I'm Just Here for the Dog | Jeff Wittek

Chapter X

"Ano, Ama." I said quietly, playing with my hands.

"Ano, Kenzie." My father responded. "Come in, it's cold outside, I don't want you sick before you go back to L.A."

He stepped aside to let me in and walked in, the warmth hitting my face instantly.

"You said you wanted to talk." He said.

"I do." I sighed "We haven't spoken in years, Ama, and I don't want us to have no relationship. I want to be able to have my father walk me down the aisle at my wedding and I want my future children to know their grandfather-"

"Are you getting married?" My father cut me off.

"What? No. I- I just want us to have a better relationship, Ama. We haven't spoken in God knows how long and I don't want that anymore and I really hope you feel the same, because, Ama, I do plan on getting married one day and I do plan on having kids and I want you to be there."

He didn't say anything he just nodded.

"I would like that, as well." He said, not looking at me.

I heard the front door open and saw my step-mother, carrying my practically infant brother, walk through. There were two differences I noticed: my little brother was walking and my step-mother had a baby bump. A forty five year old woman is pregnant.

"Kenzie." She said, looking at me with a surprised look on her face.

"Hi, Elizabeth." I said smiling, walking over to her. "And hello little one."

"I didn't even know you were in town."

"I just got here yesterday."

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"You're not here for very long."

"I know, I have a few essays I have to work on over Spring Break."

"You're on Spring Break?"

"Yes."

"That means your going to be on Summer Break soon. Are you going to be coming home during Summer?"

  "Probably. You know David, he likes taking weekend trips home."

  "How's Medical School?" My Ama asks, when Elizabeth takes Jackson, my baby brother, upstairs to change his diaper.

  "It's good." I responded. "It's my first year, so I have another three good years before I can start my internship at the UCLA Medical Center."

  "Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center?" My father asked for confirmation.

  "That's the one."

  "I didn't realize you wanted to stay in Los Angeles."

  "I've made my life there, and I think if I did my internship at Northwestern, Ano would be breathing down my neck the whole time."

  "She definitely would. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure." I said, with a small smile.

For three hours I sat and spoke with my father and even my step-mother. I told him about everything. I told them that I had agreed to start playing tennis with David every Friday afternoon, I told them that Ilya and I were starting to become friends again, I told them how well I was doing in medical school, and for some reason I even told them about Jeff. I've never even spoken to my mother this way.

"This Jeff guy, he doesn't sound like the best guy in the world to be hanging out with." My dad said, crossing my arms. "I mean, he's been to jail, he's from Long Island, and he hit you in the leg with a paintball gun."