Forever and Always

Chapter 57- Platonic Comforts

Not being able to handle myself in the situation after an argument between my mother and me, I called Petra, who immediately came to my rescue. Zeke and my mother were trying to begin again with their relationship as they caught each other up on their respective lives while Mikasa and I both awkwardly retreated to our bedrooms, hiding ourselves from the fresh wounds we were unaware existed in us until that moment. I resorted to playing dolls with Poppy while Mikasa invited Sasha over for moral support.

I'm outside right now, a text from Petra pinged on my cell phone. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I concluded my Barbie game with my daughter, lifting her into my arms and setting her onto my bed while I fished through my drawers for a clean shirt. I slipped my standard green tee shirt over my head and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to look at least vaguely presentable during the crisis of a lifetime. I was rethinking my entire life up to that point, and as hard as I tried to get a hold of Levi, he was unresponsive on his phone. I hadn't even gotten as much as a good morning text from him, which was usually his modus operandi. As concerned and offended as I was, I had heavier things on my plate than not hearing from Levi for a few hours.

"Where we goin', Daddy?"

"We're gonna spend the day with Aunt Petra. Does that sound like fun?" I asked. Her eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of her new beloved aunt. She nodded swiftly and raised her arms, wiggling her fingers and gesturing for me to pick her up.

I lifted the small girl into my arms and slid on some sandals, hoping to move stealthily enough through the house that my escape would not be noticed by my mother or the Prodigal Son. I crept down the stairs, avoiding steps that would creak against the floorboards while I snuck out of the house. I saw the front door, the gateway to escapism looming before me.

Letting out a short breath, I shifted Poppy on my hip bone and stepped outside. Squinting at the sunny afternoon greeting me, I shriveled into the shadows like a vampire, carefully shutting the front door so that the hinges wouldn't give away their motives. I slid on a pair of black wayfarer shades and made my way to my mother's car, quickly retrieving Poppy's car seat with my free hand and walking towards Petra's Prius with long, brisk strides. Strapping my daughter into the back seat, I saw Petra eyeing me with wide brown eyes, raising an eyebrow at me curiously.

I hadn't told her anything of the events earlier in the day, only that I needed out for the afternoon. Mikasa had thrown something of a temper tantrum as well, so I knew that if somebody with as even a keel as my sister was at her wit's end, my feelings were totally justified.

Plopping into the passenger seat with an exasperated exhale, I eyed my friend tiredly, emotionally drained from the day thus far. "Hey," I nodded in brief greeting while she eyed me in utter disbelief.

"Are you okay?" She asked, pursing her lips and shoving a protruding strand of hair behind her ear. My mind was currently a weight that I couldn't bear to lift much longer.

"I will be once we're far away from here," I muttered, running my fingers through my hair rolling my eyes. "Just drive, woman. I'll talk when I can breathe again."

"Yes, Sir," she saluted in a witty response before driving off quickly with a lead foot and a screech of her tires. Once we were a safe distance from the cesspool of emotion that I called home, she turned to me during a red light. "So, Mr. Jaeger," she scoffed in introduction,"what happened back there?"

"My mom had a kid that she never told us about and he dropped by just now."

"What?! Wild. What happened? What did he say?" Petra exclaimed, hitting the gas again with an aggressive slam of her foot once the stoplight was green again.