Stained Red

Chapter Twenty-One

Stained Red Chapter Twenty-One

Isaac sighed as he hung up the phone. He had just gotten off of it after talking to his mom who had called to tell him about her conversation with Natalie and telling him how Natalie had confessed to everything. She had even kept apologizing and telling him she was sorry she had pushed for him to reconcile with her. In the end Isaac had to tell her that she had nothing to apologize for. All the mistakes that had been made were in the past.

Truth be told Isaac had always suspected Natalie's reasons for choosing him once he had known the truth about Theodore. It wasn't that hard for him to realize Taylor had been in no shape to be a dad and Zac well he had just gotten Kate back so of course Natalie wouldn't have wanted to jeopardize that.

Isaac understood much more than he should have where his wife was coming from back then and knowing that she had confirmed what he suspected didn't change a thing. He was still in love with her. He would still go back to her in a heartbeat if he was for sure that he could get past her having another baby by Taylor but that was the one thing he wasn't sure he could get past. How could he? How could he push aside the little resentments he'd have with this baby. Resentments that made him feel petty and childish. He didn't resent Theodore but then again for most of Theo's life he had been kept in the dark about his paternity. He had grown to love Theo blindly as his own and he wasn't sure he could love this new baby the same.

Standing from the couch which he was sitting on he reached for his keys and decided that right now he needed to take a drive. He needed to clear his head and just be free for awhile. Free from thoughts of Natalie and her unborn child. They were after all a part of the reasons he had left Tulsa and found himself here in Alabama.

Getting in his car he started it and drove off from the small apartment he had been renting. The night he had left Tulsa he had drove until he felt he was far enough away. Far enough that he could just be himself and be happy for a bit and that turned out to be here in this small town not far from Birmingham. The first few weeks he had stayed at a motel but eventually he had decided he wanted something more permanent and that's when he went apartment shopping. It had taken him to three apartment complexes before he chose the one he lived in now.

The apartment he had chosen was fairly modest. A simple three bedroom apartment. He had chosen it just in case he decided that leaving Natalie was best. Then he could move away from Tulsa and everything else and start over with a place big enough for him and the children whenever he got visitation with them. He knew visitation was all he'd want. He wasn't sure he could willingly take all three of them from Natalie and he wasn't even sure if legally he could even take Theodore at all though he'd check into his options when or if that time came. Right now a part of him was still pained to even think about leaving the woman who he had grown to love and still loved despite her misdeeds.

Pulling his car into a local ice cream parlor Isaac got out after he parked and headed inside. He wasn't sure why he came here but ever since leaving Tulsa he had decided to stop planning things and just do. Let life go as it would until he knew it was time to go back home. Until he knew it was time to face Natalie again.

Going to the counter he placed an order of just a plain chocolate cone and once it came he took it to a table and sat down getting lost inside his thoughts as he enjoyed the cold treat in his hands. He knew it would have been nice to have the kids here but right now wasn't the time. Right now was time for him to figure things out and he knew with the kids around he couldn't do that. Though he also couldn't just cut off all contact with them. That was why he called them once a week to check in and make sure they knew he loved them that he would always love them though the past week or two he had a feeling Theodore was getting jaded. He just sounded more distant and didn't want to be on the phone that often letting Henry have more time on it.

"Isaac?" a voice questioned bringing him out of his thoughts and he turned his head a smile appearing on his lips as he came face to face with Kate and his niece and nephew.

"Kate," Isaac finally spoke as he watched her walk over to where he was. "I didn't even see you guys come in or know that you were in Alabama."

Kate laughed as she let Junia and Shepherd get in first before she sat down handing them both napkins so they wouldn't make a mess, "I'd reckon you didn't hear me. You looked to be elsewhere," she said knowing he looked like he had been lost in thought. "I almost didn't see you either but as we were about to leave Junia asked if that was uncle Ike and I turned around to see you," she nodded as she chewed on her lip when he said he didn't even know they were in Alabama. "We're only visiting. My grandma is sick and I wanted to be here."

Isaac nodded as Kate spoke, "Does Zac know you are here?" he asked though he knew even if Zac knew there would be nothing he could do. His mother had filled him in on Zac's divorce and the fact that Kate had petitioned for physical custody while Zac only got the kids once a month.

"He knows," Kate nodded as she forced a smile at the mention of Zac. "But what can he do? I'm the one with custody of the kids."

"Doesn't your arrangement seem kind of harsh?" Isaac asked as he eyed his former sister-in-law. "I mean I get he messed up by lying to you. By keeping a huge thing from you but I mean it's in the past and he loves the kids," he said as he looked at Shepherd and Junia who seemed oblivious to the conversation going on.

Kate chewed her lip again. She was used to people calling her arrangement harsh but it was the only way she had felt some justice in this. "Weren't you being harsh when you asked Natalie to abort Taylor's baby?" she asked feeling like they were both even. They both had done shitty things to their shitty spouses.

Isaac went silent at Kate's words because she had a point. Who was he to call her on being harsh when he had been the same way to Natalie. "Touche," he nodded as he finished his ice cream cone.

Kate smiled some when Isaac didn't question her anymore. "I do let him see the kids more than once a month especially if the kids ask to see him," she spoke as she looked down at her hands were she still wore her wedding band and engagement ring. Even though she was done with Zac she just couldn't get the heart to take them off yet. "I also didn't just divorce him for lying to me either," she corrected as she shook her head. "Things weren't okay between us," she said knowing they had always acted like they were but they could only pretend for so long. "I always felt like I was second to some invisible woman in his life and he never would tell me who. Hell during our arguments he'd tell me I was crazy because I was the only woman he'd loved and been with. Once I knew about Natalie it all finally made sense."

"You're saying you think Zac's in love with Natalie?" Isaac asked as he raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help but think Kate was paranoid now. In all the years since Zac and Natalie had ended he had never gotten vibes that Zac was in love with her but then again he had been blind to so much and hadn't even noticed that Theodore could possibly be anyone else's.

Kate nodded her head as she looked up from her hands, "I think he is but I don't think he is ready to admit it to himself yet," she answered knowing that Zac could be stubborn. "How could he not love her? I mean you and Taylor do. It's like that girl has a golden..." Kate started but stopped as she turned to look at her two children. "Well you know what I was going to say hopefully," she blushed as she looked back at Isaac.

Isaac laughed at Kate's words because he knew what she was going to say, "She doesn't," he said shrugging. "She really doesn't which is probably a good thing in the end," he smiled as he tried to picture having sex with a woman who had a golden vagina. It really wasn't a pretty picture for his little Isaac at all.

Making a face Kate shook her head, "All Hanson men think with the wrong head," she teased before looking down at her watch for the time. Getting up from where she sat she instructed Junia and Shepherd to get up and once they had she looked down at Isaac. "I should get going but call me sometime maybe we can meet up without my kids this week. I'd like to talk to you without having to worry about little ears," she nodded before turning her back to Isaac and leaving.

Isaac watched Kate leave and he sighed. He knew he probably would call her. He could use the company and Kate always had been good company for him whenever they had hung out which really hadn't been much as she was always much closer to Natalie.

Standing from the table himself he headed outside to his car. Getting in he started it and drove off heading back to his apartment. Maybe now he could actually not think of all the troubles he had left behind. Maybe he could think about his upcoming plans with Kate whenever he'd get up the nerve to call her.