Chapter 22
Alyssa stared at her mother with an open mouth and wide eyes, finally looking at Mark then at Steve. "Is this a joke?" She demanded, specifically recalling how she'd been told to stay away from this man.
"No joke, honey." Steve said softly, studying her intently, and could tell she was upset. "I'm yer momma's brother, yer uncle."
"What else did you forget to tell me, Mom?" Alyssa demanded, blinking rapidly, and couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Alyssa, not now okay? Your mother has had a really hard couple of days and the last thing I need to hear is your demands." Nicoya replied in a low voice, raking a hand through her hair, ands hook her head back and forth. "See what I mean about her mouth? That's not my mouth. That's HIS mouth." She said to her brother, who nodded in response, fully understanding now what Nicoya was talking about earlier.
Alyssa looked hurt, her sharp little ears catching that. "I can't help it if you didn't pick me a better Dad." She said softly, slipping off of Mark's lap, and disappeared into her bedroom.
Mark fixed a look on Nicoya and stated in a demanding tone of voice, "You need to go talk to her."
"No, she needs to learn not to demand things from me, Mark." Nicoya argued promptly, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and pursed her lips tightly together. "She's eight years old and she has a mouth on her. She's going to learn respect or I'm going to shove it down her damned throat." She stated in a growl, storming into the kitchen, and gripped the counter with her hands before hitting it. "Can I help it if I got pregnant by that bastard?"
Steve looked at Mark, arching an eyebrow before getting up and walking over to Alyssa's bedroom door, knocking softly before walking inside, closing the door behind him. Mark sighed, getting up and walking over to stand behind Nicoya. "Nico, she's eight and heard a slightly negative comment from her momma that applies to her. Look at it from Aly's point of view." He said softly, trying not to anger or upset her in any way, shape or form.
"She doesn't need to know what I keep from her and what I don't, Mark. She's eight years old and my past is just that, MY PAST. She needs to learn that and stop demanding so much information from me when it's none of her business." Nicoya replied coolly, though there was still anger in her tone as she dropped her head forward, still gripping the sink. "I'm sorry, but sometimes she acts too much like him and it makes me feel hatred because I don't want her to be anything like him. I want her to be respectful and considerate, not so damned demanding and pushy with that mouth."
Mark sighed, stepping away from her. The woman never seemed to get the goddamn point until hours later. He didn't bother explaining the 'see what I mean about her mouth' and 'it's HIS mouth' comments and how it had seemed to affect Alyssa. "I gotta go pack my gear." He said softly. "This'll give yer brother time to get to know Aly without me around. See you later?"
"Whatever." She muttered in reply, not turning around to face him, and raked her hands through her hair as she sighed heavily. She honestly didn't care if Mark was angry with her or not. She was going to raise her daughter the way SHE wanted, not his way or anyone else's. Alyssa was an angel, but she did have a mouth on her that mirrored her father's to a T. She loved her daughter with all her heart and soul, but Alyssa needed to learn not to question her mother so much or demand things from her. She was just a little girl, but acted much more grown up than what she was.
Mark shook his head and walked out. He knew Nicoya was doing her best, but she was so hard on Alyssa sometimes. Trying to raise her to be different from John when half the time Alyssa was being a normal kid. Mouthy, smartassed, curious. Couple that with the fact that Alyssa was being raised on the road. Spent all of her time around adults, plus apparently being sheltered all rolled into one. What did Nicoya honestly think the kid was going to be like?
After taking a few minutes to calm down, Nicoya finally walked out of the kitchen, hearing Steve and Alyssa talking, and sat down on the bed, looking over more scripts. That's what she always did when she was pissed. Escaped in her work. Her daughter was going to drive her into an early grave at this rate, which made her sigh even more. She loved Alyssa, but sometimes the little girl knew how to push her buttons. If Mark couldn't accept how she raised her daughter, then he could go to Hell too. Nicoya wasn't changing for nobody and she was going to raise her daughter the way she felt was right. She would break her of the habits she inherited from her father even if it killed her in the end.
Steve came out of Alyssa's bedroom looking mildly awed. "That is one smart girl." He said, looking over at Nicoya, walking over to stand beside her. "Scripts? Do you ever stop workin', honey?"
"HA! Are you kidding? If I didn't work, you wouldn't have a script." Nicoya retorted with a sigh and patted his arm as she nodded at what he said first. "Sometimes she's too smart for her own good." She raked a hand through her hair, cracking a smile when he sat down beside her, and turned her undivided attention to him. "She hates me right now, I know it, but I'm only doing what I feel is best for her."
"She doesn't hate ya, Coya. She just wondered why you made such a 'mean remark' about her. She can't help her genes." Steve said softly, explaining some of what his conversation had been with his niece. "She just feels bad because she thinks ya hate her for bein' like her Dad."
"I don't hate her. I love my daughter with all my heart." She immediately stood up from the bed away from her brother and walked into Alyssa's room. She seen her daughter coloring and sighed as she walked over, taking her book from her, and sat down, pulling her into her arms. "I'm so sorry, Aly. I didn't mean what I said, baby girl. You know momma loves you with all my heart. I wouldn't change you. I wouldn't change one hair on your precious head." She pulled back to stare into her daughter's eyes, knowing she'd really hurt Alyssa by what she said. "I just think you need to stop asking me so many questions about my past. That's what I think our problem has been lately."
"I didn't ask you a question though, Mommy." Alyssa said, sounding hurt. "You said I had his mouth and that was what you meant." She sniffled, obviously struggling to not cry. "I didn't mean to make you mad."
"No honey, you didn't make me mad. I'm just upset in general over this whole situation. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I won't do it again, I promise." She kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair, and began rocking her as she sighed heavily. "You do have your father's mouth, Alyssa, but that's not your fault. That's not your problem either. You're perfect the way you are, do you understand?" She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and stared into her eyes that matched John's to perfection.
Alyssa still looked doubtful, but she nodded anyway, moving her face down to bury it in her mother's neck. "I'm sorry." She whispered, hiccupping, beginning to cry. "I don't mean to be like him!"
Nicoya started crying along with her, tears sliding down her cheeks, and couldn't believe how hurtful she'd been toward her baby girl. She loved her so much. Too much. "Don't be sorry, Alyssa. You're my precious angel and I love you. You can't help how you are. I love you no matter what, alright?" She whispered, not trusting her voice right now, and kept stroking her hair while rocking her. The arena, her work, everything could wait. Her daughter was more important right now, the only person she was concerned with at the moment. "I love you, Alyssa. Momma loves you unconditionally. Please don't cry."
"You a-always act so mad at me!" Alyssa wailed, not holding back. "I ask something and you get so mad! I try not to be curious, but I can't help it, you hide everything from me…" She sniffled, wiping her nose with her shirt sleeve. "And now I'm confused because you said to stay away from Steve, but now he's my Uncle?"
"I know, I know baby girl. I'm going to explain everything to you." Nicoya said, knowing she couldn't hide anything from Alyssa, and wiped her tears away. She took a deep breath and began explaining about her and Steve's parents marrying when she was eight years old.
The marriage lasted two years and then they got divorced when she was ten. That was the last time she'd seen her brother and this was the first time they'd actually spoken personally in twenty years. Alyssa was awed by that factor and couldn't believe her grandmother had actually been married before her Grandpa Terry. He was the one who hit Alyssa while Nicoya was away and her mother allowed it to happen, which is why she hardly spoke to her now. The next thing Nicoya told her daughter was about her father. She explained in not so much detail, basically indicating that John used to hurt her mother really bad and had on and off for eight years. That's why she kept Alyssa hidden from him for so long. It took an hour to explain everything to her daughter and by the time she was finished, Alyssa was staring at her like a regular fish out of water.
Alyssa didn't know what to say, which was a first for her. She normally had words or a comment, a question for everything on any occasion. This however, had rendered her speechless. She was eight years old, what could she say? Yeah, she understood most of it, had filed away what she didn't to dwell on it later, which was a lot. "Wow…" She finally whispered, blinking several times.
"Yeah, wow is right. Now," Nicoya began, smoothing out Alyssa's black hair, and pressed her forehead to hers, wiping her dried tears away from her face with her thumbs. "Do you understand now why momma kept you hidden all this time? Do you finally understand why I kept you secretive and didn't want you talking to anyone except for Ashy, Mattie, Jeffy, and Ky? I was doing it to protect you from your father and Steve, but you can see Steve now. Steve is a good person, a wonderful man, and he wants to be apart of our lives." Nicoya explained to her daughter patiently, never breaking eye contact with her little girl.
"I like Steve…Uncle Steve." Alyssa corrected with a crooked smile, her face tear streaked. "He's funny, that and he says his bald head is lucky." She looked skeptical all of a sudden. "Is that true?"
"I have no idea, but I wouldn't doubt him." Nicoya laughed softly and shook her head, kissing her forehead, and hugged her daughter close to her. "Now go wash your face and come out to spend more time with your Uncle. We're gonna head to the arena with him since Mark left early." She wasn't about to tell Alyssa they were already fighting, not wanting to upset her further, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Go on, sweetheart."
"Mark left? Why?" Alyssa asked softly, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "Never mind, I'm being too curious again." She sighed and got up, heading into the bathroom like she was told.
Steve looked up from his place on the couch when Nicoya walked back out, looking concerned. "Everythin' alright, honey?" He asked, knowing they both had been incredibly upset.
"Yeah, I explained everything to her about her father and you." Nicoya replied, sighing heavily, and closed her eyes as she ran a hand through her hair.
She walked over to the window, wrapping her arms around herself, and looked out the window as she closed her eyes. She knew John was going to lash out when he found out that Steve was helping her keep Alyssa away from him, but she honestly didn't care. What was going to be even worse is when John found out that she was dating Mark, especially with how close he and Alyssa were. Again, Nicoya didn't care. She hated John and hoped he died a slow, painful death for all the pain he'd caused her to feel when all she ever did was love and care for him.
Steve glanced at the clock, sighing, knowing if any of them wanted to make it to work on time, now would be the time to leave. Driving was going to take the rest of the day to get there. "Well honey, I got to go grab my things and get on goin'. You and Alyssa wanna ride with me? Give me some more time with my niece?" He asked hopefully, blue eyes pleading with her.
Nicoya smiled as she turned around and nodded, pushing John firmly out of her mind at the moment along with Mark. She knew they were probably going to end up having it out later on, but she wasn't concerned with that right now. "If you wouldn't mind. I already told Alyssa we were riding with you so she could spend some more time with you." She said, walking over, and hugged him around the neck, kissing his cheek. "Thanks for everything, Stevie." She winked, her nickname for him for when she was little resurfacing, still remembering that. Even at the tender age of ten. "Go get ready and we'll meet you in the hotel lobby."
"Well at least I know yer just as bossy today as you were at ten." He remarked, smirking at her before walking out, his laughter echoing in the room behind him.
"Mom, I'm packed." Alyssa announced, walking out of the room with her backpack of toys and duffel bag full of clothes. "Hey, where's Uncle Steve?"
"He'll meet us in the hotel lobby. He had to go get his stuff." She explained, still laughing softly from what he said to her, and shook her head before going to pack her things. Fifteen minutes later, she was finished and took Alyssa's hand, guiding her out of the room. They opted for the stairs, not wanting another elevator disaster to occur, much to Alyssa's relief. They smiled when Steve waved them over, his black duffel bag over his shoulder, and went to join him. It was going to be a good two hour drive to the arena and they were already cutting it close to being there on time.