The Lawes Girl

15

Last time he was at her place she slammed the door on him. No different from the last three to four times. Except he tried to hold the door and had his fingers slammed with it. Had to push all the documents he had to sign to Bart. What was it, a day after Bryan told him what his mother had said? Nina had been there. Spouting words he couldn't remember thanks to one too many drinks hours later. Yet here he was again, ready to do what he'd been trying to do more times than he could count. This time, he came with flowers in his good hand... his left hand. The one with the scar. She'd cut him way deep. No suit. A grey shirt and jeans. It was unlike him. 

   But what she saw standing there was a man who was out of his zone. Red eyes, unkempt hair, bandaged right fingers and maybe something else. She didn't pity him. She didn't regret what happened last time he came over. She knew as she assessed him, he had to be wondering what exactly was keeping her from shutting the door again? It was the question that that struck her the second she opened the door. 'How long can she milk this?' Not for much longer before it starts to look and feel ridiculous. She folded her arms, glaring. Could it ever be ridiculous? 

   He didn't know what to do. Especially since she just stood there. He looked at the flowers in his hand. "I uh... I went to a flower shop." He licked his lips. "And I asked what flowers best say that I'm sorry." Is that what they are? "The guy who sold them to me said Umm... roses cause I probably hurt whoever it is. Which I did," Lucille took her eyes off of him and focused on the flowers. She noticed the white roses. "Tulips for forgiveness, because I want you to forgive me." There they are, white Tulips. "Hyacinths too. It symbolises truth and peace." Blue hyacinths check. "And daffodils. To start over." White daffodils check. All the white flowers mixed together and surrounding the blue hyacinths perfectly arranged. She looked at him again. "There are no words to tell you how-"

   "Come in." She stepped aside. 

It wasn't what he expected. Hearing her say those words so calmly made him feel tense. It was also hard to believe. She wants him to come in. He nodded and did was he was told. One foot passed the threshold and it was like it was his first time in her house. He made the turn he was familiar with, only to stop when he noticed the child sitting on the floor before him. Looking right at him. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't take his eyes off of him. As he drowned in the sight of his son, Lucille said, "You can go now." He blinked, pulling his gaze away from Marvin and turned to her as she moved past him and stood in front of Marvin. "Get out." He held up the flowers. "And take it with you."

    He didn't know what to say. How long was that, five seconds? "Lucille I-"

   "Go." Everything about her was cold. From the look on her face to the way she spoke. He nodded once and turned around. 

  And just like that, every time he closed his eyes, he was plagued with the image of his son looking at him. It only made him feel more guilty. Damn it, she knew how to punish him. As if trying to apologise wasn't enough. However, the good part being she let him in. Just enough for him to see his son clearly. And be haunted by the rosy chubby cheeks of the child he tried to run away from. Crap... what was the good part again? Oh right, he got to see him and she didn't yell or try to kill him again. So as soon as he got the chance, he was over there again, same symbolic flowers with him that she still didn't accept. 

   "You're telling me," Bart started, not sure whether to be impressed. "That for weeks now, she let's you into her house to look at you're kid-"

   "Marvin." Nick corrected. Suddenly he was always looking forward to the door being opened for him to see them both. Although, the punishment did serve it's purpose. Frustrating him.

   "Marvin. Yes. To look at him for not even a minute?" He didn't wait for Nick to nod in response before laughing. So he was impressed. He never did hide how much he liked Lucille. Now is no different. Nick didn't pay any attention to his laughing. "I suppose" Bart cleared his throat and settled down. "I suppose you take your victory where you can."

   "This isn't a victory."

"It's better than having your legs shattered because that's where you were headed." He pointed at his hands.

   Nick sighed, rubbing his eyes. "His birthday is coming up."

Bart's eyes widened. "Do not go there that day. Or who knows what will happen."

   He may have missed his birth, but he sure as hell wasn't going to miss his birthday. His parents' house was decorated with balloons and the cutest things that he hadn't seen before... In their house. Cars were parked all around. People he'd seen or hadn't seen around the office holding the hands of their children as they led them to the front door. Open for everyone to enter. Unfortunately, the second he stepped into the brightly coloured hallway, a security guard stepped out of nowhere and blocked his path. "Sorry Nick." Damn it. Nick clenched his jaw. "We've been given orders not to let you in." Open to everyone except him apparently. 

   "Who's orders?" Would Lucille do this? After weeks of ten second watches, would she really not let him in? Even if it's for just a glimpse?

   "Your father."

Of course. 

   Crap. The curtains were pulled back. Meaning she was home. He'd been prepared to spend the entire night waiting for Lucille to get back home. He felt hyperactive. Sitting on her front step, tapping his feet anxiously and then pacing. Everything he was going to say changed form the longer he stayed there. But then it got too late, and he knew enough about her to know she wouldn't come back home. So the plan was to get there early the next day. But apparently, not early enough. Too much energy surged through him. The second she opened the door, he started, "Tell me what to do." Lucille folded her arms. "Tell me what to do to see both of you for longer than a minute."

    While his desperation flowed like a leaking pipe, Lucille's forehead creased. "I want you to leave." Those words made his heart drop to his stomach in disappointment. It wasn't going to stop him anyway. "I've been asking you to leave us alone but you wouldn't do that. Yet you're asking me to tell you what to do?"

    He shook his head. "Anything but that. I'm not leaving. I'm here. Tell me what to do to show you that I'm here and I will be here. I wouldn't leave him again, either of you. I'm not going anywhere. I want to show you that."

    "Fortunately for me, I don't believe anything you say or do. With great reasons obviously." Her stern look hadn't changed.

    Damn it. "Everything I did, I-" He sighed, thinking of the words to use. "I was terrible. It was really terrible and y- I-"

    "I don't want to hear it." She really really didn't want to.

"Please." Her forehead smoothed out. "Please." She wasn't saying anything. Maybe this would help. "I was at the party yesterday. I was. The CEO, he-"

    "I know. I saw you. You would have had a better chance if my parents threw the party. But yours insisted. To make up for everything you've done. So the security was told to keep the monster out." Why did she tell him? To hurt him some more.

    And it did. Neither one spoke for almost ten seconds. He let what she said sink in. Lucille looked back, she had to check on Marvin before he crawled somewhere he shouldn't. "Please Lucille. I'm here. Please." That brought her attention back to him. "I will be here."

    She turned around, leaving the door open for him. "You will not touch him unless he touches you." His heart flipped with joy. The rules however... oh who the hell cares? "You will not carry him no matter what." Him. He should care. That's who.

    "What if-"

"No matter what." She reiterated. 

    Marvin was right where She left him. Shaking his silver rattle with extreme focus. He paid no attention to them. He loved the rattle. Wasn't he playing with a toy car before she went for the door? Nick smiled at him. He could already see himself positioned on the floor beside Marvin. 

   "You can go now." Lucille turned to face him. In that moment they could read each other. She wasn't showing it, but she was smirking internally. Enjoying the expression his eyes gave away. His shock at the four words he thought he wouldn't hear again after five seconds. It was disappointing really.

    "Why?"

"We have flight to catch. Come back next week."

    "Flight? Where? Why?" Come on, hold it together. Now his voice betrayed him. And she was still reveling in what she's making him go through. 

    "His first trip. We're going to visit Nina." She said proudly.

"Nina?" Why couldn't he think straight? She hadn't said anything too drastic. And it had destabilised him and she knew it. "You said-"

    "I have to pack. Come back next week, or don't come back at all." Cold. So very very cold.

    Ok. He took a deep breath, pulling his hair back. Ok. Just a week. He nodded. 

   Burnt rubber waft the air. The sound of tires screeching as they turned corners, racing past each other with fierce speed. Lucille pointed at the blue race car with the number thirteen on it the Lawes company logo plastered on the driver's door. "Wes is in third." She bounced Marvin on her lap. Excitement coursed through her when his car passed the second, taking it's place. Nina screamed for some reason. Everyone around them had their eyes on the racing cars screaming at their choices to speed up. "You know I love you Luce." Nina spoke over the loud noise of revving cars and yelling people. "But I don't understand why you let him in. Not to mention allowing him to stay." Lucille glanced at her. "Okay fine. It was cool at first, cause he only got to look at him for a second and leave."

    "He's only going to hang out with him for a bit. And if I wanted I can make him leave after five minutes. You should have seen the look on his face. He hates what I'm doing. But he knows he deserves it."

    "Good. He sure as hell should. The ass." Nina sighed. "He does need his father." She gently pinched Marvin's cheek. "It's not like he's a murderer or thief or worse."

    "What could be worse?"

"Uhh... I dunno; a brute who hits girls-"

    "Oh yeah, I see your point."

"But the second he does something-"

   "Oh! He's out. No arguments there." 

"Good." Nina nodded. They focused on the race again. The last lap, Wes was back in third, inches away from passing the second. "What are you going to do if Wes wins?"

    Lucille glanced at Nina, and decided to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

    "You know what I mean." Nina couldn't help smiling. "Will you kiss him?" Lucille laughed. "Oh come on Luce, throw him a bone."

    "He asked me that last night."

Nina turned to face her fully, eyes wide with excitement. "If you'll kiss him?"

    "No." Nina scoffed, disappointed. "What I'd give him if he wins."

    "And?"

"I said I'd give him the honour of calling me Lulu."

    "What?" Nina eyed her. "He's not your bother Lulu. And that's my thing."

    "He rejected the idea."

"Who wouldn't? So what did you say?"

    "I told him I'll make him dinner. He liked that idea." While they were talking, the crowd was suddenly going wild. They looked around in confusion. "It's over?! Who won?"

    Nina stretched her neck, looking down as cars zoomed past the finish line. "Second! Wes came in second!" She cheered, standing to her feet. "Looks like you don't have to make him dinner." She nudged Lucille, Lucille rolled her eyes. "Uncle Wes came in second." She said to Marvin.

    They went down to meet him. It was quite the struggle to get past the overly excited crowd. They got to him just as his picture was taken with those who came in first and third. All three standing on the podium. His face lit up when he saw them. "You're here." He announced when he closed in the distance between them. 

   "You were awesome out there." Nina complimented, giving him a hug.

   "Thanks."

Nina took Marvin from Lucille. Leaving her hands free so she could hug him as well. He put his newly acquired silver medal round Marvin's neck then turned to Lucille. "You were amazing." She said and pulled away. "looks like I'll be making you dinner." 

   Wes' forehead creased for a second. "I didn't win."

"You didn't lose either." She smirked. Suddenly, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. All he saw was her; her beautiful eyes, her breath taking smile of pure excitement and her beautiful red hair. He was lost in her. So deep, he didn't notice when Nina called her attention about something for Marvin and she was searching her bag for whatever it was, not even the flashes of cameras as their picture was taken, or the voice of his new girlfriend calling for him and tugging on his jacket sleeve. His girlfriend's hand touched his face and he blinked rapidly. Finally turning his face to her. Without hesitation, her lips were on his and he kissed her back.

    Lucille smiled at Nina who rolled her eyes and shook her head, making Lucille laugh. While Wes kissed his girlfriend and Lucille took back her son, putting his sippy cup to his mouth, Nina went to the photographer. Having seen something they didn't. "Hi. Can I have that picture? The one where he" She points at Wes still at it. "Is looking at her." She points at Lucille who's examining the medal Wes gave Marvin. "You got that, right? You took a photo of them?"

    "Sure. Of course."

"Thank you."

    This time it was Nick in Bart's office. Standing before his friend seated behind his desk. A large file in his hand, he looked through the papers inside. "He looks just like you." Bart announced, also focused on his work. 

    "Who?" Nick didn't look up.

"Marvin." 

    Nick paused halfway through turning over a sheet of paper. As if Bart knew, he too looked up. "What? You've seen him? When?" Maybe it was a photo. 

   "At his birthday party."

He dumped the file on the desk with a thud. "What the hell were you doing there?" His eyebrows furrowed. 

   "Relax Nick. I was looking for you. I thought you'd be there so I went. But I saw Lucille and boy" He whistled. "She's on her way to being a queen and you. You're just a peasant."

   "Peasant?" The word came out like a scoff. His eyebrows smoothed out. 

   "Yeah. Peasant." He nodded. "You ran away like a coward. So that's what you are."

   Nick sighed. "Why are you telling me this now?" He referred to Bart seeing Marvin.

   "I sorta forgot about it."

"Until now?"

   "What? Is that a crime? Besides, will it change anything? You left her, she hates you, you beg, a part of your body gets broken somehow." Bart started to laugh. "Damn it, I love that woman. She's literally broken you. Literally. And I don't think she's done yet."

   "Yeah, me neither." Suddenly weak, he took a seat. 

"When does she get back?"

   "In two days?"

"Hmm. You think she'll change her mind about you coming over?"

   "I hope not." Silence. "So he looks like me huh?"

"A whole lot." Bart smirked, Nick smiled.

   So it began. Nick came over and would spend hours... well three hours at most. But it was like Marvin knew what was going on. For days, he didn't go near him. Even if Nick did try to play with him. It didn't last long though. And Lucille's watchful eyes kept him from breaking the rules. When he came over when she was still at work, the nanny was almost as strict as Lucille was. No amount of 'he's my son' changed her mind. She most definitely didn't want to get fired because of him. He did manage to convince her... The nanny that is. Silver tongue and everything. Next thing he knew Lucille was at his door. Very angry looking.

   "You touch him again, and I promise you you will regret it." She was gone. She made the statement and left. The weight the phrase promise you carried was enough for him to keep to the rules. Unfortunately, his little request did have the nanny fired. He didn't want to think of what Lucille might do next time. So he chose to be on his best behaviour. As frustrating as it was. How did she even find out? It made him wonder if Marvin was talking already.

   Aside from the words 'mama' and 'Lulu." What else could he say? She hated it when he called her Lulu. But when he it said and she frowned, Marvin would smile and she would cave in. Sometimes he was sure they both forgot he was in the room. To not be a part of that... sometimes there was 'Nina' especially when Lucille was on the phone. The words came out so cute like. The thought of it made him smile.

   Lucille did know how to punish him. Marvin would play on his body. Hitting him with his tiny hands or his toys or climbing on him like he was a mountain. Great right? Perhaps. He just wasn't allowed to initiate contact or lift him off the floor or from his crib. He was left with the memory of that one time. Then he couldn't help wondering what it would have been like to have held him the day he was born. Damn it. His frustration level rose to teeth grinding and wall punching. Did she know at all? Did she know she was doing this to him?