#25
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The next morning as I was feeding the kids Happy came walking into the kitchen in dark grey sweat pants and a white t-shirt. I didn't say anything to him as I placed the bowl of oatmeal in front of Vic and Happy kissed the top of Vic's head and sat down in the chair across from him.
"Do you want something?" I asked as I made Mia a bottle and heated up her cereal.
"What do you got?" he asked looking at me for the first time since we talked last night.
"I have fruit and oatmeal for breakfast," I told him as I placed Mia on the kitchen counter and handed her her bottle.
"Oatmeal," he replied before looking at Vic.
We continued in silence through breakfast. The only real conversation happened between Happy and Vic. I sat at the table feeding Mia and not talking. I didn't know what to say after last night. The fight and the confession left me drained and not sure where we stood together. Not that I had been sure about that before but now it was an even bigger question than before.
"Mama can I watch cartoons?" Vic asked turning away from Happy.
"Yeah baby go put your bowl in the sink first," I told him with a small smile.
With a smile and a nod of his head he ran up to the sink and put the bowl inside before running out to the small living room.
When I heard him turn on the TV I looked at Happy as he ate his oatmeal in silence.
"I think you should go back," I told him before wiping off Mia's face.
"Why?" he questioned not looking up from his bowl.
"Because you don't want to be here and I'm not sure if I want you here right now."
"Don't tell me how I feel Lela," he replied with a small thud of his spoon being slammed into the table.
"I know you Happy. You want to want to be here, but you can't help how you feel. You want to be back in Charming with everyone else and I don't want to go back. I'm thinking about moving here."
"When were you going to let me in on all this shit? You think I'm going to let you take my kids away from me?" he growled.
"Damn it Happy I'm not taking them away from you. It'd be just like before but I would have Mia. Your heart isn't here, it's with your brothers. I knew what I was signing up for when we got together and now I'm trying to do what's best for us and our kids."
"Whatever you have to tell yourself. But you're not taking my kids."
"Just please trust me on this?" I begged him.
"Why? I trusted you before and look where that got us," he replied before picking his spoon back up.
Taking a deep breath I tried to think of what to tell him.
"My dad called me. He said to get out of town, that something was building and he didn't want another kid caught in the crossfire. I believe him Hap, he's never even acknowledged that I was his before this call and he sounded desperate."
"Your dad's a crazy old man Lela. He spends more time drinking than actually giving a shit about his kids."
"I know that, probably better than anyone. But I need to trust him this time."
"So you're going to trust some crazy old man to keep you away from your home?"
"What home Hap? It'd just be a house where we would fight and if this pregnancy progresses what then?"
The conversation ended with silence. The only sounds were Mia's random babblings and the sounds from the TV.
"Would you still be around if this baby wasn't yours?" I whispered.
He took a deep breath and put his spoon back down on the table. Before looking up at me.
"Why are we talking about this?"
"Because there's a very real chance that this baby could not be yours Hap and we haven't talked about it."
"Why would I want to talk about my wife screwing around on me?" he questioned.
"You think I wanted to talk to talk about my husband screwing around on me and having a kid with someone else? Karma's a bitch Hap," I told him getting up and picking Mia up.
"So is that why you screwed him? To get back at me for a mistake that I made over a year ago?" he questioned.
"Just leave Hap," I told him before walking out of the room.
Walking into the bedroom I began to undress Mia. When she was left in her diaper I walked into the bathroom and started the shower.
"Come on little girl lets go shower," I told her as I sat her on the counter and began to get undressed.
After putting my hair up in a high bun and testing the water I took off Mia's diaper. Stepping into the spray while holding her with one arm, using my other I cupped my hand and let it fill with water. Slowly letting the water fall from my hand and on to her hair. There was a giggle before the bathroom door opened.
I ignored him as he closed the door behind him and began to get undressed. Opening the glass door he stood there.
"Give her to me," I said holding out his hands.
"I'm trying to shower her," I told him as I continued to use my hands to get her wet.
"You didn't eat. So give her to me and go eat," he said simply before taking Mia out of my hands.
"Fine," I told him before stepping out of the shower.
Wrapping a fluffy white towel around my body I watched as he stepped into the shower and started to wash Mia.
Turning back around I opened the door and walked out to the bedroom. Drying myself off I put on a sports bra and a pair of black compression pants. Walking to the kitchen I stopped off in the living room to make sure Vic was okay.
"How ya doin baby?" I asked running my fingers through his curls.
"Mom," he whined.
"What?" I whined back at him.
"Stop playing with my hair," he whined back.
"I'm your mother I can do what I want," I told him before bending down to kiss the top of his head.
Walking into the kitchen I made myself some oatmeal and topped it with berries. Leaning against the counter I ate in silence.
"Mama," Vic said walking into the kitchen.
"Yeah baby?" I asked him as I ate.
"Is Dad taking Mia and leaving again?" he asked from his spot in the doorway.
"Why would you ask that?" I asked him as I sat my bowl on the counter.
"Because I heard you guys talking," he replied.
"Baby your Dad isn't taking Mia anywhere. Your Dad is just going to go back to Charming," I told him.
"But I don't want him to go back. Why can't we just stay here together?" he asked.
Sighing I squatted down so that I was at his eye level.
"Baby your Dad has a job to do. And that job is in Charming."
"Why can't we go back with him?"
"Because we are moving here for a bit. It will be me and you and Mia."
"I don't want to move here though. I want to go home with Dad," he yelled before running off.