SWEET SPOT

CHAPTER TWO

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It was 6:43am, too early to him for the sun to be out, but it was anyway.

He had slept on the couch in the living room the night before, enveloped with work.

That was the only thing he ever gave his all to.

He got that from his old man.

A man was to work and work. Never showed young Andrew enough love the other boys in the neighborhood and in the TV got from their fathers.

Mr. Wellington taught his son to be a man.

The same school of thought his father gave him and his father's father and the fathers before.

In all those centuries of lesson there probably wasn't enough time to teach love.

His father was always hard on him. Forcing him to work when his mates were across the road enjoying their childhood.

Even with all the stern upbringing, Mr. Wellington never failed to provide for his family and that was what Andrew admired and aspired to be.

His father had loved him, up until the results of senior prom.

"Good grades, hard working, respectful, why did you have to mess that up" Mr. Wellington asked, his son kneeling apologetically in front of him. His mother, sister, Jackie's mother and Jackie stood watching them.

They dared not to say a word.

The man was angry. At that moment Andrew knew he could die.

"I'm sorry..." he sobbed. Andrew picked the wrong way to let friends influence him

"Sorry yourself out of this house" Mr. Wellington said sternly and made his way into his room. The women wailed and begged and dragged him back but his strong body let them down as gently as he could and left.

He would later come to terms with it and let his son remain in his house, but he didn't look at him the same.

He didn't even look at him.

What Andrew feared the most happened within the blink of an eye. He had disappointed the only man he wanted to make proud and there was nothing that could change that

Andrew got to community college while still working two jobs, shuffling from his father's house to college to Jackie's. And didn't even get a glance from his father.

The only time, after that night that he met his father's eyes was on his dying bed. "Don't you ever let anything happen to my granddaughter or her mother. If you do I will rise and kill you, what I would have done a long time ago" he said as if out of breath from living.

Perhaps for that reason he vowed to never stop working hard.

Andrew now held his phone firmly in his hand. Swinging it besides him, tapping his toes on his wooden floor. Looking at his phone and the next second taking his eyes off the screen.

He wanted to say something but did know what to say, how to say it and it made him restless.

She made his restless.

He took the phone close to his face one last time as he gaped at her number on the screen.

The call button was not far from where his thumb laid.

He took in a deep breath as he tapped the call button and his call went straight to voicemail.

His heart skipped a beat. Two beats.

It was like his silent, non-existent prayer was answered. He wasn't ready for an Andrew- Jackie debacle. He never braced himself enough.

"Hey it's Jackie... Doctor Jackie. I'm not available at the moment but please leave a message after the beep."

She did her little giggle and the end.

He loved her giggles, but it sounded as though they mocked him.

The loud beep sound to him was like the gunshot runners heard before they start running down the tracks and as if his lips were his legs, he started without waiting to think and count his words.

"Hello, it's me, Andrew, your baby daddy" he chuckled, perhaps to sound cool. It didn't. He cleared his throat, wishing he didn't do what he just did.

Cool Andrew wasn't a good fit and he loathed that moment. Those words sounded like puke in his lips, but that didn't stop his tracks.

He paced up and down his living room from where the TV hung, to the dinning table across.

"Just wanted to inform you that Andy will be coming in today" he said, relieved. Before he could stop himself, cool Andrew took over like a multiple personality and continued "and by the way, we had the best time together, a nice father- daughter moment. It was great. She begged me to let her stay one more night, but you know I gotta work and she has school. Call me when you get this. Bye" he stopped the voicemail before he said any other dumb thing.

He contemplated rerecording it, but he also knew there was no way he would be anymore calm. That was the calmest he could get.

Like any race, he started off with fire, paced up in the middle and fired at the end.

He didn't win the race, but he sure did get to the finish line. At least.

He walked over to the dinning table imagining how she would react to his message. The deed had been done.

He sat on a chair, grabbed his iPad and began scrolling down an article.

He breathe in the lavender flavoured freshness of his well furnished living room.

A breath of satisfaction.

It was a big house. One he and the boys dreamt of as kids.

He really didn't need that big house, but he had to fill up his lonely life somehow and getting himself the "nice things" was the only way he felt could fill the void.

Andrew came from a home where having desert once in a while meant you had the "nice things". It should sound like sarcasm but it really wasn't.

His parents worked two to three jobs every other day working hard to provide for he and his sister. When Anna, his sister was done with high school she gave up college so her brother would go to high school.

He always promised to give her the world when he finally "made it"  and she would say she didn't need the "world" she just wanted her baby brother to be happy.

She knew the only thing that would make him happy was making their father proud. Although it was too late and she knew it, it was too late to curb the drive.

His little high school love wasn't his best decision in life, but letting Jackie go was another not- so- smart one.

Jackie was one person that ever truly believed in him, asides his sister.

Jackie hated him, he always thought.

He would hate him too.

He was a self-centered and focused man. He wouldn't take his mind off work and when he was cautioned he would remind the people about his childhood, his kid and her mother. His family.

Co-parenting with Jackie wasn't the most beautiful. It was like how one was like with a math teacher.

She always felt like he never wanted Andy "not like it was my idea to leave the party in the first place" she would murmur.

They hardly spoke.

They would always claim to be busy with their lives. In hindsight, nobody was ever that busy.

They weren't always so busy.

Then, they had a little time to go to court to let a judge decide who should have sole responsibility of their child.

Things had been awkward ever since.

Looking at his life now, he needed someone.

He needed Jackie, but they were two prideful individuals. Nobody wanted to fall down for the other.

But this wasn't the time to revive a love story.

This was a busy time for Andrew.

The company almost went bankrupt and he felt this was his moment to get that promotion he had longed for.This was a chance for him to have more time for himself and others

Being best friends with his daughter would have to wait.

He heard silent footsteps grow louder and suddenly, there was silence. He could feel her eyes glaring at him from behind. It pinched his soul.

Andy walked round the table until she came face to face with her father, her hands folded in front of her.

She studied him thoughtfully. He didn't even look at her.

What had happened to the man in front of her? He was once a loving father, hell, he was even a loving baby daddy.

She would always remember simpler times when he didn't have all this wealth. Money could really change a person.

He sighed.

"What is it young lady?"Andrew asked, his eyes still on his tab.

"I just wanted to ask"she started, slowly crossing her hands in front of her. "Do you ever look forward to having me here? 'Cause i don't. "she said one leg in front of the other, waiting for his reply.

"I don't know"he mumbled absentmindedly. Tapping on an article he found about his company that got his attention.

He sat up, eyes still fixed on the tablet.

She sat in the chair next to him. Maybe, just maybe if she came closer he would finally realize she was speaking.

"I have an idea, why don't we go to court and tell the judge I want to stay with mum full time"she said, her eyes wide open, waiting for him to give her a nod at least.

He glanced at her quickly, but averted back to the post.

At least he looked up for like a second.

Baby steps.

"Not now kiddo, I'm very busy right now" he said "Go get ready, your flight is in an hour, we don't have all day".

She growled and walked up the stairs, stamping her feet as loud as she could on every step "I hate you! "She yelled. She slammed her door and jumped on her bed.

She picked her phone up from the side table and FaceTimed her best friend. One of the only three numbers she had on her phone.

It should be sad, but Andy wasn't one to care.

She loved the people in her life and would always quote her aunty Anna "Keep people in your circle that would die for you and who you would die for".

Andy knew that was a figure of speech, it had to be, but just couldn't figure out which one that was.

It rang for a while, till he picked the call.

"Hey Ty" she said, smiling as his ever vibrant face appeared on her screen.

"Hello baby girl" he greeted cheerfully. "What's up? "

"Why do I feel like you are glad to see my face this beautiful morning"she joked

He rubbed his forehead, trying to hide his now pink cheek "I'm just excited to see a non grumpy face. The old man is trying me this beautiful sunny Sunday morning" he groaned and continued "Said I have to go to church. I can never have a say in this house. Don't let them lie to you my dear, you turn eighteen and they still treat you like a kid".

She laughed, admiring his charisma like she always does.

She felt safer with him, like all the cares of the world are no more.

He always knew the right thing to say to make her day go from gloomy to bright.

"What about Abuela?" She asked about the most loving and kind hearted grandmother she had ever seen, after her own Gran Gran of course. Nicholas was more like his Abuela than any of his parents. He was as loving and as kind. It was adorable. He hated it when she called it adorable.

He wanted more than anything to be seen as a man, to be taken seriously. It would be easier for people if he took himself seriously.

Today he wants to be a pilot because he thinks it is cool, but last week he wanted to be in a band because he saw the street musicians and they seemed to be having a blast. Not forgetting last month when he thought he was gay because he thought Harry Styles' styles were dope. A boy can only dream.

"You know she's all for keeping the peace but she doesn't play with her Jesus" he asked with a smirk. "I'm conflicted. You don't think I'm an atheist do you?" He said thoughtfully.

She rolled her eyes and let out a soft laugh " Please don't start. You love Jesus. I guess it's just how it is some times"

"I do love me some Jesus. The man is awesome, I just don't feel like going out on this day"

"Okay, now go and tell your dad this and have a good day." She said then just like she came back from a trance, she realized why she called.

He has a way of making everything about him. She loved hearing about him, but she needed her moments sometimes, like right now.

She was glad they found each other.

"This call was meant to be for me to pour out my heart about my daddy issues, but as always, you take all the attention"

"I'm sorry mama, not everything has to be about you" he smirked and let her laugh before continuing "Shouldn't you be on a plane back by now?".

"Oh please" she shrugged his exaggeration "I'm only packing now" she looked down at the things she had to pack, from the new clothes to the shoes and accessories she probably wouldn't wear.

What her father couldn't make for in attention, he did in luxury things.

"I can't wait to go home" she mumbled

"Which one?"

She giggled and swiftly giving him the finger, she cut the call.

She set her phone on the bed and continued packing. If she didn't end the call now, she wouldn't pack and she had alot to pack.

It had been a long half of the summer.

Home awaited her. Where she would be seen. Finally.