Chapter 6
Dada
(Kyle POV)
I stood there in the rain and watched her get out of her car.
"Jessi, why did you call me here?" we were pulled over on the side of some abandon road.
"I came to say goodbye." Her voice was coated in pain and sadness.
"What? Why?" I said taking a few steps closer to her.
"I understand now why my mother felt trapped here." Her voice quivered and a few tears escaped her eyes.
"Jessi, this doesn't make any sense." I told her wiping away the tears oh her face that had mixed with the rain.
"Kyle, I don't belong here I have to leave." She whispered.
"Jessi, yes you do!" I assured her "You have a fam-"
"No Kyle, you have a family. The Tragers are your family, no matter how many times you tell me they are, they aren't my family!"
"Jessi, don't think like that of course they're your family." I said embracing her in a hug.
She fought against me pounding her fist on my chest, but she quickly gave up and began to sob into my chest.
She pulled back after a moment and wiped away a few tears. "I have to go." She said turning to her car.
"Where will you go?" I called over the rain.
She just shrugged "I don't know, anywhere." Then she climbed into her car and drove off.
I stood there in the rain for at least two hours after she left. For a while the rain felt like needles on my skin and soaked clothes. Then I just began to feel numb.
I awoke gasping for air. I glanced at the green glow of the alarm clock, 3:14 am. This was the third night this week I had relived the nightmare where Jessi- the one person who understands what it's like to be different- left me. Each time I had the dream it felt as real as it did the day I had lived it. I thought I had gotten over this nightmare months ago but for some reason it was back.
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair falling back on my pillow and tried to fall back asleep with success.
I awoke later that morning around 9:30 to Brice screaming for attention. I climbed out of bed and stumbled over to him.
"Hey Buddy," I cooed "Hey what's with all the screaming? Huh?" He began to calm down when he was safely in my arms.
I noticed his bottom felt a little damp so I gently laid him on the changing table. His cries turned to laughter when I got him all cleaned up. I couldn't ever resist his laughter it always got me to smile or chuckle myself.
"There you go!" I smiled pressing gently on the tabs of the diaper. "All better."
I got him dressed in his play clothes- a long sleeve blue and white shirt and cargo pants- then I set him on the bed while I got dressed. I decide to wear old clothes since I would be working on Josh's car. I pulled on some old jeans and a white t-shirt.
After I fed Brice and got myself a bite to eat I grabbed a blanket and a few of Brice's toys and led him outside. I laid out the blanket on the grass near the driveway and placed his toys on it. He found the toys and was instantly occupied.
I opened the front door to Josh's car and put it in neutral letting the car roll back from the garage and into the driveway. I popped the hood and got my tools from the garage and began work on the car.
Every so often I would check on Brice and he would be doing something silly that would cause me to chuckle. But when I wasn't looking that's when I heard it the small innocent voice call out to me.
"Dada!" He hollered for attention.
Immediately I dropped my wrench and went over and scooped him up in my arms.
"What did you just say?" I beamed
Then I heard someone walking up the driveway "Did he just say what I think he said?" it was Stephen.
Then Brice said it again "Dada!" He smiled up at me.
"Yes he did!" I said proudly
Stephen noticed I was all greasy from working on the car "Here Kyle let me take him you're covered in oil."
I did a quick scan of myself a realized he was right "Alright" I said handing him over.
Stephen took him and began pestering him to say grandpa "Come on Brice, I know you can do it just say it come on Grand-pa" He said each syllable for him.
"Dada!" He said looking at me.
"That's right buddy." I said ruffling his hair and going back to work on the car.
"So what's the damage?" Stephen asked as he peered over the car with Brice still in his arms.
"Well it looks like his battery is dead and he'll need a new one." I told him tightening a loose bolt.
"Well it's a good thing he has a job." He said shaking his head.
After a moment of Stephen watching me work he spoke again "Do you want me to take him inside?" He asked gesturing to Brice "No one else is home and I'm a little bored" He admitted sheepishly.
"If you want to that would help a lot, thank you!" I told him and he walked back to the house attempting to get Brice to say Grandpa.
I was just finishing up with the car when I heard Amanda walking up the driveway.
"Hey!" I called from behind the hood
"Hey."
I felt like she was starring at me and then I remember a conversation Lori and Hillary were having one day about how they found a guy 'hot' when he worked on cars. I shook my head and chuckled a little under my breath.
"What?" she asked becoming self-conscious.
"Nothing." I said coming out from under the hood wiping my hands off on a rag.
"What?" she asked pushing the subject.
I wrapped her in my arms and pulled back a little to look at her "oh nothing I was just laughing at the fact that you were 'watching' me" I smirked.
"I was not 'watching' you!" she protested
"Yes you were!" I teased
She looked away for a moment "Okay maybe I was a little" she smiled innocently.
"That's okay." I told her pulling away from her.
"So guess what!" I said closing the hood of the car and leaning on the front of it.
"What?" she asked playing into my amusement.
"Brice said his first word this morning!" I boasted
"He did! What did he say?" she asked and her excitement climbed.
"Dada" I grinned.
"Aw Kyle, that's great!" She told me leaning into me to give me a kiss.
I placed my hands on the small of her back and she laced her hands around my neck. I could feel the kiss deepening and I pulled her even closer. After a moment we pulled away gasping for air. I held her in my arms and smiled.
"What?" she asked softly
"Nothing," I whispered pulling her close again and she rested her head on my chest "Nothing at all."
She pulled away looking into my eyes "Kyle, you look tired." She commented.
"Yeah I didn't get much sleep last night." I admitted.
"Brice giving you a hard time?" She worried
I decided not to tell her about my dream that was the real cause of my insomnia "Yeah," I lied.
I quickly changed the subject "Come on." I said nodding to the house and taking her hand and leading her to the house.
I took her into the living room because Stephen had just put Brice down for a nap in my room and I didn't want to wake him.
I stretched out on the couch and she curled up on my lap. "So have you talked to your mom about living together this fall?" I asked
She became quiet "Yeah I have." She paused "She said that I'm eighteen and I should be making my own decisions but the way she said it…" she trailed off.
"Amanda if you don't want to live together-" but she cut me off
"No Kyle of course I want to live with you I just hate to upset my mom." She said and I kissed the top of her golden blond hair, letting her rest her head on my chest.
"I know." I said rubbing her arm trying to comfort her. "Amanda, it's up to you I can't tell you what to do." I told her and for some reason I was having to fight with myself to stay awake.
She looked up at me and changed the subject. "Kyle you look exhausted how much sleep have you been getting?"
I sighed "like four or five hours a night." I admitted.
"Kyle that's not good." She scolded me.
"I know." I told her trying to end the conversation I hated lying to her but I knew she wouldn't like the real reason for my insomnia. I pulled her back down so she was resting on my chest again, and I shut my eyes and eventually we both gave into sleep.
After a little while I felt her rise off of me.
I stirred to a semi consciousness "where are you going?" I mumbled.
"Shhhh, shhh I'm just heading home." She whispered "Get some sleep." She said kissing me on my forehead then leaving and I gave up to sleep again.
AN: I know this chapter was basically fluff but I still enjoyed writing it so please comment!