Ghost City

21

The silence in the car as I drove Sagacity and Aurora back home wasn't even remotely close to the anger I could feel radiating off of Sagacity.

Breaking the silence, Aurora asked, "Daddy, why were you and Grandpa arguing?"

"Grown up stuff," I replied.

"You aren't friends?" she asked sadly.

"No," I answered, choosing not to lie to my daughter, but Sagacity's head snapped in my direction. "Would you rather me lie?"

She replied, "Keep Aurora out of it. She has nothing to do with whatever nonsense you and my father have going on!"

"Maybe she does," I shrugged. "Is he gonna take another nine months before realizing he was in the wrong again?"

"You both were wrong," Sagacity angrily replied. "Why do y'all even have beef?"

"You should ask him," I replied as I pulled up to the house.

"Well, I'm asking you," she reinforced. "Y'all were cool after I gave birth. Now, it's like you two hate each other, and I'm just having a difficult time understanding what went wrong."

I let out an icy chuckle as I replied, "It's not like we hate each other, we do."

"Why do you have such strong feelings about him all of a sudden?" Sagacity asked, and I sighed as I parked my car in the garage. I then hopped out the car and went to get her door, but she got out before I could reach her side. "Am I not getting an answer?"

"Seriously, City, drop it," I sighed as I opened Aurora's door and took her out the car.

"No," Sagacity shook her head while crossing her arms and standing in my way.

I sighed and placed Aurora to stand while looking into Sagacity's eyes, indirectly asking if she was really about to start a whole argument in front of our child. "This could get real ugly, City. Drop it," I warned.

"No," she reinforced with even more attitude in her posture and voice. She even added an eye roll to it, as if she wanted to piss me off more than I already was.

"So you really wanna do this in front of Rory?" I asked, trying to keep my cool.

"You didn't mind doing it in front of her an hour ago," she said, anger radiating off her and heating me up.

Sighing, I replied, "I'm not doing this shit tonight."

Aurora tapped my leg, so I looked down at her, and she replied, "You used a bad word, Daddy."

"I'm sorry, Princess," I apologized, and she nodded.

"Do you hate Mommy too?" she asked, and I could see her eyes already watering. I snapped Sagacity a cold look before looking down at our daughter and shaking my head.

I confirmed, "No, Pumpkin. I love Mommy, and I love you too, okay?" She nodded, but a tear slipped nonetheless. Both Sagacity and I crouched to her level as I softly asked, "Why are you crying?"

Aurora sniffled, "I d-don't like seeing you angry." More tears then began streaming done her cheeks, and I felt my heart breaking at the sight. "I-I don't l-like when you and Mommy fight either."

"I'm sorry," Sagacity and I said in unison to Aurora as we both reached to wipe her tears.

"Are you gonna leave, Daddy? Are you gonna leave and never come back?" she continued to cry, her eyes scrounged as tears trickled down her cheeks. I wiped her tears away, but more kept flowing, and I felt so bad that she was crying this much or even had those thoughts.

"Hey," I said as I continued to wipe her cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm so sorry, Aurora." She nodded and began sniffling as she calmed down. She then reached for my face and cupped my left cheek with her tiny hand. She then pinched my cheek and smiled slightly, and I smiled as well. She hadn't done that in a long time, and I was surprised she remembered about it.

I happily swooped her into my arms, and she giggled happily. I then smooched her forehead as I stood, and Sagacity stood as well. "Can you give Mommy a kiss too?" Aurora asked, catching me off guard. I halted in my tracks as I stared at Sagacity, who stared back at me with a look I couldn't read.

"Um...I don't think Mommy wants a kiss from me right now," I said to Aurora while still staring at Sagacity. I wasn't trying to get slapped in the face again...

With confusion evident in her voice, Aurora asked her mother, "You don't want a kiss from Daddy, Mommy?"

"Not right now, Sweetie," Sagacity replied.

"Not even an eency weency one?" Aurora asked, and I looked down at her only to see the hope in her eyes fading once more and her becoming a bit sad again.

I exhaled a quick breath before licking my lips and saying, "Come here," to Sagacity, who shook her head and began walking away. I looked down at Aurora and promised, "Mommy and I will be good tomorrow."

"Okay," she nodded before burying her face in my chest while yawning, and I knew she was about to knock soon.