Goldilocks and the three playboys

Random Visits

The television blares a catchy commercial theme song and I stare blankly not paying attention to anything. I contemplate on whether or not I should turn my phone off but instead I text Carter to tell Jae that I won't be coming to school and not to worry if he can't get a hold of me, I also told him to tell him I'm with my dad and I know Jae would understand immediately.

Instead of  pondering on this mornings events I decided to watch a movie and eat away my sadness but if you couldn't tell already, no amounts of Krispy Kreme donuts could do the trick. Diana, my supposed mum came back looking for me after all these years. I can't forgive her just yet because dad and I have been through hell and back, he was a heartbroken 22 year old who had a toddler on his hands with little cash. His family lived on the other side of the globe and he only had two friends who he could trust.

I need to tell him about the meet that I had with Diana, because I know if I don't it will eat at me for a longtime. My dad was my first best friend and I never ever would hide anything from him, because he's the only one I wouldn't hesitate to trust.

I wait, trying to gain some confidence. I don't know how he's gonna react but if anything I can't bare to stand my dad upset with me. My phone buzzes on the coffee table in front of me, Jae's name pops up on the screen along with a picture I took of him. I stare at my phone not moving an inch to answer his call, after a few rings his photo disappears and is later replaced with a text message. Looks like Carter failed at the one thing I told him to do.

Hey where'd you go?
- Jae

I stare at the screen debating whether or not to answer, but my phone vibrates a few seconds later another text from Jae.

Tessa, answer my calls!
-Jae

Instead of replying I quickly turn my phone off not wanting any distractions, quickly tossing it across the coffee table. My eyes wander and find the cabinet with all the photo albums stacked underneath the bottom shelf. Automatically my body is drawn to the case and I find myself sitting in front of the glass slide, my reflection bouncing back at me. I look confused and sad, my hand reaches out to touch my cheeks which are swollen from crying myself into a whole mess in the car. I don't know who I was crying for, but it felt like I was crying for everything the past and the present.

I reach out pulling a familiar maroon album from the shelf, my hand swiping across the hard cover and my fingers lingering across the album title. 'Tessa'. I open the cover and the first picture is of me, coming home from the hospital. I turn the page and there I was in the arms of the woman who gave birth to me, sleeping soundlessly against her chest. Diana, my mother is looking at the camera a small smile placed amongst her features. She looks at peace with me in her arms, her face is younger and the glow bouncing off her skin is evidently clear in the capture. But in this whole album this is the only photo of her with me as a new born, and the only picture she looks happy in.

The next few pages are singular pictures of myself; laughing,playing and some of them I'm also crying in. Then I stop at the picture of my dad, Diana and I, this was the last picture that was ever taken of all of us together. We're at Mc Donald's, the birthday crown sat on my head as I squish myself between Diana and my dad, my little arms are hanging off each of their shoulder. My eyes are bright with excitement and joy as I look into the lens with my snotty nose and ice-cream stained lips. My dad is in the middle of laughing sharing the same joy I had, his eyes squinted with a smudge of vanilla ice-cream on the tip of his nose. What gets me the most in this picture is my mother, she's holding the ice-cream cone in her hand the substance dripping down her fingers. She's looking at me, her eyes holding onto this memory as she smiles. It's a sad smile and her face inches from mine but looking far from the present moment.