VALERIE

Forty Six

"Dinners getting cold." Valerie sung loudly and obnoxiously so everyone could hear her.

George scowled at his youngest daughter who sat at the far end of the long dinner table, "We're waiting for your mother Valerie."

Valerie slumped back in her seat and stuck her tongue out to her father.

George stuck his out too and Valerie couldn't help but crack a smile.

"So you never told me how you manged to bust your lip."

Valerie shrugged a shoulder, "I was on my phone and I dropped it on my face."

George raised an eyebrow at her, "Your phone, that tiny little square thing busted your-"

"She's not coming." Grace interrupted as she came in through the archway of the dining room and kitchen.

George's forehead formed worry lines and his mouth opened a bit, he rubbed his chin with his hand and cleared his throat, "What do you mean?"

Grace wiped away her running mascara from underneath her eye, "I mean I called her and she said she wasn't coming," Grace's voice obviously began to break, "She doesn't want to see Valerie."

George felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach, he shut his eyes briefly. He didn't understand how the mother of his two daughters hate one of the two people he loved most in the world.

Grace sat down in her chair, she looked over at Valerie who gave her a small empathetic smile, Grace then buried her face into her hands and broke down completely.

"I hate her." She managed to say in between heartbroken cries,

George sighed as he stood up from his seat, he slowly walked over to his weeping daughter.

Placing a hand onto her shoulder he looked at Valerie.

"Give us a sec?" He mouthed.

Valerie nodded and quickly left the dining room and went towards the living room.

She leaned onto the arm rest of the couch and sighed, Valerie now stared at the fake green Christmas tree that touched the tall ceiling.

Her stomach churned at the thought off all the presents that sat underneath it. All material bullshit.
If there was something she was certain of is that Nick taught her to appreciate the little things in life rather than objects.
And just with thinking about Nick she found a random coat and left to go see him.

//

"You okay sweetheart? You've barely touched your dinner." Irene asked looking over at Mia's plate.

Mia grinned and pushed back a piece of blond hair behind her ear, "I'm okay really, I've just been sick lately."

Nick could feel himself cringe when she said that, all night he couldn't stop looking at her, her flat belly, or the scar on her wrist.

Johnny laughed giving Mia a kiss on her cheek, a secretive kiss signifying that his parents didn't know yet.

"Nick where's Al?" Leon questioned suddenly catching Nick off guard.

Nick shook his head slowly at the question about his father, "Don't know, don't care."

Nick could remember all the lonely nights as a child. After his mom had left, Al did nothing but get drunk and leave Nick alone for days or even weeks with no food. So he would stay over with Johnny most of the times which was always fun but he knew he had to eventually go back home to Al. And it was even worse around Christmas time, Al drank more. He'd hit or yell at him more. And he'd always go off until New Years Day meaning he'd have to stay at Johnny's, the nice part was that Johnny's parents always got him toys for Christmas but it always embarrassed him, just like he felt right now. Embarrassed. He felt like that neglected kid again, with his dad leaving with no trace and then having to spend yet another year with Johnny's family.