Just Listen

Chapter 10✔

KP's POV

I have been living at Marley's house with her husband. It's been a week now. I couldn't be at my house because, I was afraid of being literally alone. School? I missed out a week's worth of work. Could you blame me? I was grieving the death of my father. The only family I had. He never told me whether he had siblings or parents. I never knew anything of that sort;, I was just content with his presence. But, now he was gone.

"Sweetie," Marley knocked on the guest bedroom door. I stirred from my slumber and told her to come in. She sat on the edge of the bed with a tray filled of breakfast. It looked appetizing but I just couldn't. "You have to eat dear."

"No. I don't want to, Miss Marley."

She chuckled lightly. "Just call me Marley, honey. We have a guest joining us later this evening. Do you mind ,uhm, accompanying me to your house to get you new sets of clothes?" I sighed. I really did not want to go there. So many memories.

"Okay." I murmured.

"Thank you, sweetie. Freshen up and meet me downstairs in 30."

The moment Marley left was when I felt like I could take a bite of something. When I took a look at delicacy she brought, my heart did somersaults. She went to Starbucks just to have me eat something. Marley was just an angel.

Thirty minutes later we drove to my house. The place looked dreary. No one had been inside it since... I sighed and took out the keys.

If it was a haunted house, I'd pretty much believe it. We both went upstairs to my room and I started packing. "Hey, uhm, Marley?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Can I stay?"

Marley's eyes went wide. She could not believe what I had just said, heck neither could I.

"Sweetheart, are you sure about that? Being alone in such a big house?"

I gave her a lopsided smile, "I'm sure. I feel like Daddy is here, the moment I walked in. I think I wanna keep this feeling. At least till I know how to deal with it." Marley didn't fight with me. She made sure a dozen of times that it was what I wanted.

"Well, the least I can do is to help you spring clean. Would you like that?"

"Yes, I'd love that." I smiled.

We spent the entire morning and afternoon tidying up the house. Marley also took me grocery shopping. We put everything away and I started to make dinner when Marley stopped me, "You're still having dinner with Josh and I remember?" Oh, right.

I prepared to go with her. On our way to her house she received a call. "Hello?" Marley had a smile plastered on her face when all of a sudden it turned into a frown.

"You promised! You just can't ditch us like this. This is very unacceptable after what happened. Own up! Step up!" she hung up.

"Is everything okay?" I asked concerned.

"Remember that guest I told you of? Well, it turns out she can't make it. Arg!" Marley hit the steering wheel in frustration.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure it'll still be a fun night."

As much as I wasn't thrilled about meeting the guest, I was still curious about whom it was. I would love to pick Marley and Josh's brains later. We had dinner and everything went well. Until, an unexpected visitor arrived. Both Marley and Josh were startled about the visit. "Sorry, last minute decisions." The lady walked in like a boss. My jaw dropped as soon as I saw her.

"Uncanny Valley!" I covered my mouth.

She spun around to stare at me. I swear I saw something in her eyes that she masked as soon as she saw me. She glared at me, then at the Owens. "Marley, Josh. What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, this is why we wanted you to come here." Replied Josh.

She placed her hands on her hips. Damn. A nice figure she had. I loved her rich caramel skin. Dark curly hair. Her upturned eyes with golden flecks. Her outfit was to die for. It was a button up tight fitting long sleeved dress in white. With matching heels.

"Is this the guest Marley? This is the best thing ever. I absolutely love Uncanny Valley. Your designs. You're my number one fashion icon and business woman. You inspire me to chase checks. You are flawless. But, isn't it lonely at the top? You have no records of known family members or children..."

"I don't have time for that. I got goals to reach and money to make. Family is just a stumbling block in my career ambitions...little girl." I don't know why, but I felt like every word that came out of her mouth was laced with venom and malevolence. They hurt me somehow. I mean, I looked up to this lady and she just crushed me.

"Don't talk to her like that," Marley hissed.

"I can talk to her however I want, Marley." Marley and Uncanny had a stare down. There was tension in the air. So thick, I could cut it with a knife.

"Uncanny, what brought you here since you said you couldn't make it?" Josh grilled, suspicious.

"Well, my best friend invited me for dinner. I felt it was rude to just decline her. But, I think I had made the right choice of declining in the first place than being here." She looked at Marley with so much distaste, even worse for me who hadn't even said anything.

"Decisions? You want to talk about the right decisions!? Please do make the right one's right here. Right now."

"I do not have to answer to you Marley. You did the unforgivable."

"And how did I do that if I may ask?" Marley was slowly losing it.

"You brought her and I under the same roof for Pete's sake!"

"What the fuck is wrong with that Uncanny? Here you are talking about right decisions, when you haven't made a single correct one about her!" Marley pointed at me. For the very first time since I met her, she cursed. My eyes widened, she was beyond furious.

"That is none of your damn business!"

"It sure as hell is, Uncanny! She just lost her dad and where are you? What are you doing!? You've never made a decision, least the right one when it came to your daughter! I am so sick of it. It hurts!"

"Why do you care?" Uncanny responded like a mean jerk. Technically her argument might have been childish.

"If I could have children of my own, I would never treat them the way you're treating Kamilah! You're a horrible person! An even worse parent." Silence befell them. Uncanny huffed and scoffed like a teenager. 

Then it hit me. "Wait, Uncanny is my mother?"