Chapter One: Maybe Better Than PlannedSort Of
(as told by Roger Davis)
9 November

I can't believe I fell asleep.
What time is it? 5:00 P.M.
I can see Noah playing on the floor nearby with the few toys he has (most of them are prizes from cereal boxes or the actual box itself never underestimate the power of a cardboard box on a two year old).
So, this isn't exactly how I saw my life going, especially after April's "note", but then came Mimi, God, I miss her and, honestly, sometimes I just want to give up, then I see him. He has his mom's eyes.
He stops his play, looks at me, and then runs off somewhere. I lean forward to the note attached on my guitar.


Roger,
Meet us at the Life Cafe
Everyone

A knock sounds at the door.
Before I can reach it the door slowly opens on its own.
Damn door's been broke since our "re-break in" nearly three years ago.
There stands a girl in paint splattered jeans and a shirt that looks like it cost more than I earn in a week.

"I'm sorry," she begins to stuttered, "I knocked and it just kinda opened on its own."

Well, I saw that.

"I'm looking for Benny. He..forgot to turn on my utilities and I've, well, I have to..."
I pointed to the bathroom door...I wasn't going to let her torture herself.
She started to go in but haults midway through opening the door and extremeley flustered steps just next to the door.
A few seconds pass and a flush sounds and the faucet, but just barely. The door opens and Noah comes out grinning. She slips in as he comes running to me.
"I did it, ad"
Finally.
"Yes, you did"
Yes, I, Roger Davis, am actually... phyched? is that the word?that a two year old (my two year old) learned how to piss correctly. Being a Dad does that I guess.
The girl comes out, "Thanks"

Come on Davis, be nice, she is a friend of a friend...think of something.

"Hey, um, Benny and everyone is at the Life Cafe, you should come too"
She slowly nods and I grab Noah and mine's stuff.
"Can we stop by my place real quick?"
I shrug...I don't care...I can't tell her what to do.
"Come on in. I'll only be minute"
I take a deep breath and carry Noah into Benny's old place...Mimi's old place.
There's a couple of trash bags in the corner. An old, really nice acoustic guitar sits in the other next to an electric.
"You play guitar?" I call.
"Yeah, since kindergarten, my grandfather's idea" I hear.
That grandfather I would like to have had.
She comes from the back room in a shirt much more in my price range. She grabs a coat and I steal a glance at the picture near the door as we leave her apartment and the building all together.
"So..um..." I start.
I can't remember what Benny called her. Shit.
"Cade"
"I'm Roger, this is Noah"
"I know Benny is quite the informant"
"So what's your story?"
She laughs and throw her straight, dirty blonde hair back.
"The Moby Dick or The Little Engine That Could length"
Noah's eyes light up at the word 'dick', he's heard that word more times than he should have.
"Little Enginge" I answer.
She sighs, and is instanly somber, "My parents and brother died-July 4th-and my grandfather thought it would best to find my...well, get away, while he "handled" my distraught and pregnant sister-in-law"
I nod.
"Here we are"
I open the door to the cafe and set Noah down, who runs around Mark to go to Collins.
"Caw-ins! Guess wha? I peess good"
"That's great little man"
I can see Mark look a little hurt as he turns back to his conversation with Joanne. Noah always seems to avoid Mark, most kids do, and most of the time he tries to too.
Benny looks up, "Cade! How did you two...?"
She shrugs, "A girl's got to pee"
"...Sorry"
"Don't worry, I'm good now...So whose everyone?"

Later that night I could hear a nearly familar song. She had messed with it or maybe it was the floor muffling it, but I could slightly hear "Mussetta's Waltz". I laughed as I started my attempt to fall asleep.

Hey, everyone, so honestly wasn't sure if I was going to get reviews are not, but I DID! many happy dances.
Thanks goes to:

KelbyThanks, and I'm glad you seem to like it.
BwayDivamy 1st review, interesting, in a good way, right?

Okay, so I had an extremely hard time trying to introduce Cade into the story, let me know what you think...especially if you see problems...again first Rent fic. and I wanna do good.
Thanks, again