Definition of Promise

Chapter 3

                  

"Luke, push me higher!" Hayden laughed, her light brown hair blowing in the wind. She was holding on so tight to the swing that her knuckles were starting to turn white.

"I don't want you to fall off the swing," I replied sincerely, pushing her a little slower than before.

"If I fall off the swing, I won't even be hurt." I grabbed the sides of the swings and held it until the swing came to a complete stop. I walked so I could see the front side of her and crotched down by her so we were face to face.

"I don't want you to risk losing the baby." I said softly. I placed my hand on her stomach and rubbed a little circle. I brought my head down to her stomach and kissed it lightly.

I could feel her watching me as I bonded with the unborn baby. "Luke," Hayden whispered and placed two fingers under my chin. I rose back to where I was face to face with her. "We're not going to lose the baby."

I gave her a small smile before pulling her in for a kiss. "I love you," I mumbled, as I placed one of my hands on her cheek, stoking her cheekbone.

"I love you too," Hayden smiled. "Forever. I promise." 

I slowly opened my as they eyes adjusted to the lights on the jet. They were so bright that they could be brighter than the sun. I looked at Michael who was playing games on his phone, waiting for the plane ride to be over with.

I wonder how long I've been asleep, considering Michael hasn't moved an inch since the last time I was awake. I was just about to ask him how long I'd been asleep when a sudden question came to my head. "Why did you tell me?" I asked sleepily.

"Why did I tell you about what?" Michael asked, his eyes still focused on his screen.

"Why did you tell me that I had a daughter? Out of all the times, why now?" I curiously asked. He paused whatever game he was playing and looked up at me. He cocked his head to the side and pulled his bottom lip into his mouth.

"Because I wanted your daughter to grow up knowing who her real father was and for her to know that you love her. She's about three years old and she doesn't have a single clue who you are," he said genuinely.

"Yeah, but she would find out eventually when she asked Hayden who her father was." I laid my foot over my knee and rested my hands over my ankle.

"No. No she wouldn't." He brought his fingers up to his mouth and bit one of his nails off.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. Michael shifted in his chair and took a drink of his water. "Michael, what do you mean?" I asked more serious this time.

"I'll tell you when I get back from the bathroom. I really got to go." With that, Michael got up and left the room.

I hate to be left alone with millions of questions burning through my head. Usually if I had a question, it would get answered immediately. Now, it was like Michael was trying to torture me and make me wait for the answer. Was it really that hard of a question to answer?

I was trying to concentrate so hard on what the answer to that question was or what it could be that I didn't even notice the flight attendant come in the room. She must have been standing there for just a little while because she had tapped me on the shoulder.

"What?" I shrugged my shoulder and turned my attention to her.

"I asked if you wanted anything else to drink." She asked patiently.

"Yeah, some more water would be good and mix some vodka in with that." She walked away and came back seconds later with my drink, which I ended up drinking all of it. I pointed to the drink, symbolling that I wanted another one. I could already feel the buzz starting to spread through my veins, as she placed another drink in my hands.

Michael came back from the bathroom, lightly scratching the back of his neck. He sat down where he was sitting before, which was right across from me. He picked up a magazine and started reading it like he totally forgot about what we were just talking about.

As I took another drink of my drink, I focused on him and what he was thinking about. The only thing I seemed to focus on was his hair, which looked like cotton candy.

"Your hair looks like cotton candy and I want to eat it," I giggled, pointing at his hair. He looked up and gave me a confused looked. His eyebrows furrowed as he shifted in his chair. I took another drink of my mixed water and vodka, but I was pretty sure that it was 95 percent vodka. He eyes fell on my drink, then back into my eyes.

"That's just water right?" Michael questioned, putting his magazine down. I didn't answer because I was so focused on his hair. It was so fluffy and I wanted to feel it.

"Luke..." He got up from where he was sitting and walked over to me. My hand reached out to feel his hair, but he slapped my hand away. He took my drink, taking a few steps backwards. He smelled my drink before shaking his head slowly. "Dammit Luke! I go away for five minutes and come back and you're drinking!"

He ran his fingers through his hair, which is really fluffy. Michael put my drink down on the table and started to pace the room. "Luke, you just don't get it! You really don't. For the past couple of months, I was worried that you would never get to meet your daughter and now that you're here, you're drinking."

"Well, maybe somebody should have told me!" I shouted, slowly coming back to my state of mind.

"Well, I was told not to," Michael simply stated, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Why did you tell me then?" I narrowed my eyes and waited for Michael to respond.

"Because now Hayden has a fiancé and I was afraid that he would take your place as a father!" Good thing I was sitting down, otherwise I would have fallen over.

Here I was sitting on this plane, going to see my daughter for the first time and I had already ruined it. I drank some alcohol when Michael told me not to and for the past year, I've had the worst attitude. This is the feeling that I've dreaded for so long...the feeling of being replaced.