Cass's POV
We finish hanging up the last of the decorations just as the front door opens yet again. I climb down from the ladder I'm standing on. As soon as my feet touch the ground, I feel arms wrap around me and someone plant a kiss on my cheek. I sigh as I lean into Mike.
"Hey, babe."
"Hey. How was school?" He sighs.
"Extremely boring." He kisses my cheek again a I turn around. "How's Mere?" I smile and nod over to the play pen. We walk over there to see our smallest daughter playing with he brothers and sister. I smile again, and then turn back around to face Mike. "So, did you get it?" I nod as he runs his fingers through his hair. "You're a life saver, Cass. I totally forgot about his birthday being today." I smile and laugh as he bends over and kisses me on my forehead.
"It's no big deal." He hugs me but quickly pulls away when there's a knock on the front door. Mike goes and opens it to let in the first of the party guests. With in minutes, the room is packed full of party goers.
I stay next to Mike through out the whole party, afraid he would hit Kaleb again. I sigh and lean against his shoulder. We're sitting on the couch after Cocoa opened all of his presents. He loved his new fish.
Mike starts running his fingers through my hair. All of the sudden he stops and tenses up. I look up to see he'sstaring at Kaleb. I sit up, tug his hand, and shake my head no. He looks at me and sighs. He leans his head on my shoulder and closes his eyes. He tries to act relaxed, but I can tell it's just an act. I watch Kaleb nervously until he leaves the room. I then tap Mike on the shoulder.
"He's gone." He sighs again and buries his head into my neck.
"He's such an asshole." A small laugh escapes my mouth.
"I know babe. But you don't need to worry about him. Everything's gonna be fine." He shakes his head and stands up. He walks outside onto the back porch, and I follow him. He leans over the banister and death grip it until his knuckles turn white. He takes a deep breath.
"Did mom tell you who he is?" I slowly nod. "Did she tell you that he was like a father to me for the first two years of my life? Did she tell you that when he left, I was heart broken? Did she tell you that I've never been able to trust another man because of him? Did she?" He wasn't screaming. He was whispering. He sounds so hurt, and it broke my heart. A single tear rolled down my cheek.
"No." He lets out a angry laugh.
"Why would she? I mean, why would she even let him back here in the first place? He has no right to be here." I sigh and put my hand on his shoulder. He shakes it off.
"He deserves to get to see his kids Mike. Deep down you know that." He turns around, anger in his eyes. Rain starts falling.
"He doesn't deserve anything! He left them! He left them before Kayden was even born!" I sigh again.
"He wasn't ready to be a dad, Mike."
"Why does he get to decide when he's ready? Mom didn't! He left and mom got left with me, Hannah, and Kayden. She was only 18. Eighteen fucking years old and he left her with three kids!" I try to put my hand on his shoulder again, but he jerks away, leaning back over the banister as the rain starts falling harder. I sigh.
"Mike..." He doesn't look at me, and a couple more tears escape my eyes. I sigh and try to compose myself. "Do you want to go home Mike? I can have the kids ready and in the car in five minutes top." He shakes his head angrily.
"If anyone should leave, it should be him. He doesn't belong here." I sigh yet again. A flash of lightning forks across the sky, and I know I need to be inside with the kids before its starts to thunder. By this point, we're both soaked through to the bone.
"Please Mike. Let's just... Let's go inside." I shiver as a strong wind blows.
"You can, but I'm staying out here." I sigh and take a step towards him. I lean over the banister next to him, but he turns away from me. Just then, the back door opens, and Hannah pokes her head out.
"What are you guys doing? Get inside before you catch pneumonia!" Mike refuses to meet either of our eyes. He doesn't move, and I sigh.
"We'll be inside in a minute." Hannah shrugs and then heads inside. I look back over at Mike.
"Okay. So maybe Kaleb doesn't deserve to meet his kids. But Hannah and Kayden deserve to get to meet their dad." Mike sighs angrily. He quickly turns towards me.
"They don't deserve to have such a terrible person for a dad. At least as long as they've never meet him, they can pretend he's some war hero or something. Not some crack pot." He turns away from me again. I see cars starting to pull out of the driveway and head home. Cocoa's party must be over.
"It's not up to you to decide for them what's best for them. They're old enough now to do that for themselves." Mike doesn't say anything. "If they decide that he's a horrible person that they never want to have in their lives, that'stheir choice. But it's not up to you to make it for them."
"You have no idea what your talking about, Cassidy."
"Mike..."
"You don't know Cassidy! You have no idea!" I sigh and go to put my hand on his shoulder again. The first roll of thunder sounds just as he breaks. He quickly turns around and punches me in the face. A look of hurt crosses my face, and I don't look back at him as I run into the house, grab Mere whose asleep in her car seat,and then run out to the van. I buckle Mere in and then speed down the street.
