BladeMasterAd: In this chapter you'll get more of Matt's father's reaction. I hope you like it.
FallenArchangelDD: I'm glad you find it interesting. Thank you for your review.
Digi-Girl101: Well... Matt doesn't. He lies and cuts a few years off.
Broken Angel01: I do love your story. I love that you update it often. Thank you for reading mine.
gizmo-396: Sorry I didn't update as promise. Storms and other problems, but I made sure I updated today for you. I'm not going to have a twist at the ending with Matt and this girl. They do not get together, however I am working on a short story on how they meant and their brief affair which I might post at the end of this story or another story all together. I think it might be nice to have it attached to the ending of this story.
Calico Neko: Boy or girl that is the question! I am actually working on tossing that around. I do have an idea which way I want to go. But of course I'm not saying.
JyouraKoumi: Yeah Tai and Mimi...I'm going to add a scence from another story I wrote into this story. I like Mimi and Tai together. Such a happy couple!
Miss Anonymous hp: Thank you for the reveiw. You make my story sound amazing! I think you are giving me too much credit. But nevertheless, thank you much! Tk will confront his brother in the next chapter I believe.
Nikki1: I think as the story goes, everyone will have enough information on this lady Matt was with to form their own opinion. If not, the story of them will at least allow readers to hate her or love her. Thank you for enjoying this story. The problem with my mistakes...I do get my letters switch around and at the moment, I have a new computer desk and I can't find the right keys. That is the reason for tonight, not the rest. I'm not a good speller so I do go back and back and back again. By that time, I'm seeing the words but I'm not actually taking them apart from the sentance. I know I could read everything backwards but my time is always rushed in everything I try to fit in one day. I'm sorry for the stupid mistakes. Please just bare with me.
And Lastly
Stained In Negativity: I think you have received too many negativity in from your reviews to think I thought you were bitchy. As I said before, critism is like medicine. It can make you better but it is bitter the whole way down. I don't care if you sugar coat it or not. Yes I do make mistakes and I will think that some of your comments arepetty BUT not all. I do realise that you are trying to help me and I really appreciate that you and Nikki are taking your time to help me. I don't take writing sersiouly, its a way to release stress and I do enjoy it. I have learned things fromyour last review and I want to try and correct the mistakes I keep making over. So here is a question on the punication marks. How do I know when to use a "," or when to use a "." after or before the character speaks?
Hiroaki sat at the dinner table with his head in his large hands. He shut his eyes, lost in the darkness of thoughts. His head pounded with the promise of a coming headache that he would surely experience after tonight.
He was livid with his son and he knew Matt must have expected that to be so, yet there was guilt that lay between the lines. Matt never asked for help; determine to be even more independent with each year. Now, he practically pleaded for his father to reach out and take his hand, to help him through this unfamiliar territory. And what did Hiroaki do but push him away. Now his eldest son sat in the darken living room, alone and most likely feeling abandon.
Hiroaki blamed no one but himself. After the divorce with Nancy, he threw himself into his work. Work became the only world he knew, going early and staying later each night. Matt had no choice but to teach himself about survival. To teach himself to be a man. Hiroaki had to hand it to the young man, Matt did well and there was no doubt that Matt will become a better father then he could ever be for Matt.
Yes, anger was there but the guilt was greater for Hiroaki. With a deep sigh, Hiroaki pushed himself away from the table and walked towards the door. He entered the living room, his son looked up with moist eyes but no tears would fall, no not from those azure eyes. Matt stopped shedding tears when they spilt Tk and him up.
Hiroaki sat down in the over stuff, brown chair across from Matt and stared at the pale face with golden locks slipping over his forehead. In his mind he wanted to turn back time, to trap his son in this protected shield, out of harms way. That wasn't reality, it wasn't life.
"I am ready to listen." His father whispered, his voice sounded steady and solid.
Matt eyed his father carefully, trying to read his facial expressions to see if he truly was ready to listen.
His father nodded his dark head, telling Matt that he was indeed ready in his own unspoken way.
"She's given me the choice to keep the child or she will give it up for adoption. She doesn't want anything to do with the baby," Matt whispered.
"Who is she?" Hiroaki asked, watching Matt's gaze slipped down to the brown boots he wore.
"Do you know who she is?" Hiroaki raised his eyebrows.
"Yes but I don't want to talk about her right now." Matt noticed his father had started drumming his fingers on the armrest of the chair, a sign that he was already losing patience with Matt.
"Then let us speak about her parents."
"She's not telling them," Matt rubbed his arm nervously, "She doesn't want their influence in her choices, she doesn't want them to hold her accountable."
"Really? And how is she going to hide this from them?" Hiroaki looked surprised.
"She doesn't live with them. She graduated from school and came here for a year study program for college. When the year is completed she is moving back home, back to Europe." Matt explained.
Hiroaki groaned, "Out of sight out of mind. You do know that taking on this responsibility means you giving up some major things in your life."
"I know."
"Band practice won't be every other night nor will dating."
"I know." Matt nodded.
"You'll have to find a nanny."
"A Nanny?" A frown formed on Matt's face as he thought of another person in their life.
"How else am I going to keep the job I have and you continuing with school. You are not dropping this idea about college, Matt. I want you to go through college." Hiroaki pointed his finger at his son.
"How do I find a nanny?" Matt asked.
"I have an idea about a nannywhich we can talk about more later." Hiroaki leaned forward, closer to his son, "I think your grandmother still has Tk's crib and play pen. I'll have to give her a call and check on those items. You do know we'll have to go shopping, maybe tomorrow."
"Shopping?" Matt looked up, "For what?"
"Matt we don't have anything for a baby. We don't have cloths, diapers, car seats, strollers, bottles…"
"I get it." Matt's eyes darken and he pouted, "I hate shopping."
"So do I." Hiroaki smiled, "I know how you and I can get out of it."
"How?" Matt had to smile at his father's smirk.
"Tell your mother."
"No way," Matt's smile quickly slipped away, "Why should I."
"For starters she loved going baby shopping for you boys, another reason which I find to be more important is because she is your mother." Hiroaki glared at his son.
"What mother leaves her kid?"
"We were divorced and that isn't fair towards Nancy. But if you really want an answer, then ask the mother to your child!"
"She left us!"
"That is what happens when people can no longer live together." His father sighed, "We are both at fault."
"She's the one who filed for the divorce, not you!"
"Matt," Hiroaki warned his son. "What happen between me and Nancy stays between us. I was much at fault as she was and I am just as guilty even though I did not get to those papers first. Understand?" Hiroaki waited but Matt said nothing. The divorce always played a part of Matt's life, one that Hiroaki could not take away. Gone were the simple days when a hug and a pat on the shoulder was all the comfort Matt needed to ease his hurt. Gone were the days when his son's biggest worry was a crayon that Tk accidentally broken.
"You can tell her if you want her to know." Matt hissed, "I'm not."
"Okay," Hiroaki nodded calmly, "But you tell your grandparents."
Hiroaki watched as Matt even the odds in his head and then nodded with acceptance.
"And not next month or after this child is born, you will do it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Matt frowned. "But they are coming to visit in two weeks! Why can't it wait until they go back home?"
"Tell your mother or tell your grandparents tomorrow." Hiroaki repeated his son's option.
Hiroaki paced in front of the telephone while he practiced what he was going to say to Nancy. Of course, she was going to say what a terrible father he was to let this happen to their son. He could see the disapproval in her eyes already. Maybe he was taking it all wrong, maybe she would be considerate in all this, a little understanding. There was a time when they were in love that they faced the same situation. An early pregnancy that neither of them had expected. Hiroaki remembered the nights where she cried on his shoulder, sobbing and stricken with embarrassment with the fact of telling her family. Luck was on their side by giving them a false pregnancy. Two weeks later Nancy jumped in his arms with a smile that light up her eyes, practically shouting that it was a false alarm. They did not have to tell their parents, life would assume as it once had. Hiroaki rubbed his head and hope Nancy remembered when they were young.
With shaky fingers, he pressed his ex-wife's phone number and listen to the dial tone. Like always, he smiled when he heard his son's voice.
"Hello you reached the Takaishi residence," Tk's voice echoed in Hiroaki's ear.
"Hello tiger," Hiroaki picked up a pen from the telephone stand and started to make small circles on a tablet.
"Dad!" Tk's voice rose.
"How have you been?"
"Good. I cannot wait until grandpa and grandma come to visit. They are going to take me and Matt out to dinner then to the ice ring."
"I thought Matt hated the ice ring," Hiroaki frowned.
"He does but my grandparents couldn't resist my charms!"
Hiroaki laughed aloud.
"And you know what?"
"No, what?"
"They are going to take me shopping for that laptop I wanted. I have almost enough money and they promised to pay the difference." Tk said joyfully.
"You shouldn't take advantage of your grandparents, Tk."
"But I'm not. I didn't ask them to do it, I just agreed when they offer."
"That charm again."
"You bet!" Tk laughed.
"I'm glad you are looking forward to their visit." Hiroaki said softly, "You sound really happy."
"No ups and downs at the moment, my life have become this steady road. Of course I do predict a mountain on the horizon." Tk looked back and forth his apartment, once satisfied that his mother was out of hearing distance, he spoke softly in the receive, "I kinda want to ask Kari out."
"You should then. How could she resist your charms?"
"I think she may like Davis." Tk replied.
"Oh. I see," Hiroaki looked up at his ceiling; he was not ready for another boy-girl problem. "Well I don't suppose you will ever find out if you don't ask."
"Well, how do I ask if she is interested with out leading on that I am interested?"
"What?"
"I mean if she does like Davis, I don't want to look like an idiot." Tk whispered.
"Maybe Matt could help you out," Hiroaki thought, "He seems pretty close to Tai, maybe he can speak to Kari's brother."
"He can't do that!" Tk sounded shocked.
"Why not?"
"Then Tai would know that I like Kari! Have you ever dealt with an overprotective brother before? Its like being put in a pit with a wolf that hasn't eaten in four months." Tk went on.
"The wolf would be dead."
"Which makes this whole ordeal even more freighting!" Tk practically shouted.
"How about if I think on it then?" Hiroaki asked his son.
"Okay," Tk sounded disappointed that his father did not have an answer for him.
"I was wondering if your mum was available."
"Um…yeah. Hold on a minute." Hiroaki pushed the phone away from his ear as TK shouted for his mother. "She's coming." Tk informed his father.
"Who is it?" Hiroaki would hear his ex-wife's voice on the other end of the telephone.
"Dad." Tk shrugged as his mother gave him a puzzlement look.
"This is Nancy," Tk's mother cradled the telephone with her neck as she took a load of cleaned laundry to the table to fold.
"How are you doing Nancy?" Hiroaki asked.
Nancy frowned, her ex-husband's voice sounded a little shaky, "I'm fine. How are you?"
"Good."
"And Matt?" She asked quickly. She always asked about Matt. It broke her heart to leave him with his father but Matt flatly refused to go with her. He blamed her for breaking up his family, she knew but she had hoped that as he aged, he would forgive and understand with time.
"That's the reason why I called." Hiroaki started too explained.
"Is he alright? What happen?" Nancy set the basket of cloths down quickly and headed for the door with her keys in one hand and pulling Tk's arm in the other.
Having no choice, Tk followed his mother, fear etching his young face.
"Matt is fine." Hiroaki sat on the sofa that Matt had occupied moments ago.
"Oh," Nancy stopped dead in her tracks. She gave Tk an apologise smile and rumbled his blonde locks. Tk rolled his eyes, shaking his head he was able to escape his mother. She always jumped to conclusions.
"I don't know how else to tell you this Nancy," Hiroaki started.
"Just say it bluntly as you always have done," Nacy spoke before she thought and now she bit her lip and stomped her foot, she did not mean to say that aloud.
Tk glanced over at her with a disapproving look.
"Okay," Hiroaki said coldly, "Matt is going to be a father."
"What?"
"A father, Nancy. Your eldest son is going to be a father." Hiroaki repeated.
"Oh no," Nancy sat down on the nearest chair. "How could this happen?"
Tk glance over at his mother, now in tune more then ever with her conversation with his father.
"How could you not have seen this coming?" Nancy asked.
"I knew you were going to say that!" Hiroaki hissed, "I can't be with him every single minute!"
"Of course you can't, if it isn't your job it isn't worth your time!" Nancy shot back.
"You damn well know that isn't true! I'd do anything for my boys!" Hiroaki shouted.
"But you couldn't help keep a marriage together!" Nancy started to pace the floor.
"Why keep it together when you couldn't wait to tear it apart!" Hiroaki argued back.
Matt, who stood in the shadows of the hall unknown to his father, shook his head and walked into his room shutting the door. It never changed. Nancy always blames his father for everything that uncoiled her neat little world where answers were supposed to remain clear and simply black or white.
"Mum." Tk watched as his mother glanced over at him before he shook his head slowly. "You promised that you wouldn't fight with him anymore."
Nancy closed her eyes to clear her mind, "I'm sorry Hiroaki. I had no right to blame you. It is just… Well I was not expecting that. I was expecting that he broke an arm or something but never that."
"I know." Hiroaki leaned his head back on the sofa, already forgiven her. He could never stay mad at her long. "Remember when we were young and you thought you were…."
"Pregnant?" Nancy smiled, "How could I forget? I was so scared to tell my mother. I couldn't even eat with out getting sick! I thought for sure it was morning sickness and here it was just nerves."
"I was scared too. Of becoming a father before we had planned. I wasn't ready, I had things I wanted to do before a baby came into our lives. I wanted us to be married, to have a home to have stable ground before a child. I was so relieved when you told me the news about it being false."
"I remember how we celebrated," Nancy's face flushed.
"So do I," Hiroaki whispered, "So do I."
Tk, who remain near his mother, rolled his blue eyes and shook his head. He could never figure his parents out. One moment they talked to each other like strangers, then they were at each other throats, next thing he knows they are flirting with each other.
"So…" Hiroaki cleared his throat, bring them both out of the past, "Imagine how Matt feels right now. Knowing that he is going to be a dad."
"I guess there isn't anything to do, is there?" Nancy asked.
"No. It seems that this girl does not want anything to do with the child. Matt is going to take it on, with or without our help."
"Oh." Nancy frowned, "He doesn't want my help. Not really, does he."
"Now, no. His feelings haven't changed, I'm sorry." Hiroaki told her.
"Why does he hate me so much?" Nancy sobbed.
"Parenthood changes a person, Nancy. Maybe this will bring you two closer." Hiroaki said hopefully.
"I hope so."
The former husband and wife said their good-byes, Nancy still cradling the telephone. Tk walked to her, taking the phone from her hand and placing it back on its cradle.
"So, what's up?" Tk asked.
"I'm going to be a grandmother," Nancy sobbed.
Tk froze, "Seriously?"
Nancy nodded her head with tears running down her eyes.
"Who's the mother?" Tk mind raced as he tried to figure out which girl Matt was with the most.
"I don't know."
"But…it would be all over school." Tk told her.
"I really don't think your father would lie to me about this," Nancy told her son.
"Matt a father…?" Tk's eyes grew large with sudden thought, "I can't believe this!"
"What is it?" Nancy asked her son.
"Last month, he asked if I thought he would make a good father." Tk shook his head, "How could I miss that clue!"
"It doesn't matter now," Nancy gave Tk a hung, "What does matter is that we are there for him when he needs us. It isn't going to be easy for him."
"But he has everyone to help him," Tk looked at his mother with huge blue eyes.
"You know how your brother is. He slams doors close all around him and will not let anyone in to help him. Nevertheless, this time, we cannot let him do that. We'll have to force our way through and help even when he doesn't ask."
"Sounds pushy," Tk frowned.
"Well it's not. I am not saying that we do not let him things by himself, but when you see things are getting too much for him and you think that maybe he needs to escape, give him that chance to clear his head. Can you do that?"
"You mean babysitting?" Tk wrinkled his nose.
"Yes I mean babysitting and maybe…" Nancy's eyes filled with tears, "Maybe sometime you can bring the baby over here and I'll watch the child."
Tk looked over at his mother with sad eyes, "Sure. I can do that."