The Sun And The Stars •completed•

Mess Left Behind

Audrey stood in front of her Dad, a man who was tall and broad. A man with her eyes. It was strange and transfixing, to see someone with one of her features. Her Mom had green eyes, pale skin, straight hair. They didn't look alike at all. But this man. This man she didn't remember, had her eyes. 

Craig Moreno stood in front of his daughter, stunned into silence. He glanced back into his house guiltily. "I wanted you to see what you did to me." Her voice was steely, indignant. "You made me sick and then ran away." 

Craig focused in on her words, and shook his head. "What are you talking about?" He asked, glancing down at her balled fists. He tried to think of how she got to his house, and looked behind her to see a tall, lanky looking kid wearing... Were those wristbands? "Does your Mom know you're here?" 

"What kind of person doesn't tell their wife about a hereditary disease they might be carrying, gives it to their child, and then leaves?" She was ignoring his questions slowly getting herself into a frantic state. Craig stepped out of the doorway, and Audrey took a step back. He looked behind him once more, and Audrey followed his eye line. 

In his narrow hallway, was a green and red plastic tricycle. Audrey's throat went dry, and she felt the hatred, the hurt, radiating off of her. "You have a new family!?" She shouted incredulously, gaping at the toy cluttered hallway. Craig was reminded of his ex-wife. The fury in her voice, the stubbornness in her stance. 

"Quiet down." Craig hushed, gently closing his door behind him. 

"What, your new family doesn't know about the mess you've left behind you?" Eli was starting to panic, he could tell that Audrey was reaching her limit. She couldn't keep going like this. Audrey's blood boiled at the bewildered and slightly scared look on her Dad's face. Without thinking, she slapped him across the cheek, a clap sounding in the air. 

Eli ran forward, convinced that her Dad would hit back. He grabbed Audrey's arm, but she snapped her arm out of his grasp, refusing to look at him. Instead, she continued to stare daggers at her Dad, who was rubbing his cheek. Eli took a hesitant step back as he looked from Father to daughter. 

"Clean up your mess." Audrey said, her lower lip starting to quiver as she teared up. "Did you make any other kids sick? Or am I just the lucky one?" 

"Audrey," This man saying her name made Audrey's heart skip, "I don't know what she told you, but I didn't make you sick." 

"What?" Her heart was way out of tune, and she felt the urge to cough, tears blurring her vision. She shook her head, "It's hereditary." 

"It can be hereditary." Craig rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples, "Your case wasn't." Seeing the mortified look take over his daughter's face, Craig stepped forward to attempt to comfort her. Audrey stepped away, walking back until she was in the middle of his driveway. 

Audrey stared at the ground, too much was happening. There was a sensory overload, and her brain was in the middle of it, wondering why her Mother would lie. Her Dad stepped forward again, until he was just a foot away. Eli stood to the side, unsure and uneasy. 

"You were born with weak lungs." Craig sighed, "We didn't know. No one knew. I let you play out in the rain, and you got sick. The doctors thought it was hypothermia, but-" He paused, watching as Audrey started to pace, her forearms covering her ears. "She blamed me, but it would have happened sooner or later. The nurses even told us it was best we found out so we could start treatment. But Angie- your Mom, she went crazy. Told me it was my fault. She said she never wanted to see me again. She was-" 

"Enough." Audrey said, barely audibly, forearms still over her ears. She stopped pacing and stared at the concrete. Full of outrage and resentment, with no one to direct it to. Somehow, life had managed to screw her over again. She couldn't even get a little bit of justice, a fraction of closure. No. It was a fluke. A birth defect. There was no one left to blame.