its like this

"What?" Halie might as well have been seeing double. What was Gage talking about? "Dustin is here?"

Her eyes lit as if she couldn't decide if she hated the idea that Gage was in contact with him, or if she could hardly wait to set her eyes on him.

It had been a long time. At moment, she was in a stomp.

"See, I knew you'd be this way." His arms were crossed. Alec watched her from his stroller in the park.

She heaved a sighed and looked away from both of them. Naturally, Gage went back to the stroller, seeing to Alec's pacifier that he'd spit out.

"I..I just have to think about it." She hugged herself.

"Well, don't take too long, they're coming over tonight." Gage told her.

"Tonight?" She turned to give him the evil eye.

"You, need to act like a grownup." He informed her which steamed her more, but she knew what he was getting at. She knew she could have a fit, just as easily as the ones she'd seen of her mother. She gritted, but remained straight lipped.

Was that why her father could never be around her mother? Why did this bother her now?

Of course, she felt quite sad that her own father never came to see Alec. Why was this so troubling?

She pulled a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. She could do better. She was doing so well, making a life here with Gage and Alec.

And Dustin was the past. Dustin was... oh, he was a memory of home and she so didn't want to think about it.

"Fine." She said ever so bitterly. She'd have to be nice. Did Gage know how hard it was to be nice?

He pushed the stroller onward before Alec could get fussy. After all, they'd came to feed the ducks.