✧𝙽𝚘𝚊𝚑✧
"Noah," Alex groans when I stop yet again. "Fuck, it's like shopping with Aaliyah." He huffs impatiently.
"I'm going to tell her you said that." I hum as I pick up a little Batman bracelet.
Alex's eyes widen. "Noah," He's already pleading with me.
I ignore his pleas and show him the bracelet. "Hey, kids like Batman, don't they?"
He looks more worried about me snitching to his wife about what he just said but answers me anyway with a shake of his head. "Elaina isn't interested in superheroes." He argues.
"No, this is for Elaina." I lift up the little stuffed bear in my other hand. "What'd you like as a kid?" I mutter as I hang onto the bracelet for now.
"Me?" He frowns as he shuffles along when I begin wandering the store again.
"Yeah, c'mon. What'd you like? Superheroes?"
He scratches the back of his neck while he thinks. "My toys were mostly hand-me-downs." He mutters. "And broken."
I sigh deeply, turning to face him while I stop my shopping. "Alex," I urge impatiently.
He scoffs. "What? Why do you even care?" He harshly returns. "What did you play with?"
I shake my head and turn back to a different shelf. "I didn't play with toys much when I was seven." I mutter. I was a little busy making sure my sister didn't somehow accidentally off herself when she was left alone for anything more than half a second.
"Are you looking for a specific toy for a specific age?" He questions nosily. "A seven-year-old kid could probably tell you what he wants."
I wave him off. "Okay, but it's not a gift if he knows already." I huff and pick up a unicorn plush. I tilt my head at it.
"Okay—I didn't have a lot of toys, but I sure as hell didn't play with unicorns."
"This kid does." I dismiss under my breath. I look between the Batman bracelet and the unicorn plush.
"What kid, you fucking creep?"
My jaw drops as I look over at him. "Dude—"
"Are you kidnapping someone's kid?" He pushes. "Because—fuck—if you wanna be so fucking specific, you might as well just skip to renting the white van."
"The fuck is wrong with you?" I grumble as I shake my head and look away from him. "I'm not kidnapping someone's child, asshole."
"Then what the hell are you doing?"
I let out a deep sigh as I look back at him. He watches me expectantly while I check over his shoulder in case my sister decides to magically pop up. It's a skill she gained sometime after having Elaina. It's horrifying, but she does manage to catch Elaina in the act of almost accidentally offing herself with this skill. Most of the time, she uses her powers for good. Most. I look around to make sure this isn't the day for evil.
"Noah." Alex impatiently coaxes.
I nod at him to acknowledge him so he doesn't think I'm just ignoring him while I think. Thankfully, he waits for me this time around. "Okay, look..." I hesitantly begin. "I was in a pretty bad place before Aaliyah stopped talking to me. And it didn't get any better afterwards." I remind. Alex blinks a couple of times like he didn't expect me to open with that, but he nods. "I did things I'm not proud of, and it hurt her a lot."
"Is this about the time when you stole her car to go to California for two weeks then proceeded to total it?"
I stare at him for a few seconds. "No, but thanks for reminding me to get her a gift while I'm here too." I mutter as I look around the store absently.
"Noah, focus." Alex quickly calls for me when he realizes my mind is wandering. And when it wanders, I'll forget what I was telling him. He's terrified of this. Probably because it happens to him every day with Aaliyah. He can't stand an unfinished thought.
I clear my throat and look back at him. "Okay—No. That's not what this is about." I answer his question from before. "No, what I'm talking about is her final straw."
"You mean when you crashed on her couch for a month then sold all her shit for alcohol money while she was out of the house trying to figure out how to get your license unsuspended for you?"
"Stop interrupting me, Alex." I harshly demand. "I don't need your fucking help."
He scoffs. "You're going so slow. Just get to the point already."
"I mean when I made all her friends go away." I finally get to what I've been trying to say, speaking fast so he doesn't interrupt me. Luckily, he doesn't go again. I'm silent for a moment just to be sure though. "I slept with them and then ghosted them." I remind. I'm sure he knows it very well though.
Alex stares for a long moment before his eyes slowly narrow. "Kiara." He says her name like it's a curse. I look away from him in an attempt to escape his scowl.
He reaches out to shove my shoulder to get my attention again. I'm quick to look back at him and take a short step back. "Hang on, hang on. I can explain." I offer, realizing I should've kept going before I paused.
Remind me to never use the art of the dramatic pause around or for Alex. He sucks at receiving it.
"She just made her friend, Noah." He sneers, growing angry on her behalf since she's not here to do it herself. "Do you know how excited she's been about this? To make a new girl friend all on her own?" He questions, following me when I take another small step back. "You couldn't keep your dick in your pants for ten goddamn seconds?"
"It was a long time ago." I blurt out desperately before he decides to possibly hit me. He looks like he wants to. He lets me go on. "We met in a bar and ended up checking into a hotel." I vaguely explain. "Seven years later, she shows up at Elaina's birthday party." I shake my head softly. "Neither of us thought we'd ever see each other again. You never do!"
He sighs deeply. "Fine." He accepts, I guess deciding that I have a point. "What's she got to do with...this." He waves his hand in the direction of the gifts still clutched in my hands, reminding himself of why we're talking about this in the first place.
I swallow thickly. I haven't actually told anyone yet. I have a hard enough time acknowledging it out loud much less talking about it so openly. "They're...for Cameron." I mumble as I look down at the gifts.
"Cameron? What, her kid?" Alex scoffs. "No fucking way. Just leave her and her kid be—Forget about it and let Aaliyah have her friend."
"Cameron's seven, Alex." I remind, in case he doesn't know his age.
He stares some more, this time for a longer time. Eventually, he shakes his head. "You're reading too much into it." He decides confidently. Basically, what I had thought in the moment.
"She told me." I counter. He shakes his head more as he looks away from me. "I'm supposed to meet him this weekend." I add awkwardly.
"Shit, Noah." Alex raises his hand to drag it through his hair. For a second, I squeeze my eyes shut to brace for impact. Luckily, he doesn't decide to smack the shit out of me like I probably deserve.
"Yeah." I quietly acknowledge. Then slowly raise the unicorn plush and the bracelet. "So...which one?" I slowly try to smile.
He stares like I've lost my mind, but ultimately nods to the bracelet. "He carried that thing around the park like it was his one and only." He reasons.
I nod and set the unicorn back where I found it. "That's what I was thinking." I agree.
He's silent for a moment longer while he watches me go back to scanning different toy shelves. "Thought you said you didn't want kids." He mumbles.
I look back at him and shrug softly. "That was before when I had a choice to plan it." I reason. If I could help it, I didn't want to try my hand at it. But I can't help it now. And I can't step away when I already know he's out there.
"Aaliyah's gonna hate you."
"Yeah." I softly smile to myself as I reach for a shark stuffed animal up top.
It's a battle between her and him then. I don't want to lose my little sister again, but I can't let myself be that asshole deadbeat dad either. I won't.
Alex sighs deeply. He reaches for a couple of walkie talkies on a different shelf. "I mostly liked these." He offers. I hum quietly as I take them from him.
"Yeah, me too."