No Strings Attached

36

"Quinn." Noah said softly as he sat up in bed.

"Mmm?" Quinn muttered.

"Can we talk about something?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, of course." Quinn responded as she sat up. She looked at Noah. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Noah said. "I've just been thinking about my dad since he was here."

Quinn nodded slowly.

"I don't talk about my dad a lot." Noah began. "To anyone, but since you're living here now and with the baby, I just thought you have a right to know about him. Especially since he was here the other day."

"Whatever you want me to know." Quinn said, encouragingly.

Noah nodded and took a deep breath. "He left us for good when I was, like, ten. I saw him again when I was twelve and then when I was eighteen, he came back because he needed money."

Quinn looked at Noah, staying silent to let him continue.

"I didn't see him for a year or two when I moved here, but of course he found me." Noah stated.

"Did he take anything when he broke in?" Quinn wondered.

Noah shook his head. "I used to have a big piano downstairs when you first walk in. He destroyed it, so I got a new one and put it upstairs and made the music room."

Quinn raised her eyebrow. "How could anyone do that? Much less your own father."

"He never wanted me." Noah said with a shrug. "I was, like, three years old the first time he told me I was garbage."

"That's horrible." Quinn said, biting her lip.

Noah shrugged again. "Obviously, he cheated on my mom - Jake's just one example of that, but we all know there were more. And I love my brother. The best thing my dad ever did was leave us. But when he was around, he beat my mom. And me."

"I'm sorry." Quinn responded as she took Noah's hand.

"It's okay." Noah nodded. "It was a long time ago."

"Still." Quinn said. "Fathers are supposed to love their kids, not beat them."

"Well, the important thing is that he never hurt Sarah." Noah told Quinn. "I made sure of that and I did my best with my mom. I just wanted to make sure you know that I'm not gonna let him lay a hand on you or the baby. I promise."

"I know." Quinn smiled sympathetically as she squeezed Noah's hand. "But thank you for telling me."

"Yeah." Noah nodded back. "I never really told anyone this before, but I always worry that I'm gonna turn into him and I wanted you to know that."

"You're not going to." Quinn told Noah.

"You don't know that." Noah shrugged. "I mean, I don't remember a time when he was good, but he could've been. Maybe something made him-"

"No." Quinn cut Noah off. "You're a good person. You constantly prove that you are, and I know you're gonna be a good dad. You're nothing like your dad."

Noah bit his lip.

"You will never become him." Quinn promised. "I know you won't."

Noah nodded slowly.

"I'm really glad you talked to me about this." Quinn said. "Thank you."

"Yeah." Noah replied as he laid down. "Let's get some sleep."

"Okay." Quinn said as she curled up with Noah. She held his hands over her belly. "Night, Noah."

"Sweet dreams, Q."