A/N: Don't kill me, I know it's been a while, but writer's block is a thing, and it sucks. Also, I realised that i made a typo in the last chapter, when I typed 'Matthew' instead of 'Martin', but that was because it was originally 'Matthew Washington', but I changed because it sounded better, and I must have missed it when I was changing it. I've fixed it now, anyways. Again, I'm sorry for the hiatus. Let's get to it!
My father and I ate dinner in complete silence. I said nothing to him, he said nothing to me. It was quite simple really. After we had finished, I washed the dishes, and went directly to my room afterwards.
My heart still felt heavy after what had happened earlier. How was my dad so rude? Wasn't he supposed to be happy for me? I had found my soulmate, after all. I finished my homework and just sat there for a while, turning my father's words over in my head. Why wasn't he happy for me?
I changed into a vest shirt and a pair of shorts. I called down the hallway to my father's office that I was going to bed early. Even before he replied, I shut the door, switched off the lights and grabbed my phone and earbuds. I lay down on top of my bedsheets, as it was too warm to keep them on, and turned on the flashlight.
I took the paper from underneath my pillow and added Alexa to my contacts. I turned the screen brightness all the way down, turned the flashlight off, plugged my earbuds in and called her. She picked up on the third ring.
"Hello?" I heard her ask.
"Lexi! Gosh, you have no idea how long I've wanted to call you for!" I whispered.
"Tani? Oh my God!" She breathed. "Okay, first off, as not to worry you, Garnet and Martin are fine with us being soulmates and all."
"Garnet and Martin?"
"My foster parents."
"Oh. Sorry."
"That's fine, Tani."
The two of us chatted for ages. I kept my voice as quiet as possible, as not to have my father know that I was still awake. Then, Alexandra brought up something that I really didn't want to talk about.
"What about your mother? Is she fine with it?" she asked hesitantly. I didn't know how to answer that, but I knew that I couldn't lie to her. She trusted me way too much to have me lie to her.
"Well… she isn't here anymore, if you know what I mean." I said slowly. A few moments of silence passed before I heard her response. "Oh God… I'm so sorry."
"Yeah. The thing is… Dad broke her heart. He cheated on her a few years ago, when I was about thirteen. She toughed it out and didn't let him know that she knew. But I knew, because… I was the one who snitched on my dad."
"Then… she got cancer. She had to go to the hospital a lot for chemo. But Dad never seemed to care. There were days that he wouldn't even acknowledge the fact that she needed his assistance for… anything, really. The chemo really drained her energy, so I was looking after her anytime that I wasn't in school."
I stopped there, a sob threatening to escape. I heard Alexa's voice ask me over the phone, "When did she… you know, pass on?"
"A year and two months after diagnosis. She was so amazing. She was the fun kind of mom who would do the most awesome things with me, and she said 'yes' more often than she said 'no'. But… her death took a huge toll on me. I blamed myself for her death, as if me snitching on my dad had made her get cancer. My dad seemed to suffer worse than me. He started drinking a lot, and he was almost never home, out drinking himself senseless. He's kind of gotten better, but he still has a horrible temper. And now this…"
I cut myself off, the sob that was stuck in my throat escaping. I tried to keep quiet, as not to disturb my father, but I cried nonetheless. I could hear Lexi's serene voice over the phone, telling me it was alright. Eventually, I stopped, but the pain in my chest still remained, as if someone had stabbed me with a knife.
"I wish I could spend the night sometime." I said, my voice shaking slightly. "But… you know."
"Couldn't you just lie?" Alexa asked.
"No!" I hissed. "He'd kill me if he found out!"
We chatted for a bit longer, wondering how we would be able to spend a bit more time with each other, then I remembered something important: my father was leaving tomorrow for a business trip, and wouldn't be back for a week or so. This was the perfect opportunity!
"Lexi! I just remembered!" I said.
"What?" she asked.
I explained what my dad had planned for the next week or so, and she literally screamed over the phone, "Perfect! I'll ask if you can stay for the week. Garnet and Martin are desperate to meet you!"
I let out a gentle chuckle. "Okay. See you tomorrow, love."
"See you." She said. I heard a beep, signifying the end of the call. Sighing in relief, I rolled over to check the time. The red digits on my clock read a quarter past ten. By my standards on a Friday, this was still pretty early. But I had told my dad that I was going to bed early.
I plugged in my phone to charge and binned the paper with Lexi's number on it. I didn't want my dad to know, so I tore it in half, then in half again just to be sure. I dug out my flashlight, turned it on and grabbed the book from my bedside. Might as well do something for the next few hours.
I read for what felt like forever, and when I had finished the book I checked the time again. My digital clock now read eleven forty-five. I put the book back on my shelf, switched off my flashlight and put it away. I flopped onto my bed, happier than I had been earlier that day. I got under the covers and fell asleep, finally content with how the day had ended.
Third Person POV (Next Day)
"I'll be back on the fifteenth. You're seventeen now, so I expect you to behave responsively. And don't you try anything with that girl from yesterday." Tanya's dad said sternly as he got in the taxi.
"Yes, father." She said. "I promise I will be on my best behavior."
"Very well. See you when I get back, my beautiful daughter." Mr. Jefferson said. He waved goodbye, and Tanya watched as the cab sped down the street and disappeared around the corner.
Tanya immediately rushed back inside and checked her phone. The date was the eighth of May. Her dad would be gone for seven days. Seven golden days she could spend with Lexi. She then texted Alexandra to double check that she could stay.
Tanya: Lexi?
Alexa: Yeah?
Tanya: Can I stay over? Double checking.
Alexa: Yes, you can. And Garnet says you can stay over for the whole week!
Tanya: Great! Be over in five minutes.
Alexa: See you then!
Tanya: See you, love!
Tanya raced up the stairs and found the duffle bag that had been stuffed at the back of her closet. She grabbed her pajamas, two extra sets of clothes for the next two days, a few hair ties, her travel toiletry bag, her phone, her charger and a book. She packed them meticulously, making sure that everything would fit. She found her house key and wallet, stuffing them in the outer pocket of the duffle bag.
She double checked that she had everything she'd need for her stay with Alexa. For that weekend, at least. She was planning to go to her house after and before school, in the four school days before her dad came back, to grab another set of clothes after school, as well as her school things in the morning. On the day her father was to return, she would drop off the duffel bag in her room and go to school as usual. That way, it would seem like nothing had changed since her father had left the house.
She left the house, locked the door and walked the two houses up to her girlfriend's house. She rang the doorbell, and the door opened to reveal a dark-haired man, probably in his mid-to-late twenties. He had a slight stubble on his chin, and rectangular glasses rested on the bridge of his nose.
"H-hello, sir." Tanya stuttered. "Tanya Jefferson."
The man smiled. "Martin Washington. Martin will do. Now come in, Alexandra hasn't been able to-"
"Tani!" Alexa called out. She moved past her foster father and pulled her girlfriend into a passionate kiss. Tanya was taken aback at first, but melted into the kiss. She heard Martin chuckle and finished his sentence. "Sit still… Oh well."
The two girls separated and laughed. Alexa said, "Come on, I've told Garnet all about you!" She grabbed her partner by the hand and lead her into the living room, where Garnet was lounging on the sofa reading a book.
She looked up at the two girls and smiled. "Hello there Tanya. Alexandra told me everything that happened yesterday, and I just want to say that I'm sorry for how your father is taking this situation."
Tanya just shrugged. "Yeah… He probably just misses what he had with Mom." She stopped herself there. Garnet raised her eyebrows, pressing for more, but Alexandra shook her head, signaling to not ask any further.
"What do you have planned anyways?" Tanya asked. Alexa smiled. "How about we just have a girl's day out, huh? Just the two of us?"
"How the hell can I say no to that, Lexi?" Tanya smirked, kissing her girlfriend.
Alexandra took the duffel bag from Tanya and went upstairs to put it down, and came back downstairs with Tanya's wallet, phone and her own purse
"Martin, could I take the car? We'll be back at around one o'clock, promise." She asked.
Her foster father tossed her the keys. "Just be careful." He reminded her.
Tanya was slightly shocked. "You can drive?" She asked as the two girls went into the garage.
Alexa handed Tanya her wallet and phone before unlocking the car. "Got my license over the Easter break. Now get it the front seat, darling." She said this while getting into the driver's seat of the sleek white car.
"Okay, sweetie." Tanya smiled, getting in the front seat of the vehicle and kissed Alexa on the cheek. "Driving to the mall, are we?" She asked.
Alexa nodded as she started up the car. "If you want to use the aux cord, go ahead. Just no annoying songs."
Tanya complied to her request, and the forty-five-minute drive to the mall was full of belting out to the hottest pop songs of the year.
After Alexa had parked the car in front of the mall and the two had exited the car, Tanya turned to her and asked, "Ready for some fun?"
"Is that even a question? Let's go!"
