The Pregnant Girl He Left Behind

Chapter 2

*ELENA*

Elena gave a nervous smile as she came out of the room. She didn't feel like sitting down. She was too jittery for that. "I'm guessing you don't like Spongebob? Destiny loves it. The only thing I can put on the TV to get her to sit down for two minutes." She said with a nervous smile. "Can I get you something? A drink? Spaghetti?" She had cooked something simple for her and her daughter tonight because she was exhausted from work and the full time job at home. She was trying to be nice were Destiny wouldn't be brought up. She was tired and not in the mood for arguing or cruel words.

*DAVID*

As soon as she walked into the room, he got to his feet, openly gazing at her, even to the point of staring. God, she was beautiful...she was even more beautiful than he remembered. A mature beauty...that of a woman. Being this close to her again, after so long...he wanted so much to go to her. But he couldn't. Not until he knew. "Nah...I, um...I'm okay, Elena. Thank you, though." he answered, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other. "So...Destiny. That's..that's a real pretty name for a girl." he said. He knew she was avoiding the subject, but he couldn't help it. He had to know.

*DAVID*

As he got to his feet her eyes went over him. Quickly, were she wasn't caught staring but smiled as she caught him. She blushed slightly under his gaze. He was the last man she had been with. And no other man had looked at her the way he was looking at her for quiet some time. "Well, sit down. No need to stand up on my account. So what brings you back after so long? Especially to my doorstep?" She asked as she took a seat on the couch her eyes going to the blank television before shifting back to his. "Destiny LeeAnn Faith..And thank you..You have any kids of your own?" She wasn't going to lie to him. She didn't lie. That was one of the many good things about her. But she was really good at acting like what he was thinking was wrong.

He looked away when he realized she'd caught him staring. He gulped audibly, again wetting his lips with his tongue. Slowly, he lowered himself into the chair again, leaning forward, his elbows resting near his knees as he toyed with the hat in his hands, staring intensely at it before glancing up at her. "First question's an easy one..." he began, offering her a half-smile that would probably look very familiar to her. "You." he finished. He again gulped down a lump in his throat, drawing in a deep breath, his expression turning serious once more. "As for the second question...I don't know, Elena. Do I?" he asked, turning a questioning, unsure gaze to her.

*ELENA*

Elena smiled as she saw the familiar half smile on his lips. She use to tease him when he smiled liked that. Teasing his lips with hers. Her eyes dropped as she blushed at his answer. She continued to let him talk. Listening before she said anything. She groaned at his second answer her eyes meeting his. "You didn't come back for me. Or you would of came back sooner or you know got a hold of me...Or..." she then sat back on the couch her hands going through her hair. "Or get a hold of your daughter..I haven't talked to you so I couldn't tell you. And plus really you can't really say she's yours. You haven't been here. Hell, she probably thinks Daniel is her daddy." She had remembered the time when her daughter said daddy and was looking at Daniel and she had scolded her and told her Daniel wasn't her daddy. Daniel was hurt because he has been helping her with Destiny and Destiny was hurt at well. Her daughter had a big heart for such a little girl. Her eyes went back to David. "David. You were home with your family..You don't have a family here. Just a girl you left behind.."

*DAVID*

And then it was out. Destiny was his daughter. A thousand emotions suddenly swelled up in him at one time. Pride. Profound sadness. A desire for fatherhood he'd thought long suppressed, suddenly welled up in his mind once more. He drew in a slow, deep breath, dropping his hat to the floor, running his fingers through his hair. "My daughter. My. Daughter." he sounded the words out, as if unbelieving that they could really be coming from him. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowed slightly, a sheen of tears covering them as he sniffed once.

"You're right. I went home. And I hadn't come back yet because it took this long to make sure my Mom wasn't gonna get tossed out to wander the praries until she starved or froze. And you're right, too, that I don't...no. I came here not knowing I had family here. I came here to ask forgiveness for breaking my promise. But this...this, Elena..?" he trailed off, rising from his seat, picking his hat up off the floor, and beginning to pace back and forth across the front of the living room, taking slow, deep breaths, left hand dropping to his side, his fingers clenching and unclenching.

*ELENA*

Elena's eyes had went to him as she told him he was her father. Shuddering as the hat hit the floor. Her eyes closing as he ranted. Opening them to see him glaring at her. "I know I understand why you went down there. I do. And I understand it was a horrible loss. I couldn't imagine losing my father. But you have to understand why I couldn't drag you back down here. You had things to do down there.I couldn't tell you that you was going to be a father and you needed to come back home. You would of blamed me if something happened to your family because I called you back down here. And I was going to call you when she got older. But I saw how hurt you was when you lost your father and I didn't want to give her something I wasn't sure she would get to keep. I didn't want her to go through something you had went through. You easily walked away from me..I knew you could do the same thing to her and I couldn't do that." She watched him pace the floor and her eyes stayed on him as she stood up. "I'm not sure if I want to even tell her now..I don't even know how much longer your planning on staying."

*DAVID*

He stopped walking, stopped pacing, and turned to face her, staring at the hat he held in his hands. He listened to her in silence, drawing in a slow, deep breath, still flexing his hands open and shut. "Excuses. Just excuses, Elena. Do you think I wanted to leave? To just...abandon you here?!" he asked, shutting his eyes, and slowly breathing in once more. "I had every right to know that I had a child here. That I had a daughter. That I was a father. Don't you dare talk to me about how 'easily' I walked away from you, Elena. You don't have the faintest idea how hard it was for me to leave you. I...I was..." he stopped, trembling slightly, his face growing red with anger. "Y'know what? You're right. Forget it. Just...forget it." he said, then looked straight over to her.

He took a step toward her, then stopped again, a frown on his face, eyes aglow. "Damn it, Elena!" he said in a low hiss, even in his anger being mindful of the child sleeping upstairs. "That little girl up there is OUR daughter!...and she doesn't even know me! And you don't WANT her to know me? Then fine. Have it your way." he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and stalking to the front door, quickly reaching out to open the door and pull it roughly closed behind him, not realizing that the key card for his hotel room was pulled out of his pocket and clattered to the floor of the entry hall when he left. Not waiting to see if she is coming after him, he gets into the rental car and peels away, the sound of screeching tires echoing into the air

*ELENA*

As he talked about how hard it was to leave her it finally hit her hard. She didn't want this to end in an argument but knew it would. Knew this would hurt him and she understood why. As he stepped toward her she took a step back away from him. Tears filling her eyes. As she saw the anger and disappointment in his eyes. She didn't see the key card fall out of his pocket all she saw was him leaving again. He just got done telling her how hard it was to leave her and within a few moments he was out the door again. She ran out the door and screamed. "See your running away again..." She didn't know if he heard her. He was already getting into his car and leaving. Sitting down on the porch step she slid her hands through her hair. "What to do now?" She mumbled to herself as a tear slid down her face..She heard a voice behind her and smiled. They had woke Destiny up.Destiny ran up to her and she smiled as she took her into her arms. "Hey baby. Sorry about that." Destiny put her head in her shoulder and closed her eyes as Elena held her. Looking out towards the scenery she heard Destiny mumble "Boom.." Elena smiled. "We closed the door a little too hard. Its all okay now. Go back to sleep.."