3️⃣ What Next

25. Unexpected vistor.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything" he says now entering the garage. It was my dad. I froze. I could feel two sets of eyes looking at me. Billy and my dad. I quickly looked to Billy from my dad.

"Dad?" I say softly. "What are you doing here?" Now leaving the bench to level myself on the ground.

"I wanted to see if you had time to talk" he says looking up at me. He looked nice. He was cleaned up and looked well put together.

Billy had made his way to my side. He was wiping his hand with a dirty rag.

"I mean yeah we can talk on the porch" I whisper quietly. Billy rested his hand on my back. "But It has to be quick, I want you gone before D gets back" I say softly.

"Understood" he says nodding. "You're more than welcome to join" he says looking at Billy.

"No" he says. He kisses the top of my head and says "I'll be in here if you need me babe"

I nod. Dad walks to the porch and sits on a rocking chair. I sit on the porch swing.

"Where to start" he says staring at his shoes. I just shrug.

"First off I'm in recovery" he says, he was leaning back now staring off into the tree line across from our house. "I've been clean for 9 months out of treatment for 3 months."

"That's good dad" I say staring at me feet. "I'm happy for you".

"Thank you" he whispers. "Now the hard part" he says.

"What?" I questioned.

"I want to apologize to you. I have done some extremely shitty things to you. You don't deserve it." He says crying softly.

I wipe the tears from my eyes. "Thank you but I don't know that I can accept your apology yet." I say looking at him.

He nods. "I would like to meet your husband. If your okay with that" he says smiling at me.

"Boyfriend" I correct him. "We're not married" I says quickly.

"Either way could I take you all to dinner this weekend. And the baby too" he smiles.

"I'm not ready for her to meet you" I snap. "That's going to be quite a while" I respond.

"Fair enough" he says quietly.

"But let me talk to Billy about this weekend. Can you leave your number? I'll call you and let you know." I say.

"Yes, that'd be great!" He says excitedly. "Please"

I nod and he hands me a ripped piece of paper with his number. He stands and tries to hug me. I had my hand tucked away in billy shirt sleeve. I placed it on his chest to stop him. He nods and steps back. "Bye baby girl" he whispers walking to his car. I follow him to the end of the walk way. He leaves.

I walk back to the garage. Billy's under the hood. I walk right to him. I slip between him and the car and I wrap my arms around his waist. He stands up straight and wraps his arms around my shoulders and kisses my temple. He rest his head on mine. "You good baby" he whispers.

I shake my head no. he pulls me closer to him. He shuts the hood of the car and sits me on top of it. "Tell me about it" he says resting each hand flat on the hood on either side of me.

"He apologized to me for everything. Then he told me he's clean now. Then he said he wanted to take us to dinner this weekend." I say looking at him

"No, I'm not taking my daughter around him" he says sternly.

"I already told him no to Scarlett babe" I whisper softly rubbing his cheek.

"Thanks baby" he said smiling at me.

"But I told him I'd talk to you about us" I say looking at my fingers.

"I don't know y/n. That's a big ask of us" he says looking around. "What do you think?"

I look up at him and shrug. "I don't know because I can't help but think of all the what ifs. I was kind of hoping you would have a good answer!" I say giggling.

"Hell what could it hurt. If at any point you want to leave just tell me. No questions asked and we are out of there got it babes" he says running his thumb over my cheek. I nod and smile.

Billy leans into me on the car. "Baby" he whispers looking at me. The air around had also fallen silent. It had been moments since either of us spoke. I just sat with my arms wrapped around his body. And my head resting on his chest. He stood wrapping me into a hug and resting his cheek on the top of my head.

"Yes" I smile at him.

"Does this time feel different" he ask smiling at me.

"Very, but in a good way. You've grown up" I smile resting my forehead on his. "I feel like I've got a man now, not a boy" I say smiling at him.

I know he liked my answer because I smirked and kissed me. It was the truth. Being with this new Billy felt different. He was kind, gentle, and he put others first. I never had to wonder where he was or who he was with. I knew everyday that door would fly open at 4:42 and my Man would be walking through that door and was headed straight for me. He was putting in 50% and I was the other 50%. It felt like we were equals.

"I'm so proud of you baby" I say smiling at him. Billy let out a soft chuckle and he smiled at me.

"That's all I've wanted to hear my entire life" he grins. "I just want to make you proud of me"

I smiled and rubbed his face. "I love you" I say.

"I love you" he says. Brushing the hair out of my face.

"Gag" max says walking into the garage. We both turn to look at her. "I think I might vomit!" She says hold Scarlett.

"Dada" Scarlett says holding out her arms to Billy. He leans away from me and takes her.

"How was the park?" I ask them. Max nods and says "good" and Dustin gives two thumbs up.

"Swings" Scarlett says. She is laying her head on Billy chest. He is resting his head on hers and softly bouncing.

"Did Auntie Max take you on the swings" I ask softly smiling at her.

She nods fast "and I go high" she says.

"Did you" I say smiling. She nods. I hold my arms out to her.

"No dada" she says cuddling more into him.

"You two need to have another baby so y/n is always left out" Dustin says softly nudging Billy's arm.

We look at each other. Then Scarlett says "Dusty Momma baby" and points to my belly.

Billy and I freeze. "What!" Max says sharply.