He'll come through

Chapter 15 - Meet your Daddy

Chapter 15

Lilah barely slept, all night different scenarios crashed through her head almost violently, and it definitely didn’t help that Freddie woke at just after six; it seemed he was picking up on the atmosphere, and was as restless as her. Downstairs in the cosy living room, she settled into her favourite armchair and started to feed the hungry, disgruntled baby.

Two hours later when Maria finally came downstairs, awake and ready for the day, Freddy was fast asleep on her belly and she was watching 24 hour news, more disruption, greed and crime on a global scale. Glancing up she smiled at Maria. She was such a pretty girl, with her mother’s caramel skin, but her father’s influence assuring she had pale eyes and light brown wavy hair. As she yawned and stretched Lilah noticed that she’d suddenly shot up in height and her Mylee Cyrus pyjamas were only coming to mid shin.

                “I think we need a shopping trip!” Lilah smiled at her, ignoring the almost audible groans from her strained bank account. “You’ve grown!”

                “Have I?” she asked heading for the kitchen, coming back in with a huge bowl of Cheerio’s covered in milk.

Lilah laughed, “Well you eat enough for a ten year old!”   

                “Can I watch my TV?”

Lilah nodded, that meant cartoons or some cheesy Disney show, so moving to sitting without disturbing Freddy, she carried him up to his bed.  Scooby Doo was blaring when she came back down into the lounge, so turning it down slightly; she sat next to Maria and ruffled her hair, “so what are the plans for today?”

Maria chewed her cereal thoughtfully, then swallowed deliberately, “well I’ve promised to help Gramps to feed and groom Hotdog, then there’s the parade at eleven, before the cricket. I’m helping Emma and Paula to get the ball if it goes over the fence into the school...” she dropped to a whisper, “thought Paula’s dad plays for the opposition and he said no one in this town can hit it that hard anyway!”

                “Ah! I imagine my father went mad?”

Maria nodded chuckling, “he said it was a glove being thrown down!”

Lilah paused for a moment, “ah, you mean a gauntlet! That means he’s been challenged.”

She nodded then continued eating her breakfast.

Lilah stuck with coffee and fruit, she didn’t have much appetite after her previous evening’s guest, so she nibbled at a nectarine all the time her mind racing, trying to foresee every eventuality.

Another hour later, she’d showered and loosely dried her hair, scooping it up in a loose top knot, her denim shorts were very short, and it was only now with the fact she’d be seeing Quinn, that she appreciated maybe just how short they were. Taking a deep breath she shook the thought from her head, he had nothing to do with her, no hold, no power. The strapless top was her favourite, and it did give her a little more confidence.

Maria was dragging her heels gathering all the things she felt she may need for a fun-filled day, and Lilah had Freddy, still asleep in the pram, ready to stroll the few yards it literally was to her parents by the time she was ready.  As far as she knew she was still meeting Quinn at the cliff-top cafe, as per their original arrangement, and she wasn’t looking forward to it, but at least Maria would be busy with her parents, wouldn’t be witness to all that might be said between them.

She was giggling and chattering uncontrollably as they made their way along the track that connected the back of the two houses Lilah loved to see her so happy, it was sad that she’d had to experience losing both parents as she had, and it was Lilah’s mission of the summer to sort out her future permanently, though she knew that her thoughts wouldn’t be welcomed across the pond.