PEACHY

10 (ANDY)

Well I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

*

*unedited* 4 YEARS LATER...

"PEACH, LET'S GO!" I yell from the living room of the apartment. "You are going to make us late for our flight!"

Feet patter against the hardwood floor. I look up and see Peach standing there with her babydoll in her small hands. Peach has long black hair, tan skin, and grey eyes. She has chubby cheeks, chubby nose, and big ears. She looks just like her father.

Peach and I grab the rest of our things and go out to our Uber. Cori moved home right after graduation but I decided to stay for a few months. Peach and I will be going back to New York to live in the mansion with my mom, Leo, Alessio, and Hannah as well as Luca. I had all of our stuff U-Hauled to the mansion yesterday so it should be there in a few days.

We reach the airport and get checked in and go board the plane. We get settled and Peach pulls out her iPad and starts playing a game. I found out I was pregnant with Peach when I was four months along. I had no signs of pregnancy. I went to go for a checkup and found out I was carrying a healthy baby girl. I gave birth to her on Christmas despite my pleas to keep her inside of me for two months longer but she was a big baby and I couldn't hold her in anymore. She weighed almost twelve pounds.

Peach is very smart but can be very mean when necessary. That's something she doesn't get from me but her father. She has a birthmark on her shoulder and her buttcheek. She doesn't know about them because she can't see them.

"Mama, will they like me?" Peach asks.

I look over at her as she stares at me. "Yes. Everyone likes you," I reply. "Everyone will love you."

She smiles and looks back at her tablet. I got through these four years of taking care of her by myself. Cori was there to babysit when needed but I did everything else by myself.

This is our first trip together. She was very excited to go somewhere besides daycare. When we get to New York, I will have to put her in school. Hopefully, she will like it.

"When are we going to get there?" Peach asks.

"Six long hours, sweetcheeks."

The taxi rolls up to the front gate and I type in the password. The big gates open and we drive in. The driver stops the car and we get out. We get our stuff and go stand in front of the door. Peach bangs on the door and I smile at her.

The door slowly opens and my mom peeps around the door. She stares at my child and then looks up at me. "Who is she?" My mom blurts out making me chuckle.

"Let us in and I will explain everything," I reply.

She nods and moves out of the way. Peach and I walk in with our stuff. We set it beside the stairs and go inside the living room where Leo, Luca, Alessio, Hannah, Sara, and Dante are. They all look at Peach and me with a confused look on their face. My mom walks in and sits beside Leo and stares as well.

I look down at Peach as she stares back at everyone. "We are glad to have you back but who is she?" Alessio asks.

"This is my daughter, Bellarosa Peach De Luca," I reply.

"Y-y-you have a daughter?" My mom asks as she looks between me and Peach.

"You guys can call her Peach. She is four and likes to talk," I state.

"Matteo's the dad?" Sara asks.

"He is indeed. I didn't find out I was pregnant with his child until I was four months along and I had already started college," I reply.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Leo asks.

"I wasn't talking to anyone but Hannah and I didn't even tell her. Look we are here now so except it or we can move somewhere else," I reply.

"No, you stay here! You're not leaving me until you get married," my mom says.

I smile. The front door opens and heavy footsteps come in. I don't turn around but wait for a voice. "So I took care of Nora and that bastard child. I am a free fucking man!" Matteo's voice fills the room.

I turn around and look at him. Matteo stares at me as an unknown emotion goes through his eyes. He looks down at Peach and then back at me.

"Who's this?" Matteo asks as he points at Peach.

"I'm Peach," Peach says as she walks forward with her hand out.

Matteo squats down and shakes her hand. He lets go and stares at her. "She's mine isn't she?" Matteo asks as he looks up at me.

I slowly nod. "She's four and acts just like you," I reply.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Matteo asks.

I shrug. "After you hurt me and I found out about her I didn't want someone to hurt her as you hurt me. I'm not saying I was protecting her from you but I didn't want you to come out there and try to be something you're not," I reply.

"You have no idea what I have been through in the last four years!" Matteo yells making Peach jump back.

A whimper comes from Peach as Matteo stands up. "You don't know me anymore, Andy! You don't know what it's been like here!" Matteo yells once more.

Peach takes another step back. "Don't yell. You're scaring her," I murmur.

"Honestly, Andy, is she really mine or is she some dude you fucked at college?" Matteo asks.

I shake my head and take a deep breath. "Come on Peach, let's go settle in," I murmur.

Peach turns around with tears in her eyes. I pick her up and go to walk past Matteo when he grabs my arm tightly. I look up at him as he stares down at me.

"Don't disrespect me like that ever again, Andy," Matteo murmurs.

I yank my arm away and look at the bruise forming. "Don't come near us. Don't look at us and sure as hell don't ask about us," I respond.

I walk away and go upstairs. I put Peach in her room and go get our stuff. I set my bags in my room and then go back to Peach's to see her looking out her window.

"Mommy, why doesn't he like me? What did I do to him?" Peach asks.

I stare at the back of her head. "It's not you, Peach. I made plenty of mistakes in the last four years and not telling him, that he is your father was a big one but I thought I was protecting you," I reply. "Don't stress about it, okay. We are going to be fine without him, I promise."

"But I want him to love me. You're the only person that loves me. I want my daddy to love me too. I just want to be loved."

I stay quiet as rain falls down the window. Peach doesn't turn back. She puts her hand on the window as the little droplets race down the window. You can feel the sadness radiating off of her. She's never felt this way. Nothing has prepared me for this type of sadness. I hate this but I don't know how to fix it. I've never fixed her problems with money. I comforted her but I don't think that would work in this situation.

"Don't stop loving me, mommy. I can't handle that if you stop."