Dragon

20 - My little girls' heart

Dragon

“Sweetheart, will you be home for dinner?”

“No,” I shake my head at Mom. “I need to get Greer to the hospital to see Kyla, then I need to get to the clubhouse. I’ll grab us something while I’m out.”

“What you need to do,” Cobra tells me. “Is come with me.” He tips his head, and both Mom and I follow him to the porch screen door. He puts his finger to his lips and then points outside.

Storm is sitting on the porch steps, looking out at the front yard.

Why the hell is he here so early?

It seems he’s always here lately. More than he usually is since he moved out of home.

Greer is sitting beside him, and my eyes narrow in anger. I told Greer to get dressed after she’d eaten breakfast. I did not ask her to go out and converse with Storm!

I open my mouth to yell for Greer to get inside, but Cobra shakes his head at me. I do not want my daughter near Storm right now. I’m far too angry with him over what happened to Kyla to allow him to have anything to do with Greer.

I know that’s wrong, and I should have spoken with him by now. But something is stopping me. Each time I look at Storm, I want to knock his teeth out for what he did to Kyla. I know he didn’t crash into her, but he’s the reason she was out there that night. He’s the reason my Kyla was hurt so badly.

How am I meant to forgive that?

I also know that it’s wrong to want to keep Greer away from him. No matter what happened, Kyla would never force Greer to stay away from people who love her, especially when they would never do anything to harm her. But until Kyla tells me that it’s okay for Greer to be around Storm, I want her away from him.

I open my mouth again, but Cobra shakes his head again. He points to his ear, then at my daughter as if telling me to listen.

I sigh. I do not want to indulge this shi.t, but I will for a moment. If only to keep Cobra from snapping. Trust me, the boy is venomous when he's pissed off, and I can see he’s getting there fast. We don’t call him Cobra for nothing.

“Uncle Storm, why are you so sad? Is it because you feel bad about what happened to my mom?” My baby girl asks.

Storm doesn’t answer Greer, so she scoots a little closer to him.

“My dad didn’t mean what he said to you; he was just scared. He waited a long time for my mom to come back to him, and he thought she would die. What he said was a product of that. But he knows that you were looking out for him, and that’s why you said those things to my mom. I know you would never want to take me away from my mom.”

Greer is Kyla’s daughter, alright. They’re both so insightful and forgiving, and right now, Greer reminds me so much of Kyla when she was a young girl.

“My mom won’t be mad when she wakes up. She’s very kind, and she will understand that you didn’t mean to make her cross. I don’t want you to be sad, Uncle Storm.”

I look at my mother as she wipes a tear from her cheek. She looks at me and smiles. What Greer said touched my mother’s heart.

“You shouldn’t worry about me, Greer,” I hear Storm mumble.

I know deep down that my brother never meant for any of this to happen. All he wanted was to shake Kyla up and make her bring Greer to me. What he doesn’t realize is that he never needed to do any such thing. We may have been apart longer than we were ever together, but I know Kyla inside and out, and she would have brought Greer to meet me when the time was right.

Knowing Greer had found me, Kyla would have come to me the very next day. I know she would. All Storm had to do was wait! But he couldn’t do that because he’s too hotheaded! He didn’t even give me the chance to find Kyla and speak to her before he rushed over there with Hammer and Rabid.

No, I’m still not ready to forgive him, and I don’t know that I ever will be.

“But I love you, and I want you to be happy.” Greer lays her head on Storm’s arm, and I see him turn to look at her with a smile on his face. “My dad loves you, and he’s sorry, I know he is.”

I watch my big brother wrap his arm around Greer. “Everything will be alright, Greer,” He says, kissing her head.

My brother loves my daughter. I can both see and feel it from here.

“Can you and Daddy be friends again? Mommy promised that we would be a happy family. But we can’t be if you guys don’t like each other anymore. Please, Uncle Storm?”

“It’s up to your dad where we go from here. However, I promise I’ll speak to him, and I’ll tell him how sorry I am.”

It hurts when I hear Greer sob a little. I want to go to her, but I’m frozen to the spot.

“I don’t like it when people are sad. I don’t like that you’re sad, Uncle Storm.”

“Oh, little unicorn girl,” Storm chuckles softly. “You’re a sweet kid, Greer. You must take after your mom,” He laughs, and I can’t help smiling.

“The two of you need to speak, Dragon,” I nod my head without looking at Cobra. “This can’t go on. If nothing else, it’s not fair to Greer.”

My brother is right. This cannot go on. Kyla promised our daughter she would have a happy family. With me so angry with Storm, that can never be. I might not be ready to forgive him, but we do need to talk about what happened and why.

“I know,” I look at my little brother. “As soon as I bring Greer home from seeing Kyla, I’ll talk to Storm.”

Mom comes out of nowhere and hugs me. I chuckle to myself while rolling my eyes playfully at Cobra over Mom’s shoulder. He shakes his head with a smile on his face.

“Greer?” Mom pulls away from me when I call my daughter’s name. Greer jumps to her feet, and I can see that she’s dressed in jeans and a unicorn t-shirt. I inwardly laugh because she’s unicorn mad. “It’s time we were leaving, darlin’.”

“Okay, Daddy.” I watch as she turns around, leans down, and hugs Storm. She kisses his cheek, then rushes inside.

I am so awed by Greer right now. Her mother was knocked down by a car, thanks to her uncle’s harsh words. Yet, here she is, hugging and kissing him as though he were the best uncle in the world. It’s just another reason to see how amazing a mother Kyla is.

“Daddy, can I bring my tablet? Hilly got it from home for me, but I left it in my backpack. There are some videos on there that Mommy made for you. I think if we watch them together, they might help Mommy wake up.”

Kyla made videos for me?

Of what?

I guess I’ll find out once Greer plays them. Who knows, maybe hearing them will help wake Kyla. Christ, I’ll do anything if it helps Kyla.

“Of course, you can.” I wink, making Greer laugh. She’s in a much better mood today, and it’s nice to see her smiling.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Greer.”

“I just wondered,” I watch my daughter closely as she swallows hard.

Is she nervous to ask me something?

“Well,”

I crouch down to her level. “What is it, baby girl? You can tell me anything.”

“Well, I wondered if Hilly could come too.” Greer clutches her left arm with her right hand. “It’s okay if you say no. It’s just that she’s my best friend, and I wanted Mommy to know.”

I can’t help smiling. “Hilly’s your best friend, huh?”

Greer nods her head as Hilly takes her hand. “Well, duh. Didn’t you know that already?” Hilly winks while chuckling.

I don’t know how that happened, but I love my sister for going along with Greer. It means a lot that my daughter found a friend in her aunt.

“If you want Hilly to come along, then that’s okay with me, Greer.”

I watch Greer look up at Hilly with a smile on her face. Hilly does that stupid, excited kid face she pulls, and Cobra laughs.

“Storm and I need to get to the clubhouse. Tell your mom that we’re thinking about her, Greer, and I’ll see you tonight.”

“Bye, Uncle Cobra. I love you!”

He chuckles; we all do at how easy it is for Greer to express her love. “I love you, too, Greer.” Cobra leaves through the porch door, Storm following him. Our eyes lock for a moment, and I tip my head, letting him know we’ll be all right in the end.

“Dragon, would you like me to drive the girls to the hospital? You can’t take both on your motorcycle,” My mother asks.

“I’ll take you,”

“Grandpa!” Greer runs to Hammer, and he laughs while lifting her in his arms.

I guess my parents and sister are tagging along. I’d roll my eyes, but it seems to be making Greer happy, and that’s all that matters to me.