𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎

Chapter 2 ~ Dad

Mayella

Me and Max are walking to my house to start on our project. While walking we have been getting to know each other. He really is a nice guy. He also seems to be just as interested in my life than I am his.

"Seattle?" He asks and I nod. I just got done telling him where my parents got together and how everything happened there.

"Yep, that's where my dad was, then he and his best friend played hockey at their college and now their professionals. I smile. I love bragging about my family. "Professionals?" I nod. "What team?"

"Minnesota Wilds." I say and he stops in his tracks. I turn around to look at him. "What's your last name?" He asks now slowly to catch up with me.

"Carter." I say it's the most casual thing ever. He stops once again once we get to my house. "Ella, I can't go in there if your dad is who I think it is." Ella, I love that nickname. I laugh at him and grab his arm.

I open the door with my keys and immediately smell my mom's dinner that has been cooking all day. "Mom! I'm home!" I yell as she comes running into the living room. "Hey sweetheart, how was your da-" She pauses once she sees Max.

"Hello young man, what's your name?" She smiles. She might have been more strict, but definitely not when it came to boys. Once my sister moved to college, my mom told her she had to come back with a man. My dad was not happy when they got the call that she met someone and demanded she come home.

"Max, Ma'am." He shakes her hand. "Oh please call me Abby." She says and for the third time he freezes. "I'm starting to believe that I know for a fact who your dad is, that makes me want to leave." Me and my mom both let out a chuckle.

"So, Max, What are you guys up to?" My mom asks, trying to be hip and throwing her cooking glove over her shoulder.

"Well, we have a project due next Monday, thought we would get it done as soon as we could." My mom nods. "You guys can work in the kitchen, on the barstools, or the living room floor." I nod knowing that it would be the worst idea to do it in my room.

I take Max to the living room and we sit on the floor. Taking out our project instructions and reading them over. "This should be pretty easy, pick a book and make a poster about it." He says and I nod.

"My aunt has a whole library of books, think we should try there?" I ask and he nods. He probably doesn't know what he is doing so he is letting me take the lead. I then get up and hold my arms out for him to take.

He does so and we walk out the door to her house. We only live a few houses down. My mom and dad let me go since I have been doing this for a while.

I knock on the door and wait for an answer. A minute later aunty Fay comes and opens the door. "Hey honey!" She greets me with a hug and I hug her back. She looks at Max and gives me a questioning look.

"This is Max, we are doing a project together and we need a book." I say and she nods. She leads us in and I just go to her library. She tells me that I can pick out any book I want.

Max leads behind me quietly and I decide to pick a book I have read before and give it to Max. "Oh, I know this book. About the mom right? Losing her daughter and going to jail?" I was surprised that he knew this.

Well, you just made the assignment easier. I laugh as we start to talk more about the book.

"Hey mom what's fo- '' I hear a voice coming from the door of the library. Reece stands there shirtless with a cup of water. He looks at me and then looks at Max. "Sorry, I didn't know you were here, thought you were my mom."

"It's fine, we were actually just going." I say and nudge Max to the entrance. He nods and leads us out, giving Reece a smile.

I avoid eye contact with Reece and walk out the door, calling out to Fay to say goodbye. Once I hear her calling back I leave.

🎀

Once we get back I see my dad is home, that would explain why Reece was there already. The three of them were out on the rink today.

"Do I have to go in there?" I nod and he sighs, it's like he knows that the car that appeared was my dads. "So your aunt, I'm guessing she is Fay Graham right?" I nod. It's funny to see his reactions to all of this.

We walk in the door and go back to our places on the living room floor and do a layout of the poster. "I can stop by Michaels and get the things we need." I say and he nods. "How about I pick you up over the weekend and we can do that?" I nod.

He was really working his way to my heart. He was too sweet for his own good. "I hear another voice Abby let me go." I hear my dad saying from the kitchen. I then rub my hands over my face. Just then, a knock to the door.

My dad comes into the living room and sees us on the floor. He looks to Max then to the door, he opens it and lets aunty Fay and her family in. All five of them walk in and I get smiles from almost all of them.

"Hey Kiddo!" Uncle Eli says and comes over to me, he bends down and brings me into a hug. I say hi back.

We then all look at each other, I can tell Max is uncomfortable because he is avoiding eye contact. Just in time, his phone rings. He sighs in what sounds like relief. "My mom needs me, thanks for inviting me over." He says and grabs his backpack.

He gives my crazy family one last smile and walks out the door.

"Mayella Sage Carter." My dad's voice says and I refuse to look up. "What is a boy doing in my house?"