Your Chance

Chapter 16

Harrison came up the stairs just as Carrie ran out to her car. "Miss Reynolds, are you okay?"

Debbie shook her head. "Go with Carrie, I'll watch the kids."

He ran outside, seeing her fly out of the driveway. Running back inside, he grabbed his truck keys, and followed Carrie.

After following her for a few minutes, he concluded that she was going to her moms house. And she was driving quite aggressively. Carrie ran a red light, the front of her car hitting the intersection as the light turned red. Harrison was forced to stop, swearing to himself as he lost her.

He pulled into her parents driveway as she got out of her car, storming up to the house. Harrison hurriedly got out, noticing the red car parked outside for the first time. "Carrie!"

She looked over her shoulder, disregarding him as she went inside. "What the heck Carrie?" He mumbled.

Carrie walked up the steps in her parents house, stomping so they could hear her. She wanted them, especially her father, to know she was coming. Approaching the bedroom door, she clenched her fist, the only thing keeping her from beating the shit out of him was the woman he was with. The woman who wasn't her mom.

It wasn't the first time, or the second time. It was the third. She put up with it as a child, and so had her mother. Her mom had stayed with this pig for her and Todd, even though he continued to use her.

Carrie fought back tears. The first two times weren't as hard for her. She didn't know what love was. But now, being able to understand what her mom had dealt with, it hit her harder. After her ex boyfriend from high school cheated on her, she had trouble opening herself up again until she met Harrison. She was afraid of someone leaving her again just as her father had left them.

Sure she had good times with her father. Like the time he took the whole family on a trip to Alaska. But the times that were easiest to remember, were times like this.

Carrie put a hand on the door, taking a deep breath. The noises she heard from behind the door, only added to her anger. She opened the door, slamming it against the wall, and barging in.

"Carrie! Honey, what are you doing here?"

"EDWIN FISHER!"

"Easy Carrie," he stammered. "What's going on?"

"YOU'RE WHATS GOING ON!" She yelled. "HOW CAN YOU DO THIS AGAIN!? NOT JUST TO ME, BUT TO MOM, TODD, YOUR GRANDKIDS!?"

"Sweetheart please-"

"ITS NOT THE FIRST TIME EDDIE! ITS THE THE THIRD! HOW IS MOM SUPPOSED TO HANDLE THIS FOR THE THIRD TIME!? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL MY KIDS WHERE GRANDPA WENT!? AND HOW ARE TODD AND I SUPPOSED TO HANDLE NOT HAVING OUR FATHER FOR THE THIRD TIME!?"

He had nothing to say. "JUST WHY!? WHAT BRINGS YOU TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY FOR HER!?"

Turning to the woman next to him, Carrie asked, "what's your name?"

"Connie Stevens," the woman answered, her voice barley audible.

"Get dressed and get out," she ordered.

The woman did as told and soon left. "Carrie Francis Fisher!"

Carrie's nostrils flared as 'Fisher' rolled off his tongue. She hated when people called her by her maiden name.

"I don't know what pleasure you get from hurting the people you love," she said quietly. "But I'm done with this, and so is mom."

"Carrie, please!"

She silenced him. "IM DONE! IM F**KING DONE! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING BACK TO ME OR MOM!"

"Please Carrie! I can't lose you."

"You already have," and with that Carrie left.

On her way out, she slammed right into Harrison. "I should expl-" He cut her off with a hug.

"Let's go."

She nodded. On their way out, she grabbed a few things for her mom. Clothes, other credit cards, insurance papers, and other valuables. Once they finished packing a few bags, headed outside.

"CARRIE FISHER!" Her dad yelled, coming down the front steps.

Carrie rolled her eyes in disgust as he came out of the house wearing nothing but a pair of pants. She walked around to the drivers side of the car. Opening the door, she felt his hands on her shoulders, stopping her.

"CARRIE FISHER! DON'T YOU LEAVE!"

"Mom and I are done with you!"

He pushed Carrie against her car. "I-"

"That's enough!" Harrison snapped, pushing her father away. He held her car door as she got in and watched her back down the driveway.

"AND YOU BOY!" Eddie followed Harrison over to his truck, stopping him from closing the door.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but DO NOT HURT CARRIE!" He slammed the door in Eddie's face and backed down the driveway.

The whole ride home, they talked on the phone, Carrie explaining everything. "My parents got officially divorced after he left for the second time when I was 9. Although they got back together, they never got remarried. My mom put up with him for Todd and I, especially when we were little. I just can't process him hurting her again."

"I know sweetheart," his voice said through the phone. "Your mom is a tough woman. She's going to be okay. I know it's been hard for you, having your dad around for certain times during your childhood."

"It aggravates me so much more this time. Being older, I know what it's like to be cheated on, and how my mom felt when he left her; twice."

Carrie sighed. "How am I going to tell the kids where grandpa went? And what am I going to tell our daughter when she grows up with one grandfather, wondering what happened to her other?"

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes."

"We brought two kids into this world with four loving grandparents. Our baby girl's only going to have 3."

They pulled in the driveway, Carrie seeing Todd's car. Harrison opened her car door, helping her out and taking her in his arms. Looking right in his wife's eyes, he whispered, "it's going to be okay Carrie. You have me, the kids, your mom, Todd, it's going to be okay."

She nodded, burying her face in his chest. "I love you Carrie, and I promise I'll always be here for you? Okay?"

"Okay."