Small Town Lights

Chapter 4

Colt

She was standing here, in my parents' house. She had a child? Wait... Daddy... The child called me Daddy? My gaze shifted from Callie to my mom and then back again. I frowned and looked at Mom again. "What's going on?" I asked finally. I looked down at the little girl wrapped around my leg.

"Daddy, you finally came home!" She said. I looked at Callie who was stuttering.

"I... Um... I... She... Well..." She wasn't finishing a single thought.

I looked at Mom and she took a couple of steps until she was close enough that the little girl stood up letting go of my leg and looked at Callie before looking between me and Mom again. "Colt, you need to listen, okay?" She started.

"What. The. Hell. Is. Going. On?" I gritted out before looking at Callie again. Why couldn't she just give me an answer?

"Don't curse in front of her!" Callie snapped at me.

Mom bent down to get on the girl's level, "How about we go find Gampa?" she smiled at her. The girl nodded her head and Mom stood up. Grabbing the girl's hand, they walked by me in search of my father.

I watched them leave before turning back to look at Callie again. I took a deep breath, "Callie?" I watched as she took short breaths she was going to hyperventilate if she didn't calm down. When we were growing up she used to do it whenever she was stressed. "Deep breath," I told her. Long ago I used to use my breathing to help her calm down but I just stood there watching her try to take deeper breaths.

"Colt, I..." Deep breath. "I'm sorry," deep breath.

"Why?"

"I was trying to protect you. To protect your dreams," she told me.

"Yeah right," I scoffed. "How are you going to stand here and tell me that you kept my child from me to protect me?" I yelled loudly at her. I couldn't even understand what had possibly gone through her head when she decided to keep this life-changing secret from me. I opened my mouth to say more but Dad walked in.

"Colt, please stay calm," he placed one of his hands on my shoulder. "Maybe Callie should take Maddy home and we can all talk tomorrow when things are calmer," he suggested looking between me and Callie. Callie only nodded before moving toward the doorway that Mom had taken the girl, Maddy, through minutes before.

I watched as Callie came walking out of the doorway again with Maddy's hand in hers. Maddy was pulling against Callie, fighting her on leaving. "We have to go, Maddy," Callie said to her and pulled her toward the door. My feet followed them of their own free will.

"Is Daddy coming?" she asked her as she looked at me over her shoulder.

Callie stopped and bent down to her level. She tucked a strand of hair behind Maddy's ear. I watched them closely trying to take in every bit of them as if it would give me some sort of answer to all the questions running through my head. "We will see Daddy tomorrow," she smiled at the girl that looked so much like her I was in awe. I was mad but I couldn't deny that they were both extremely beautiful. Maddy seemed to be satisfied with the answer because she nodded her head before Callie stood up and started for the door again.

Maddy stopped at the door and turned toward where I stood. "Bye, Daddy. See you tomorrow. I love you," she waved. I waved back in shock. I watched her follow her mother out the door. When the door was closed behind them by Rosie, I heard my mother's high heels on the tile that covered the entryway. I turned in her direction and watched Dad move to her side.

"You both knew?" I asked them. Mom looked at the floor and Dad nodded his head.

"Everyone knows," he spoke.