note: the entire website had a glitch, so you received an update for this story but didn't see a new chapter, that's probably why. But I'm uploading again so here it is!
I apologize that it took me so long to update the story. I have just been very, very busy, and I hardly had any free time to write. I do try my best to get these chapters out as quickly as possible, so please be patient with me for future updates.
But hope this chapter makes up for it!
Coming home from work was always Alvin's favorite part of the day, because there was nothing that made him happier than seeing Melody and Brittany.
It has now been a month since Alvin and Brittany officially got together, finally, and things couldn't be any better. Of course, since their relationship was brand new and still healing from what they went through last year, their relationship wasn't perfect, and they both know that, but they do try their best every single day to make things better for not only themselves, but especially for their daughter. But they were taking things day by day, as a new couple, and as parents. But everything was just so great, so wonderful and loving, and there was something about being with each other that they have never experienced before with their past relationships. Maybe it's because they've known each other pretty much their entire lives, and that they know one another, almost as well as they know their own self. Maybe it's because they've gone through experiences that no one, but them, will ever understand. Maybe it's because they fell in love unexpectedly, without even realizing it at first, and when they did, they fell hard.
The past month was pretty much everything Brittany had hoped it would be. When Alvin was in prison, and when Brittany was alone and raising her newborn baby by herself, all she could ever think about was having a complete family, with her, Alvin and Melody. For months, all she ever wanted was to have Alvin by her side as they raised their baby girl together, and she would sometimes bring herself to tears because at one point, Brittany believed that she may never have that, and believed that she was going to raise her child all by herself. But now, being with Alvin and seeing how loving and protective he is over Melody, made all those dark thoughts disappear, as if they had never existed. Being parents alongside him was truly the best thing ever, and he always made it so fun, even during those rough moments where their daughter kept them up all night long. But it was so worth it, and it made Brittany's heart feel so full.
It was almost 7pm by the time Alvin arrived at his house. He parked his car in the driveway before getting out and walking across the street to the girls' house. Growing up, Alvin used to hate the fact that he lived so close to Brittany, and Brittany hated it just as much. But now, they spend so much of their time at each other's place that it almost feels like they have two homes. He entered the house, using the spare key that Brittany had given him, before making his way up the stairs to Brittany's bedroom. He peered inside, and raised an eyebrow when he realized it was empty, then went back downstairs into the kitchen, and instead of Brittany and Melody, he found Jeanette and Eleanor sitting at the table.
Jeanette, who was studying on her laptop, looked up and nearly jumped out of her seat when Alvin walked in. "God, Alvin, a little warning wouldn't hurt, would it?"
"Oops, sorry," he chuckled.
Eleanor turned around and slightly rolled her eyes. "How did you get in?"
"Your sister gave me a key, remember?" said Alvin. "Speaking of, where is Brittany?"
Jeanette motioned to the sliding door that led to the backyard and said, "She's outside with Melody. Your daughter was being a little fussy, and she was crying non-stop, so Brittany took her outside to calm her down, but they've been out there for a while now."
Alvin walked towards the sliding door, where he immediately spotted Brittany sitting in the middle of the lawn, with Melody in her lap. Brittany looked like she was talking to Melody, and even though she knew her baby probably didn't understand a word she was saying, Melody still gazed up at her mother with the most loving smile. He watched as Brittany laughed, before picking her daughter up in her arms, and nuzzling her nose against Melody's chubby cheek. It made Alvin smile to himself. There was absolutely nothing he loved more than Brittany and Melody, and seeing his two girls just made his heart soar in ways it had never done before.
"She's a natural at this, isn't she," said Alvin. "Like, she's so damn good at being a mom."
"She really is," Jeanette smiled.
Alvin chuckled to himself before taking a seat at the table with the girls. "I'm surprised that Brittany learned to love someone more than she loves herself, but please don't tell her I said that," he joked, before turning to look out the glass door again. "She really seems like a different person now, compared to last year. I mean, she's still herself. She's still the same person I've known all my life, but she just seems...happier."
Eleanor turned to Alvin and couldn't help but smile a little. Seeing the way Alvin looks at Brittany, and hearing the way he talks about her was truly incredible. Alvin and Brittany's friendship had stemmed from over a decade ago, and they've been through the lowest of lows, and the highest of highs together, so it was heartwarming to see that after all the turmoil and heartbreak those two have gone through, things are finally okay.
"Yeah. Becoming a mom changed her. I mean, I love my sister to death, but up until she found out she was pregnant, Brittany was almost intolerable. Like, I could barely stand her sometimes. She partied too much, was too vain and way too materialistic," said Eleanor, before she eyed Alvin. "Sounds familiar?"
Alvin laughed nervously and cleared his throat. "Yeah, a little bit. Damn, it's sometimes hard to believe that Brittany and I became parents, especially since we were such irresponsible and wild people. Plus, the fact that we hated each other's guts," he said. "But things happen for a reason, I guess. This might sound a bit weird, but I don't know where the hell I would be right now if it weren't for that night of the party, where Brittany got pregnant."
"What do you mean?" asked Jeanette.
Alvin shrugged and said, "Well, if it weren't for Brittany becoming pregnant, it wouldn't have allowed us to be friends again. Throughout those few years when Brittany and I absolutely hated each other, I did miss my friendship with her because we were so close when we were kids. Luckily, we became friends again, but if we hadn't, then Brittany and I wouldn't have gotten together, and we wouldn't have had Melody. And now, I can't imagine what my life would be like without Brittany and Melody. I can't imagine not being a dad."
Jeanette smiled. "We see that in you. We see that in Brittany, too. There's nothing she loves more than being Melody's mom. She loves it more than anything."
"Never knew she had that side to her," said Alvin. "It's as if she's done this her entire life."
Eleanor smiled at herself as she watched the gleam in Alvin's voice as he spoke. It was clear how much he loved and cared for Brittany. He certainly was a different person a year ago. He is no longer the out of control, loud, irresponsible party goer that everyone sees him as, and Eleanor couldn't help but feel a little proud of not only him, but Brittany as well. They have both changed for the better, and both changed for each other in the best way.
"Brittany is an amazing mom, naturally, of course," Eleanor started. "But I feel like it's also because of the lack of motherhood that we had throughout our childhood. Our mom left us when we were so young, and that was extremely hard for us, especially for Brittany because she took on that motherly role for Jeanette and I at such an early age. I think that's why Brittany is so passionate about being a parent, because she never wants Melody to feel what she went through as a kid. She wants Melody to have the best childhood, and to be as loved as possible - something that Brittany, Jeanette and I missed out on when we were children."
Alvin didn't say anything at first. Of course, he is more than familiar with the girls' unfortunate story. He has known Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor for over 15 years, and could remember the day he, his brothers, and Dave found all three girls alone in their home, crying their hearts out, and telling them that their mother had decided to leave. It was a memory that scarred them forever, and it was when Alvin saw Brittany so broken and so vulnerable for the first time. Even thinking about that day made his chest ache, because he wished he had comforted her, instead of stand there and watch her cry. If it pained him, he couldn't even imagine how much it pained the girls, especially Brittany.
Brittany was a still a child when it all happened, and it forced her to become an adult overnight, taking over the motherly role for her two sisters. At an age where she should've been hanging out with her friends at the mall after school, she was forced to wake up early just to make sure her sisters had a lunch to eat and clean clothes to wear. Alvin remembers seeing foster parents come and go, and he remembers overhearing the girls say that they were terrified to get attached, because they were afraid someone was going to break their hearts and leave them again.
By the time Brittany turned 18, the foster parents stopped coming, and Brittany became the independent caretaker of herself and her sisters. But that was also the time where Brittany started to drink and party uncontrollably, to a point where Jeanette and Eleanor had almost requested her to leave, because she had turned into an irresponsible mess. But looking back at it now, Alvin knows that it was because she had missed out on so much, that the absence of her own mother had scarred her so badly, that she turned to partying and being carefree and wild, to make her forget.
It's a subject that Brittany avoids, and it's something that Alvin never asked her about, because he knows that it burns her so deeply. But he can see, in her eyes, that a part of her is still broken from her childhood, and despite Brittany acting like she no longer cares, Alvin knows that she does.
"Damn. I can still remember. That must've been so hard," he said.
"At the beginning, it was. But we were so young, and we barely understood what was going on, only that Miss Miller wasn't around anymore," said Jeanette. "But it was harder for Brittany. It always was. Even when things were getting better, I don't think there was ever a time where it got easier for her."
"Yeah," agreed Eleanor. "Especially with all those foster parents that took care of us. But it always felt temporary. They came, took care of us for a while, decided that they didn't want to take on the responsibility to take care of three girls that were nearing their teenage years, and left. Nothing ever felt permanent during that period, and it took a toll on us emotionally."
Jeanette nodded before turning to Alvin. "But there was one person who we knew we could always rely on - Dave. He honestly was the only parental figure that we had in our lives."
Alvin smiled a little, and nodded in agreement. "Dave always looked out for you guys. He considered you three as family, we all did," he said. "When was the last time Brittany even spoke about Miss Miller?"
"Gosh, forever ago. She doesn't like talking about it. She avoids it as much as possible, and she tries to pretend that it doesn't bother her anymore, but we know it does," Jeanette's eyes were sad, because although she doesn't have as much resentment towards her estranged mother as much as Brittany does, it still pains her to talk about it.
"She still hates Miss Miller. She always has, ever since she left us 9 years ago, and she doesn't know how to let that hate go," said Eleanor.
Alvin stayed silent for a bit, not knowing how to respond. He has always felt bad for the girls, but hearing Jeanette and Eleanor talk about it out loud made him feel even more horrible. Having a parent walk out on you is just terrible, and Alvin could never imagine not having Dave in his life. Even the thought of it sent a feeling of loss in his chest, and now that he has a child of his own, he could never, ever imagine abandoning his child the way Miss Miller did with the girls.
"Have you guys tried talking to her about it?" asked Alvin.
"Very rarely. Every time we bring it up, or even mention Miss Miller's name, Brittany would get mad," said Jeanette.
"We wish Brittany would learn to come to terms with it, because we know it still hurts her. It happened at such a young age, and it ruined a part of her. We know it did," Eleanor said. Her voice was sad, but gentle.
"...Yeah," said Alvin, and that was all he could say, because he just didn't know how the hell to respond. He truly felt heartbroken for the girls, even after all these years of knowing them, because up until today, he never really realized how much of a toll it took on them, how it ruined their childhood in a way he would never wish upon his own daughter.
Before anything else could be said, they heard a noise coming from behind them, thus ending the conversation. They all turned around when they heard the sliding door open, and they all watched Brittany walk inside with Melody in her arms. Alvin couldn't help the smile on his face when he saw the gleam in Brittany's eyes when she realized he was here.
Brittany unlocked her gaze from Alvin's to look down at their daughter. She let out a playful gasp and said, "Look, baby! Look who's here! Is that daddy?"
Melody let out an adorable laugh when she saw her father. Her round cheeks curved into the most delicate smile, and Alvin himself couldn't help but laugh a little bit. She certainly was the most beautiful, perfect and angelic little girl, and it was hard to believe that she belonged to him and Brittany. Now that Melody is 8 months old, her senses are definitely starting to develop. She can now recognize happiness and sadness through voices, is familiar with the sound of her name, and was starting to sound out words, although those words were mainly just an incoherent chorus of baby sounds, but still, the sound of their daughter's precious voice made Alvin and Brittany fall in love with their baby even more, if that was even possible.
"Hi, princess," Alvin grinned.
"How long have you been here?" Brittany asked him.
"Not too long. I was gonna find you, but you and Melody looked like you were having fun outside, so I just hung out with your sisters for a bit," said Alvin.
"Oh, well, I wished you came outside, because guess who just stood up on her own two feet for the first time?" Brittany smiled, before cuddling her baby a little closer, which made Melody giggle a little.
Alvin's eyes widened before looking back at his daughter. "...Are you serious?"
"Well, sorta. She was holding onto my hands the entire time, and she stood up for about three seconds before falling over...but still!" Brittany exclaimed.
Alvin chuckled to himself before standing up. He walked over to Brittany and scooped Melody into his arms before playfully lifting his daughter up in the air. "What did I tell you about growing up too fast, huh?" he joked.
"Just wait until she starts leaning how to walk. You two are gonna be running around chasing her everywhere," said Eleanor.
"I know. I mean, she's already a handful now, so I can't imagine how she'll be when she actually knows how to walk and run," said Brittany, before turning to her baby girl, who was resting her head against Alvin's chest. "You're definitely your daddy's twin, huh. Little troublemaker."
Melody let out a sweet little giggle, before she let out the most adorable yawn. Alvin looked down and said, "Looks like she wore herself out. Wanna put her down for a nap?"
Brittany nodded, bidding Jeanette and Eleanor goodbye for now as she and Alvin went upstairs. They reached Brittany's bedroom and tried putting Melody in her crib, but the little baby would start to fuss about every time her parents tried putting her down. It was an ongoing battle for a few minutes, but neither Alvin nor Brittany could stand seeing their daughter look so sad, so they gave up. Instead, they resorted to lying down in Brittany's bed, with Melody snuggled up in a blanket as she laid on Brittany's chest.
"You're such a spoiled little one, aren't you," Brittany laughed gently, before letting out a quiet sigh. "What on earth am I gonna do with you, Melody Rose?"
Alvin smiled as he adjusted the pillow under his head. "I think she knows we spoil her too much. Man, she's really gonna be a handful when she's starts learning how to walk and talk."
"Well, she is a mixture of you and I," she said as she turned to him. "So, yeah, we're in trouble."
"But she's perfect," he said, as he reached over to boop his baby's nose with his finger. "Right, Melody?"
Melody let out a tiny smile as she looked at her father, and the bond between them was just unbreakable. The room slowly grew quiet, and the mood was gentle and still. Alvin couldn't stop staring at the way Brittany ran her fingers through Melody's hair as she soothed their daughter to sleep. Melody scrunched up her little nose and let out the most adorable yawn as her eyes grew heavier, and Brittany adjusted the blanket so that her daughter was all snug and cozy. Seeing the bond between Brittany and Melody was Alvin's absolute favorite thing in the world. He just seemed to love his two girls more and more each day, and it has made him the fucking happiest he has ever been in his whole life.
"Did she fall asleep? I can't tell from here," asked Brittany, shattering the long period of silence.
"Yeah, she did," Alvin smiled. "She's so beautiful when she's asleep. She looks so much like you, Britt."
A small smile appeared on Brittany's face before she let out a gentle sigh. "Sometimes, I can't believe that she's mine. Like, sometimes I would just look at her and can't wrap my head around the fact that we made her," Brittany's eyes were gleaming as she spoke. "I didn't know it was possible to love someone so much, but there's absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for our daughter."
"I guess motherly love kinda hits different, huh," said Alvin.
Brittany nodded, before looking down to see the top of her sleeping baby's head. "It does. I love it more than anything. I can't imagine not being a mom anymore," she said, before gazing up at Alvin. "We've come a long way, haven't we."
He laughed a little. "Sure have. I can still remember the day I confronted you about the pregnancy. Man, we fucking hated each other. You looked like you wanted to kill me for asking you in the first place, even though you were the one who tried hiding it from me."
Brittany rolled her eyes. "Things were different back then, okay?"
Alvin smirked before leaning over to press a kiss against Brittany's lips. "It really was. I kinda miss being enemies with you. It was fun getting on your nerves all the time."
"You still do," she said. "Only difference is that I kinda like you now."
"Well, that makes one of us. I still fucking hate your guts," he joked.
"Hilarious," she rolled her eyes again. "And would you quit swearing in front of our daughter?"
"She's asleep, Britt. She can't hear a thing," he told her.
"Whatever. Now quit talking or else you'll wake her up," she mumbled, before snuggling into the blankets with her baby resting on her chest. It fell quiet again for a few moments, that Alvin hadn't noticed that Brittany had fallen asleep until he looked up from his phone. He had wondered why Brittany hadn't said a word in the past 15 minutes, but realized that she was fast asleep.
Alvin chuckled to himself. Brittany really was so goddamn beautiful, and there was just something even more mesmerizing about her when she was asleep. It was even more stunning seeing Melody fast asleep on Brittany's chest, and just made Alvin's heart fill up to the very top, that it almost hurt. But as Brittany slept, Alvin looked down and thought back to his conversation with Jeanette and Eleanor earlier. It left him feeling empty inside, almost sad. He loves Brittany so much, and he knows - absolutely knows - that she is hurting inside, that she always has been, the moment her mother abandoned her when she was a child. Brittany has never spoken about it, ever, but Alvin knows her well enough to know that the pain she has felt for the past 9 years, was engraved deep inside of her.
And seeing Brittany pour out her entire heart for Melody, was enough for Alvin to see that she was trying her best to fulfill the motherly love she had lacked all her life.
So, he carefully got out of bed, walked out of Brittany's room, and went back downstairs, where he found Jeanette and Eleanor at the table, where he last saw them.
Eleanor looked up when she saw Alvin walk in. "Where's Brittany?"
"She and Melody fell asleep," he told them, before he cleared his throat. He was suddenly feeling a little nervous, which was rare for him because he never gets nervous, but it was something he needed to get off his chest, not only because it involved Brittany, but because it really involved them all. "Um, actually, there's something I wanna ask you two, and I hope you guys won't think I'm insane for suggesting this," he said.
"What is it?" asked Jeanette.
Alvin took a deep sigh before pulling up a chair and sitting across them both. "But you gotta promise me you won't tell Brittany."
The following week came as quickly as it could, and Alvin, Simon and Theodore were all over at the girls' place for dinner. It was so nice having them all together as friends again. The rift in Alvin and Brittany's friendship years ago, and the surge of popularity that Alvin found that caused him to care more about himself and his own friends, definitely tore them all apart. But after going through the emotional turmoil that happened last year, their bond as friends was now stronger than ever.
"Okay, Britt, dinner is ready. Can you go find the others?" asked Eleanor, as she finished setting the table. Theodore had made a delicious beef stew dinner, while Brittany assisted Eleanor in creating a fresh blueberry pie for dessert.
Brittany nodded before going into the living room, where she found Simon and Jeanette playing with Melody. Her daughter was perched on her uncle's lap, while Jeanette tickled Melody's tummy, and the sight of it made her smile, but it wasn't enough to distract her from realizing that someone was missing.
"Where's Alvin?" asked Brittany.
Simon turned to her. "We thought he was in the kitchen with you guys."
"I thought he was in here with you..." Brittany said, and the confusion in her voice was clear. "Um, anyway, dinner is ready."
"Finally, I'm starving," said Jeanette. She picked Melody up in her arms, and started to make her way towards the kitchen, but stopped and turned around when she realized that Brittany wasn't following them. "You coming, Britt?"
"In a sec. Let Eleanor know I'll be right there," she said.
As Simon and Jeanette disappeared into the kitchen, Brittany made her way up the flight of stairs and towards her bedroom. She slowly pushed the door open and peaked inside. She had a feeling Alvin was in here, and her speculations were correct when she found him sitting on her bed, typing away on his phone, although, she wasn't sure why she had a feeling he was up here in the first place. When Alvin realized that someone had come in, he stopped texting, almost at once, and put his phone down when he saw Brittany standing by the door.
"Oh, hey babe," he said.
"Hi," she said. "Were you up here the entire time?"
"...Um, yeah. I just wanted to chill, and it was kinda loud down there," said Alvin, before he got up from the bed. He stuffed his phone into his pocket, and Brittany noticed.
Hmm, that was a bit odd, in Brittany's opinion. There was no such thing as 'loud' for Alvin. She's seen the guy fall asleep in the middle of wild, crazy parties. Granted, he was probably intoxicated during those moments, but still! But she brushed it off. It probably wasn't a big deal anyway, and Alvin probably wanted some peace and quiet for a few moments.
"Okay, well, Eleanor's calling us all for dinner now," she said.
"Cool, sounds good," he said. He walked towards her, gave her a kiss on the forehead, before walking out the room to go downstairs.
Brittany hesitated for a few moments. That was kinda weird. There was something a little off about him, but Brittany shook her head, telling herself that she's just overreacting. All throughout dinner, things definitely seemed normal, but Brittany noticed that Alvin was glancing at his phone, almost more than usual, and it kind of gave her a weird feeling. He seemed normal, and acted like his usual self all night, however, every time he checked his phone, it almost felt like he didn't want to get caught. It seemed a little suspicious, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it, because it was probably nothing. But it did upset her, but they were all having too much of a good time for her time speak up and make things awkward.
She could be overthinking again. Hers and Alvin's relationship is fairly brand new, despite knowing each other for over a decade. But that was the thing - Brittany knows Alvin, and she knows that he was certainly acting...off.
The boys went home for the night, after dinner had ended. It was also one of the few, rare nights where Alvin didn't sleep over, only because he had an early shift in the morning, and needed to get some sleep. So, after kissing Brittany goodnight, he and his brothers left to go home. After putting Melody to sleep, Brittany went downstairs to help her sisters clean up.
"Hey, guys?" asked Brittany.
"Yeah?" answered Jeanette.
Brittany bit her bottom lip, before sighing deeply to herself. "I, um, don't know if it's just me, but...did Alvin seem a little off during dinner? Like, did it seem like he was acting a bit...I don't know, not like himself?"
Jeanette and Eleanor glanced at each other for a moment, before Jeanette shook her head. "I didn't notice anything."
"Me neither. If anything, he was acting too much like his usual, irritating, egotistical self," said Eleanor. "Why? Did he seem off to you?"
Brittany didn't answer at first, because her sister was right. Alvin seemed like himself, but she knows him well enough to know that there was definitely something going on. "Well, I don't know. I mean, I think so? But at the same time, I don't."
"Hmm, well, you know Alvin better than we do, but I think he seemed fine," said Eleanor.
"I do too," said Jeanette.
"You're probably just overthinking, Britt. That boyfriend of yours is quite the person, so it's probably hard to keep up," Eleanor joked a little.
Brittany sighed, and nodded to herself before looking down. "Yeah, I guess so."
Her sisters were probably right, that she was just overthinking. But for the first time in a long time, she felt a tug in her chest that made her think otherwise.
Things were getting weirder as the days went by.
Five days have passed, and Brittany was feeling a little bothered. She tried telling herself that she's just overthinking, but there was just something about Alvin's recent behavior that she couldn't quite understand. She has never seen him act this way before, not that he was acting out of character or anything. But there was just something about him that was off, as if he's been hiding something, or he knows something that he doesn't want Brittany to find out.
It was a little past 5pm, and he hasn't called her all day. In fact, he's usually home from work by now, but when Brittany peered out her bedroom window, his car wasn't even in the driveway of his house. Alvin always - always - lets her know every time he had plans or when he knows he's going to be home late, whether that be grabbing a drink with coworkers after his shift, hanging out with his friends for a few hours, of whatever, he always lets her know.
Him not calling is certainly out of the ordinary.
Brittany sighed, before looking at the crib by her bed. Her daughter was lying on her tummy, staring at her mother through the bars of her crib, with her pretty gold eyes. The sight was just mesmerizing, but for the first time in a long time, seeing her daughter's eyes kind of stung, because of the way they mirrored Alvin's.
"C'mere, cutie pie," Brittany said sweetly, as she picked her baby up in her arms. She sat in the middle of her bed, with Melody cuddled up right in her lap. "Where on earth is your daddy, hmm?"
Melody looked at her mother, and where there was usually a smile, was now replaced by a look that almost read concern, as if she could sense the sadness in her mother's voice. Brittany's heart fucking broke.
She picked up her phone and decided to call him, but his end of the line was busy. She tried again 10 minutes later, only to be sent to voicemail. She was starting to get a little annoyed, but after hearing the beep at the end, she built up the heart to speak. "Hey, it's me. Just wondering where you are. Call me when you get this. I love you."
An hour passed, and no reply. No text, no call, nothing.
It was almost 6:30pm when she tried a second time, only to be brought to voicemail again. "Hey, I just wanna know if you're coming over for dinner. Melody really wants to see you, so let me know. Bye."
Another hour, and still no reply. Brittany was starting to get fucking annoyed. If he's trying to ignore or avoid her on purpose for some goddamn reason, then fine, but not when it involves their daughter. That crosses the line, and Brittany wasn't having it at all.
She called him one last time, a little past 8pm, and she wasn't playing any fucking games anymore. As she expected, she got sent to voicemail again, and the moment she heard the beep at the end, she could feel the blood under her skin start to boil.
"This isn't funny anymore, Seville. The fact that this is the third time I'm trying to contact you, through fucking voicemail of all things, is pretty damn annoying. The least you can do is let me know where you are. I don't care if you're out with your friends or whatever, but letting me know wouldn't hurt, would it? You haven't seen your daughter all day, and I just want to know if you're safe or not. But I guess you have other priorities this time. I hope this lights a fire under your ass, because I am not calling you again," she exclaimed venomously, before hanging up her phone and tossing it on her bed.
"...Wow. Mommy's kinda mad, huh?"
Brittany's eyes widened and she whipped her head around when she heard his voice come out of nowhere, only to see Alvin standing at the entrance of her bedroom door, with her smiling little girl in his arms.
She couldn't fucking believe him. He really had the nerve. Ugh!
"Where the hell have you been?" she snapped at him.
"Okay, first of all, no swearing in front of the baby, remember?" he joked, but Brittany's glare turned even colder. "And second, I'm sorry, I really am. I had to cover an evening shift, which made me work overtime, and me and the guys decided to get a beer after work, and my phone died before I could even call you."
Brittany scoffed. "Your phone died? Sure."
"I'm being honest, Britt. Work was kinda slow, and I had to make a couple important calls, so I was pretty much on my phone all day," he said, but the look on her face told him that she wasn't at all convinced. "I'm telling you the truth, Brittany. I wouldn't lie to you."
Brittany glared at him, before the anger in her chest melted away, because she knew he was right. After everything they've been through, she knew that Alvin would never lie to her, or do anything that would pain her the same way she experienced last year. She sighed deeply, and crossed her arms against her chest. "When did you arrive?"
"About 10 minutes ago. Jeanette warned me about you being a little pissed, so that's why I brought Melody with me, because I know you can't get too mad at me with our daughter around," Alvin told her.
She rolled her eyes, before walking over to him and taking Melody out of his arms and into hers. "I'm still mad at you regardless, so stop using our baby as an excuse," she fired, before sighing out loud. "I was only concerned, Alvin."
"I know, and I'm sorry," he said, before leaning in to press a light kiss on her lips. He truly was guilty, to the pit of his stomach, because he can't stand seeing her upset. "I picked up some ice cream on the way home, just to let you know how sorry I am. Chocolate cookie dough, your favorite."
She rolled her eyes again. "You're such a suck up, I swear."
He laughed a little. "I guess I deserve that."
Brittany sighed, and as much as she wanted to look angry, a small smile appeared on her lips, and she hated how she failed to hide it. She wanted to believe him, and there really is no legitimate reason for her to think he was lying behind her back, but she could tell that there was definitely something going on.
Also, did he say he was making phone calls all day?
But, to who?
Another week has passed. Alvin did seem very apologetic all week, and he's done his best to show Brittany that, but she was still skeptical. It wasn't like him at all to disappear without telling her, or to come home late without letting her know where he is. Lately, Brittany has noticed that Alvin has been popping in and out of rooms just to answer text messages, or to pick up phone calls, even though he claims they are all just work related. Brittany wants to believe him, because she built up so much trust in him, and Alvin himself knows that it isn't anything he can afford to lose. But every time she sees him glancing at his phone, it sent a horrible feeling into the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't bring herself to confront him about it because she was scared - no, terrified - that her speculations could be true.
And she just doesn't want to feel heartbroken again. Especially now, because she loves him so damn much.
It was a Saturday night. Jeanette had been on a camping retreat for the past three days and was coming home tomorrow morning, and Eleanor was babysitting a few of the little kids she coaches for soccer, leaving Alvin and Brittany alone at home for once.
Brittany was a little annoyed, because having time alone with Alvin was pretty rare nowadays, and now that their daughter is able to sleep throughout the night without waking up, she wanted to spend some time with him and not let this night go to waste. But there was just something holding her back, something that hurt so deeply on the inside, something that worried her that she just couldn't understand. He was starting to feel a little distant from her, and it truly hurt. It really, really did.
But Brittany knew there was one way to know whether or not he was hiding something from her.
She walked out of her bedroom, and went downstairs to the kitchen where she found Alvin washing his hands at the sink. She slowly walked up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. Alvin looked down and chuckled to himself before wiping his hands clean. He turned around to face her and raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were asleep," he said.
"No, I just put Melody to bed though. Speaking of..." her eyes grew a little darker and a smile appeared on her face. "Now that she's asleep, and since we have the whole house to ourselves for the rest of the night, I was thinking we could have a bit of time for ourselves, if you know what I mean."
Alvin raised an eyebrow and smirked. "With our daughter in the room?"
"The living room is free," she said.
He chuckled. "I would love to, babe, but I was thinking of calling it a night. I'm pretty exhausted right now."
"Even just a quickie? It's been a few weeks," she frowned. It really has, which is out of the ordinary. They haven't had sex ever since Alvin started acting a little distant and off, and the fact that he wasn't in the mood told her that there really was something going on.
"I know, but it's been a long day, Britt," he said.
This wasn't like him at all, and it just confirmed that he was hiding something from her all of a sudden. She thought, that after all the shit they went through last year, almost making them lose each other for good, that there would be no secrets between them, that their love and trust for one another is what has held them together through thick and thin. Also, why was he acting like this all of a sudden? A month ago, it all felt normal between them, but it just slowly and gradually felt more distant, and Brittany knew something was up. Did she do something wrong? Was he starting to get bored? Shit, this was heartbreaking, and Brittany just couldn't find the strength to ask him what was wrong, to ask him if there was something going on, because she was terrified of it being true.
"I...whatever, fine. I'm going to bed," she spoke up without making eye contact, but she failed to hold back the pain in her voice.
Alvin watched her as she turned her back, and the guilt was almost too much. "Brittany, c'mon. Don't tell me you're gonna be mad at me because I'm not in the mood to have sex."
She whipped her head around to glare at him, and she was truly in disbelief. "Are you an idiot, Alvin? Do you really think it has something to do with that? Because it has nothing to do with that. I'm just...you know what? Nevermind, it doesn't matter. Now goodnight."
And she left with tears in her eyes before storming up the stairs and into her bedroom. Her heart was in pain. He was hiding something from her, and it broke her. She wiped her tears away before climbing into bed and shielding her entire body with her blanket, but she had forgotten how dangerous it was to be left alone with her thoughts and an aching heart. She couldn't sleep, and to make it worse, it took Alvin a whole 30 minutes before he came into the room after her. It usually took him no time, especially when he knows Brittany is sad or upset, so why the hell did it take him forever this time?
"Britt, you awake?" he whispered.
But she didn't reply. She barely even moved.
After realizing that she wasn't going to answer him, no matter how much he'll try, he let out a sigh before climbing into bed next to her. But he kept his distance, because he knew that Brittany didn't want anything to do with him right now, and that she would probably push him away if he got too close.
And that was how their night came to a close, and it was one of the worst nights Brittany has ever had. She couldn't even sleep, not one bit, and she was afraid to toss and turn, because she didn't want to wake him up. However, the night turned to day, and it had just hit 7am when Brittany felt Alvin move beside her, and it was quite a shock when she felt him wake up and slowly get out of bed. Brittany stayed still under the covers, but she could tell that Alvin was moving in a way where he tried his best not to make any noise.
Just when she heard his quiet footsteps pacing around the room, she suddenly sat up and looked at him. Alvin's eyes widened for just a moment, and Brittany could tell by his face that he was not expecting her to be awake. He looked like he was caught red-handed, and the look on his face was as clear as ever.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"Um, I'll be right back, I just need to do something at home," he said, motioning to the window which faced his house.
That barely answered Brittany's question, but the heartbreak from not only yesterday, but the past few weeks, was starting to catch up to her. She couldn't find the words to reply or to answer back, or to even argue back for that matter, and that wasn't like her at all.
Alvin left, without saying much else, as if he was avoiding any more questions, which resulted in Brittany sitting in bed for the next hour. She just sat here alone; a part of her was waiting for him to come back, and the other part forced her to stay awake because her brain was way too scattered and too heavy to even think straight.
But the silence was starting to drive her insane, much like it did last night, so she finally rolled herself out of bed, and after checking on her daughter, who was still silently asleep, she went downstairs to make herself a cup of tea. Both of her sisters were already in the kitchen; Jeanette must've just come home because her travel bag was sitting on the floor next to the kitchen table. They both turned their heads when they saw Brittany walk in.
"Brittany, awake before noon? I don't think I've ever seen you wake up this early in like, forever," said Jeanette.
"I guess," Brittany replied. She walked straight to the cupboards to grab a mug, without even looking at them.
"You okay, Brittany? You seem so exhausted," said Eleanor.
"I didn't get any sleep last night," said Brittany. The tone in her voice was small, almost monotone. She placed a teabag in her mug, before pouring hot water over it. Her hands were trembling, but Brittany herself barely even noticed.
"At all? Did Melody keep you up?" asked Eleanor.
"No, it wasn't her," said Brittany, still with that same, stale ring in her voice. She carried her mug over to the table and sat down. She kept her grasp on the cup, and she took a deep breath. Both of her sisters looked at her, and finally noticed the pain in her eyes.
"...You okay?" asked Jeanette.
And that was when it all came crashing down. The wall that she had built around herself the past few weeks, came crumbling down because no, she is not okay, and it absolutely crushed her to the pit of her fucking stomach. Her eyes began to water, and her chest felt insanely heavy, and she needed to let it out before it hurts her even more.
"Britt! What's the matter?" Eleanor exclaimed.
"It's Alvin," she finally spoke out. Saying his name left a fiery and bitter taste in her mouth, and it made her feel horrible. "He's been acting so weird lately, He hasn't been acting like himself at all. He's been so distant, and he's always on his goddamn phone, more than usual. I can't help but feel like he's doing something behind my back."
"Like what?" asked Jeanette.
Brittany let out a shaky breath, and her eyes were glossy and heartbroken. "I...I think he might be cheating on me."
y'all wanted drama, so I'm giving you drama.
Uh oh, looks like Brittany misunderstood what was going on! And why was Alvin being so secretive? What's gonna happen between them, now that Brittany thinks Alvin is doing things behind her back?
I would love to read some feedback for this chapter, so please REVIEW! Lets hit 1285-1290 reviews until the next chapter.
See you all in the next one!
