I'm sat on the living room floor with my friends, mark and Jackson. My mom walks in and puts Evelyn on the floor. She walks over to us. I take off my headset.
"Honey you look so beautiful! Is that the dress nana got you?" I hug her. She giggles. "Yes nana get it" she nods. "You look like a princess" I say.
She looks at Mark as he yells at the screen, annoyed that he's losing the game. I hit his arm. He looks at me. He looks at her. He smiles.
"Oh, hi" he takes off his headset. "Hello" she says. "Um.. daddy I hungwy" she looks at me. "What do you want to eat?" I ask. "I don't know" she says.
"I'll make her something" my mom goes into the kitchen. "Do you want to play with us?" I ask. "What play?" She furrows her brows. "Has mommy not played video games with you?" I gasp playfully. She shakes her head.
"I'll teach you" I say. She smiles, walking closer to me. She hides her face in my chest. I smile, pulling her onto my lap.
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"Ev, you're so good!" I say as she tries to play the game, not actually succeeding but she doesn't have to know that. She claps her hands happily.
"Um" she says. "What?" I ask. "Mawk" she points at him. "Oi" I tap him. He looks at us. "Do you like dwess?" She asks. I smile wider.
"Her grandma gave it to her today.. doesn't she look like a princess?" I stand her up. She jumps up and down excitedly.
He looks at me. "Just say she looks nice for fucks sake" I whisper. "You look beautiful" he says. I hit Jackson. "You look great" he says. She grins. She hugs Mark. He smiles, picking her up. He hugs her. My friends adore her.
He puts her back down and she hugs Jackson too. "Can we play my toy now?" She asks. "Sure, go and get it" I chuckle softly. She runs away.
"She's so cute" Jackson says. "Let's hope she doesn't take after her mother" Mark says. "Mark" I say. "She's a bitch.. keeping your own kid from you" he says. "I think she's going through some stuff" I say quietly.
"She can't even pay for her either.. and you can't even see her" Jackson scoffs. She walks back in with four barbies. We all shut up.
She sits infront of us all. She passes us a barbie each. "Thankyou" I say. We just hold them as she plays with hers to make her happy.
I tuck her blonde hair behind her ear, looking at her as she plays. She looks exactly like meredith, but with my eyes. She's the most perfect person ever. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love her.
She smiles at me. I smile wider. My mom walks in with meredith behind her. "Hi" she says. "No! I stay here" Evelyn starts crying as soon as she sees her. She hugs me, pushing her face into my chest.
I look at mark, feeling awkward and not knowing what to say to meredith. "Its okay" I hug her.
"Mommy peas can I stay with daddy for bit long?" She asks. "Do you wanna stay here for a bit?" I ask. "We can stay for a bit longer but then I need to take her home" she says. I kiss her head. She sniffles.
Meredith stands infront of us. She's so stubborn. "Mer, sit with me" I say. She sits down next to me. "How are you? You okay?" I ask. She looks into my eyes. I smile small. "Yeah" she finally says.
She hides her face with her hair as Mark and Jackson gibe her dirty looks. "Do you want to play?" I pass her marks controller. She smiles.
"Mommy's much better than me" I hug Evelyn tighter. "Weally?" She asks. "Way better" meredith says.
"Did you cash out the check?" I ask. She nods. "Good" I say. Mark scoffs and Jackson chuckles. "I have to go" she stands up, visibly upset.
"No, mer stay.. guys I'll speak to you later" I look at mark and Jackson. They get up. "Bye little monkey" Mark waves at Evelyn before leaving.
We sit on the couch instead. Evelyn is still playing with the controller on the floor. "What's up?" I look at her. She had tears in her eyes. "Mer" I furrow my brows.
"I'm sorry" she starts crying. I wrap my arms around her. She cries into my chest.
"You haven't seen our daughter in two weeks because of me" she says. "I know" I say. "I just-" she wipes her tears.
"I haven't been able to leave my bedroom.. I feel like shit" she whispers. "Have you spoken to your therapist?" I ask. She shakes her head.
"What's wrong?" I ask. She ignores me. "Mer" I say. "I don't have anyone.. I'm so stressed and I don't don't have someone to talk to about it" she says.
"You can talk to me" I say. "We're not together" she says. "Just because we're not dating doesn't mean I don't love you" I say.
She looks at me. "You love me still?" She whispers. "I'll always love you" I say. She hugs me again.
"But I don't want you keeping my baby from me.. its selfish and I need to see her just as much as you do" I say. "I'm sorry" she says.
She pulls away. She looks down at my lips as we realise our faces are just centimetres apart. She kisses me.
I pull away from her. "What are you doing?" I whisper. "I miss you" she says. Throughout the time of us breaking up, we did kiss a few times.. but never more. We never got back together.
"I'm seeing someone" I say. "I know" she says. "Mer" I say. She kisses me again. I put my hands on her cheeks. She runs her fingers through my hair. I put my hands on her waist and pull her closer.
