Odes To Ella.

chapter 20: Sunday with Ella.

My phone went off at about 8:00 the next morning. Frankie was still asleep, but Ella was watching Sesame street while I cooked scrambled eggs and bacon.
I put the phone against my right shoulder and my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Clair." Effey breathed through the phone. She sounded like she just woke up. I sighed into the phone.
"Effey, you had me worried."
"Sorry. Can you come get me? I'm at the new apartment complex, the one in the middle of town?"
"Sure. I need to finish making the girls breakfast first, though."
"Thats cool. Call me when you're on the way." She hung up. I sighed and put Ella's food on the plate.
"Ella, your food is ready."
"Hold on, big bird's gonna find Grover." She was laying on her stomach on the floor in front of the tv. I walked over and laid down next to her.
"He is? What's he doing that for?"
"Grover lost his cape when he went to try and fly!" She explained to me. I nodded and watched the rest of the show with her. It ended and I sat up.
"Ok, now go eat your food."
"Ok!" She got up and ran to the table. I moved to the couch and lightly shook Frankie.
"Frankie, time to get up."
"Hmm?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Gotta eat."
"Ok." She sat up and stretched, then hopped off the couch and walked to the table. I dished up a plate for her and kissed Ella on the forehead.
"I'm going to change quick, ok?"
"Ok."
"Eat all of your eggs this time, ok?"
"Aww, mom!" She said.
"I mean it, young lady. If you don't eat all of them, you aren't getting a haircut today." I warned as I disappeared in my room.
I closed the door and threw on a short sleeve white sweater with some black leather pants and a red scarf. I put my hair in a bun and walked back out to see Ella and Frankie had forgotten their breakfast and were jumping on the bed.
I walked in with my hands on my hips.
"Ella, what did I say?"
"To eat my eggs." She said, not meeting my eye. I stared for a few extra seconds, then sighed and shook my head.
"It doesn't matter. You two get dressed so we can go get your mom, Frankie."
"Ok." They both went to find some clothes. I dumped the un-eaten food into the garbage and ate the food I had dished for myself.
After a few minutes, Ella came out in a pink t shirt with jeans and Frankie wore a yellow tank top with a pink skirt.
"Ready, mom."
"No, not with that hair, you're not!" I pulled out a chair and patted the seat.
"Sit down, I'm grabbing the bruush." I walked off and got the brush.
When I came back, I brushed both of the girls hair, getting several complaints along the way.
When they were both ready, we all hopped in the car and started down the block.
"Can I come to the mall with you, auntie Clair?" Frankie asked. I shook my head.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you and your mommy are going to see your grandma, remember?" Frankie huffed and sat back in the seat.
I turned on the radio and twiddled my fingers on the steering wheel.
By the time we reached the apartment building, Effey was waiting on the doorstep wearing an oversized sweatshirt with her dress from last night underneath.
She hopped on and sighed.
"How was the sleepover, baby?" She asked Frankie. Frankie smiled.
"It was fun! Ella and I made up a new game where there's a prince with two sisters who meet other princes!"
"Thats sounds great!" She said, leaning her head against the window and smiling.
I shrugged and turned around towards her apartment.
"So...how was last night?"
"You have no idea!" She said with a smile. Then, she held up a piece of paper.
"You got his number?"
"Yeah. He wants to have lunch at noon on the Sunday we get back." She smiled to herself. I giggled.
"Good for you."
"What about you? Where'd you run off to?" She looked at me. I cleared my throat and said,
"His name was Derek."
"Wait, as in the girls school counselor?"
"What about Mr. Anderson?" Ella spoke up and looked at us. I shot Effey a look and smiled to Ella.
"Oh, nothing sweetheart."
"His first name is Derek?"
"Yes."
"That sounds an aweful lot like Eric!" She exclaimed. Her and Frankie squealed. I smiled and pulled up to Effey's apartment.
"Say bye to Frankie, Ella." They hugged each other and Ella said,
"Bye Frankie. Have fun at your grandmas house."
"Bye, Ella. Thanks for having me over." Then, Effey and her left. I sighed and turned back to Ella.
"Ready to get a hair cut?"
"Yeah!" She exclaimed. I smiled and started toward the mall.
When we pulled up she hopped out of the car and waited for me to get out of my side. When I was out, I slung my purse over my shoulder and held my hand out for Ella.
"Ready?"
"Ready!" She took my hand and we walked inside.
Since we live in a small town, the mall wasn't very big. There were only 20 or so stores inside, but we didn't mind. I was taking Ella to see the barber that had always cut my hair since I was about 10 or 11 years old.
We walked to the desk and a woman in her early twenties, the daughter of the owner, greeted us.
"Hello, what can I do for you today?"
"Hi, we're getting her a hair cut."
"Ok, why don't you pick one out." She gestured to a pile of hair model books. Ella imidiately picked up the one with a pretty woman's face on it and started flipping through it.
"Oh, what about this one! Or this one! That one is good..."
We looked for several minutes before finally settling on a medium one that would make her hair stop in the middle of her back instead of down to her butt.
The woman brought Ella to a chair and I sat at the front and waited. A song by rihanna came on, though it was hard to distinguish the name, or, really any lyrics.
Someone tapped on the window behind me.
Before I could spin around, Matt was bounding into the store, arms spread with a big smile on his face.
"Hey, there's my favorite sister!"
"Hi, Matt." I stood up. We embraced briefly and he buzzed my cheek, tickling it with his scruffy beard that reminded me of a lumberjack. He wore a tan t shirt with some jeans and tennis shoes.
I sat down and crossed my legs.
"How are the kids?"
"Oh, nasty little hairballs, they get on my every nerve, you know?" He joked. I rolled my eyes.
"Remind you of anyone?"
"Oh, haha. How's Ella been?" He asked. I gestured to the chair she sat in.
"Currently having her hair hacked off."
"Dad said she's having trouble in school?" He frowned with concern.
Leave it to dad to keep a secret...
"Yeah, but don't worry, Derek and I have it covered-"
"Derek? Who's this Derek?" He interrupted with a smirk. I mentally face palmed myself.
"Calm down, he's just Ella's school counselor-"
"Oooooooo, you've caught the eye of a working man..." He teased me and poked me on the shoulder. I smiled at his stupidity and shook my head.
"No."
"Have you been on a date yet?"
"No, and I'm done talking about it." I crossed my arms. Just then, Ella hopped off the chair and ran towards me.
"Mommy! Look at my hair! Do you like it!?!" She twirled. I smiled and gave her a hug.
"I love it sweetheart!"
"Hey there, princess!" Matt exclaimed. Ella looked surprised.
"Uncle Matt?! Why are you here!?" She gave him a hug. He picked her up and tickled her sides.
"Why am I here?! That's all you have to say, are you even my Ella!?!"
"Yes uncle Matt! It's me!"
"Did you eat my Ella?! Are you in there!?!" He shouted at her stomach. She shrieked with laughter. I smiled and giggled as I watched them.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" The woman behind the counter said. I turned to her and smiled.
"Sorry, how much will it be?"
"$20.18, please." I paid her and hit Matt on the shoulder.
"Ok, we still need to stop at the grocery store before going home."
"Ok, I'll cook tonight."
"What?" I asked. He smiled and shrugged.
"What are you, deaf? I said I'll cook. You can tell me more about the guy you're dating."
"What guy?" Ella asked with a frown. I shook my head.
"Uncle Matt's just kinding. C'mon." I ushered her in front of me as Matt followed us to the parking lot.
"I'll meet you at the house, Matt."
"Ok." He waved and headed to mom's car, since he couldn't drive the semi around town.
Ella played with her hair all the way to Wal-Mart and the whole time we walked to the door.
"Ella, stop wondering around while we're in the parking lot. You could get hit by a car."
"Will it be a magical car?"
"That's not the point." I said as we walked inside. She stopped on the inside of the doors, went back again, and came back in just to make the doors move. I sighed and waited.
She glanced at the toy machines, stared for a minute, then followed me inside only after I called her several times.
I sighed as we stood in the fruit section and looked through the bananas.
"What do you want to eat, sweetie? Spaghetti, hamburger, Mac and cheese-"
"Mommy?" She asked looking up at me.
"Yes?"
"I was just wondering...where is my daddy?" She stared at me with her deep, blue eyes.
Her dad's eyes.
"Uh..." I was caught off guard. She tilted her head.
"Granpa says he left before I was born." She kept looking at me.
I bit my lip.
Think of something...
"Well, sweetie, that's true...He did leave before you were born."
"Was it my fault?" She asked. I felt my heart do a nose dive.
"No, baby, it wasn't you..."
Think!!!
"...He was called away on secret business."
"Like spy business?!" She asked with new excitement. I nodded.
"Yes, but you can't tell anyone, its super secret."
"Ok. When will he be back?" She asked. The stitches on my heart I had sewn to forget about Benny ripped anew, making me feel like hugging Ella until I couldn't cry anymore. I wanted to tell her the truth, but then I thought about what my father meant to me. The saint I have always perceived him as.
It would be unfair to deprive her of that...
"I'm not sure, baby. But no matter what, your daddy loves you very much."
"Really?" She questioned, looking into my eyes. I smiled and nodded.
"Really really." I kissed her forehead and stood up.
We left the store after twenty minutes and headed back home.
Matt was waiting for us at the house. He greeted me at the door and took some of the bags from my hands.
"So, what's it gonna be tonight?"
"Hamburgers and French fries."
"Sounds great!" He did his best impression of Toni the tiger.
Ella smiled and ran to her room.
"Mommy! Will you play dolls with me?"
I smiled at Matt, then turned to her and nodded.
"Of course-" but my phone started ringing. I told her to go gather some dolls and went to the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Clair." I froze.
"Christopher?" I asked. He breathed heavily on his end, like he had been running.
"I need you to help me."
"With what? What happened?"
"My neighbors cat..."
"Yes?" I asked.
"I killed it." He said with a little giggle at the end of his sentence. I frowned.
"Why, Christopher?"
"So I wouldn't kill their son."

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Hope you liked it, enjoy the next one, bye! :P.