Chapter Fourteen:
"Gwen. Gwen? What? You not speaking to me?" Hank asked the woman sitting in the passenger seat beside him. He chanced a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. Her lips were in a tight line, and she had her arms crossed around herself. Oh great, he thought, she's still mad. Maybe I should have warned her.
Who knew Jake would throw Milk Duds at that old man? He couldn't help it. The corners of his mouth turned up as he remembered their disastrous 'date' to the movies. Ali was right. That old man was scary-looking. Ancient. With beady eyes and gnarled hands. Frown on his face as he stared at the screen ahead of him. What was he doing watching a Disney flick anyway? He had the look of a classic villian. Jake was just protecting Ali. That thought had him laughing out loud. He was sure Gwen didn't feel the same way. He forced the laugh down as Gwen shot a glare his way.
He peeked at the kids in the mirror. They were too quiet. Especially considering they'd consumed countless dollars worth of sugar and caffeine. He guessed they were scared of the way Gwen was acting. She was scaring him. Luis was going to kill him. Ali had talked throughout film. When she wasn't giggling. Or fighting with Jake. Not to mention the fact her clothes were ruined.
Five bathroom breaks during the movie. A short movie. And of course, Gwen had to be the one who took her. It wasn't like he could go in the ladies room with her. He only made it worse by buying her as much soda as she wanted. But that was only after Jake caused her to spill her entire soda on herself. Tears welled up in her big blue eyes, and she pouted for a while, but she wouldn't allow Jake the satisfaction of making her cry. Whoa, but she was one mad little firecracker. Hank had no doubt his son would pay. Someday very soon.
He could go on and on. Jake topped himself tonight. As soon as the movie was over, the manager had politely informed him they were banned from frequenting his theater. Gwen had been mortified. She stalked off in the direction of the car dragging Jake and Ali each by the hand. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard a peep out of them since. He tried to joke his way out of the doghouse. But that was such a mistake. The two steps back he'd made this evening were two colossal steps.
He sighed as he stopped the car in Luis's driveway. He got out and walked around to help Ali out of the car. "I'll be right back," he called out as he walked up the sidewalk holding Ali's little hand. He knocked on the door and was surprised when no one answered. Even more surprised when he bumped into Gwen behind him. He knocked again, then turned the knob in concern. He motioned for Gwen to stay behind with Jake and Ali and went inside.
"Luis? Luis, buddy? Are you here?" he yelled. "Luis?" He walked quietly down the hall to Luis's bedroom where a soft light glowed. He found Luis there. On the bed. Reading. And totally surprised to see him. "Hey Hank. What's wrong? Why are you looking at me that way?"
"Luis. Man. Did you not hear me knocking at the door? Yelling your name? That must be some good book you're reading, buddy. It better be. You scared me. For a split second, I was afraid Ali had lost her other parent." Regret contorted Luis's features. "Look Hank. I'm sorry I worried you." "That's okay, buddy, now what's that book in your hand? If it's that good, I might have to borrow it sometime. Cause Gwen's giving me the silent treatment. Man, she's so mad at me. I'd have to say that at this moment she hates me."
"Hank," a voice called out. A voice laden with concern. "Hank, are you okay? Is everything alright with Luis?" Luis looked at his friend pointedly. "I don't know about that," he said quietly as he closed the book and got up from the bed. Walked down the hall to where his daughter stood beside the woman in question, clutching her hand tightly in fear. "Sorry to alarm you, Gwen," he said with a small smile, "I see you survived." That smile grew as he watched relief flash through her eyes at the sight of Hank. Safe and in one piece. But it was only a very brief flash. Soon her eyes glittered in anger.
The smile on his face vanished, though, as his eyes lit upon his daughter. Ali's chin trembled, and a tiny teardrop trickled down her little cheek. "Hey, AliCat," he said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, "what's wrong, Baby?" "Oh Daddy!" she wailed as she launched herself into his arms. "I was so scared, Daddy. Don't leave me." A pain tore through his heart as she sobbed in his arms.
Hank and Gwen quietly took their leave, barely noticed. Luis carried Ali to her room and held her until her tears subsided and her breathing deepened. "Never. Never, AliCat. I'll never leave you, sweetheart. Daddy'll always be here. Always. I love you, Baby. And nothing's going to take me away from you. Nothing." He watched her as she slept. Afraid to let her out of his sight. It was hours later before he could tear himself away. Hours before he returned to his room and lay down on his own bed. He meant every word. He'd do everything in his power to keep his promise. Everything, he thought as he fell into a fitfull sleep.
"Gwen. Gwen? What? You not speaking to me?" Hank asked the woman sitting in the passenger seat beside him. He chanced a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. Her lips were in a tight line, and she had her arms crossed around herself. Oh great, he thought, she's still mad. Maybe I should have warned her.
Who knew Jake would throw Milk Duds at that old man? He couldn't help it. The corners of his mouth turned up as he remembered their disastrous 'date' to the movies. Ali was right. That old man was scary-looking. Ancient. With beady eyes and gnarled hands. Frown on his face as he stared at the screen ahead of him. What was he doing watching a Disney flick anyway? He had the look of a classic villian. Jake was just protecting Ali. That thought had him laughing out loud. He was sure Gwen didn't feel the same way. He forced the laugh down as Gwen shot a glare his way.
He peeked at the kids in the mirror. They were too quiet. Especially considering they'd consumed countless dollars worth of sugar and caffeine. He guessed they were scared of the way Gwen was acting. She was scaring him. Luis was going to kill him. Ali had talked throughout film. When she wasn't giggling. Or fighting with Jake. Not to mention the fact her clothes were ruined.
Five bathroom breaks during the movie. A short movie. And of course, Gwen had to be the one who took her. It wasn't like he could go in the ladies room with her. He only made it worse by buying her as much soda as she wanted. But that was only after Jake caused her to spill her entire soda on herself. Tears welled up in her big blue eyes, and she pouted for a while, but she wouldn't allow Jake the satisfaction of making her cry. Whoa, but she was one mad little firecracker. Hank had no doubt his son would pay. Someday very soon.
He could go on and on. Jake topped himself tonight. As soon as the movie was over, the manager had politely informed him they were banned from frequenting his theater. Gwen had been mortified. She stalked off in the direction of the car dragging Jake and Ali each by the hand. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard a peep out of them since. He tried to joke his way out of the doghouse. But that was such a mistake. The two steps back he'd made this evening were two colossal steps.
He sighed as he stopped the car in Luis's driveway. He got out and walked around to help Ali out of the car. "I'll be right back," he called out as he walked up the sidewalk holding Ali's little hand. He knocked on the door and was surprised when no one answered. Even more surprised when he bumped into Gwen behind him. He knocked again, then turned the knob in concern. He motioned for Gwen to stay behind with Jake and Ali and went inside.
"Luis? Luis, buddy? Are you here?" he yelled. "Luis?" He walked quietly down the hall to Luis's bedroom where a soft light glowed. He found Luis there. On the bed. Reading. And totally surprised to see him. "Hey Hank. What's wrong? Why are you looking at me that way?"
"Luis. Man. Did you not hear me knocking at the door? Yelling your name? That must be some good book you're reading, buddy. It better be. You scared me. For a split second, I was afraid Ali had lost her other parent." Regret contorted Luis's features. "Look Hank. I'm sorry I worried you." "That's okay, buddy, now what's that book in your hand? If it's that good, I might have to borrow it sometime. Cause Gwen's giving me the silent treatment. Man, she's so mad at me. I'd have to say that at this moment she hates me."
"Hank," a voice called out. A voice laden with concern. "Hank, are you okay? Is everything alright with Luis?" Luis looked at his friend pointedly. "I don't know about that," he said quietly as he closed the book and got up from the bed. Walked down the hall to where his daughter stood beside the woman in question, clutching her hand tightly in fear. "Sorry to alarm you, Gwen," he said with a small smile, "I see you survived." That smile grew as he watched relief flash through her eyes at the sight of Hank. Safe and in one piece. But it was only a very brief flash. Soon her eyes glittered in anger.
The smile on his face vanished, though, as his eyes lit upon his daughter. Ali's chin trembled, and a tiny teardrop trickled down her little cheek. "Hey, AliCat," he said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, "what's wrong, Baby?" "Oh Daddy!" she wailed as she launched herself into his arms. "I was so scared, Daddy. Don't leave me." A pain tore through his heart as she sobbed in his arms.
Hank and Gwen quietly took their leave, barely noticed. Luis carried Ali to her room and held her until her tears subsided and her breathing deepened. "Never. Never, AliCat. I'll never leave you, sweetheart. Daddy'll always be here. Always. I love you, Baby. And nothing's going to take me away from you. Nothing." He watched her as she slept. Afraid to let her out of his sight. It was hours later before he could tear himself away. Hours before he returned to his room and lay down on his own bed. He meant every word. He'd do everything in his power to keep his promise. Everything, he thought as he fell into a fitfull sleep.