The secret - an Evansson story

12

~October 2009~
The 27 year old paced the living room, talking to his best friend through the phone that he held up to his ear as his daughter played on the floor.

"Did you enroll her in school?" Scarlett asked through the phone.

"Yes, she's doing great." Chris replied, looking over at the child in her pink pajamas and messy dirty blonde hair, playing with her Barbies.

He was still so irritated with Scarlett for leaving their little girl, but she continued to call everyday asking for updates. However, she refused to talk to Aleah directly.

"Did she make any friends yet?" The 24 year old asked, her voice hopeful. Chris sighed.

"Not yet." He breathed, shaking his head as if Scarlett could see him through the phone call.

"It's been two weeks." She announced with a sigh. "She's a lot like you, Chris."

"I know, shy and reserved." He admitted, watching the little girl play on her own. He checked his watch, noticing it was almost her bedtime but chose to ignore it for a while longer.

"Yup." She agreed with a smile. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed Aleah. Her toothy grin and sweet laughter made her heart flutter with happiness.

As Chris watched his daughter play, all he could think about was his best friend. Every night, Aleah would call for Scarlett. It was an instinct, like something inside of her connected with Scarlett in a way that Chris couldn't understand.

She was a mama's girl.

Chris always wanted his daughter to be a daddy's girl, and maybe one day she will be. But as of right now, Scarlett was the only one Aleah wanted.

"Is that mama?" Aleah questioned suddenly, causing Chris to snap back to reality.

Scarlett heard the question through the phone, fully aware that the little girl had called her mama.

"Mama?" Scarlett asked, confused. "She knows better than to call me that."

Scarlett has made it very clear to Aleah that she was not ready to be called mama. She didn't deserve it. Aleah knows that.

"Yes it's mama." Chris answered his daughter, completely ignoring his best friend.

"Can I talk to her?" The six year old asked, jumping up in excitement.

For the past two weeks, her excitement was shut down. Scarlett always made up an excuse, she wasn't ready to face Aleah. She couldn't do it.

"Chris, I have-" She began, but the 27 year old cut her off.

"Talk to her." He said sternly, almost as a command, handing the phone to his daughter.

Scarlett was just about to hang up, until she heard the sweet and innocent voice that stole her heart a month ago.

"Mama, I miss you." She sweetly said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Scarlett sighed, she didn't deserve that title. The most she did was give birth, that's barely an excuse to be called 'mama'.

"I miss you too, baby." She admitted. She really did miss the six year old. Her heart clenched from not seeing her daily, missing out on two weeks of her life.

It was weird. She never felt this way missing out on six years of her life. But now that she's gotten to know the little girl, being absent for two weeks was enough pain to last a lifetime.

The phone call lasted a little longer than expected, with Aleah telling her mother about all the new things she learned in school and some of the stuff she and Chris did after school.

It was a conversation that made Scarlett so happy to hear, just her and Aleah talking. Well, mostly Aleah.

Once it was time for Aleah to say goodnight, Scarlett felt lonesome, she wanted her baby back in her arms. But she knew better. Aleah wasn't safe with her.

The six year old hung up, giving the phone back to Chris just before he swooped her up into his arms.

"I think it's bedtime for my little princess." He chuckled, bringing her upstairs to her bedroom in his new house.

"But, I don't wanna!" She whimpered, threatening to cry. Chris sighed, placing her in the bed and pulling the sheets up over her.

"Mama will be home soon, okay?" He tried to reassure his daughter once again, but there is only so many times you can tell a lie.

__

After Aleah had hung up the phone call, Scarlett had let out an exasperated sigh. It wasn't a relieved sigh, it was a painful sigh.

All the 24 year old could feel was worthlessness and hopelessness overcome her like a wave.

It almost seemed like Scarlett was having withdrawal from Aleah. As if the six year old was an addictive drug.

Those little clammy hands had a strong, firm grip on Scarlett's heart, and it was painful to not be near her every minute of the day. It was as if Aleah took Scarlett's heart along with her and now she was just existing.

Suddenly, a pair of firm hands wrapped around the 24 year old's waist placing a few soft kisses on her neck.

Scarlett leaned her head back, resting it on Ryan's shoulder as his kisses became more tender.

As his breathing became rapid with desire, he ran his hands up toward her breasts, but she quickly stopped him.

"Ryan..." She whispered, lifting her head and turning around to face him, looking into his chocolate brown eyes.

He removed his hands from her waist, wishing that everything would just go back to normal.

"Why'd you come back then?" He asked, knowing exactly what Scarlett was going to say.

"I just needed a place to stay." She admitted. She couldn't go back to her moms house, she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"I can't believe you!" He yelled angrily, causing her to back away.

"What?" She yelled back. "You thought I came back for sex?" She let out a forced laugh.

Ryan shook his head but Scarlett knew it was a lie.

"I'm not an object, Ryan." She said, her voice full of hurt and pain. "And it may be under your name, but this is my house too. I should be able to stay for a few nights without being expected to perform."

Scarlett quickly grabbed her things and left the house, probably for the last time. She wasn't planning on going back, hopefully ever.

The 24 year old drove around aimlessly, not knowing where to go or what to do. She could stay in a hotel, but the idea just didn't settle right.

She stood on a porch, waiting for something. Her heart raced, her cheeks red, and her hands sweaty as she raised her fist to knock.

It wasn't until she knocked on the nicely crafted wooden door, when she realized where she was.