Chapter 10: Barriers

Violet stood in the shower and thought about her life. Things were just not working out as she had planned. She had never planned on ever seeing Don again, especially not once she found out she was pregnant.

Now that she had found him again, by mistake, and with the threat of being killed, Emma met her father and was growing attached to him by the minute. Emma was generally a shy girl, but she seemed to have taken to Don like a fly to honey.

Emma had even asked him to read her a bedtime story, which was always either Jasmine's or her job. That more than anything scared her to death. Violet had had plans for her life, plans that hadn't included Don. But now that he and Emma were together, it would be impossible to separate them.

What also scared her was the fact that Don was smart, and Emma had his eyes. He was more than likely going to find some way to figure out that Emma was his daughter. Violet just hoped it would be after she left. And she shook her head when she felt sadness at the thought of leaving.

Don looked down at Emma. She was sleeping peacefully, so he got up and left. It had been a very strange few days, and was about to get stranger. He now had to live with Violet, her daughter Emma, and their neighbour Jasmine. He was surrounded by women.

What he found strange was how Jasmine didn't seem attracted to him. Usually all the teenage girls fell at his feet, but she just didn't care. She seemed indifferent to him, which really confused Don.

He didn't mind it at all, usually he had to pry them off of him, and he hated all the attention. What was worse was that it had happened a lot when he was still with Violet. She had laughed at first, but over time, she had gotten quite upset about it.

He heard the shower turn off and knew instantly that Violet would be stepping out of the shower. He could just picture her with water gleaming on her skin. He felt his body grow hot and heavy. He shook his head as he went to sit at the kitchen table.

" Oh. You're still up", Violet greeted, sounding surprised, and added, " Did she go to sleep?"

" Yeah, I am. She was very good. Your daughter has a hell of an imagination. Reminds of mine when I was a kid", Don replied.

Violet watched as his eyes narrowed in suspicion and she could just see his mind working to solve the puzzle. She felt the question coming before she said, " My gosh, I'm starving."

" I made soup if you want some", Don replied, getting out of his chair.

Violet moved inside the kitchen to the counter. " No it's okay, I'll get it", she said.

She could feel him staring at her back and it made her nervous. She had gotten him off the subject of Emma's father, but it wouldn't stall him for long. Don had an excellent memory, he wouldn't forget anything.

" So how hard was it to get them to release her?", Don asked. He had really wanted to ask if it was possible he was Emma's father, but her needs were greater than his were.

" Her?", Violet asked, sipping the soup.

" Jasmine. Was it hard?", Don reiterated.

" No, not really. They were going to release her anyways. She didn't have any damage, but they said to keep an eye on her. They rattled off a whole list of symptoms of concussions and whatnot, but I wasn't paying attention because I wanted her out of there as quickly as possible, so I picked up a sheet of symptoms on my way out", Violet explained.

" She can't go to sleep, right?", Don asked.

" Yeah, that's basically it", Violet answered.

" As long as she's alright. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, I know how much she means to you", Don replied, quietly.

Violet dropped the noodles out of her spoon and she just stared at him. It wasn't something she expected from him. She had never thought he cared, but then again, the attraction when they met was pretty high.

" Thanks, I know this is probably gonna be hard for you to deal with a little girl, and than a teenage girl, and a grown woman, all at the same time. Teenagers have their fits and their mood swings. But Jasmine's pretty good about it", Violet said.

" Does she have a boyfriend?", Don asked, curiously.

" Not at the moment. She's only sixteen though, so don't get any ideas", Violet replied, seriously and angrily.

Don thought he detected a note of jealousy in her voice but he couldn't be sure. It made him feel happier and he had no idea why.

" Relax. I wasn't asking that for me, I was just wondering if she does, just because the mood swings usually have to do with relationships", Don answered, amused.

" Yeah, I know. Jasmine was in a semi-serious relationship with one guy. His name was Matt, he was her age. She dated him for about a year and a half. Then she caught him with some other girl. That was about the only real time she was upset. She's a very smart girl", Violet said, her pride in the young woman showing through.

" You're very proud of her", Don commented.

" Of course I am. Her average is in the nineties, she knows enough to stay away from you men. I think she has some trust issues though, especially after what Matt out her through. I'm not sure if she ever got over it, it seems like she has, but there are times when I honestly wonder", Violet murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.

"She is a very smart girl. I'd be very proud of her. What do her parents think? Are they hard on her?", Don asked. Violet had never been so open to him, it seemed as if a barrier had come down between them.

" They're not hard, per se. They're protective, like any parent should be. But they're realizing that she's a smart girl, she doesn't hang out with a bad crowd. Her parents also know that she's not their little girl anymore, and she needs to start finding her own way in the world", Violet answered.

" Do they know you're a detective?", Don asked.

" Of course they do. When I moved into that apartment five years ago, they were the first to greet me. Jasmine was about ten years old then. I babysat her until she was thirteen, and then she started to baby-sit for me", Violet explained.

" It's good that there's someone trustworthy to look after Emma when you're not there. I don't know Jasmine that well, but she seems like a good kid, I wouldn't be able to trust anyone else", Don said.

Violet was touched by Don's concern for Emma. She was really starting to wonder if not coming back to tell him she was pregnant was a good idea. She now hated the fact that he had missed the first five years of Emma's life, she really wished he could've seen her as a baby, he would've adored her.