Page 55 of Broken
“You broke into my room and stole a drawing?” I ask, looking back down at the damn thing. It's a cat silhouette, where the tail hangs down as if it's sitting on a ledge. Only this cat is half fur and half skeleton. The black cat who lost half itself.
“Not gonna lie, I broke into your room several times. Thumbing through your drawings, this one was my favorite. I knew something happened to you and this drawing reminded me that you had been through something traumatic.”
“I was so lost then, confused about what was real.” My fingers trace the lines of the skeleton of the cat, remembering how alone I felt when I drew this. “You left the flower on my bed.” I say, remembering a pink flower magically appearing one time.
“Yes. Now, Kitty. Will you tattoo that for me?” He asks, putting his hand over mine.
“Where?”
“The only place you belong.” I look up at him as it puts his other hand over his heart.
“Of course.”
We lay in bed together, my head on his chest as my fingers trace his new tattoo. Of course there's a second skin covering it, but still I want to feel it.
“I promise Kitty.”
“You promise what?” I say, lifting my head to rest my chin on him.
“To never leave,” he kisses the top of my head, “but you have therapy this morning, and no offense babe, but you need a shower.”
I smack at his chest playfully, “It's your fault, I was too damn tired last time to get up and shower.”
“Sure, use my mind blowing sex skills for your lack of hygiene.” He tickles me and I laugh, truly laugh. “Go take a shower, I'll get breakfast rolling.” He pushes me off him as he slides out of bed, steps into a pair of sweats, and disappears through the hallway.
I sigh, face planting the pillow feeling like, for once my life might be perfect now and I could let him in. I fling the blanket off and pad my way to the bathroom, blissfully unaware of anything else.
The warm water feels amazing on my sore muscles as I wash my hair, only there's a sound down the hall that takes me out of my little shower vacation. The bathroom door flies open and West is standing in my bathroom, completely dressed. “What are you doing?” I ask, watching him breathing heavily after flicking the curtain open. My curiosity is piqued to say the least as my head hangs out of the shower like a buffoon.
“Uh. Well, you have a visitor. One that requires fully dressed adults.” He says with wide eyes. He turns to look in the mirror, fixing his wild hair.
“Okay. I'm not finished yet.”
“You should probably hurry.” He nods and leaves me standing in the shower completely baffled.
After finishing my once relaxing shower, I dry off and get dressed quickly. Considering I have no idea who's out there, I throw on a pair of black jeans with shredded holes and fringe everywhere and my oversized Blink-182 shirt. Throwing my hair up in the towel I step into my black studded Crocs and make my way out to greet whoever decided to grace us before nine am on a Tuesday morning.
I stop dead in my tracks when I see a familiar face, not one that's been living here either. “Dad?” The word comes out as a squeak, feeling a lump in my throat, the. Panic as I frantically look for Mom.
“She's not here, baby girl. Just me and a week's worth of clothes. Sorry.” He looks more tired than he did before. His eyes scream for relief.
“No offense, Dad, but why are you here?”
“You slipped me your address for a reason.”
“I hoped you and Mom would come to your senses about me and my daughter.”
“You mean his and your daughter.” Dad says point to West.
“I made George tell me everything. Threatened to take his Law School tuition away.”
I laugh, “That worked?”
“Yes, poor kid has no other goals in life other than to be a lawyer. That's partially my fault I suppose.”
“Momma, Daddy?” McKenna comes walking out of her room in her two piece pink and black skull pajamas.
“Good morning, Sweet Pea.” I say, lifting her up.