Lost in the Echo

•1•power•

•Taylor•

Being apart from my daughter is the absolute worst.

As a parent, we do what we have to do to make sure they're fed, they're taken care of, smiling, happy, being there for them when they're sad, teaching.

But I do that apart.

I pulled into the driveway in my black Nissan GTR, putting it in park leaving the engine running.

My eyes followed the two story home that sits in the area and I opened my door.

I dragged my feet out of the car, shutting the driver side door behind me and continued my path through the beige pavement that leads to their front door.

Finally, I faced my reflection of the glass door, I knocked on the glass.

The woman that answered the door, I once loved.

"Hey. How are you?"

I nodded, "Good. You?"

"I'm good. Um, Kai is grabbing her stuff. Do you want to wait inside?"

She opened the door and I looked at her blonde neatly curled hair following her crystal blue eyes.

"Sure. Why not?"

My why not walk in the living room as I stepped inside and he smiled big.

"Hey, man. Picking up Kai?"

"Indeed, I'm picking up my daughter."

He wasn't clean shaven but he cleaned up well. Wearing a collar button up in the blue shade of the sky.

His long brown hair was tucked behind his ears slicked back neat with gel.

"I'm going to grab Kai," her mother says.

Leaving us alone in the living room, I tucked my hands into my black fitted slacks and I looked down at my matching all black slip-on Vans, just hoping to avoid conversation with this man.

"Busy with work?"

"Yep," I said shortly.

All he did was nod his head in pure awkwardness.

I slipped a hand from my front pocket threading it through my wavy black hair that is faded on the sides.

"Can I get you a beer or water? Kate is cooking dinner, you can grab a bite."

"Look, man. I'm just here to get Kai and go. I'm not staying. Forget it," my voice was stern and final.

Just as I finished my sentence, Kate's eyebrows furrowed with anger.

"Adrian? Seriously? This is why we can't get along. You are always judging him, spitting rude things towards him."

I rolled my eyes.

"I just came to get my daughter and go. You expect me to accept an invitation to stay in a house with the man you cheated on me with?"

"This again?"

Kai ran into the living room screaming my name, "Daddy?!"

Instantly, my "dad mode" flipped on, dropping the argument and I kneeled down, opening my arms to hug Kai.

"Hi, baby girl."

She kissed my cheek and I stood up with her in my arms.

I kissed her back on the cheek playfully, "I missed you, sweet girl."

"I missed you too, Daddy."

Quickly, I leaned down grabbing Kai's zebra printed duffle bag.

Kate walked me outside still following me as I reached my vehicle.