Prologue
I can’t believe him! That two-faced, slimy sack of-
“Momma!” I jumped at the sudden shout of my name, turning on my bare heel as I caught my daughter’s sprinting figure into my arms. My anger melting into a little smile as she snuggled her blonde, curly head into my chest.
“Good morning, baby.. How’d you sleep?” I pulled her back. Glancing down into her bright green eyes as she smiled, swaying as I kept my arms hanging around her. “I swept okay.. Momma, where’s daddy?” Laken furrowed her thin, blonde brows as I clenched my jaw. She didn’t deserve this... No, child deserves a sorry dirt-bag for a father.. God, I hope that sorry excuse for a man rots in the depths he crawled out of!
“Um, daddy is at work, sweetie.. He needed to get a few things done before your party later.” I replaced my sick feeling with a smile as Laken’s eyes lit up at the mention of a party. They got even brighter when she realized I had said it was a party for her..
“It’s my party! It’s my party!” Laken began to chant while wiggling in my grasp. This made me chuckle as I straightened my back watching as she jumped and danced around.
“Do you remember what the party’s for, sweetie?” I asked as she furrowed her brows, shaking her head as she lifted her arms, attempting to ask me to pick her up. I swept her up from the hardwood floor. As we made our way into the kitchen, the air crisp and salty smelling with the back door open.
“Um.. No..” She murmured as I sat on her the marble counter, her little chubby legs swinging over the edge. As I moved around the kitchen, grabbing things for breakfast in an attempt to keep myself busy.
“Your turning four, baby! Your turning into an even bigger girl than you are, now.” I gushed as I placed the ingredients on the counter. Before scooping her up in my arms, her laughs flowing into the air as I blew raspberries into her neck.
“You’re silly, momma!” Laken squealed as I hugged her close before placing her on the floor, as she wandered next to me.
“Not as much as you, my little libel. Now,” I paused as she stood on her tiptoes, her eyes and nose hardly reaching over the counters’ edge. I giggled before grabbing a small stool for her to stand on.
“Now, why don’t I fix us some breakfast and then.. Maybe, you and Momma can go surfing..?” I bit my lip as she turned her head towards me. A large smile already breaking across her little-chubbed face as she squealed again.
“Yes, yes, yes! Please, please can we go now?” Laken jumped as she hung onto my neck, making me stumble back as I laughed and rubbed my short nails against her back.
“Ah, breakfast first, but you can go change into your wetsuit and then we can go out, okay?” I smiled as she squealed and jumped out of my arms. Her little feet padding against the wooden floor as she ran down the hall and into her room. The door closing as she most likely started her adventure to find her wet suit..
“God, she is too much like me..” I shook my head as I turned back to my main goal.. Breakfast. I began to cut and peel the various fruits I had sat out — bananas, strawberries, and kiwis for Laken and I’s acacia bowls. My hands busy with breakfast, but my mind began to wander back towards this morning’s thoughts.. And my discovery.
The house phone rang, causing me to gasp and drop the paring knife I held in my tight grasp. Setting it down and moving towards the hutch, answering the phone without a second glance.
“Hello, Kohler residents, Torryn-”
“Torr, it’s me..” I clenched my jaw as I licked my lips, feeling my throat grow dry and my stomach began to knot up.
“Why in the great heavens, are you calling here?” I spat while glancing behind me, double-checking that Laken hadn’t come back from changing yet. Huffing, I moved outside onto the porch as the shrieking of seagulls flew overhead. The loud waves crashing into the rocks and the shore while other locals played away.
“Torr, come on.. It’s our little girls’ day and I’m stuck at the office,” Malik began to complain as I rolled my eyes. Taking my free hand and wrapping it around my other arm as I attempted to not shout and lose control of my temper.
“Don’t lie to me, Malik! I’m not some.. Idiot! I saw the messages, the photos... Everything! Whatever you and Jemma have, you can keep it! I should’ve listened to my brother about you — you’re some high-classed jerk who thinks of no one but himself!” I hissed into the phone as I paced around the light wooden porch. My messy bun bouncing in protest about my anger fueled steps.
“Torryn, that’s not — whatever you think you found, that’s not what’s happening!”
“Oh, would you shut it! It’s our daughter’s fourth birthday, and this — THIS is the present that her daddy is giving her? An upset momma and a disgrace to her last name.. I hope you rot.” I growled into the phone as hung up, not wanting to hear any more of his excuses. Yet, as I went to stomp back inside, I stopped as I met the large, yet confused filled eyes of my daughter...
“Libel.. Laken, I thought you were changing to go surfing?” I frowned as I moved back into the house. Placing the house phone back on its stand as I knelt down in front of her, small tears developing in her eyes.
“Momma.. Are you upset with daddy..?” Laken’s voice shook as I stared at her wide-eyed. She had heard.. Not all, but most of what I had growled out. I developed her in my arms, holding her against my chest as I raked my nude colored nails against her clothed back.
“Oh, libel.. Momma and Daddy are just... Not seeing eye-to-eye right now, that’s all.” I whispered, my own voice failing. While I attempted to comfort my four-year-old after hearing her shout at daddy about.. Momma’s supposed best friend.
“Is Daddy still coming home..?” She whispered as I cleared my throat and brought her back to where I could see her green eyes.. God, she had to get his eyes, didn’t she?
“Laken, I love you and.. And I don’t know if Daddy will be coming home,” I paused as I glanced back to her face, seeing more water develop in her eyes. She looked up and whispered, “will you leave too?”
“No! Oh, baby, no — Momma is never going to leave you, not now nor ever.” I whispered furiously as I grabbed the sides of her face, her eyes still reddened with tears. I licked my lips and brushed my thumbs over her cheeks.
“I promise.” I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against her as she sniffled.
“Double promise..?” Her voice shook as she attempted to refrain from breaking down. I smiled and kissed her nose, whilst still holding her head.
“I’ll triple promise you, libel,” I smiled as she looked up at me with a large, happy grin as I stood she followed my figure. “Now, why don’t you finish getting changed and we can go eat our bowls outside before heading to the ocean, okay?” I ruffled my hand through her tufts of dirty blonde hair as she nodded. Before rushing back to her room as I watched with a sad smile.
She didn’t deserve this. No child deserves to have such a rotten, malicious, disgusting, sorry excuse for a man, father. And yet somehow, I had wound up marrying one and subjecting my child to feeling the pain of losing someone. But I guess the world works in mysterious ways. Causing suffering to someone to break them, only for them to rise and become better than they were before. And I plan on coming back with a very hard punch.
