Fallen Petals

Chapter six

Lucas couldn't sleep that night as his mind was full of things Deanna might do when she arrived. His only intention was to get away from her, yet she had caught up with him. Her words of dragging him back to jail if he didn't see her haunted him.
"I wish I could divorce this monster." He cried. The hours that passed by weren't long enough and he wished that the earth would swallow him. Rosie came to him like she did most nights and she tapped his shoulder.
"Daddy." She said. He turned to her and smiled.
"Hey Rosie did you have another nightmare?" He asked.
She shook her head and clutched Peach in her arms.

"No daddy I can't sleep I am worried." She said. He assumed it was because of her scales from either and allowed her to climb into his bed.
"Hey you don't have to worry about the scales honey, they've vanished and I'll find out what's going on." He responded. The ten year old shook her head again and hugged him.
"Somewhat but daddy I'm more worried about you, I heard someone yelling at you over the phone. I know you told me not to but I looked through the pictures on the computer." She admitted. Her face dropped from the guilt like it always did when she was caught in a lie. Lucas was about to scold her but found he was too exhausted to do more than a disapproving look.

"Rosie I appreciate your concern but you shouldn't go through those old photos, I have them all on that computer for a reason." He explained. The laptop was old but it had a lot of evidence against Deanna being a serial abuser. Yet of course no one believed it and Lucas kept the evidence locked up.
"But daddy I saw all of those men with that evil Deanna and you were only in one picture. You got married in that picture." She agrued. Lucas felt his face flush at the mention of his wedding.
"Yes that was one of the worst days of my life honey but this all is my problem, I don't want you to get caught in it. She yelled at me because she found out about you and wanted to see you." He explained.

His throat became tighter and Rosie hugged him when he began to hyperventilate. She caught his glasses when they fell off his face as he began to have a panic attack.
"Breathe daddy please breathe stay with me." She cried. He hugged her back and her tears made his anxiety lessen. As her voice had become like an angel singing to him. It took a few minutes before he calmed down and stroked Rosie's hair.
"I'm here Rosie remember daddy isn't going anywhere, I just got scared." He responded. He kissed her on the forehead to comfort her while she tried to comfort him.
"I know daddy I'm sorry I went through the pictures but I wanted to help you." She said.
Lucas said nothing he only smiled and kissed her on the forehead again.

The ten year old went on about how she would make him proud before she fell asleep.
"I am very proud of you my little flower." He said. Lucas smiled and covered her with his blankets before he fell asleep himself. The next morning his brief beauty sleep was interrupted by intense yelling from downstairs. His heart sped up inside his chest and every time he covered his ears, the more he heard. Her voice got more aggressive yet she never yelled.
"Lucas I know you are in there, let me in, honey let me in. What are you doing let me in." Deanna urged as she knocked. Rosie flinched near him from all the noise and Lucas got up to defend her. His fear of her being trembled by his desire to keep his daughter safe.

When he walked down the stairs and opened the door, he was meant with a punch in face. He flinched and held his bloody nose, as she crossed her arms.
"You could have waited until I was awake." He argued. She gave him a look of disappointment and took of her white gloves.
"Lucas you know I hate our fights especially when I was the one who was left behind." She said. Her eyes glared down at him and she teared up when he tried to defend himself.
"You...you...you have no right to say that I don't trust you." He stammered.
"You shouldn't say that or think I'm your wife you are supposed to trust me. No one is going to love you the way I do and I've been looking for you for so long." She cried.

Her tears made him feel like the worst person on the planet. Yet he didn't know any other way to stand up to her.
"I don't want to be with you, thats why I left." He responded. She cried again but that quickly turned into insults when he tried to get away from her.
"What's wrong with you, do you think you can just walk away from me and pretend I don't exist. I'm am the greatest thing that has ever happened to you and what brain damage made you save a sea creature." She said. Her tone was like daggers in his chest and whenever he raised his voice she hit him with tears or more insults.
"What are you even talking about you accused me of cheating when I want a divorce!" He exclaimed.

She cried more and acted like he was an abuser.
"Stop yelling at me thats what horrible husbands do and they go to jail. Which is where I'm keeping you from, maybe you should have remembered that. I thought you were better than that Lucas, that tiny sea creature has made you evil." She responded.
"Don't talk about my daughter that way!" Lucas screamed. He is so angry that he almost slaps her but he stops himself and she continued to insult him.
"She's a siren you idiot and that's why you were in that car crash, maybe you should throw her back in the water. Look at what she almost made you do." She responded. Her image covered his vision and he clutched in the corner.

Before he can even respond, she hits him and calls him a coward.
"Daddy whats going on?" Rosie asked. The ten year ran downstairs due to all the yelling and the second he says her. Lucas is terrified that Deanna will do something to her.
"Rosie you should go back upstairs." He said. She ran up to him and knelt down to be in his arms.
"Hey brat the adults are talking you should listen to your daddy." Deanna argued. Her intimidating look drove fear into Lucas's being but Rosie had none.
"No you need to leave my daddy alone you witch." She declared. The words made the room go silent as Lucas wasn't sure if he should be proud or scared.

"What did you call me?!" Deanna yelled. Her mouth dropped in shock and her eyes were full of fury. The look in Rosie's eyes was the one of child innocence and a survivor.
"A witch because nobody treats my daddy like that. " She responded.
"Now Rosie you are my step daughter so let's not use name calling. I'm only trying to get him to listen to me." Deanna argued. Her tone held back some annoyance behind some kind authority. Rosie was not fooled and pointed at the woman three times her size.
"Oh hush step mother he doesn't have to listen to you, you are evil!" Rosie exclaimed. In a fraction of a second Deanna grabbed the girl by her hair.
"Take that back you fish girl." Deanna growled.

"Let me go!" Rosie cried. Without a second thought Lucas pushed Deanna away from her. The girl clung to him in terror while Deanna fell to the floor. He hadn't pushed his abuser that hard but she acted like he had tried to kill her.
"What is wrong with you I am trying to to keep you away from a siren!" Deanna exclaimed.
"I told you to stay away from my daughter!" He screamed. She got back and brushed the dirt off her clothes. Then slapped him again leaving a small purple mark.
"Hold your tongue or I'll chop it off and make you eat it. I have taught you better but I see that you are a naive and evil to fall under a siren spell. Pray you'll never see me again, Lucas because I'll make sure that you get whipped." She declared.

The angry woman stormed off and Lucas felt his spine crawl. Lucas sighed and turned to Rosie, who is still crying. He hugged her tightly and shushed her.
"Daddy I'm sorry I thought I could help I didn't mean to make you have to go away!"  she cried.
"Don't be sorry baby girl, you didn't do anything wrong. You tried to defend me and that's all the matters." He responded.
The ten year old sniffled and looked up at him with hope.
"But Deanna said you would have to go to jail, I don't want you to get taken. I want you here with me." She said.

He kissed her on the forehead to ease her worries.
"Hey everything is going to be okay, she's just trying to scare you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He responded. She nodded and whispered that she would never let him get taken away.
"You mean everything to me honey and I know you won't just remember to never stoop down to her level. As hard as it may be, you can't take a desire for revenge." He said.
"But she hurt you?" Rosie asked. The ten year old made a good point as that woman had done more than hurt him. All he wanted to do besides get away from her was to see her suffer.

"Yes she did but it doesn't mean I should hurt her back. Because that makes me just as bad as her and it won't make me feel better. The best thing you can do in the situation is to not give into revenge." He said. Rosie seemed to take all those words in and then crawled into his lap. She changed the subject by asking him questions about God and faith. He shared his beliefs on the matter and how everyone had their own.
"Do you have faith daddy?" She asked.
"Yes I do, in many things despite everything I do. Because sometimes its all I have." He responded. Rosie blinked at his words and laid her head down on his lap.
"I don't know if I understand daddy but okay." She said.