Falice 2

Stick Around

Alice let out a sigh. "I've got someone...so no." She shook her head. "I just wanted to see you again." She admitted. "Thanks for the ride." She turned her back to him and walked to the door. FP watched her go in. His eyes lingered on the house before leaving.

He drove back to the fair. It was getting emptier as it got darker out. He could see less and less of the town's folk walking around.

His act was over so he just sat around. All he kept thinking about was Alice. It was nice to run into her again. He just wished it was mutual. Was it?

These thoughts weren't going to leave his head any time soon. He got a crazy idea and hoped it wasn't that crazy.

He drove back to Alice's house. He walked up to the front door and knocked. He knocked again and the door was pulled open to reveal an older woman with a baby in her arms.

"Hello, is Alice here?" FP asked.

"She's working."

FP recognized the woman to be Alice's mother. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes, I remember you." She certainly did.

FP looked down at the baby boy. "Who's that guy?"

The woman pursed her lips. He really didn't know. "He's yours." She revealed. FP's face went blank. She thought he deserved to know. "You wanna hold him?"

FP rubbed his hands clean. Alice's mother passed him over. He was careful when grabbing him. It felt strange to hold a child. His child to be specific. There was something about it that he couldn't quite describe. An emotion that struck him deep inside. He was a father and he didn't know.

"His name's Charles."

Soon after having a moment with his son he was off to the diner to find his mother. He looked in through the glass door to see her serving a customer. She took the empty tray back to the kitchen. FP let himself in and shuffled over to the counter where he took a seat. Alice came out and noticed him. She took a deep breath and walked over to him. "Can I get you anything?"

"Is there anything you wanna tell me? Anything you think I might wanna know before I leave here? Forever? Never come back?" FP was not going to beat around the bush with her.

Alice realized that he knew and she did not want to do this here. "Let's go outside." She made her way out the door. FP followed behind.

"So you weren't gonna tell me?"

"It was just a fling, right?" She shot back.

"That means you don't have to tell me?" FP shook his head in disbelief. "You see it's common courtesy to let the father know."

"I haven't seen you in like a year. You just took off. You never even called me."

"Thirty minutes ago I knew that I had to leave in a couple of hours. Now I don't know what to do." FP shared his thoughts.

"I know what I have to do. I have to go to night school. I have to work here. I have to take care of Charles-"

"I want to take care of Charles. The two of you."

"How do you plan to take care of us?"

"Don't say it like that," He could hear the doubt in her voice.

"It's just a question. Look I'm managing the way it is. I have Hal now. We both have it under control."

"Charles is my son. I want to provide for my son." FP was determined to be a present father. "Look, my old man wasn't there for me and look how I turned out. I don't want this for my boy too. What do you want me to do to change your mind? Do you want a place of our own? I know a guy with a trailer in these parts. I could sell my bike and get a truck. We could hook the trailer to the back and travel."

"What about my mom?"

"She can come."

"What about Hal?"

"He can stay." FP easily said. "He can find his own girl and his own kid."

"Sounds like a nice dream," Alice stepped away.

"Al," He called out for her, but she ignored him.

***

It was the afternoon for the next day when FP knocked on her front door again. Alice answered this time around. "FP? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sticking around for my family," FP smiled at their son. He had quit his daredevil work and intended to find something more practical. He held out a stuffed dog he bought for the boy. He booped his nose with it making him giggle. "This is his new dog, Hot Dog."

"Hot Dog?"

"I don't make the rules," FP defended his choice of the name.

"With those terrible naming skills I'm glad you didn't have a say in naming Charles."

"Charlie likes it." FP shrugged it off. "Are you busy? I came by to make up for some lost time?"

"It was just us before you showed up. My mom's running errands and Hal's at work."

"So can I?"

"You are his father. You have a right." Alice handed the baby over to him. He happily accepted, cradling him and the toy. "You can join us. I won't bite." FP took a seat on one of the steps. Alice filled the spot beside him. She watched as FP looked down at their son in awe. "What's he like?"

"He's a silly baby. Loves to laugh and smile. He's definitely charming. A very good boy."

"You're a good boy, huh?" He tickled his little belly and was awarded with that laugh Alice loved. "Attaboy. Keep that up for your mama. Does he get rewarded with Pop's milkshakes?"

"No."

"You don't let him have it?" FP gaped. "I'm not even from here and I know those are the best milkshakes. You're making him miss out."

"It's not that I don't let him. He just hasn't had one yet."

"I want to be the one to give it to him, so whenever he has a milkshake my face appears in his little head." FP pressed Charles against his chest and pushed himself up.

"What are you doing?"

"Come on. He's going to have a treat today."

***

FP brought the straw up to Charles's mouth, but was teasing him with it whenever he leaned forward to try it. Alice smacked FP's shoulder. "Stop doing that to him."

FP chuckled and let Charles have a taste of his chocolate milkshake. "See he loves it." He adored the way his tiny face lit up. "I knew he would. Who wouldn't?"

"I didn't doubt it." Alice rested her head against his side. "It's nice."

"I wish I could have done this with him sooner. I'm sorry for disappearing the way I did." Alice listened to him talk as she held in her tears. "I don't intend on missing anything more. I meant what I said about staying."

"I believe you. You're really good with him."

FP draped his arm around her. His hand rubbed her shoulder gently. "Thank you for raising him so well so far. I couldn't imagine how hard that was, but I know you did an amazing job."

"Stop talking before I burst." She didn't want to cry. FP smiled and covered her eyes. He whispered in her ear, "Now no one will ever know."