Mika's eye fluttered open, she heard birds chirping and she shrank back at the sunlight. Memories of last night buried any thoughts and Mika giggled to herself, pulling the beige comforter closer to her naked chest. She was still in Bose's bed chambers.
Mika sat up and turned around beaming because was expecting to see Bose. However, she was met with disappointment because Bose wasn't there. His side of the bed was empty and the only sign of him being in it was the messy sheets and dented pillow. Mika thought that maybe he was in the bathroom but she didn't hear any water running. It was obvious that Bose wasn't there.
A pang of rejection hit Mika in the chest. Their first night together in months, and he left.
Mika frowned, removing the comforter off of her body, and getting out of bed. She wasn't completely undressed though, she was wearing one of Bose's boxers. Her body suddenly ached and she groaned in pain rolling her shoulder, seven rounds will do that you.
Mika saw Bose's sweatshirt draped around his desk chair and yawned as she picked it up and yanked it over her head to cover herself. Then she looked around the large room for her clothes from last night.
They were grimly thrown around on the floor. When Mika finished picking them up she realized she didn't see her underwear anywhere. She scanned the room once more until she found them at the foot of the bed next to Bose's pajama bottoms. She picked up her undergarment along with her Bose pants, "At least you stayed," she bitterly spoke to the pants and tossed them on her bed. Mika checked the time on the alarm clock and saw that she had slept in, yet again.
Mika opened the door inside the room that lead to Isadora's nursery. She wasn't expecting to see her but was happy when she did. Adora was still asleep, however, Mika chose to wake her up. If Adora slept any longer, she wouldn't take her mid-day nap, meaning she'd be cranky all day and mess up her sleep schedule. Mika picked Adora up and gently rocked her awake, "Wake up sweetheart,". Adora squirmed in Mika's arms until she opened her eyes lazily. Mika laughed at her bedhead, "Good morning Isadora,". Isadora was not amused.
Mika took the baby into her room, to start their morning routine. Her mind was plagued with why Bose left. She knew Bose had a day off today. As Mika gave Isadora her morning rubdown she noticed Isadora staring at something on her neck with wide eyes, "What? Do I have something in my teeth?" Mika snickered. She reached for her phone and opened the camera. Her own eyes went wide.
The constellation of hickeys was a deep shade of purples and red. It looked like she endured a night of strangling instead of a night of intimate lovemaking. Mika's had to cover up the hickeys she got from Bose before, but none quite like this.
"I'm gonna kick your dad's ass," Mika told Adora and the baby grinned. Mika sighed, it was time to get on with her day.
)
After showering, Mika redid her hair and dressed both her and Isadora. Mika put Isadora in a cute rainbow shirt patterned shirt with jean overalls and styled her short silky hair into two puffs.
Mika blended her foundation and started covering up the hickeys. When she was done, she looked in the mirror. Mika thought that maybe Bose just got hungry and went downstairs for an early breakfast so she put extra effort into her appearance. The alluring way he said that she was the most beautiful woman he'd laid eyes on all through last night replayed in her mind.
Mika decided to change her shirt because Bose's handprint was still slightly visible on her waist if her shirt lifted even the slightest. When she changed, Mika look at Adora and presented herself. Adora approved and Mika smiled, bending down to give her a kiss on her cheek.
)
When they went down for breakfast, Mika saw Ceila and surprisingly Willard too. But no sign of Bose. Mika told them good morning and put her baby in her high chair. She asked where Bose was. Willard said that he stepped out but Bose didn't say where he was off to. Mika responded with a simple, "Oh". So there was still no valid reason that he caused him to leave.
Mika was trying to enjoy her eggs, looking through her messages. She saw that today she had to pick up her last check from the diner.
)
So when Mika was done eating, she went to get Isadora's sling. Once Adora was secured into her carry-on, Mika announced that she was leaving. Ceila asked Mika how she was planning on getting to the diner and Mika said she was taking the bus. Ceila insisted she just have their driver take her, especially because it was going to rain later. Mika tried to decline her offer and said she'd take an umbrella. Ceila said she didn't want them trapped out there. They might get a cold.
Mika heard Willard make fun of Mika under his breath for not having a driver's license like a normal 18-year-old girl.
In the end, it was decided that Mika would take their driver. Mika never had to use their driver before, Bose preferred getting places on his own and he had his license so there was never any need.
The black SUV was opulent. The seats were black leather, and crazy shiny. Before they got in Mika told the driver to wait so she could go get Isadora's car seat. The driver, Ned, said it was no need and drew back the cushion of a seat in the middle, and a car seat appeared. Mika was pleased.
)
Right when they pulled up to the Diner, it started to rain. Ned opened the door for her and held an umbrella over her head. Mika expressed her gratitude while getting Isadora out of the car.
Mika picked up her check, returned her uniform as fast as she could, and walked out, thankful she never had to work in that dreadful place again.
Mika asked Ned if he didn't mind taking her to the pharmacy as well. Ned agreed and took them to their destination. The action of Ned holding the umbrella over them again happened until they reached the door of the pharmacy.
Mika walked down the isles looking for what she came for. Isadora reached her arms out for any item that was colorful enough, and Mika picked up a mango plushie for her.
Mika turned to go down another aisle and found the packets. Mika picked up two packets of two different morning-after pills. However, they were strikingly similar. Mika read both of them carefully trying to remember which one was the one she always got. Mika wasn't paying attention and suddenly Isadora smacked one of the packets out of her hands. "Isadora," Mika called out, bending down to pick up the pill. The child was gnawing on the mango plushie, looking away. "Look, I love you to death but I'm not ready to go through this again, " Mika waved the pill in her face.
Mika decided on which one she was going to buy and made her way to the register to check it out, along with the plushie.
The drive back was peaceful, even with the thunder rumbling and the rain pouring. Even as Mika looked out the window taking it all in, she wondered where Bose was.
))
Bose stood on the front steps of the Macklin house, under the patio, away from the pouring rain.
)
When Bose woke up, Mika was still by his side sleeping peacefully. Bose took strands of hair away from her face and she looked lovely. Memories of last night infiltrated his entire head. How they were able to love each other like that was beyond him.
Mika's little ears flinched and Bose smiled but then it quickly disappeared. He thought, how could anyone be mean to her, how could anyone be mean to that face?
She was resting now, but Bose knew that Mika could never truly rest knowing that her relationship with her parents had hit rock bottom.
If there was one thing Bose had learned about Mika, it was that family was everything to her. She always said that she knew that against all odds, at the end of every day, she would go back to her home, with those people. Her family, no matter who they were and who they were soon be.
Bose kissed Mika's cheek and admired her some more. Bose wanted Mika to be happy, that's all he could ever ask for. Bose knew that her parents didn't think he was good enough for Mika, they'd said it after all. That he ruined her life and she was better off. But that wasn't true, and he refused to be the very thing that came between Mika and her family. Her happiness.
Bose stepped out of bed. He didn't know how, but he was going to fix things, or at least try to spark something, anything that would pave the way to the healing process for her and her parents.
)
Bose saw the doorknob jiggle and the door opened. Bose shoved his hands in his jean jacket pocket. Standing at the door was Herman, with a saddle. "Bose," Herman said surprised then turned his head inside and Bose saw Angela coming towards them from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "Hi, can I come?" Bose was nervous. "Yeah, sure," Herman let him and Bose was surprised he didn't look to Angela for approval. Bose half expected Angela to spit in his face, but he was also surprised to see looked almost relieved. "Bose, hi, come in, come sit," She fixed the pillows on the couch for him.
Bose sat down and saw that Herman was still holding the door open, looking outside. "She's not coming," Bose told him, both knowing 'her' was Mika. "I came here alone," Bose said.
They both looked disheartened at his words. "Alone? Is everything okay? Is Mika okay? and Isadora?" Angela hastily asked with concern. Bose tilted his head, so they were worried about her after all. "Yes, everything's fine, I wanted to talk to you," Bose assured. Angela and Herman looked at each other wearily before sitting down on an opposite couch. "Did Mika send you?" Herm hopefully asked and Bose shook his head no," She doesn't even know I'm here". Again, they looked dishearted. While all they'd done was ponder about Mika since she felt, she didn't even cross their mind. So they thought.
"So what is it-" Angela didn't get to finish asking before Bose said, "I know you hate me, and you think that I am the worse thing that has ever happened to Mika,". Angela and Herm listened. Bose freely spoke his honest truth. "But I love your daughter beyond words could even fathom. I want to see her happy, I want to see her grow, be successful, I want her to live her life the way she's always wanted to, okay, I want to be there for all of it," Bose paused to catch his breath.
"So you think she deserves better, fine, then I'll be better. But I can promise you that I am as good as it's going to get because no one and i means absolutely no one, will love her the way I do, I mean hell they can try but they can't. And no one will ever make me feel the way she makes me feel," Bose's heart rendered, he meant everything he was saying.
"You're daughter is incredible. You don't think I know how lucky I am that she's the mother of my child? 10 months in and there has never been a better mom. Mika has this fire inside of her, this beautiful, amazing, insane fire, that can bring anything, and anyone to life. I'm drawn to her like a moth to a flame. That is how much power she has over me from just being herself," he went on.
"She's my first love, my only love. The truth is I didn't know know what love was before I met Mika. But now I do, and now that I do, I'm not letting go," Bose's soul was stirring as his true feelings for Mika spilled out of him.
Her parents were taken aback, to say the least. It's not that they didn't believe he didn't love her, they know he loves Mika. They just didn't know it was that deep. Their hearts swelled at hearing someone talk about their Mika in such a light.
"So suck it up," Bose huffed, out of breath from his monologue," because I'm not going anywhere, and Mika and I would really like it for Isadora to have a chance with her grandparents,".
Angela and Herm were still speechless, his words held meaning and truth. Bose stood up, he didn't know whether or not this changed anything, or if they were even impacted in the slightest But he tried, for Mika, and for Isadora. "I just wanted to get that out of the way," Bose disclosed. He gave them a firm nodd ad headed for the door, "Wait" Angela stood up, rushed to the kitchen counter, and open a drawer. Angela dug through it, then revealed a white envelope.
Angela handed it to Bose, "It's all the money Mika had given us for rent and formulas, plus some extra cash we added". Bose was addled. "We weren't actually making her pay rent, we're not monsters. We we're gonna save it for her. You know, rainy day money. In the case, something happened and she just needed the extra cash," Angela explained. The gesture was nice, twisted, but nice.
However, Bose was still puzzled," Unlike you Bose, Mika won't always have a stack of money to fall back on, and there's only so much we as her parents can do. We were thinking ahead. That she'd rely on you for everything and that one day, you may feel indifferent. And she'd have nothing. The truth is we were trying to prepare her for if that day should ever come, she'd be ready, she'd know what to do and she wouldn't be left with nothing,".
Bose shook his head. He would never to do that her, he opened his mouth to say just that but Angela interpreted, "But after hearing you today, we know that won't happen. However, we are still her parents and we are always going to have her best interest at her heart,".
Bose nodded. He could understand that. He turned to leave finally when Herman said something," From one father to another, our little girls are always the hardest to let go of,".
Bose didn't look back he opened the door, he didn't need to. There was a feeling in his gut that things were turning up and they'd past the worst of it.