“No,” I say, and I shrug out of daddy’s grasp. “Are we taking a trip? That would be so much fun. Mathew’s family went on a trip, and they had the best time,” I say excitedly.
Daddy frowns. “Damn, listen kid…”
“What’s wrong?” I ask daddy. He looks like he may be sick.
“I-I need to go away for a bit. Things aren’t working out between me and your mommy,” Daddy says.
“Where will you go?” I ask.
“You remember once I told you that I was an engineering student when I met your mother?” he asks.
I nod. “You were making all kinds of cool machines.” I remember daddy telling me about the robots he used to work on.
“That’s right,” Daddy smiles and his eyes crinkle in the corner. “Well, I have an opportunity to go back to school. I’m heading out to California. This is a good opportunity for me. Geez you’re just a kid. You probably don’t know what I mean,” daddy says scratching his chin. “Look Ryse,” he says, and he kneels so that we are eye to eye. Daddy and I have the same color of green in our eyes. “When I met your mommy, I wasn’t ready for a family. Thing’s kind of happened by mistake. I know that sounds harsh but sometimes life can be harsh. We make choices. Some of those choices aren’t exactly what we want in life, but we try to make do.”
“I don’t really understand what you mean,” I say.
“I’m leaving kid. I’m going to California. I’m going back to school,” Daddy says and now he sounds angry again. I think he’s angry because I didn’t understand what he was saying.
“Are you leaving now?” I ask.
He nods.
My stomach starts to feel sick. “Mommy is at work. Who is going to watch me and Poppy?”
“She will be back in a couple of hours. I need to get out of here before. Poppy is sleeping. You go back to sleep too and before you know it morning will come and mommy will be here to make you breakfast,” Daddy says.
Daddy is leaving us. That makes me sad.
“Will I see you again?” I ask as a tear runs down my face.
Daddy shakes his head. “I’m sorry kid. I wish things were different,” he presses his lips together.
I nod but my lips are pulling down like a sad clown.
“Don’t pout Ryse, geez,” Daddy mumbles. “Look I’m going to give you some advice. You should remember exactly what I’m telling you. Can you do that?” Daddy asks and he waits.
I nod.
“Good,” Daddy says, and he wraps his arm on my shoulder. “You make sure to do really well in school. I’m good at math and science and I think you have the same gift I do. Use your skills and work at them and when you become old enough don’t make the same mistakes I made,” Daddy says.
“What mistake did you make?” I ask daddy.
“I let a beautiful woman charm me into one night. That night she got pregnant with you. I thought I could stick around for this but I’m drowning,” Daddy says. I’m a little confused about what daddy is saying because I learned I can drown in a swimming pool and right now me and daddy aren’t swimming. “Just take care of Poppy. You’re the man of the house now,” daddy says, and he ruffles the hair on my head. Daddy goes back to sitting on his suitcase and trying to get the zipper closed. Again, he uses curse words. He finally gets it zipped up and places it next to the other two suitcases. He grabs his raincoat and puts it on. Then he lines the suitcases up by the door.
“Are you going to say bye to Poppy?” I ask.
Daddy shakes his head. “She’s young she probably won’t even remember me.”
Daddy opens the door and I feel nauseous. “Wait,” I scream and run for the door. “Don’t go.”
“Ryse,” he says as I hang on to his thigh. “You got to let me go kid. It’ll be better for you in the long run. I need to get out of here before your mommy comes home and then things will be even messier.”
I release his leg. There’s nothing I can do. I watch daddy roll his suitcases out the door. I bite on my nails. I don’t know what I can say to bring him back. Probably nothing. Daddy is stubborn. That’s what mommy says. Daddy leaves and I climb back into bed, but I can’t fall asleep. Light pours in from my window and I watch how the night sky becomes lighter. I hear mommy coming through the door. She works late nights at a bar. I don’t know what that means but she makes good money there. She calls them tips.
She opens the door to my bedroom, and she gasps. “Oh, thank goodness.” She holds her heart with her hand.
“Daddy’s gone,” I say.
She waves a white paper in front of me. “Yeah.” She’s crying so I get out of bed and hug her. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Daddy said he made a mistake. That he let a woman charm him,” I say.
Mommy looks down at me and her brows bunch together. “What?”
“I don’t know daddy told me to remember what he said but I didn’t really understand. He said I was the man of the house now. I have to take care of you and Poppy,” I say. Daddy never told me to take care of mommy but if I’m taking care of Poppy then I need to take care of mommy too.
“Oh Ryse,” Mommy cries and she hugs me. “Everything is going to be okay.”
CHAPTER ONE
Ryse
Present
The alarm blares and I curse. It’s too early to wake up on a Sunday but I promised Paris.
“What the fuck?” I hear a female voice beside me and remember last nights mistake.
“Sorry I need to go,” I say looking over at Cheyenne.
“Why? It’s Sunday,” Cheyenne whines.
I don’t feel the need to explain to her that I don’t have practice. It’s none of her business. We had a little party here last night. Cheyenne didn’t stop hitting on me. I kissed her and somehow, she guided us to my room, but I wasn’t feeling it.
“You need to leave,” I say drily. I don’t want to be a prick, but I didn’t exactly invite her into my bed. She was pushy. Too pushy.
“Seriously Ryse, maybe we can you know. . .” she waggles her brow.
“I have to be somewhere,” I clarify.
“We can just get each other off quickly,” Cheyenne suggests. “Don’t tell me you aren’t into it.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip. I’m all about getting off but lately something weird has been happening. I don’t want the usual chicks that hit on me. I want my female version of a best friend, Paris. She is in the definite no fly zone though because I like her as a human and there is no way I would want to ruin our friendship. Besides I’m pretty sure Paris doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for me.
“Cheyenne I’m sorry. I need to go. If you want to stay and sleep a bit more, fine. But I have a lot of schoolwork I need to get done. I need you out,” I say hoping I’ve let her down easy enough. She was coming on strong last night and I had a few drinks because it was a Saturday night and I was chilling with the guys at home. Chilling in the hockey house involves random chicks stopping by with the intent to bed at least one of us. Cheyenne started kissing me on the couch. I broke it off after a few seconds, but she didn’t take a hint and followed me to my room. I told her I was tired, and she said she was tired too then she got into my bed, and I think she was waiting for me to make a move. I never did. I woke up at one point in the middle of the night confused about the clothed chick in my bed and then I couldn’t fall back asleep so easily because I had Paris on my mind. That girl seems to be occupying a lot of my thoughts lately.