
"You're so big Laura," she began in a sing-song voice as she settled the kid on her hip.
Layla's expression relaxed slightly and she turned to the man with an almost normal smile. "Hello, I'm Layla Chloris-Stronghold and this is my daughter Laura."
I felt her eyes turn on me, expectant as they shook hands.
"Warren Peace," I offered without a hand.
Hercules smiled, bright and cheery. "Nice to meet both of you," his voice was warm and rumbly. "I'm James Leopard. I'm new teaching Physical Education at Sky High this year," he smiled again and I decided he used that expression too much. He turned his blue eyes on me, "Warren Peace huh?"
Lydia stiffened slightly but pretended she was still paying attention to Laura as her friend's eyes lit up with recognition.
"Oh! So you're Lydia's husband huh?" he reached over and took my hand forcibly, pumping it up and down with enthusiasm that was hard to ignore. "It's great to meet you. Lydia's a great person- we're both newbies this year so we get a lot of assignments together. Of course that's just at Sky High, she's helped me out with another type of assignment before too."
He kept smiling and I was so glad that my powers were repressed. It came in handy when you were contemplating scorching a certain expression off a certain person's face.
Lydia shifted her weight and gave Layla a brief smile. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Warren just signed up to work as a janitor here. We were just here to fill out the paperwork. I was just giving him a ride," Layla answered cautiously.
"Janitor?" Lydia asked, her question overrun by her friend's flapping mouth.
"That's awesome!" he exclaimed, "We're going to see a lot more of each other then. It'd be great if we can see each other more. We have a lot to talk about, especially now that Lydia and I are living together."
I didn't think, just struck.
And Mr. Leopard went down for the count with the smile still on his face.
000000000
"You idiot," Lydia exclaimed heatedly as we sat in the nurse's office. "We're not together. I've been renting out the extra room to make some money."
She looked flushed and frustrated- I just felt like kissing her. The thought was surprising and I turned away, watching the door that Mr. Leopard, Nurse Spex and Layla had disappeared through.
"How was I supposed to know that?" I retorted sullenly.
She sighed and turned to watch the door. I could see, out of the side of my eye, her rubbing her head for a moment before she glanced at me briefly. The silence continued for a few more minutes.
"Why'd you come here Warren? Are you trying to make my life miserable?" she asked quietly, her voice much calmer.
"No."
"Then why get a job here?"
"I didn't know you worked here alright?" I said angrily, turning to look at her, "I just needed a job and this was about the only place that would hire an ex-convict."
"Fine," she replied tersely, not turning to look at me.
"Look," I ventured, "Lydia I-"
The door opened and both of us looked up as they filed out. Mr. Leopard had a cold compress against his split lip but still managed to smile. He walked closer and stood towering over me with that almost manic expression. I steeled myself for retribution, but none came.
"That was quite the hit Peace!" James boomed and he sounded—happy? "I think I'd hit someone if they just shared news like that too. Sorry, I should have explained," he laughed and I hated him more.
I nodded grudgingly and stood up. Layla was frowning at me from behind James and I almost rolled my eyes. It looked like everyone in the room was on this pretty-boy's side.
I smiled tightly and turned to go without an apology. I could almost hear the unanimous thoughts of all the women.
How immature…
But I smiled as I sauntered out of Sky High. If I was already a jerk in my wife's eyes then I might as well continue on that path right? Still, I couldn't forget the disappointed look in her eyes. I think because, if she was disappointed then it meant she still expected something from me. The thought made me hope, even though I knew I shouldn't.
Layla came out to the car a little while later and we drove back to the Stronghold house in silence.
"You're going to have to do better than that if you want her back Warren," she reprimanded as we parked. I was glad I could open the door and get out of the car now.
I turned back to look at her as she took Laura out of the back of the car. I wanted to say: What makes you think I want her back? But I couldn't. It was too much of a lie and I'd already lied to everyone enough to last my entire lifetime.
When Will got home he congratulated me on finding a job and then he and Layla flew off to take care of some emergency. I felt like a kid and decided (as Laura sprayed me with baby food) that I definitely needed to move out as soon as possible. These living arrangements were bound to drive us all apart.
There wasn't much to do as I waited besides putting Laura down to sleep (unsuccessfully). Maybe Layla was right to look so worried when she asked if I could handle the kid. So we watched television together until I felt drool seeping into my favorite t-shirt that I'd found stuffed away in a box in the Stronghold's attic. My arm fell asleep and so did I after a moment.
When I woke up, Layla was taking Laura upstairs and cooing about how cute I'd looked with a kid. Will looked alarmed and glanced warningly at his wife but I was too sleepy to ask about it. It was midnight next time I stirred and the house was silent. I was wide awake and all I could think about was Mr. Leopard in my hou- in my wife's house.
So without much thought I left the house and walked the same way I had before until I was standing there again. The lights were out in the house, so I just stood- smelling the dying honeysuckle as I forced my own whirling thoughts to die into stillness. I must have closed my eyes, because when I heard a noise from the front door, they snapped open.
Someone was coming, a small someone in a little nightgown. There was nowhere to hide so I just watched, concluding that Lydia must have moved after all. The sleep-walking kid came straight down the sidewalk, out the front gate and stood in front of me, rubbing her dark hair out of her dark eyes.
"Daddy," she said, with a lisp that was too adorable to resist. I found myself kneeling next to her before I realized it.
I looked at her with slight apprehension. "I think you've made a mistake."
"No," she replied with a pout, pushing at her long, wavy dark hair again. The streetlight was shining on us and I hoped nobody would mistake me for some kind of kidnapper.
"Look, I think you were sleep-walking. Your dad's probably inside." I tried to persuade her as I felt more wary. After all, my face, now with scar included, was hardly one that would often be mistaken. "What's your name?" I asked suddenly, feeling uncomfortable as her black eyes watched my face. She seemed cute as far as kids went- not that I had much of any experience in that area.
"You're silly- you know it."
"Remind me," I responded a bit testily, wondering suddenly if this was all some weird dream.
Screwing up her freckled nose, she put her hands on her hips and spoke. "Fiona Marie Peace," she stated resolutely and patted my scarred cheek gently with a chubby hand. "It's okay daddy," she added when I didn't answer.
Maybe it was because of the shock, but I didn't even register the feeling of her touching my cheek. I closed my eyes and shook my head before looking again. She was still there, looking at me with Lydia's eyes.
"I said not to come again," I told her as I stared through the glass divider that separated us. I didn't let it show that I was scared. Lydia looked different, cold, almost dead. When she met my eyes it hurt.
"I brought you one last letter," she responded calmly, "The warden will give it to you. If you don't respond to it then I won't ever come to see you again. But please read it at least. It's important." She touched her stomach with a thoughtful look that I didn't understand at the time and then stood up. Leaving just like that was unusual but I assumed things were finally settling. Maybe she'd finally understood that we were over.
When I received the letter I told them to keep it for me with my other stuff. I couldn't throw it away like I'd done with the others. The cold look in her eyes made it impossible to ignore- but I never read it, or tried to respond in any way. Lydia never came again.
Thinking back to that memory hurt even now. I'd taken the letter with me out of the prison. It was still sitting unopened in my room at the Stronghold's. What it said, I now had little doubt.
"You should go back in the house," I said to Fiona.
"It's ok, momma doesn't cry anymore," the little girl answered, bringing even more questions to my mind. "But I sleep. Sleep's 'portant," she added with a secretive grin and skipped back towards the house.
I watched as she went in and then stood slowly. I shivered, but it wasn't from the breeze.
AN: Wasn't quite what you were expecting eh? ;)
I just had to put a note here to thank all of my reviewers. If you're reading, please let me know what you think!
Also, I finally found a pic that's remotely close to how I imagine Lydia looking. I'll be putting up a link in my bio for that, so if you're interested then mosey on over there ;)
