All by Chance {Brollins}

/ Chapter 43 \

"Mama!" Danielle's wails filled the house, and Colby could hear it crystal clear, even while he sat downstairs.

"She's not here." Colby whispered to himself quietly, humouring the pretend idea that she would hear him.

In turn, there was a moment of silence until she screamed again. "Mama! Mama!"

"She's not coming!" He yelled back, frustrated and exhausted.

She had kept him up all night unrelenting, and although Colby had tried in every way possible, even attempting to sleep with the noise at one point, nothing worked. Now, when he looked at the clock it read four o'clock in the morning.

Colby was way past upset, but he couldn't even blame the little girl because he wanted Rebecca back too. Of course, he knew it wasn't fair for Danielle to go back and forth all of the time, and it was obvious that Rebecca felt the same. He considered himself lucky, knowing that although Rebecca was mad at him, she wouldn't keep Danielle away.

It had been about a week since Rebecca dropped Danielle off for him, and since then, he'd rarely seen her. He definitely regretted everything he had said, and he hoped she knew he didn't mean it, but either way, it was obvious that it affected her.

Rebecca popped into the office every now and then empty-handed. She'd go into his parent's office and leave with paperwork and files. So, he assumed she was working from home, more importantly, away from him.

"Mama!" The screech was heard again, and again, and again.

In a way, it was almost as if Danielle knew what Colby had done, and she was taking her frustrations out on him. He had taken away her mother for God knows how long, and he drove a wedge between the three of them.

It was just another reason for Rebecca to despise him as well. He knew she wasn't the selfish type, which is probably why she dropped Danielle off for him, but she was still getting used to being a mother. He had no right to be the reason why Rebecca was missing out on more time with her daughter.

Guilt had a habit of consuming the best of people, and right now, it was drowning Colby. After everything Rebecca had confided in him about and knowing all of her doubts and struggles, he was the one person she was supposed to be able to trust completely. Yet he was the one who stabbed her in the back and used her trauma against her.

"Mama!" Danielle's cries somehow sounded like they grew louder and Colby had no idea how she hadn't passed out from exhaustion yet. "Mama!"

He groaned loudly, "Goddamnit child did you have to inherit her stubbornness?!"

Colby rubbed his temples, "I should've seen the signs sooner. You're her daughter alright."

He stood up with a sigh, "Have kids they said. It'll be fun, they said."

Colby continued to deliriously talk to himself, yearning to get at least an hour's rest. "Making kids is fun, that I know for sure. Dealing with this bullshit is a different story."

Colby tried to give it one last shot, and he walked upstairs to his crying baby. "Sweetheart, please, we both need sleep."

Danielle flailed around psychotically as Colby picked her up. "Mama!"

"I know, I know." He nodded, trying to rock her. "I want your mom too. But just as usual, your dad finds some way to mess everything up."

This was by far one of the worst outbursts Danielle had ever had, and Colby had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't her fault that she wanted her mother. She was very rarely temperamental, so he knew it was because of the unnecessary problems he caused.

After another five minutes of Danielle driving Colby up the wall, he placed her back in her crib and went downstairs. He paced around, running his hands over his tired face.

He looked at himself in the reflection of the fridge and shook his head. "Some boyfriend you are."

Colby then went on to practice how to approach a potential conversation with an angry Rebecca. He'd have to walk on eggshells for sure, but he knew he dug his own grave, and this was his fault.

He pulled up Rebecca's contact on his phone, staring at the picture of them shown on his screen. "Mama!"

"I'm calling her dammit! Give me a second!" He threw his hands up, noticing he accidentally clicked the call button anyways. "Well, now I have no bloody choice. Thanks, kid, you're a keeper for sure."

He knew it was late, he just hoped Rebecca was sleeping well, and his phone call didn't wake her up. Her actually picking up the phone on the other hand—awake or half-asleep—was a different story.

Suddenly the phone stopped ringing, and there was a second of complete silence. "Hello?"

Her voice was raspy, and Colby felt his heart shift the second he heard it for the first time in a while. "Rebecca?"

"This better be important." She kept her sentences short, and although she was evidently tired, her tone was still sharp.

"She won't- Danielle won't go down." He stuttered, "She wants you."

"She's lived without a mother most of her life, and you've learned how to deal with it. I think you'll figure it out." She spat, "Now if you don't mind, I have some sulking to get back to."

His stomach dropped, and the regret he had in him grew immensely. "Rebecca-"

"Mama!" Danielle did the pleasure of cutting Colby off for Rebecca, but when she heard her little girl's screams, it made things worse.

Her grip on her phone tightened as she slowly left her bed. "I'll be over in five. But not for your sake."

Before he could reply, Rebecca hung up, leaving Colby's thoughts and Danielle's screams to linger without Rebecca's reprieve for either.