Chapter Ten: Dark Blue
After Brooke and Lucas told Erica and Michael
"Hey little man." Brooke smiled as she peaked in through Michael's door. He was standing front of his dresser, still crying, as he tried his hardest to button up his cotton pajama shirt on his own. "Need some help with that?" She said as she went over next to him and kissed the top of his head.
"NO!" He cried as he gave up in frustration and ran over to the bed, throwing his own small body under the covers.
"Why are you upset baby?" Brooke said sadly, she had never seen Michael this upset before, well at least not since he jammed his finger in the kitchen drawer when he was three.
"Because Lucas is my friend!" He screamed as his sobs got louder and he completely covered his head up in theblankets.
"That's good then honey. Why are you upset then?" Brooke almost laughed at his lack of clarity.
"Because! I like Lucas, but I don't like my daddy! So he can't be him!" He cried once more. He was still covered underneath his blankets with no intention of looking at Brooke anytime soon.
"Why don't you like your daddy?" Brooke said almost crying herself.
"Because. He left us. He didn't play catch with me like other daddy's do. He didn't do anything like a real daddy does! He didn't tuck me in, or pick me up after my first day of school, or even tell me stories!" He cried harder. This time it made Brooke completely cry, her chin quivered as she heard such wise, but hurting words come from Mikey's mouth.
"He didn't leave baby." Brooke whispered as she began to blame herself for why her son was such a wreck at that moment.
"He did! Mommy! You know he did!" Michael shouted at her angry. Brooke didn't know if she should tell him at first, he was already so angry at Lucas, she didn't want him to blame her though. She glanced over at his small blue nightlight which he must have turned on himself before turning off his lamp, it was almost like she sought guidance in that perfect shade of dark blue.
Slow down.. this night's a perfect shade of
Dark blue (dark blue)
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room when I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning down
Dark blue (dark blue)
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room well I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning 'til there's nothing but dark blue..
Just dark blue
"No baby, I left him when you were still in my belly. He didn't even know about you. If he did he would have done all those things. It's my fault! Not his!" Brooke started crying uncontrollably also, finally seeing the consequences in her foolish teenage actions .Michael's head popped up from under the covers and he stared at his mother with hurt in his eyes.
"You took me from him?" He said in a high voice which almost startled Brooke as she was off in a daze.
"Yea... Im sorry. But him and Erica's mommy were having her and..." Brooke stopped as she noticed Michael tiny chin quivered, just the way hers didwhen she was crying. She moved in closer to him and tried to hug him, but he moved away.
"Mommy?" He said sadly, as he laid back down in his bed crying once more.
"Yea?" Brooke whispered.
"I don't want you to be here. Can you please leave?" He said in an older, mature, yet broken voice. Brooke just nodded hurtfully as she got up and kissed the top of his head. This time he just stayed there as he stared off into the distance. At the door, Brooke turned around shakily and whispered to him.
"I love you sweety." Michael didn't respond, he just laid there surrounded by that perfect shade of dark blue.
"Erica. What you said back there... it wasn't very nice you know. I think you hurt Michael's feelings." Lucas said in a calm voice as he drove to his house with Erica in the front seat.
"I don't care." Erica snapped as she folded her arms in front of her and looked out her window.
"ERICA!" Lucas yelled. He took a deep breath and spoke calmly again. "Why don't you want Michael to be your brother?" Lucas asked as he reached over and smoothed her head of curls.
"Because!" She began to cry.
"Because what?" Lucas smiled, almost laughing at how her answer for everything was because.
"Because you're my daddy, Not his!" She said cutely as she still didn't turn to face him.
"But baby, I am his daddy." Lucas sighed as he looked over and noticed how much that hurt her.
"No! You're not!" Erica started to cry loudly. She said a few things as she did, but Lucas couldn't pick them out. She took a deep breath and yelled at her father. "You weren't around like you were for me! So you're not his daddy!"
"I know I wasn't around Erica, but I wish I was." He said, still keeping his voice slow and calm. His words cut Erica deeply.
"I don't want to share you!" She cried as she let her face fall into her hands. Lucas pulled to car over on the side of the road and pulled Erica into his lap where he kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. "You're not going to be my daddy anymore are you?" She sobbed.
"Oh Erica! Of course. I'll always be your father. Nothing could ever keep me from you, pretty girl." He smiled as he pulled her back to look him in the eye.
"No! It always happens. It happened to all my friends. They got new brothers and sisters and their parents started spending more time with their brothers and sisters than with them." She cried.
"That's not going to happen." Lucas whispered into her hair. "I am going to need to be with Mikey sometimes, but I promise we'll still have our time."
"I like spending time with you daddy!" She pouted as she gave him the most serious puppy dog face ever.
"I know. I love spending time with you too baby. And nothing going to change that." Lucas smiled as he kissed her nose. This made Erica smile a little. Then she looked down into her lap and whispered.
"Please don't leave me daddy. Not like mommy did." Lucas's heart ached at her words as he pulled her into him. Tears were stinging in his eyes as he pushed them away to be strong for her. Her small body began to shake in his arms as she started crying again.
"Im not going anywhere Erica. I'll never leave you. I promise you." He whispered, rocking her gently.
Erica began to calm down, feeling reassured by his words. "Is Brooke my mommy? Like she's Mikey's?" She asked, and there almost seemed to be a glimpse of hope in her eyes.
"Um.. No... she's not." Lucas responded, not sure what exactly she wanted. She looked down into her lap at her hands disappointedly.
"I kind of wanted her to be." She whispered. Lucas's eye glowed as he smiled down at her. She looked up at him and smiled too. "I really like her. She likes to shop. She doesn't like drawing either." She screwed up her nose, and made Lucas laugh.
"Well, you know. Im sure if you wanted, Brooke could be the mom you never had. And all four of us could be a family. She really loves you too you know." He smiled as he nudged her. Erica smiled and bit her lip, thinking over what he had just said.
"Promise we'll still play together?" She said as she raised her eyebrows at him.
"I promise" He smiled.
"I always wanted a mommy like Brooke." She smiled in agreement.
"Well, like I've always said, you can have anything you want Pretty Girl." Lucas smiled as Erica climbed back into her seat and he pulled onto the road once more.
"Even ice cream?" She said. "You let Mikey, I saw the bowls." She said, testing him.
"Sure, even ice cream, just this once." He smiled, a little worried that everything between Michael and Erica would turn out to be a big contest as they grew up. He glanced over at Erica who was smiling widely, The lights from a twenty four hour corner store shown in on her bland hair and outlined her in the most perfect shade of... dark blue.
There it was.. hope you liked... review please!