Twisted Fate

Iris

We pull up into the driveway of Mrs. Kerrigan's house and I spot her standing by the door of her house with Iris by her side. My heart thumps wildly as it sets on me that Oliver and Iris were about to meet for the first time.

Not how I had imagined today going at all. I watch her start running towards the car as fast her her two tiny legs can go and I immediately get out to hold her. My poor baby, I think. No child should have to stay away from their parents all day like this. As an orphan, nobody understood that more than me.

I didn't have a choice but the guilt still consumed me for leaving her alone every day.

"Mamma!" She cries and immediately stuffs her tear stained face into me has I take her into my arms "Why are you always late?" she proceeds to scream.

"I'm sorry baby" I say softly as I rub her back soothingly. I look at Mrs. Kerrigan mouthing thank you inaudibly. She smiles at me reassuringly and hands me Iris' backpack. I turn around and put both her and the bag into the car. I hug Mrs. Kerrigan goodbye before getting in myself.

"This is my address" I give my phone to Natasha as I try to console a struggling Iris in my arms. She seems to not be done with her tantrums yet. I feel a sense of embarrassment as I realize what my screaming child must've looked like to these two strangers.

Even if one of them is her father, a small voice reminds me.

Natasha looks back a little worriedly as she hands back my phone. "She seems quite upset" she says to me awkwardly.

"Yeah, she doesn't do well when things don't go her way" I reply back in a teasing tone, trying to ease the awkwardness somehow.

Natasha giggles and turns to look at Oliver. "Sounds like someone else I know" She says cheekily.

Oh God. If only she knew.

"You never keep any of your promises! You never take me out! You never come to my nursery like the other moms! You are always late! I HATE YOU!" Iris screams, as if realizing all my attention wasn't on her.

"Ssshh.. we'll talk at home, please" I say in a low voice, trying to reason with the raging toddler.

My day could not be going worse. It had to be the most rotten luck in the world to find myself and Iris in this situation.

"NO! I want to talk NOW" She yells pulling at my hair. I hiss at the sudden pain then proceed to untangle her fingers from my hair.

"Iris PLEASE" I whisper yell, tears threatening to fall out. I couldn't even bring myself to look at the two quiet figures sitting in the front. I was too embarrassed. I just wished this nightmare to end. This day couldn't possibly get any worse, I thought as Iris continued struggling and crying in my arms. Oliver probably thought I was way more pathetic than he had previously assumed. Natasha was probably glad she didn't have children.

"Hey! That's enough! Do not yell in my car and sit down like a proper young lady!" Oliver suddenly yells from the front seat. I look up through teary eyes. His eyes are focused on the road but I can see that he was clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. He probably hated this car ride even more than I did.

Natasha audibly gasps, hitting Oliver on his arm. "What the hell dude, she's just a kid!" She whisper yells at him.

"I-It's okay" I say quickly from the back. Iris, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically sitting next to me now, extremely quiet. That was odd. She had never before been told to shut up without proceeding to yell even more after.

"I'm sorry, Oli's never been around kids it seems" Natasha said, glaring at Oliver.

"Iris is sometimes... she can be difficult. I'm sorry" I say, looking at Oliver. I don't know what I was hoping for, for him to know Iris wasn't easy to raise or that he wasn't wrong for yelling. I don't even know why it would matter to me if he did feel bad about yelling at a child, because I knew he was capable of much worse.