Unrequited

Chapter 12

Elliot walks back up the stairs, ignoring his neighbors' bemused looks as he tries his best to dodge the debris on the ground. As he climbs the stairs he can't help but be a little proud of himself. He told her how he felt. How he feels.

Sure it was in the middle of the street while he was barefeet and after his daughter had just caught them in a compromising position but even though it wasn't worthy of a scene from a Nicholas Sparks novel, he was happy he did it.

As soon as he hits the threshold of his door, his daughter is waiting with her arms folded and an amused expression on her face.

"I don't want to hear it Mo," he hobbles to the chair looking down at his feet to see what he stepped on.

"Dad. Oh my god. That was Olivia. You and Olivia were making out on your couch," she shrieks with the enthusiasm of a teenager. Paying her no mind, he removes the penny from his foot and makes his way to the bathroom for a towel with Maureen hot on his heels.

"I mean it looks like you guys were about to-"

"Maureen!" he turns abruptly, instantly stopping her sentence.

She throws her hands up in surrender but the silence is short lived. "Sooooooooo....."

Elliot wipes off his feet, locates his slippers and walks back into the living room. "So about your key."

Grabbing the remote, he sits down on the sofa making himself comfortable and trying to look overly busy so he can ignore his nosey daughter. The basketball game has gone off, a soap opera on instead. Even he can't act interested in that.

"You told me you and Pippa had broken up. I can't be held accountable because you bounced back so quick. And bounced you did."

His stomach starts to growl, the aroma from the sandwiches she had brought over catching his attention. He begins to unwrap one still trying to avoid her questions but he makes the mistake of glancing over at her and his smile is inevitable.

Maureen is on the edge of her seat literally looking like a child who can't wait to open her Christmas presents.

Resigning himself to his fate, he chuckles and shakes his head. "What do you want to know?"

"What was she doing here? Are you guys together? She forgave you? Oh my god was this the first time you guys were-"

"Whoa whoa whoa," he puts his hand up to stop her and then takes a bite of the Turkey club. "Don't get beside yourself. I'm willing to divulge but I'm still your dad and there's only so much you and I are going to discuss."

"Ugh fine. So tell me what you can tell me." She wipes her hand on the napkin and listens intently.

Elliot blows out a deep breath, skimming his mind on what is and isn't appropriate to tell his child about his "love life."

"She wanted more of an explanation about why I was gone and why I didn't keep in touch. I was as honest with her as I could possibly be. I even told her how you guys wanted to reach out to her but I told you to give her some space."

Maureen's eyes cast down and he knows she's reliving one of the few disagreements they had about their contact, or lack thereof with Olivia. She takes another bite of her sandwich, and sips her soda as she listens to him talk.

"She told me about how she felt and I really think I got through to her. That she understands why I stayed away."

"Apparently," she replies sarcastically, quickly covering her mouth. "Sorry."

"Anyway and that was that."

Maureen throws her napkin onto the table, settling back into the chair opposite him and crosses her leg. "So what was that mad fifty yard dash about just then?"