The secret - an Evansson story

19

December 2009
The blonde woman sat with Robert Downey Jr at the bar, drinks in hand, sulking. The brunette haired man lived in Los Angeles and was able to be with his wife and sixteen year old son, Indio during the holidays.

"What's been going on with you?" He asked Scarlett taking a sip of his club soda. The woman shook her head before downing her tequila shot.

Her face scrunching, she let out a deep sigh. "I just wanted to be home for the holidays."

Robert nodded, fully understanding where Scarlett was coming from. No one wanted to work just a few days before Christmas Day, not even him.

"Did you have plans with your family?" He questioned.

Scarlett waved down the bartender, quickly asking for another drink. "Yeah, I had something special planned for..."

Her voice trailed off as her drink was placed in front of her. She gave the bartender a thankful smile before taking a large swig of the beer.

Between the beer and tequila shots, she's lost track of how many she's had. Her mascara was smudged around her eyelids and her words were beginning to sound slurred. She began to stumble more every time she excused her self to use the restroom.

"Scarlett, I think you've had enough." Robert said after she stumbled back from the bathroom, struggling to sit back down in her stool.

He reluctantly took her drink away, a bit uneasy being around her this drunk after what he got himself out of six years ago.

"Gimme m-my drink back." She stuttered sounding a bit agitated, reaching to grab her beer from Robert.

"You need to calm down." He ordered, his voice stern as he discreetly gave the half full glass of beer back to the bartender.

Just before Scarlett was able to put up a fight, her phone began ringing and she immediately picked up.

"Chris, w-what's wrong?" She questioned. "I-is everything okay?" Her voice was low and her words were heavily slurred.

"Aleah wanted to say goodnight." Chris said carefully, already sensing she was intoxicated.

"What? It's only 6 o'clock!" She exclaimed, giggling at the thought of her daughter going to bed at six without a fight.

The man sighed through the receiver. "No Scarlett, it's 9 o'clock here in New York."

"Chris, that's way past her bedtime." Scarlett said, immediately sounding more aware of her surroundings. "Her bedtime is strictly at 8 for a reason."

Robert aimlessly stirred his club soda with a straw as he unintentionally listened in on Scarlett talking about an 8 o'clock bedtime. The conversation made no sense to the man unless they were talking about a child. However, he had no knowledge of Scarlett ever having a kid.

"Hey baby." Scarlett tried to keep her words from slurring.

"I miss you mama." Aleah whined through the phone, her voice giving away her tiredness clear as day.

"I know sweetie. I'll be home soon, okay?" Scarlett replied. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the counter trying to hide her face from Robert's wide questioning eyes. She messed up big time.

"Mhm."

"Are you all ready for bed?" She questioned. "Teeth brushed? Did you go potty?"

"Mhm. Daddy made sure." She could feel her daughter becoming distant with her and it made her heart clench.

The blonde woman sighed. "Goodnight baby, I love you so much."

"Goodnight mama." She replied in a tired voice before hanging up.

Scarlett looked over at Robert, his mouth was wide open in shock and his brow furrowed.

"What the fuck was that?" He questioned after taking it all in.

"None of your business." She snapped, rubbing her temple before stumbling toward the door. Robert ran after her with her jacket and purse that she left behind, in his arms.

"Scarlett, I'm not an idiot." He argued. "Since when do you have a kid?"

The woman walked toward Roberts car, getting into the passenger seat and leaning her head back against the head rest. "I had her in 2003, I had just turned eighteen and couldn't take care of a baby."

Robert nodded, very clearly engaged in the story. "I put her up for adoption and about four months ago her adoptive parents died in a car accident. The case worker asked us to care for her until they found a permanent home."

"Wow." He said, practically speechless. "What if they find a permanent home for her?"

Scarlett sighed. "I don't know. I love her to death but just in the first two months of having her back I lost her in the store and put her in anaphylactic shock."

The woman felt hot tears running down her rosy cheeks as she opened up for the first time to someone other than her family.

"I want to be her permanent home." She smiled. "I really do, but I'm scared."

Without a warning, Robert leaned over the center console and enveloped the blonde haired woman in a large bear hug. She shook in his arms, her tears streaming faster than ever as he comforted her.

He's never imagined someone in her situation, but he knows exactly how she feels. It's scary to become a parent. He had his son in 1993 and was constantly under the influence. He was never a father until his son was ten, it felt as if he'd met his son for the first time.

He could sympathize with Scarlett, he could comfort her, he could give her tips. But what he really wanted to do was turn back time and make her change her decision six years ago. But that was impossible.

~

After quietly packing their bags, Chris picked up the sleeping child and carried her down to the car. He buckled her safely in her car seat, making sure she had a blanket covering her small form and the stuffed koala tucked underneath her arm.

He was able to get two last minute tickets to Los Angeles for a 7am flight. He couldn't risk Scarlett breaking her promise and he sure as hell couldn't watch their daughter heart broken any longer. They had promised her ice skating, sledding, and all sorts of fun winter activities. But she refused to do any of it without Scarlett.

The ride to the airport felt long as the sun slowly began to rise over the horizon with bright vibrant colors of reds and oranges painting the sky.

Chris kept checking on the young girl sleeping in the back seat. He admired her beauty, still unable to process how he and Scarlett created such a gorgeous soul. She deserves so much better.

"Daddy, where are we?" Aleah asked as she woke in her fathers arms. Her eyes opened to a busy airport with families running to board their plane on time while Chris sped walked toward their gate

He smiled brightly at her, "We're going to see mommy!"