Struggles of a Single Father (Book 1 of the Struggle Puff Series)

Chapter 51

Written – 9/01/2020

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Nine days.

It had been nine days since I had last seen Tilisia.

Ain had kept his word and updated me every day, but it wasn't enough for me. I needed to know more. I needed to know where she was and what she was doing. I needed to know if she was alright or if there was anything I could do for her, but every time I asked, all Ain would say was to give her time.

Easy for him to say since he was right there with her, I guess.

Days without her seemed to last longer, which made it so much worse. I tried to pass time at the café, but even that became a drag when Rosie wouldn't talk to me. Jake tried his best to keep me company, but those times were few and far between since he was busy helping Claire. Life was basically one big blah.

Or, at least, it was until the front door of my apartment was being rapped upon.

I wasn't expecting any guests, so I was slow in my steps to the door. The person on the other side was clearly impatient as they kept knocking.

"I'm coming!" I shouted, irritated.

Finally, I swung the door open and was shocked to see who was on the other side.

"Kimberly?" I breathed out in shock.

"Hey, Carter." She greeted with a small wave.

She looked different from the last time I saw her. Her brown hair was now cropped to her chin and she had bangs, her eyes were brighter than before, and she looked healthier as well.

"What- uh... What brings you h-here?" I couldn't hardly get my thoughts together considering the last time I saw her was supposed to be the end.

"Uh, it's a long story. Do you mind if I come in?"

I stepped aside and waved her in, catching a smell of the green apple scent she exuded.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I asked as I closed the door and followed her into the living room.

"Just a water please."

"Alright. Make yourself comfortable, and I'll get that."

It didn't take me long to get it, but the whole time, my brain was flooded with questions as to why she was here. When I handed it to her, she took a sip and smiled.

"You're probably anxious to know why I'm here, huh?" A mind reader, as usual.

"That would be an understatement, honestly. Although, I'm not so rude as to jump right into it without exchanging general pleasantries, so I am obliged to ask you how you've been."

"I'd hate for you to do anything out of obligation."

"Well consider it social obligation and personal curiosity."

Our conversation was flowing like it did when we first met, and it made me feel at ease. Our responses were always immediate, and we connected so well that there was never a need for pause in our conversation. We just always knew how to respond to one another.

"In that case, I am pleased to tell you that I'm doing great." She said with a bright smile, "I got a new job a few months ago, I'm in a good neighborhood, I'm financially stable, and I'm so much happier than the last time you saw me." She was practically beaming at this point.

"I can tell. Happiness has always looked good on you." I replied in a wistful manner.

"What about you? You haven't seemed legitimately happy either of the times I've seen you?"

I laughed wryly, "Well the first time you saw me, I was unhappy to have seen you, but I've made peace with you since then, so I'll let that be my excuse for the last time."

"And what shall your excuse be for this time? Poor manners? Perhaps some lingering disdain that is reserved just for the very sight of me?"

"A nearly broken heart, actually. For I have not only managed to potentially lose my interim girlfriend, I have also lost my- our daughter."

"No need to correct yourself. You raised her; therefore, she is yours. I've done nothing to earn the right to call her my own."

"Thanks for that." I said weakly, "Although, I'm doubting whether I even did it right."

"Why is that?"

"Because as we speak, she's running around with a sixteen-year-old boy whom she trusts more than me. I know of no rhyme or reason as to why she has chosen to put her faith in him instead. Have I done something wrong? Have I violated her trust in some way?"

Kimberly tilted her head to the side, as I continued to ramble off reasons as to why Tilisia wasn't here with me, until finally she cut me off.

"If you ask me, you're being awfully selfish about the whole situation. A disconnect in the parent/child relationship has less to do with who-did-what and more to do with what happened to who. It's a situational occurrence that few seem to understand." She sighed heavily, "It's not that you did anything. It's that something has happened to her that she might not know how to approach you with. You have to give her time and space."

"I've given her nine days and I have no clue where she is, so the space has definitely been given."

"Nine days?"

"And counting."

"Um... well. Oh..." This seemed to make her worry, which made me curious.

"You seem a bit flustered Kimberly. Why?"

She picked up her water and began to drink it nervously as I stared at her.

"Kimberly." I said sharply.

She stopped drinking her water and looked at me as if she were a deer caught in headlights.

"Y-yes?"

"Why did you come here today?" I had a feeling that if I had that answer, I would find the underlying cause of her sudden anxiousness.

"Right. About that, well... a few days ago, and I swear I was going to tell you this earlier, but wasn't sure how to approach it because you can sometimes-"

"Spit it out!"

There was that pause. The one that never came up between us when we were teens. And this pause seemed to make up for all the times we didn't because it seemed to last a lifetime before she spoke.

"About nine days ago, Tilisia and Ain came to visit me."