The Swiss Escape

Well this is awkward

Alex

I wait at the gate of the school for Kamryn and Kayla. Since Kamryn got the letter yesterday from HIM, I don’t want her too far without me. Just thinking about everything that man did to her enrages me. When I see Kamryn and Kayla, joy spreads through me. Her husband messed up by not treating her like the prize she is.

We walk to the car. “How was school today Kayla?”

Kayla looks at me with a smile, “I used paint with my fingers! See!”

She holds up her hands to show me the paint stains. “What did you paint? It looks like you chose beautiful colors.” Kamryn fastens Kayla in the car seat.

With her fair complexion, the purple, blue, green, and red paint is still visible. Kayla replied in a very serious voice, “I painted a rainbow because it’s my favorite color.”

“The rainbow! Did Mrs. Brunner let you bring it home?”

“No. Not yet, Du Brunner had to hang it in the window because it was wet. She didn’t let me take it to mommy because the paints no dry yet.” It still amazes me how well Kayla speaks. Her sentences are not always grammatically correct, but she makes her point. Her German and English are superior to most kids in her class. Maybe even the levels above her. I am very proud of her.

“Kaykay, we are going to start staying with Alex, okay.” Kamryn looks back at Kayla in the car seat.

Kayla just nods. I don’t think she cares where she lives as long as her mother is close. Kamryn turns back around and places her hand on my leg. “Have you heard from your parents? What time will they arrive?”

I place my hand on top of hers. “I have not heard from them. If they show up, I will be surprised. I sent a text to both Fritz and my mother.” I pick up her hand and kiss the back. “I am not going to chase them down. If they wish to talk, they know where I am. Maybe I will hear from them again in another four years.”

When we reach the house, Kamryn gets Kayla out of the car, and I grab the groceries. We go inside, Kamryn and Kayla go to see her new room. The room Kayla has here is larger than the one in Kamryn’s apartment. Kayla runs out of her room laughing, Kamryn is close behind her. I hear them laughing and Kayla asking Kamryn to chase her again.

My phone goes off. Picking it up, I read the notification. It’s a text from my mother. All it says is that they are on the way, nothing about the estimated time of arrival, or when it would be a convenient time for them to arrive. Letting out a sigh, I tell Kamryn.

She tells Kayla about needing to start dinner, but that they can play more later. I can tell Kayla is disappointed. The disappointment doesn’t seem to last long. Kayla runs to her room and brings out a doodle mat that works with water. She sits it down then grabs the pens and stencils. “Alex, you draw with me?”

How can I say no to her? “Yes, I will go fill the pens with water. Do you have the stamps too? I will put water in them for you too.” Kayla looks at me with excitement and runs to get the plastic container that holds the stamps. I fill up the pens and wet the sponge pad at the bottom of the container holding the stamps. “What should we draw?”

“You draw my hand.” She places her hand on the mat, and I trace it. “And one more.” Kayla moves her hand over slightly for me to trace again. We repeat this until the mat is full of overlapping handprints.

Kamryn checks on us often. She brings Kayla a cup of water and hot tea for me. It surprises me how she can anticipate my needs. It’s almost like how she foresees Kayla’s needs. Kayla runs back to her room; I hear her grab something, and I can tell it’s a struggle for her to carry it. “Do you want some help?”

Her little face looks determined. “No, I got it. I big girl.” I glance over a Kamryn; there is a smile on her face. When Kayla finally gets back to the middle of the main room. I ask if she wants to help me put the mat away. She grabs the box and brings it to me. I empty the water from the pens and fold up the mat. Kayla puts everything into the box. “Now, it’s time for a tea party!” Kayla grabs Kamryn’s leg. “Come on, mommy, it’s time for a tea party.”

Kamryn looks at Kayla. “Can you do me a big favor?” Kayla’s eyes light up. She loves being a helper. “Will you set everything up while I finish cooking. Then all my attention can be on your tea party.”

Kayla says, “yeah,” in an excited voice, I help her set up everything. Kamryn walks in, holding her phone. It looks like she’s using it as a timer. We start the tea party. Kayla pretends to pour tea in everyone’s cups. Next, she places fake food on the plate.

We are all laughing and playing. Kamryn gets up every few minutes and checks the food. It doesn’t take long before she is back and playing with Kayla and me again.

I sit back for a moment and watch them. Will this be how my life is now? Instead of coming home, working out, eating, and reading, I now have tea parties and draw handprints. A smile spreads across my face. This is an upgrade in my life. I bought this house to have a family in, and now I have it. Tonight is the first night I walked through the door and didn’t feel regret.

After the tea party, Kayla asks for a story and rubs her eyes. It’s already past six, and my parents haven’t shown up; I am not surprised. I tell Kayla to go pick out a story. Walking into the kitchen, I find Kamryn almost has everything ready. “What should we do if they don’t show up? I have to feed Kayla and put her to bed.”

I nod, I understand Kamryn is a little upset. “Kayla asked for a story. Do you mind if I read her one?”

Kamryn gives me a puzzled look. “Of course, I don’t mind. I am not ready to put her to bed, but I wouldn’t deny her a story.” I wrap my arms around her waist and give her a quick kiss before Kayla comes back. “I almost have everything ready. It will only take about three minutes.”

Kayla comes into the kitchen and hands me a book. She runs back to her room and grabs her yellow blanket, Kayla’s prized possession. One of the professors from the university Kamryn attended crocheted the blanket. I don’t know much about the woman other than she helped Kamryn with her thesis. I am not sure if they are still in contact. Kamryn has told me the only person she has contact with is Jen.

Kayla sits on my lap at the dining table while I read the story. I let her turn the page and ask her to point out different things in each picture. Halfway through the story, there is a knock on the door. Putting Kayla down, I answer. My parents, Fritz, Lana, and Dennis, enter my house.

Kamryn sets the table. I notice Kayla is staying close to her mother. Typically, Kayla doesn’t mind new people. I wonder if she senses her mother’s anxiety.

“I have dinner ready.” Kamryn motions to the table. I sit at the head of the table while Kamryn sits next to me. Lana sits on my opposite side, across from Kamryn, while Kayla sits in Kamryn’s lap. With Dennis, there are not enough chairs. Fritz sits next to Kamryn. My mother sits across from Fritz, and my father sits opposite me.

Fritz looks over at Kamryn. “Hello again, is this your daughter?”

“Yes, this is Kayla.” Kayla has one hand on her mother’s shirt, and the other holds her blanket. Kayla tells everyone, hello, but she isn’t acting like herself. I give Kamryn a worried look. She looks worried too.

Fritz puts his arm on the back of Kamryn’s chair. She does her best to ignore it, but I can tell the gesture is making her uncomfortable. He isn’t touching her, so I don’t feel like I can say anything yet. Everyone passes food around. Kamryn cuts up the chicken and vegetables on her plate and gives a fork to Kayla. Slowly Kayla begins eating.

“Alex, why does the little girl have a blanket at the table? Isn’t she aware toys are not allowed at the table?” My mother’s voice is condescending.

Anger flashes across Kamryn’s face. She’s about to say something, but I interrupt her. “Mother, this isn’t your house. It’s Kayla’s first time here, and now there is a group of new people. If she wants her blanket, she can have her blanket. You don’t get a say in how Kamryn chooses to parent her child.”

Kayla then begins speaking in German to me. “Yellow blanket isn’t a toy. It’s my blanket.” She gives me a puzzled look.

“I know Kayla. It’s okay. Yellow blanket is always welcome at the table or anywhere. It’s special to you.” Kamryn looks at me with a smile. I can tell she approves of what I said.

My mother gives me a disapproving look. Her disapproval is not new to me. It no longer affects me. “I never let you or your bother have things at the table.”

“Where did that get you, mother? One son you treat as a complete disappointment, and the other is still living with you at 37.” I give her an angry look.

Looking over at my father, she demands he say something to me. “Alex, show respect to your mother.” He gives me a desperate look. I can tell he is exhausted.

“We came here to start over Alex, the least you could do is try.” My mother’s tone is still disapproving.

Taking a deep breath, I look at her, “Mother, if you want to be in my life, you cannot come into my home and criticize Kamryn or Kayla.”

My mother looks shocked by my words. She looks at my father. “Are you going to say something?”

“What do you want me to say? He is sticking up for her. Alexander is a good partner.” My father looks at my mother with tired eyes. “He’s happy, just leave him be.”

My mother softens a bit. “Kamryn, what do you do?”

Lana starts to speak, “She’s a teacher at the school. Alex hired her so he could sleep with her.” Kamryn looks mortified.

I look over at Lana, she is smirking at Kamryn. I can tell Kamryn is almost to her breaking point. Kayla puts down the fork and lays against her mother, “Mommy, I need to go bed. You read the story, Alex?” I look at Kamryn.

She isn't sure what to do. “Please excuse us, everyone. We need to get Kayla to bed.” Kamryn and Kayla go to her room, I grab the book from the counter. I wait outside Kayla’s room for Kamryn to open the door. After getting Kayla ready for bed, she lets me into the room. I sit next to Kayla’s bed and finish the story.

“You read one more. Then mommy read one more?” Kamryn laughs and tells Kayla to go pick out two books. “Okay, I get them.” She hurries to the shelf and grabs three books.

“Kayla, I said two books.” Kamryn uses a stern voice.

“Please, mommy. I need stories.” Kamryn looks at me, and I nod.

“Okay, but then it’s bedtime.”

I read another story. Then Kamryn reads the next two. Kayla and I both laugh as Kamryn does different voices for the characters. No wonder all the kids at school love her.

After the stories, we tell Kayla goodnight. Kamryn and I walk out of her room, shutting the door. Before I have a chance to move, Kamryn presses her lips to mine. I quickly wrap one arm around her waist and bring the other to the back of her head, deepening the kiss. Her lips are slightly apart, waiting for my tongue. When we finally pull apart, both of us are breathless. I press my forehead to hers, “What was that for?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.

“You stood up for Kayla. Plus, you played tea party, traced her hand for thirty minutes, and read her stories. Her father never did any of that with her. I don’t know. You care for her like she’s your child.”

I touch Kamryn cheek. “I didn’t father her, and I am not ready to play a parental role. But know that you and Kayla are my family. I would do anything to keep you both safe and happy.”

We go back to the table. Kamryn offers everyone wine. My mother watches Kamryn closely. “Alex, who prepared the food? Did you make it or was it catered?”

I look at my mother, confused. “Kamryn made it. She’s an amazing cook. She even got me to like eggplant.” 

“Really?” My mother looks at me, curiously. “Well, maybe you chose a better woman this time.” I stared at my mother in shock. The last woman I was with is Lana. I look over, and Lana seems angry. Kamryn brings over the wine and pours everyone a glass. “Kamryn, Alexander tells me you got him to eat eggplant. How did you manage that?”

“I made eggplant lasagna. It was my mother’s recipe. He came over for dinner, I served him the food, and he liked it. Originally, he was just going to eat a little, but decided it wasn’t that bad.”

“It was delicious. I tried to convince Kamryn to make it tonight, but she thought the chicken piccata would be better.”

“Well, perhaps she will make it next time.” My mother seems to be warming up to Kamryn. “What do your parents do, Kamryn?”

“My dad was a high school math teacher, and my mother was a journalist at a local newspaper.”

“Was? Are they retired now?” I am not sure how my mother is going to react when Kamryn tells her about her parents.

“They both died when I was seven.”

“You’re an orphan? Alex, did you know this?” My mother’s disapproving tone is back.

I nod my head. “Yes, mother. She is. That isn’t a problem for you now, is it?” I give her a stern look.

Kamryn looks over at me and says in English, “well, this is awkward.”