How Could You?

Why are you here?

"I... I think I recognize you." Alice frowned. "Should I recognize you?" She stared at Mick for a moment longer, then diverted her gaze at Sheryl. "Mom?"

"Mick, you should leave." Sheryl repeated herself, holding onto the door handle.

"Who are you?"

"Well, Stevie and I..." Mick trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

However, it became clear to Alice instantly, who he was and why he was there. "It's alright, Mom. Let him in."

Narrowing her eyes at Mick, Sheryl stepped aside, then shut the door loudly, once he entered the flat. "I don't mean any harm." Mick said. "I just knew from Stevie, that you found her again and I just... Well, I wanted to come see you both."

"Have I met you before?" Alice asked again, seeing Mick swallow uneasily, as he nodded.

"You were just a little girl back then." Mick smiled weakly.

"I don't understand." Alice shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've met you before, but not Stevie or Lindsey?"

"Can we, uh... can we take a seat, please?" Mick asked politely, then followed after Alice and Sheryl into the living room. "When you were born and Sheryl adopted you, Stevie tried to forget about all of it, simply because she was hurting so badly. I couldn't. I wanted to be around." Mick shrugged, looking at his feet, so he didn't have to look at Alice. "It wasn't very often, but I visited you from time to time. I saw you as just a tiny baby, I was at your first birthday... I helped Sheryl out with money and all." He could feel Sheryl's eyes burning holes in him.

"Why did you stop?" Alice asked, sitting close by Sheryl. She wasn't as warm to Mick as she was to Stevie and Lindsey. 

Shrugging his shoulders again, Mick stayed silent for a minute. "I don't know." He did. "When your parents got divorced and your Mom went to Stevie again, I guess, I was just afraid she'd somehow find out that I haven't moved on, so to say. I knew she'd feel betrayed by me." Sheryl had to roll her eyes at that.

"What's so wrong about you wanting to be around possibly your child?"

"Nothing. I - I..." Mick stuttered. "Stevie's one of my best friend, I was thinking more about our friendship than..."

"Me." Alice finished, feeling slightly hurt. 

"This probably wasn't such a good idea, me coming here." Mick sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Alice. I simply wanted to see you for a minute, to see who you grew up to be. Also, please know that despite what happened, you are loved by all of us. I never for a second forgot about you."

"How can you say that to me, when you wanted to be a part of my life, then suddenly you were gone? I mean, I don't remember everything, but like I said, I vaguely recognized you." Alice didn't even really know why, but she had already built up walls around her and they weren't coming down that easily. 

"I know it's not going to change anything, but I am so truly sorry for everything. I wish things had turned out differently." 

"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately." Alice scoffed and got up on her feet. Without saying goodbye, she left and locked herself up in her own room.

"Why did you have to come here?" Sheryl asked, when it was just the two of them. "You left then, why come back now? You couldn't even tell her the truth now."

"Why are you so mad at me?" Mick got defensive. "It's wrong for me to be here, but not Stevie? She was the one, who made the decision to leave Alice in the first place. Besides, she doesn't need to know all the details."

"That's where you're wrong. Stevie made the decision to give her daughter a better life. They've seen each other twice already and Stevie feels nothing but regret. She's been crying her heart out both times she's been here. She made that choice and stuck with it, while you didn't. You chose to be with us, until one day you upped and left, Mick." Sheryl was getting angry, however, she didn't want Alice to overhear, her voice now just a whisper. "When John walked out, you came into our lives. You practically lived with us for a while, you were the father Alice so desperately needed, then you just disappeared. That's why I'm so mad at you." Sheryl pointed in his direction for emphasize. "You never told me why, you just did."

"And I'm sorry!" Mick threw his hands up in the air. "What else do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. I don't want you to say anything. What I want you to do is leave." 

Exhaling heavily, Mick stood up and showed himself out. He knew that probably wasn't going to go very well, but he didn't expect this outcome. Alice was hurt and Sheryl was seething. Getting into his car, he banged his head against the steering wheel, calling himself an idiot a few times. 

There was another place he had to visit. It might have been a bit late, but he had to. 

Lindsey was already in bed and so was Stevie, however, she was still wide awake, while Lindsey had already started snoozing. The doorbell brought the both of them out of their separate rooms, the two looking at each other quizzically.

Descending the stairs first, Lindsey went to the front door, Stevie coming from behind him as she tightened the sash of her robe, then folded her arms, standing a step back from Lindsey.

"Mick?" Lindsey was surprised, seeing him. "Is everything alright? Why are you here so late?"

Looking from Lindsey to Stevie, Mick swallowed the lump in his throat, before speaking. "I came here to tell you the truth."