Chapter 8: Dad Finally Clues In, Moment of Shock, Desperado, and Forgiveness

The next day, I awoke and totally forgotten about yesterday's events. Then it all came back in a rush, and I felt nauseous, of course. I rose, yet again, from my tear and mascara stained pillow, and looked at myself in the standing mirror. I was now showing even more, this was disgusting. How could I keep showing when Brad hated me, and I basically had nothing going for me now. I looked at myself from all angles in the mirror, then I scoffed, and went to shower, and change.

Going downstairs wasn't great either, but NOW Dad decides to notice I'm like huge, and that wasn't what I needed at all, but Dad will be Dad. Mom looked sympathetic, but I didn't need sympathy, or did I? All I knew was I needed Brad. I looked at Dad who was trying very hard not to stare, his eyes were shifting slyly from the paper, to me, and back again. Mom abruptly handed Dad a cup of coffee to take the attention off of me. He took it from her and quickly set it down.

Mom handed me a glass of water with Alka-Seltzer in it, and I assumed I needed it, but it tasted awful, so I cringed as I drank it. I sat down at the kitchen table across from Dad, who was still shifting his glance from me to the paper, and I wanted to just tell him to stop it, because it was beginning to drive me crazy, but I didn't say anything.

Mom looked at Dad, then followed his glance to me, and said, "Would you STOP staring at her!"

"I…I wasn't staring!" Dad said

"Were too," Mom said

Dad rolled his eyes, and actually kept his glance on the paper. Mom took her coffee cup and sat down next to me. Even though Dad was showered, shaved, and dressed in his usual shirt and tie, he looked, tired, like his life was just plain exhausting. I didn't like that. I looked at Mom, who had stolen a section of the paper that Dad wasn't reading, and even though she was made-up, and dressed, she also looked like he did, maybe I was exhausting them.

"We need to go out today," Mom said abruptly, startling me.

"Really? Where?" I said

"Um…I don't know, anywhere."

"I think we should shop, since I can no longer wear anything that looks even half cute, we'll shop Sephora."

"Agreed!" Mom said

We almost jumped up to do that immediately, and we didn't feel to bad about leaving Dad alone, because he would leave for work soon.

Shopping with Mom had to be the best depression curer ever. Mom was a very enthusiastic person to be around, and there was truly never a dull moment when she was present, it was the stroll back home that was depressing.

She and I had finished shopping, and were walking down Boston City Square, Yes, where it began, when we passed an alley, that had a few apartment windows above the stores there. I usually refrain from looking down allies, but something caught my eye down this one. Standing, well, leaning, against a metal trash can, was the one whom I love almost as much as Mom and Dad, but in an entirely different way of course, the person who I'd do anything for, the person whom I would in five or six months be the mother of his child, standing the against that trash can, who looked like he had been almost beaten to death, was Brad.

My heart stopped, and I know it, because I also stopped breathing, I couldn't move, well, for about a spilt second, Mom had kept walking, not noticing what I had. I set my bags down at the end of the alley and ran to him. He didn't notice it was me at first, I tried to tell him it was me, but just as I said my name, he pretty much fainted, and I screamed for Mom, because I knew she could help me, she came running down that alley like a solider into battle, her purse raised, because I'm assuming she thought I was getting attacked in the alley, so she was prepared to beat the person who had attacked me to death with her purse. She helped me try and support him, so we could semi carry him, but that only lasted for about four or five steps. Regardless of the fact Mom and I both work out, Brad is a very large man, not large like overweight, but large like tall, and a burly, but not really, that just comes from being in the Navy. Anyway, and he should've been able to take whoever was trying to beat him up, but I knew there was a reason he wasn't fighting back.

Mom let go of his right arm, and then I was left to support all of him, while she called Dad. I eased him down to the ground, and sat next to him, despite the fact he was unconscious, I didn't want him sitting on the ground alone. Mom spoke very quickly on the phone, and hung up. She sat down next to me, dragging our many shopping bags over to where we were, leaning up against the brick wall of the alley, although we were right at the corner, so everyone could see us. We were quite a sight, two twin looking woman, with an unconscious Navy fellow. I saw a ton of blood on his shirt, so I had to see where it was coming from, after all, there wasn't anything there I hadn't seen. I slowly lifted his shirt, to reveal his toned six pack, of course, and a gigantic gash that went straight down his stomach. I winced as I touched it. Mom glanced over and did a double take.

"Geez, what happened to him?"

"I don't know," I said

"Nice abs though," Mom said, trying to lighten the mood, "Your father used to look like that, not anymore,"

"Pfft!" I laughed, her mood lightening attempt hadn't failed. I pulled his shirt back down, and looked at Mom, "What if he did this to himself?"

"He didn't," Mom said shaking her head

I just nodded, and hoped with all my heart she was right. I touched the side of his face with my hand, and my acrylic French manicured nails stood out against the discoloration his face now had. I felt a single tear slide down my cheek. Mom looked from him, to me, and then I saw a tear slide down her cheek also.

About ten minutes after that, Dad came. Mom and I had been talking about everything prior to him arriving. Dad looked at Brad, and his faced twisted into a grimaced expression.

"Is he O.K.?"

"It's hard to tell," I said.

"I think we should take him home, then see if he needs a doctor," Mom suggested

"Alright," Dad and I agreed.

Now, since he was my soul and my heart's inspiration, Dad and I had to lift him. This wasn't easy. And let me tell you, I was the stronger one out of the both of us. Which was pretty scary. Dad and I tried our hardest to lift him and walk the little ways to the car, but it was easier said than done. Dad was barely doing anything, just sort of lifting, which was unfair, but I didn't tell him that.

We got him all the way to the car, semi successfully, and I sat in the back seat with him. While Mom and Dad rode up front. No one talked on the ride home, we were all afraid to, I and don't think Dad wanted to know how we found Brad.

Getting him into the house wasn't any easier, neither were the stairs. But when we finally laid him down on my bed, I almost danced around, because after that, I didn't have to work out for months.

While he rested in there, I couldn't be in there, I had to not think about what would happen if he didn't wake up. I paced around in front of the door for a while, then I went to sort out my purchases, then I helped Mom wash dishes, and I finally went back upstairs, just as he was stirring.

"Hey," I said from the doorway.

"Hi," he said

After he said that I knew he wasn't mad at me anymore, at least I hoped. I walked quickly over to the bed and sat down on the same side he was on.

"Should I ask….?" I said

He sighed, then looked at me, "Depends on if you want to know,"

I looked at the ceiling, then at the floor, then finally at him, and said, "Do I want to know?"

"Probably not."

I sighed, and said, "I was holding off on bandaging you because I thought you should be conscious for that,"

"Why….?"

"I don't know. Do you want me to do that now?"

"Why not,"

I stood up and left the room, and returned with Hydrogen Peroxide, a small bowl of water, and a few wash cloths. I had set all of this out when I was trying not to think about this, ironic, huh? I sat down where I was before. I unscrewed the top of the Hydrogen Peroxide, and set one of the wash cloths on top of the open lid, then turned it upside down, then quickly right side up, and leaned to put it on a cut on his arm.

"OW!" he said

"I haven't even touched you yet," I said, shaking my head, "God, how did you survive Navy training, sailor?"

"Painfully," he said as he looked away as I put the Hydrogen Peroxide wash cloth on his arm.

"Are you seriously this much of a wimp?"

"No, I'm just making you nervous," he said

"Uh." I said rolling my eyes. I turned the bottle upside down over the wash cloth again, and then said, "Close your eyes."

"Why…..?"

"Just do it. I'll just put this in your eye if you'd prefer."

"No thanks, I'll close them."

I laughed, as I gently dabbed the cloth over his extremely black eye.

"So, I can't take it anymore, what the hell happened to you?"

The bad thing was I took him by surprise, and he opened his eyes, while I still had the Hydro. Cloth on it.

"AAHHHH! Dana!"

"OhmiGod I'm so sorry!" I said

"O.K., now I'm blind,"

I took the cloth off of his eye, "Sorry. Just please tell me what happened,"

He took my hand that still had the cloth in it, and placed it on his arm with the cut in it, and I smiled at him, as he took in a breath, and said, "Well, it started when I left you the other day, I went to the coffee shop, and these people who had obviously seen us before were just going on and on about you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, and they weren't saying anything flattering if you know what I mean,"

I knew what he meant, sometimes I hated the way I looked, people usually didn't, but there were always the few that would have to point out that I'm reasonably nice looking, but they won't be so polite, they'll say something off color and offensive. Which I knew that's what he was referring to, and I now realized what had gotten him into this.

"So…you took a swing at them,"

"No, actually, I wasn't even going to say anything, you know live and let live,"

I shook my head and laughed lightly, "Yeah, but…"

"But, then they started in about…well…"

My eyebrows flew up, "Oh……"

"Yeah…and I couldn't take that sitting down, so I was going to politely say, 'Excuse me, why are you speaking that way about her and me,' when I got over there, the one who had been talking the most, just all of a sudden starts just wailing on me, so I'm telling myself, 'Don't fight back, this is barbaric,' when the other one says, 'That whore he's always with is probably not gonna fuck him after this,'"

My mouth dropped, "He said WHAT!"

"I know! So, what would you have done?"

"Kicked his ass, but, you obviously weren't successful!"

"Would've been, if he hadn't called in about twenty other gigantic jewelry wearing thugs,"

"I don't believe this, they beat you up because you were defending me. That's so sweet,"

"Well, no one insults you in front of me,"

"You what makes it even sweeter?"

"What?"

"You did it even when you were mad at me,"

"Well, I would've done it even if we hadn't spoken in twenty years and you were married to another guy and had his baby, because I will always love you no matter what,"

I almost started crying, that was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. And he knew that too, so even though he was bruised, cut, and busted pretty much everywhere, as I carefully leaned in to kiss him, he didn't pull away or 'AAAAHHH' at me this time, he put his hand behind my head, and kissed. Probably the best kiss I've ever had in my entire life, and I know by the way things had happened it would have led to much more, but in condition, I didn't even bother. When we broke apart, I took another wash cloth and put it in the water this time, and placed it on his arm, "So, did you miss me?"

"More than you could possibly imagine," he said, then smiled. Even though he had exaggerated that because he was joking, I didn't care, because what he did for me showed he did care about me more than I could ever imagine.

"Look, um, I'm sorry about saying what was bothering me wasn't your concern, and about saying you were trying to get out of this relationship with me,"

"It's O.K., I shouldn't have pried,"

"No," I said, touching his knee, "You have the right to pry, but I didn't to say that about you,"

"I forgive you, it's not a big deal,"

"Really?"

"Yes, I know you mad at me, so you stuff you didn't mean, we all do it, even perfect you."

"Thanks,"

"Um-hum." He was about to say something else, when he just stopped and stared at me.

"What?"

"You're showing more now,"

"God, stop noticing!" I said as I half laughed, because he wasn't saying it to be mean, he was saying it because he was happy about it.

"Well, it means we'll know what we're having soon,"

"Oh, that's right, you never did tell me your preference,"

"O.K., I hope we have a girl, so then I can a daughter who's just like you,"

Another totally sweet thing he said, it made me say, 'Awwwah," and then hug him, again without hurting him.

"Well, what's your preference?" He asked

"Uh…girl," I said

"Hey!"

"Well-"

"I'm kidding. Should be decide on names before or after we find out what we're having?"

"After, I have no idea what names I like."

"Good, 'cause neither do I,"

He and I laughed about that, then Mom came in.

"Hey," she said

"Hello," he and I said

"So, are you feeling O.K.?"

"Well not-.." he and I both started

"Day, I meant him," Mom said

"Oh! Right, don't be so full of yourself, Dana." I said

Brad shook his head then said, "Not great, but better now that Dana's here,"

"Good to know. I figured she's what you needed." Mom said

A/N: Well….? They find out what they're having in the next chapter or so, I need a few more votes before I can confirm it, so it's between two names, vote please, because I'm KILLING Britannia! Lol I'm evil:P Anywhoo, g2g.

-LiZzIe