dirty laundry // WWE

Chapter 3

March 15, 2018, around 5:30PM

I pull up to my ex-girlfriend's house and instantly feel a knot form in my stomach. She told me not to come, I know that. I already know she's going to throw a huge fit. But it's my kid's 4th birthday. What am I gonna do? Call her on the phone?

I'm between jobs at the moment. And...couches. Thankfully, I have a few friends that let me crash with them for a couple days at a time. There's not many places for rent in my area these days, and there's no way I'll pass a credit check for something more permanent. The most reliable living quarter I have right now is my car. I'm pretty used to it, though. Been down this road before, a couple years back.

I look down at the box, wrapped in pink, penguin-cluttered wrapping paper. I got Ava one of those Hatchimal things that all the kids are begging their parents for every time they go through a store. I really don't get it. It's just a plastic egg...in a box. Cost me 60 bucks. For anegg.

I grab the box after shutting off my car, holding my breath all the way to the front door. The door opens before I'm even able to knock and I'm greeted by a very pissed off baby mama.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asks in a hushed voice, anger evident her tone.

Just as I was about to respond, Ava comes running out from around the corner. "Daddy!"

"Hey, birthday girl!" I kneel down to her height, hiding the box behind my back. "Sorry I missed the party, kiddo. But-" She tries to peek at the present. I sigh, in defeat. "Alright, here ya go."

Her eyes light up for a second, turning into a frown moments later. "Daddy, you didn't have to give me a present. I'm just glad you're here."

Ouch, kid. That hurts. What kind four year old is upset about getting a present anyway?

"Go on, open it."

She rips through the 99 cent store gift wrap and instantly beams, once again.

"HATCHIMALS!!! Mama, can I open it?"

Jackie wipes the annoyed look off her face to smile down at our daughter. "Why don't you have grandma open it in your bedroom, sweetheart?"

I look up to see Jackie's mother, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed.

"Giordano." She acknowledges me, a stern look on her face.

"Maria." I nod at her, scratching the back of my head. The lady never liked me.

Ava throws her arms around me and skips off past her grandmother, who follows her upstairs, leaving Jackie and I alone.

I can feel it coming when I look over at her, hands on her hips.

"Are you crazy?"

Here we go.

"You can't expect me to skip out on my kid's birthday. Come on, Jack-"

"You know what?" She cuts me off, brushing past me and heads into another room, before re-emerging with a stack of papers in her hand, slapping them on the desk next to me. "I want sole custody."

"We already have an agreement. I get every last Saturday of the month."

"Yeah? Well that was before you got evicted. Where the hell am I supposed to drop Ava off now? The fucking library? Gym? It was also when you were CLEAN, not high on pills."

"I'm prescrib-"

"You're prescribed, whatever, got it. But you clearly take more than you need. What am I gonna do when Ava walks in on you, passed out, OD'd like I did?!" Her voice is loud, and shaky. She looks like she's about to burst into tears.