Saturday, October 25, 2014

One thing for sure

One Thing For Sure




Gage did his best to keep steady. He let a smile slip, but it wasn't because of his son he could see on the screen, but how his Dad handled Halie's Mom. Oh, he was a smooth talker.

Of course, they wanted to help.

Gage had a savings account. He'd send what he could each month. The minimum of three hundred dollars. True, that wasn't enough to feed the pigeons, according to Halie's Mom, but due to his youth and lack of education..it would have to do.

Still, Gage's mind was elsewhere. And it wasn't about sex. Nor pot. Just Macy. He couldn't help himself.

First he thought, maybe she was just a good distraction. But she wasn't talking to him. Even at work she snubbed him. Told him to keep quiet. He wanted to keep his job, didn't he? Macy was so cold. And it hurt. It really made him feel so low.

She hated him. And it felt as if she grabbed his heart a squeezed it until he was really sick of himself.

Why did he have to be stuck staring at Halie with his baby. Tears gradually pooled in the bottom of his eyes. He wouldn't dare let them slip. He kept telling himself it was sweat.

Finally, after all the technicalities were in place, his Dad and her Mom said their goodbyes. His dad even had the finesse to say they should do this again, soon. Gage only blew a breath. He didn't think it wise.

So here they were left alone for screen time, Gage thought there was something wrong with the laptop. He couldn't hear her.

"What?" Gage finally managed.

"I said, you aren't important to me." Halie looked through him as if he wasn't really there. He noticed the hate in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." He winced and he had to wipe the hot tears then. "Are? Are you saying..you met someone?"

"No." She was sullen. "Not really." She wasn't going to tell him anything. But he could see how she tensed and the baby slight flinched.

"Don't..don't make the baby cry." Gage shook his head.

"Why? I have to listen to him..all the time." She was bitter.

"I really like the name for him." Gage told her, as if to keep this upbeat and not bring each other down. "Alex."

"Its Alec." She clarified.

"Yeah, that's what I mean." Gage sniffed with a slight cough. "Look, I know I'm no good at this. I can't be.."

"What are you trying to tell me? You're with someone." She was harsh. It hurt his ears to listen to her.

"Not exactly." He shook his head.  He cleared his throat. "What I'm saying..if..if there is someone..you know..that..that can be there for you and..and Alec too..I'm ..I'm OK with that. Because..I hate seeing you this way...because of me. I never meant to do that to you. I didn't. Its just I'm not sure ..about anything anymore. Sometimes, I'm not even sure who I am."

"What are you going on, about Gage?" She looked as if he was playing her for a fool while tears dripped down his face.

"Can we..at least try..to be friends..for Alec's sake." He stared at the baby then, knowing he had to be there for his son even if this were the only way he'd see him. Evidently.

But she cut him off. She was no longer on the screen. It was just dead air.

3 comments:

  1. It might take her a while to listen. To really listen. I still don't think he knows how much he hurt her. But at least, he is trying.

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  2. Whether Hallie likes Gage now, they do have a child and she needs to be an adult and maintain an adult relationship with him...

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