No Spare Key

Chap 4 🪓

"Shallon, I know Wyatt is a pain in the ass but please don't flip your shit.  What's the worst he can realistically do?"
"Give a real genuine effort at taking your daughter, Lu!" Shallon flips her blonde hair and huffs
"I can't believe you're defending him.."
"I'm not defending him, Lonni, I just don't think it's necessary to put a hit out on him." I whisper the latter part of that sentence afraid the waiter or another table could hear us
"Fine. Do what you think is best, I'm not here to tell a grown woman what to do."
"Thank you. I really appreciate you caring so much, I mean it but there are other ways to handle this."
"Yeah, well.." She mumbles
"You know it's kind of a pity."
"What is?" I ask, taking another fry.
"His sister," she pauses to take a sip of her drink " is kinda perfect for you. If only women could reproduce with each other, then we truly wouldn't need men." She sighs
"We're getting close to being able to actually, but what did you mean Jen would be perfect for me?"
"Babygirl, she's exactly who Wyatt pretended to be when you guys first met. Smart, funny, sweet, considerate. Hell, she's his sister so looks wouldn't be a problem for you. And I specifically mean for you, cause frankly I have no idea what you see in Wyatt Schaefer." She says reaching for her drink again
"What I saw, and yeah. Maybe. I'd be a little awkward for me to suddenly start dating my daughter's aunt, though. Although Jaime might not have a problem with it." I chuckle
"I'm sorry but I just don't find it funny, Lucy. Wyatt beat you, took your pride, and your dignity, and your hope and now he wants to try again or take your daughter away, too? Fuck that, and fuck him, baby. Let the punishment fit the crime."
"I mean he didn't beat me, per se. All he did was push me down when he got really frustrated, and apparently not something the police think is anything more than a domestic dispute.." I remember bitterly
"Fuck those shitdick cops, too." She muttered
"Shallon, I know you're a big fan of vigilante justice but I promise I will handle this."
"You'd better. The last thing you and Rosie need in your lives is that good-for-nothing asshole."

****
The radio in my car isn't even on, I forgot to turn it on when I started driving. I'm so stuck in my head.
Shallon made a solid point, Wyatt would be nothing but a massive waste of time in my past if it weren't for the conception of Rose. She's the only thing that made the entire relationship with Wyatt worth it. Wyatt and I are inherently different people. Born and grew up in different places, raised by different people, different cultures, have different values, completely different morals, different priorities.
In the fairy tail early days, those things don't seem to matter that much. If we love each other, we can work past anything, right? Who cares if my mom doesn't like you? What's it matter that your dad treats me like I'm just something passing by for the moment and there's no way I'm here to stay? You have huge issues caring about people in any substantial way? I have huge issues trusting people? Doesn't matter, we're a match made in heaven. I can feel it.
You stupid bitch, you don't know shit...
You know the worst part, is you feel like someone who drove past a stop sign and ended up driving off a cliff. People warn you, they tell you something's wrong. People who love you, your sister, your best friends, tell you it's not a good fit, that you could do better. And the sick thing is that just makes you dig your heels in deeper. Until one day you look around you and realise what you've buried yourself in. You're embarrassed and don't want to admit you fucked up, chose wrong, so you hide it. You tell people he makes you happy, that you feel so fucking incandescently joyful. You end up having to lie to everybody about how you feel. On some level you also do that to lie to yourself so you don't have to recognise the loss. You know it should be over, you don't wanna have to lie to people who love you over pride and stubbornness, but when a child comes in the mix that becomes a little more complicated than just crawling back to your loved ones with your tail between your legs and your head down. It's not just you anymore.
"A child needs their father, it's not right for a mother to be single."
"So when is your husband coming?"
"Nothing a father could do would be worth not being able to see their kids."
I have to wonder what these people would say if I wasn't divorced but just a widow. I should probably start telling people that. That's what I should've said at the open house in Rosies school. All those pretentious PTA moms, looking at you so sweetly and saying the most judgemental shit on the planet.
"So where's the hubby, Lucile?"
"Oh he passed away, yeah. Freak dildo accident, I didn't know how far up a man's colon was TOO far up. Tragic, really. At least I hit his back door g-spot before he croaked though!"
That should shut them up.
As if you're incapable of being a good parent unless you're legally chained to the idiot you procreated with. People like that are why other people, maybe they themselves, end up feeling like they have no way out of a shit relationship. Why I felt like I was drowning every day.
People make mistakes, doesn't mean they should be tethered to it as if a fuck up was a life sentence.
And on the topic of mistakes...
Of course he's here...

"Can I fucking help you?" I ask Wyatt rhetorically while walking up to him as he's resting on the door of his car outside my apartment building
"Yeah you could take me back and let me see my daughter." He replies back simply, as if it were really that easy.
"Sorry, we're outta that."
"Luce c'mon-"
   "I'm sorry, but do you really not get how desperate and creepy this is?" 
I really wish I brought my bag out with me, that's where I keep my pepper spray.
  "Lucy you can't really intend on never letting me see my kid.  I understand you're still pissed at me for being a shit husband and that that aspect will take some time but Rosie's still my daughter."
  "There's so many things wrong in every sentence you just said." I mutter loud enough for him to hear
  We both hear the building door opening and look to see Jaime holding the door open and Rosie coming out from in between his legs running out to greet me with her tiny arms wide open
  "Mami!"
I catch her and pick her up while Jaime follows her and very clearly sees the situation at hand...