Spilt Love

Chapter 7-Regrets

One more chapter after this!!!! :(

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7

~Ten years later~

James

"Kiana! Get your lazy butt out of bed and get ready for school!" I yelled through the door of my nine-year-old daughters room. We had just moved to Atlanta Georgia to get away from her biological mother. I had gotten full custody of Kiana as Hailey, Kiana's mom, had been mentally abusing her.

"Daddy, I don't want to. Why can't we go home?" Kiana, her long brunette hair pulled into a pony tail, said. She was rubbing her green eyes sleepily, somehow managing not to trip over the cardboard box in front of her doorway. Our entire house was covered in them, as we had only arrived the day before.

"Because, honey, that's where your mom is. I don't want to go back there, and I bet you don't either." Her head nodded in agreement, her pony tail bobbing behind her head. I bent down and kissed her on the forehead before gently shoving her into her just-painted purple bedroom.

Kiana was a mistake. The biggest mistake I'd ever made. I love her, I really do, but I was eighteen, with my whole life ahead of me, and I made the mistake of having sex with Hailey to get back at Julie, as I knew that would hurt her the most.

I was stupid and immature, and if I could take that night back, I would.

"Daddy, can you make me pop tarts? Strawberry?" Kiana was awake now, and bounced into what would be the kitchen. I smiled and ruffled her hair a bit before pulling out some pop tarts for her to eat. Her crooked teeth shown through her parted lips as she smiled at me. I would love to get her braces, but unfortunately, couldn't afford it on my teachers salary.

Looking at my watch, I realized how late we already were.

"Kiana, grab your pop tarts on a paper towel, we're late. Hurry, sweetie, put your shoes on in the car!" I quickly grabbed my wallet, which still contained my ID from Virginia, and ran out the door, Kiana struggling under her backpack and food right behind me. I pulled her backpack form her hands before throwing it in the trunk of my old Pontiac Vibe. It was almost as bad as Julie's moms car had been, but had about 10,000  miles less on it.

Julie.

I still couldn't go a day without feeling awful for what I did to her. Yes, if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have my wonderful daughter, but then I also would probably still have her, and wouldn't feel so awful for doing that to her every day. It sucked, but it was the consequences on what I'd done, and I'd live with it for the rest of my life.

"Daddy, can you please walk me to my classroom? Pretty pretty please?" Kiana said to me as we pulled up to the elementary school.  M. K. Georges Elementary, I read as we climbed out of the car. I reached for Kianas hand, and smiled at her.

"Of course, sweetie. Wait... do you have the paper the school sent us? The one with your teacher name and room number?" I asked her, searching my pockets for it. She smiled and pulled it out of her Tinkerbelle backpack. I sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness at least one of us pays attention. Here, give it to me." I took it from her, and glanced at the teacher name.

Ms. McLean.

Is this... Julie? No, no way is there such a coincidence. No way would the world be so cruel to both of us.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Kiana pulled at my arm, staring up into my face, obvious concern written all over it.

"I'm fine, fine. Now, let's go meet your fourth grade teacher!" She smiled and giggled a bit at my over-excited nature, and began to run towards the school, following the stream of parents walking their kids to their classes.