Back To You

2

She couldn't believe it... wasn't he still suppose to be gone for another 6 months? She needed time to decide what exactly she was going to do now she had no time at all. This couldn't be happening...

"F... FP? What... what are you doing here? I thought you were still deployed?"

"Nice to see you too Al, they let me go, shit just wasn't working out."

"I see uh so can I get you anything?"

"The usual?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, when are you done your shift?"

"Uh at 5."

"Maybe I'll wait and we can go to Freds together to see him, I miss my best friend." He smiled at her.

"Shit shit" she thought to herself, if he came over he would see Charles and she didn't know how she was going to break the news to him so she had to think of something else.

"No. That isn't a good idea."

"Why can't I go see my friend?" He questioned.

"Uh, I was just thinking I could tell him to come here when I'm done my shift, then you guys can have dinner without me, I have to go right home after my shift to take care of something."

"You can't join us? What do you have to take care of? Do you have a boyfriend to go see or something?" He questioned.

"oh you know, your baby." She muttered under her breath.

"Subtle FP, no I don't have time for a boyfriend. Nothing important to you but it's important to me okay?"

"I just really wanted you to join us Al."

"FP I said I can't okay! I can't do this right now..." she said trying not to cry.

"Okay I'm sorry, did you get my letter?"

"I did. Thank you for thinking about me, but you really hurt me. I think we need to sit down maybe tomorrow and talk, I have some things to say to you."

"Alright where?"

"Sweetwater?"

"Sure sounds good, 10am?"

"Yes."

"Okay bye Al, see you then."

"Bye FP."

She was at work but all she wanted to do was break down and start crying, she couldn't she had to pull herself together.

On her break she decided to call Fred and ask him if he knew FP was coming, and if he could meet him at Pops at 5.

"Fred?"

"Alice?"

"Did you know FP was coming home early?"

"Um... uh..."

"FREDRICK ANDREWS!"

"I mean yeah I knew that's why I told you this morning to talk to him."

"I WAS GOING TO BUT ON MY TIME! THIS IS HARD ON ME AS IT IS."

"Alice I'm sorry..."

"Are you coming tonight to meet him at Pops?"

"Yeah I am."

"Well he wanted me to join you guys but I need to go home to my son. I'm meeting him tomorrow at Sweet water so please don't say anything to him in the meantime. I promise tomorrow I'm going to tell him."

"If you say so. You know my parents can watch him while you have dinner with us..." He said.

"No, I haven't seen my son all day and I don't want to be away from him more than I need to."

"Alice..."

"Fine tell them I'll be home at 7:30 for him to put him down to bed. But don't tell FP I'm staying."

"I won't see you tonight."

"Bye Fred."

Alice finished her shift and got out of her uniform and sat in a booth waiting for Fred and FP. Just then she saw them both walk in.

"Alice? I thought you said you had to go home to do something important? Not that I'm complaining mind you." He said with a smirk.

"Relax FP. Fred asked me to stay, I'm not here for you."

"Wow okay." He said with sadness in his voice, he really just wanted to be with her but at the same time he understood why she was being so closed off, or at least he thought he knew.

They ordered their food and about an hour later Alice heard the bell chime at the door. She saw Mrs. Andrews walk in with Charles.

She turned to look at Fred hoping he saw and could make sure FP didn't see.

"Shit shit" she muttered

Just then Mrs Andrews started walking up to the table. Alice wanted to die.

"Hi guys how's your dinner? FP how was your deployment? Good to see you son."

"Mrs Andrews, it was alright, not sure why they let me go, who's this little guy?"

Alice looked at Mrs Andrews shaking her head

"Oh uh I'm just babysitting for a neighbour!"

"What a cute boy."

Just then Charles went to reach for his dad, maybe he knew he was his dad or something.

"You want me buddy? Why?"

Alice was trying not to cry, the sight of them together, Charles giggling at his dad just made her heart break, maybe she should have told him from the beginning.

"Alice?" FP questioned. "You alright?"

"Uh Yeah I just have to go to the bathroom."

FP handed Charles back to Mrs Andrews and ran after her.

"Al."

"Al!" He raised his voice.

"Alice!"

"FP just go away!"

"I need to know is that baby yours?"

She opened the door to let him in the bathroom not caring that it was the girls bathroom.

"Is he your baby?"

She couldn't stop the tears so she just nodded.

"How old is he?"

"Almost... almost 6 months..." she said between sobs.

"So he's either mine, and you decided to not tell me, or you cheated on me. Which by the way I never cheated on you, when I was with vixens we weren't together."

"Right, because I wasn't good enough to tie down. To make things official with. I tried so many times to talk to you and you kept blowing me off."

"Is he mine?"

"I can't talk right now okay? I'll see you tomorrow at the river and we'll talk."

"Alice.."

"No FP. Tomorrow at the river."

"Fine."

Alice walked past him, tears still in her eyes. She grabbed Charles from Mrs Andrews and headed towards the door and saw Fred outside.

"Did you tell him?"

"He knows the baby is mine, he doesn't know he's his. Don't tell him I'm still meeting him at the river tomorrow. I just want to go home."

"Let's go."