Life Support {ManxBoy} | Original Write Up

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Cyro twisted his fingers nervously in his lap as he Vance put the car in park, he looked at his jeans and graphic tee before looking over at Vance. He was dressed like he basically always was, jeans and a button down shirt but Cyro couldn't help but wonder if he was being too casual. It was a meeting with a nine year old, Cyro knew it wasn't like she'd be judging him off of something like that but still it was Vance's nine year old daughter. There was an awful feeling in Cyro stomach that he needed to impress her, he wasn't sure what would happen if he didn't impress her but he just felt like he had to.

On top of all this he was meeting Renee as well, Maxine's mother, he still wasn't a hundred percent sure what her and Vance's relationship really was but she was the mother of his child so it had to be some sort of relationship something of importance. He wasn't sure if he found this intimidating or concerning but it only widened the things he realized he didn't know about Vance. Cyro shook his head finally reaching for the door handle as he prepared himself taking a deep breath as he watched Vance leave the car from the corner of his eye he wanted to get out the door and walk away but he knew he couldn't not after the deal he'd made just last night.

Taking one final deep breath he got out the car closing the door behind him. He followed Vance through the parking lot up towards the park were a dark skinned woman jumped up from a bench smiling at he, she pushed a stray micro braid behind her ear. Cyro knew immediately it was Renee, he felt a sharp pang of jealousy go through him confirming that she definitely was adding to the uneasy feeling he was having. She was so pretty he imagined Maxine must be adorable with parents like them.

"Hey Renee, wheres Maxine?" Vance's voice was strange, it sounded friendly yet dismissive at the same time, Cyro sent him a unsure look but his face was void of any tell tale signs, it had been a while since he'd seen Vance this hidden behind his emotional mask.

"On the swings of course." Renee beamed pointing in the child's direction, Cyro looked but could only slightly see who he assumed was Maxine on the far off swing set rapidly getting higher and higher. "Why don't you o get her and I'll introduce myself to Cyro."

"Okay, just don't be, you know." Vance sighed looking her over skeptically.

"I won't, I don't want to ruin this for either of us." Renee promised giving Vance a serious look before returning a bright smile at Cyro. Vance nodded squeezing Cyro shoulder slightly before walking off towards Maxine.

"Oh, well, I'm Cyro Maxcel, it's really nice to finally meet Maxine's mother." He introduced himself placing his hand out, she took it shaking it as she laughed slightly.

"I'm Renee Painter, it's also very nice to finally meet Maxine's mother." Cyro smile suddenly fell, Renee's quickly followed at seeing his expression. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean 'Maxine's mother'?"

"Vance hasn't discussed the adoption with you?" Renee asked her eyes growing wide as she finally dropped their handshake, her eyes shot in Vance's direction for a moment before returning to Cyro's. "I'm sorry, I just assumed he'd told you."

"No, tell me what?" Cyro demanded taking an involuntary step forward.

"W-well, Vance said when he finally introduced someone to Maxine it would be her new adoptive parent so I just assumed that it was going to be you and you knew."

"Does Maxine think I'm going to be her new parent?" Cyro asked a new fear creeping into him, his eyes shooting over to the swing set were he could see Vance knelt down next to the swing that had previously been going dangerously high when they'd first arrived, probably talking to Maxine.

"Of course, she's practically been waiting for you her whole life." Renee smiled but her smile was unsure now. She could obviously sense the flight or fight thoughts going through Cyro's mind as his gaze returned to her. "Do you not want Maxine?"

"Want her? I-I have no idea, no clue, how to be a parent, wh-why would he not tell me this!" Cyro hissed turning from Renee slightly fighting the urge to start pacing. This was probably why he'd never meet Maxine til now, why Vance never even talked about her. "Why am I suppose to adopt her? What's wrong with you?"

"Sweets, I had Maxine when I was thirty nine, if it weren't for Vance have being so young god only knows how Maxine would have ended up, and even then the pregnancy was so hard and the birth was even worse, raising her was a nightmare and I've never really felt like she was my daughter." Renee looked down at the sidewalk then grinding her teeth slightly. "It's a long awful story, Maxine is, honestly I can't even look at her some days just knowing, I'm forty eight now, please just get to know her, please try."

"I suppose, I can try." Cyro said his words coming out before he completely thought them out. He didn't know if he could do this but he couldn't say no to Renee or go back on his word to Vance. It was far more than he expected but it seemed with Vance he always got way more than he bargained for and now the adorably angel with curly brown hair was approaching him.

Her hand wrapped around Vance's as they walked at her pace toward Cyro, he'd never felt a more scrutinizing gaze than the one of this nine year old. Her eyes were green like her fathers and she almost had the exact same demeanor, one Cyro knew he was expected to be able to tap through and impress her. She wore a green camo jumper dress with a brown fur lined hoodie, her free hand plucked at it as she finally reached them looking up at Cyro curiously, her jaw worked silently for a moment as everyone seemed to hold their breath waiting on either Maxine or Cyro to address each other and finally Maxine did. Letting go of her father's hand she grasped Cyro's left hand i both of her own smiling up at him.

"You're pretty Cici!"