"Ugh......" She tiredly yawned. It was noon and Megan had been in bed the entire night.
Her vision was still hazy.
The memory part too.
She was struggling to understand that she had managed to fall asleep and getting even a decent sleep.
Surreal experience.
After spending sometime getting up, Megan sat herself up and checked the time on her phone.
12.20pm.
Yawning once again, she went downstairs to get a wake-up drink. Brewing the same old coffee.
"Ah-Choo!" Megan unexpectedly sneezed at her newly brewed coffee. And she remembered about yesterday night, the embarrassment.
Great.
Resulting in her needing to brew another cup again, but she didn't. Too lazy and fed up with herself.
Heaving a huge sigh.
Oh the day is going great.
As she was throwing the ruined coffee into the drain, a little girl went up behind her.
"Hey."
"H-Hey?" Megan shockingly turned around to face her. Weird.
Why is there a child here?
She wondered for a moment.
"My name is Scarlett."
And that's when it hit her.
Jack's Daughter.
His children are visiting today.
"Name is Megan, nice to meet you Scarlett." Megan bent down a little, introducing herself.
"I know who you are."
"You know?" She felt surprised. Did Jack told her?
"Can you come and play with me?" Scarlett asked innocently, with her hand reaching out.
"Sure, I'll gladly do." Megan formed a bright smile.
Children were always the apple of her eyes.
She grabbed upon the little child's hand and they both headed upstairs.
•••
Megan and Scarlett played together.
Following Scarlett, they did many things of what a 10 year old child would do for fun. Doll houses and dress up...They were in Scarlett's room.
A bright pink room, that was visually popping. It reminded her of the past, being a child.
Ahh the good old days, not entirely on the good side but it was still something.
After all, Youth was something we can never ever get back.
"So, what do you think about my dad?" Scarlett asked bluntly as she was dressing up a doll.
"Y-Your dad? Well I think, he is lovely as you are. You are lucky to have him as your dad, Scarlett." Megan caught the question by surprise, but quickly regained her composure. She never really thought much about Jack, but that's not entirely true. It was just that she couldn't find a proper concrete answer for it.
"Dad is a very lonely person. He just works and works, and stays home. Mom & dad, they are not together anymore. Mom is happy but dad is not. I wish he can find someone to make him happy..." Scarlett blabbered on about Jack. Unexpectedly, she was quite mature for a child, noticing these things and wanting her own father to find happiness.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he will find someone to make him happy one day. Scarlett, you are mature for a girl of your age. And he having you and Henry is enough you know." Megan patted the little child's head, in an attempt to comfort her. It was rare these days to see a child that is thoughtful and mature in a way.
•••
Lunch time.
Jack was preparing to bring his kids out for lunch.
"Henry!! We are going out!!" He raised his voice. "Yes Dad!" Henry shouted back from the living room.
Jack needed to find Scarlett, she was nowhere to be seen.
A thought suddenly came to him that she might be in her room.
Stupid Jack! Why did I never thought of that?
Jack quickly paced his steps up the stairs. He knocked on the door before entering. "Scarlett, we are going out to eat- Megan?"
"Oh hi Jack, don't mind me. I was just spending time with her. Now excuse me, I will get going." Megan looked blank, not knowing how to escape from this scene.
Not that she was doing anything wrong, but she felt like she was intruding something personal.
Family stuff.
Not in her area of expertise.
She timidly tiptoed out of the room, going under Jack's hand leaning on the door.
Just as she was smoothly exiting, Jack wanted to stop her. But didn't. He had thought about asking her to join them for lunch, but dismissed the idea immediately as he does not see the point or reason.
•••
"Dad, why didn't you invite her?" Scarlett was disappointed. She enjoyed being with Megan. "Sweetie, she is busy." Jack said, while concentrating on driving.
In truth, he just didn't had the balls to. Jack came up with a quick excuse on the spot. He didn't know if she had anything going on. Her job being an author, is something 24/7.
So he figured that it would not be a total lie.
"Oh well...But dad, you should know that Megan is a very nice person." Scarlett kicked her legs as she talked timidly. "Really? She even looks pretty, dad." Henry joined the conversation along.
"Calm down, where are you little ones getting at?" Jack threw in a few light laughs.
"Nothing..." The two kids were in synchronised. "You never really talk about other people before and...she's nice." Scarlett slurred her last few words.
"So how's school?" Jack decidedly changed the topic.
There was not much point and meaning in talking about this.
He had gotten a sense of what they were hinting at.
Little children, they should be worrying about their friends and school, not about their own dad's love life.
After tasting the bitterness of marriage twice, he was not in the mood for more love stories directing to end once again. He was getting close to the age where maturity seems to be taking effect. But unlikely now, he was experiencing this empty feeling that he could not explained.
It was not like he had nothing to live for. Well one thing for sure was that he loves his children a lot. They were like gifts from the heavens, if he could find a description.
Music was also his life. After all, he spend pretty much his whole life on it. Starting from picking up unwanted instruments from his brothers to dumpster diving. Learning instruments on his own. Joining and starting bands. Building his third man empire.
Music and him was always in a history that was non-stopping.
A great old friend.
•••
Lunch was simple and short. Making sandwiches in the kitchen.
She was sitting by the desk. With a pencil on her hand and a notebook on the table. Old school style. Megan was not feeling, the idea of typing on the laptop. She needed to switch her styles from time to time.
To make things more interesting and less dull, if you know what I mean. Playing around with the pencil, twisting it around like a student who's bored of class.
Mann...This is getting boring.
Megan was getting tired of writing at the moment, but good news. She wrote something, more like a few paragraphs.
Better than nothing.
It looks good, unlike the previous uninspired attempts. She finally had written something that does not make her go throwing it into the trash can.
Has life gotten better?
Things were starting to look brighter. Is an exaggeration yes, but to her is a new light. She had always live her life with no lights, no fire. Only fullness of the cloudy sky. Without any sun shinning on her. Her creativity was coming back. Great freaking news.
As she was busy playing with the pencil, a knock was heard on the door. "Yes?"
"Is Jack. Can I come in?" She could hear his faint voice. It was close to evening and she wondered why he was on her door? For whatever reason.
"Urmm...Sure." Megan continued playing with her pencil as he came in the room.
Jack was dressed in a orange t-shirt with a dark black jacket on him and jeans as usual. "So like I told you I would introduce my kids to you, but I kinda forgot-" He was busy explaining but had gotten cut off by Megan. "Is fine. By the way, Scarlett is a sweet girl." She said smilingly.
"Thanks for your compliment about my little girl."
"No problem. But she really is, you know...She even talks about you."
"Really? What did she say?" He had gotten curious, on what his child had said about him.
"Is honestly nothing, she just...wants you to be happy you know? Those kind of things haha. I gotta say she's quite mature for a child." After finishing her words, she made a few laughs.
"Ahh I see...I get what you mean." Jack scratched his head and chuckled.
"Oh yeah, sorry for yesterday. It'll not happen again, I promise." She stopped playing with the pencil in her hand.
"Nahh, is fine. Is normal for a missy being a child."
"Yeah wait- I'M NOT A CHILD, OLD MAN!!" She was nodding normally till she realised that he called her a child, causing her to start fuming in anger.
Megan is 26, a literal adult.
And you thought...They were not going back into their old ways.
"Haha...You sure? Your current behaviour is not showing any signs of maturity." He smirkingly said as he looked at her.
"Arghh. Don't judge a book by its cover!" Megan stood up from her seat, hands forming into fists. Glaring deeply into his eyes with her burning temper.
"Great use of quotes, Ms. author." He lightly chuckled in amusement.
"You know, if it weren't for your kids being here now...I swear, you will not see the light of your days."
Inner peace.
Even though she was feeling the urge to strangle him, she calmed herself down.
Doing her best in putting on a good behaviour for his kids. Only the kids.
"I Guess I'll get going now, don't want to interfere with whatever messiness that is going on with yourself. Just wanna to let you know that Henry is downstairs in the living room. With warm regards."
As she was preparing to unleash her annoyance at the cause, he quickly see himself out. Saluting with his left hand before taking a leave.
Leaving her fuming in the room all by herself.