"Look I don't know about you two, but we're headed north, I got buddies up there who'll take you two in if you're interested" Danny says. Layla then looks to Vince who throw his hands up defensively
"Hey now, I'm only tagging along with this idiot because he feels the need to 'pay me back' I'm good for whatever honestly" he states.
"Sounds good I guess but how would we even get there? do either of you have a working vehicle?" Layla ask. Feeling a bit skeptical of this plan, all she really cared about was getting her son someplace safe.
"You're all wrong, the first thing we're doing is heading to Macon to find dad." Shawn says, Layla look to him and shakes her head.
"I'm sorry baby but the chances of that are slim, your father was on his way, if not already downtown in Atlanta. For the trail remember?" She tells him, the boy starts to get angry
"He's out there I'm telling you! I don't know how, but I feel it. Dad is smart, the drug store is probably the first place he would go!" He shouts, now was Layla turn to be visibly upset
"I told you to drop it Shawn! End of discussion" She yells, the boy stands up with balled fist, but feeling defeated he simply spoke.
"I don't know why, you hate dad so much, I mean I'm mad at him too b-but why are you so ready to give up on family? it's not just dad. Grandma, grandpa and uncle B are all out there too!" He pleads with his mother but it obviously isn't phasing her. She isn't trying to be uncaring but she also can't rely on the gut felling of a seven year old.
"How can you be so heartless? I hate you! I fu- freaking hate you!" he shouts as he runs upstairs.
Layla sighs, Vince takes this opportunity to speak.
"Okay, totally awkward family drama aside, the car situation may not be as hard as it seems. It's the navigation that's gonna be a bitch though" Layla looks at him for a second then replies
"When the hell do you two find a car?" She ask. Danny looked at Vince and back to Layla.
"While you two were Sleeping, obviously" Danny said. Vince then continues Danny's point "we also found out a couple things about those deadheads" he says, this peaked Layla's interest.
"Like what" She ask. Vince speaks again "well for starters their a lot less active at night, and their also really fuckin sensitive to sound" Layla Nods following along, while coming up with her own plan.
"There's a mess of cars parked down a few blocks in front of a white two story, has a tree house in the backyard. Ya can't miss it. Only bad news is that there's only one working car" Layla looks down curses
"Shit, so it's basically a one way trip, Huh, fuck!" She rubs her face. They both nod. Vince notices her body language and speaks up
"You look like your having second thoughts, you not rocking with plan a anymore or what?" Layla looks at Vince and nods as she stands up and heads toward the stairs.
"I should go and talk to him, otherwise he'll ignore me the rest of the day" She just about to ascend when Vince grabs her shoulder, she looks at him confused.
"Hey, Layla right? Just go easy on the kid, I don't know the history about you two but, from what I've seen he's got a good head on his shoulder. Right now to him, you shutting him down like that probably hurt his confidence a lot" Vince warned.
"And another thing, I think you should give Macon a shot, like i said I've got nowhere to be in particular. If it makes you feel better I'll go with you. I've got a little cousin named Glenn down there, knows the place like the back go his hand. Plus the population isn't that huge either, could work out." Vince ends his statement.
Layla actually lightens up a bit at this news. She nods and thanks Vince before walking away.
Layla's Pov
I reach the top floor and step toward the bedroom my son is in. I put my ear to the door as i hear a weird and repetitive clicking sound. I opens the door slowly and see Shawn fiddling with a small snub nosed revolver. Spinning the chamber and clicking it back in place.
Normally I'd freak and snatch the gun away, scolding him about it til his ears bled. Considering the circumstances though, probably best for him to learn now rather than later.
I walk over to him and slide my back against the wall as I sit next to him. He still doesn't address me, I sigh "he's got his father's temper and my bitchy stubbornness" I can't be mad at anyone but myself. We need to have this talk now, or else...
"So whatcha got there dork?" I begin, he continues clicking the chamber but actually replies, progress.
"It's called a 22. smug nose revolver" he confidently claims.
"Snub nose" I corrected
"Yeah, that" he continues with his gun play. So I decided to stop the small and continue with our actual conversation.
"I'm sorry" he stops clicking the gun and lowers it while looking at me. Glad that I've got his attention I continue.
"All my life, all I ever wanted...was freedom. I didn't get that freedom until I moved here, to America, and even then I didn't know what I wanted to do with it once I got it." I cross my arms over my elbows.
Talking about my feelings was something I rarely ever did, but I figured, he needed to hear it
"That Asian stereotype holds true...unfortunately. Everything had to be perfect...perfect grades, perfect shoes, perfect dress, the whole damn nine yards. The only person who made life less stressful was my mother."
Taking a deep breath I continued
"my father was in the navy, apparently he was pretty kind until he retired. I never found out why he became so...mean, until my mother filled me in. some time after the war, he found out he couldn't have anymore kids, and that I was his only child, so he trained me, the same way he would a boy, how to shoot, how to hunt and how to fight."
"I never got the chance to be a normal girl, to go on dates and talk about boys, to hang out with friends, or do anything that felt like...me, all I do remember is watching that kind of stuff on television and being so jealous.
"My mom hated that I looked so...dull, after class whenever I came home. This is how cool your gram gram was...heh, she helped me find a hobby. She sent me to one of her friends house, an old woman named Mikoto, and she taught me how to cook. she was such a nice woman...
Sigh*
I was headed straight to her house after class when I found her, she'd passed away in her kitchen. That hurt me Shawn...a lot. once I was of age, I moved to America, and to honor her I spent two years in college studying culinary arts, and I loved it...because it felt like me. That was around the same time I met your father, Lee." I tell him
Shawn perks up at the mention of his father. Truth be told this is the only time I've ever opened up to him like this.
"I loved your father, truly and honestly. We hit it off instantly, he had a goal to become a history teacher. Something about his drive. His desire to teach, to nurture, it was so handsome. He felt so free, and I wanted that too." I take another deep breath as we were getting into the thick of it.
"We were together for years, and one thing lead to another, and I got pregnant...with you. my parents came to visit and give their blessings, but when my father realized Lee was, well...urban, he wasn't exactly thrilled." I explained
I never did let my father elaborate on why exactly he didn't trust Lee. I assumed he was just being an old jerk that was set in his ways. I ceased communication with him after that, only ever talking to my mother here and there. Now though...I wish I would have heard him out.
I look down at my son and continue
"As you were getting older and older, so was I, and I started to panic. Me and lee had only gotten married in preparation for you, I was in between jobs and lee was almost done with school."
"You don't have to keep working anymore baby I've got us, okay?" Lee's words echo in my head.
"The night before my birthday was the breaking point, I was on my last shift and then this guy walked in and we started making conversation, he started telling me everything I could want to hear, and like I fuckin idiot I ate it all up."
"I took seventeen years worth of love, trust, and security, a-and I threw it down a fuckin well. When I yelled at lee that day...I wasn't actually made at him, I was mad at myself." At this point both me and Shawn have tears streaming.
"I'm so sorry for what I've done to this family baby, if I could take it back I would, every night when I go to sleep I see his face and my heart can't- I broke down at that moment. Shawn wraps his small arms around me and tries to console me.
"I just hope you'll forgive me one day. Until then I'll try and make up for it." Taking a deep breath, I continue.
"We're goin to Macon." I say aloud. Shawn looks at me and his face brightens. He hugs me harder than before.
"Thank you so much mom! and you didn't do anything to our family, because I'm still here. And I'll protect you until we see Dad again." He steps back and smiles. I wipe my tears, laughing as I stand up.
"I'll try not to be to much of a hassle then, big man. By the way, where did you find the gun?" I asked. He points toward the closet across from us. There's an open black metal box, inside was a small box of ammo.
"Can I keep it?" I look back at him and think carefully before replying. Seven-year-olds and guns don't mix well, but my boy isn't just "some, seven year old" he's smart for his age.
"Sure, but I'm gonna teach you, I taught your father ya know?" I tell him. His eyes widened at that.
"Wow really? Your so cool mom! Can we practice now?" He ask. I immediately shut it down though.
"Imma be honest with you kiddo, probably not the best place for it you know?" He nods his head, understanding my point. Nice change I pace might I add, not your kid hate you.
"Alright, now let's head downstairs and get ready. Don't forgot to grab that box of ammo either." I tell him as I leave the room.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" I hear Danny yell in the living room. I bolt downstairs and see the two arguing, well, one is the other seems very calm.
"No, for the first time since we've met this isn't a stand up routine. We're taking the kid and his mom to Macon. You really wanna thank me for saving your ass then help us. I found the car in the first place" Vince stands his ground. I smile at this. Danny curses and walks out of the house.
A few minutes later and, we're all set to go, in secret I teach my son some basic gun safety. How to turn the safety on and off.
"Now don't use it unless you absolutely have to, your a novice right now so only use it when you've got a good shot" he nods and replies
"And always aim for the head." I look at him slightly confused. He sees this and elaborates.
"They don't die like us mom, you have to hurt their brain, I learned that the hard way" he states as I nod. I handed him a small backpack, to keep all his belongings
"Let's head out" I tell him as we join Danny and Vince outside.