"Thank you for having me for dinner." Mike told me. "She's a good girl. You did a great job."
"I did what I could." I smiled. "Now I've got another to raise." I admitted, giggling.
"You'll do great. You're really a good mom, Carrie." Mike said.
"Thank you... I try." I responded.
"Hey, before I go, can we talk?" Mike wondered as I turned to him.
I nodded my head and we sat down on the bench out front.
"I overheard a little of you and Mackenzie talking. I didn't mean to barge in, but are you okay?" He asked me.
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine." I lied.
"May I ask about Isaiah's father?" He wondered.
I sighed as I spoke, "uh, his dad isn't around. He's in jail actually." I said truthfully.
"Jail?" Mike gasped.
"It... I was raped." I said as I pressed my lips together. "One night I went out to the bar with a couple of friends and on my way to my car, I was shoved into my car and raped. It wasn't my choice. But I wouldn't give Isaiah up for the world. Him and Mackenzie are my whole life."
"Carrie, oh my god. I am so sorry." Mike pulled me into a hug.
I let a tear roll down my cheek, "It's okay. I mean, I'm alright now. It was really hard to handle, but I had a great support system and I got everything figured out. God blessed me with a perfect little boy, no matter the situation."
"No one deserves that traumatic experience. You deserve so much better, Care." Mike said as he looked into my eyes.
I looked back into Mike's bright blue eyes, they were glossy. My hazel ones had dry tears, you could see the hurt. I began to move closer to Mike.
"Mom, are you coming in?" Mackenzie asked, opening the front door.
I backed away from Mike, "Yeah, sweetheart." I responded as I stood up.
"Thanks again for dinner. Mackenzie, it was nice to see you again." Mike said.
And with that, we parted ways and Mackenzie and I went inside.
Once I shut the door and locked it, Mackenzie spoke, "were you guys kissing?"
"No!" I blushed. "We did not kiss at all."
"So you were going to kiss." She raised her eyebrows, laughing.
"No....Well yeah but no. I was just in a vulnerable state and... forget it." I giggled as I rolled my eyes.
"Why were you vulnerable?" She questioned me, worrying.
"He asked about Isaiah's dad." I pressed my lips together.
"What did you say?" She asked.
"The truth." I told her as I began to clean up the kitchen.
Mackenzie was silent for a moment, remembering what happened to her mother, "how do you and Mike know each other? Are you sure you can trust him with knowing that?"
"He's trustful, don't worry. We know each other from high school." I replied.
"Were you guys really just friends?" She asked.
"Uh... No. we used to date but we broke up senior year." I said back.
"I thought you were with my dad senior year?" She asked confused.
"Yeah, I was." I told her as I sighed.
I worried I had said too much to Mackenzie and didn't want her to find out about Mike just yet.
"So you dated Mike and my dad, Nathan in your senior year? Geez mom..." Kenzie laughed.
"Hey now!" I chuckled, "I was in high school. I didn't exactly make all of the right choices, but I have you." I said kissing the top of her head, "come on, you have school tomorrow, get ready for bed, little miss."
Quickly, I ended our conversation about her dad which I always did when she asked about him.
"Mom?" Mackenzie wondered as she stopped in her tracks.
"Hmmm?" I looked at her standing on the staircase.
"You know you can always tell me the truth. Oh, and you were totally almost being a hoe." She giggled.
I chuckled with wide eyes, "you're going to regret saying that!" I said chasing her, stopping in the beginning of the stairs, "you better be showered by the time I come up there!"
