Hometown Hero

Chapter Nineteen: And Now Presenting

The day they came in to the diner was a day full of surprises. And it all started when I decided it would be a good time to start wearing my own clothes, as opposed to washing my same ones over and over, or stealing Indie's.

I walked through the door that morning, hoping my dads had been sleeping soundly, as they had been the last few days. This was imperative, due to the fact that they had no idea I was actually sleeping at the Adams', let alone in Indie's bed. Ah, Indie's bed; I loved having a side of the bed, a warm body to hold me and a pillow that smelled like him. None of that was at the house I was supposed to call home. Heading for the stairs, I heard a sound from the living room.

“Someone's finally made it home.” Dad quipped, closing his magazine.

Papa looked up from his newspaper, his eyes hovering over the rims of his glasses, “So they have. Come have a seat, stranger.”

Shit. I was skewered worse than a kebab. I turned, crept slowly into the living room, and planted myself silently on the couch. Biting my lip, I rocked slowly on my heels, waiting for my inevitable punishment.

Papa folded his paper, looking up at me “I'd ask where you've been the last few nights, but I have a feeling I already know.” I remained silent, burrowing my hands underneath my legs as he continued, “Someone mentioned that Indie came home about five days ago.”

I nodded, keeping my lips pressed together tight.

“I see.” Dad nodded, watching me closely “Any particular reason, if he is in fact home, that we haven't seen you in over two weeks? Even with the house-sitting, one wonders.”

Looking at them, they already knew. They knew everything, and if I wasn't going to die in the next two hours, I was pretty sure that Lexy would be without a father in that time.

“DJ.” Papa warned, his voice rising slightly. I swallowed, closing my eyes and trying to find the right words.

After taking a breath, I replied “He has a daughter.”

Dad and Papa both jumped “What?”

I nodded, repeating “Indie has a daughter. Her name is Galexy, and she's a little over a year and a half old. He takes care of her when he's home, and when he's gone, he takes her to his sister AJ in Portland. They came home, and I stayed with them, helping Indie get back into his routine.”

Dad gasped, “Deej, that's...This is some big news.”

“I know.”

“Dama...” Papa sighed, “You don't understand...this is a child. This is...”

I took a breath, feeling confidence in my words “I love them.”

“Dawson.” Dad's voice held him on edge, and I wondered if he was going to yell at me “Sweetheart, I want you to think about what you're saying. Love...Love is such a big word. And what he kept from you, Dawson, that's such a big secret to keep.”

Smiling, I looked at him “Dad, I'm in love with him. I know this is a jump, because love is love and once you say it, you can't take it back, but I don't want to. I don't want to take it back, and I don't care that he didn't tell me about Lexy right away. He was trying to protect her, and I can understand that, because you'd do the same for me.”

“Dawson, you have to understand.” instructed Papa, gesturing to me “You're nineteen years old. Love, family, children; you have your entire life to think about these things. You have so many options, and so many choices; you need to think about your options.”

I tried not to smile, “I like this option. That's what I'm trying to tell you.”

Dad said, “But what you don't understand, Dawson, is that children, children are forever. What happens four years from now, if you decide you don't want Indie anymore? That you need a change? How are you going to explain to Lexy how you feel?”