“What?” dad grunts, cutting me off before I have a chance to continue. “What the hell did she want?”
I scoff. “She wanted to dump us with her kid, that’s what.”
“Excuse me?” he roars, suddenly not sounding so sleepy. “What the fuck are you talking about, Henley?”
“Her kid,” I repeat. “She knocked on the door at one in the morning. I opened it, she asked if you were here, and then pushed a kid through the door before practically running for he life. She didn’t even give me a chance to ask what the hell was going on. Here one second, gone the next.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he grunts, clearly trying to control his anger.
“Dad,” I say softly. “This kid…well, she has your eyes. I don’t even have your eyes, but she does.”
“What?” he stutters. “That’s not possible. Your mom’s been gone for years. That could be anyone’s kid. How old is she?”
“She’s five. If you do the math, it’s extremely possible. Actually, it’s the only logical explanation. Don’t have a heart attack on me, but I’m almost certain this is your kid, dad.”
The line goes silent for a short moment. “Are you sure?”
“Well…I.”
“Henley, are you fucking sure?” he roars.
“Yeah. She would have had to be pregnant when she left.”
“Fuck. Where’d your mom go? Where is she?”
I shake my head, even though he can’t see. “I don’t know. She pushed Aria through the door and said ‘She’s your problem now,’ and took off. I…I don’t think we’re seeing her anytime soon.”
“Shit.”
“Dad?”
“What?”
“I don’t think Aria has been cared for very well. She has no clothes, she hasn’t eaten since breakfast, and she scares easily.”
“Fuck,” he sighs so low, I don’t think I was even meant to hear it. “Ok, look. I’m halfway across the fucking country. I can finish the job later, but I won’t be home for a few days. Can you hold down the fort? Give the kid what she needs and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Ok,” I say as the buzzer for the oven goes off. “I have to go,” I tell him. “Her dinner is ready.”
“Alright, Squish. Call me first thing in the morning and we’ll work it out. We’ll get some DNA tests done and work out what the hell happened to your mom. You’ll be alright, ok? Just…chin up.”
“K, dad. I’ll talk to you later.”
I hang up the call, feeling a little better about the situation, but still completely freaking out. I mean, how am I supposed to look after the kid for the next few days? I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a child or what she would even need.
I grab the pizza from the oven and put it up for her before walking out into the living room and placing the plate down on the couch beside her. “Hope you like pizza,” I murmur.
Over the space of the next two minutes, I watch as she annihilates the pizza as though she’s never eaten before. “Slow down,” I tell her. “There’s more than enough food. You don’t need to make yourself sick. You’re safe here.”
Her eyes flick up to mine for the briefest second before she focuses back on her dinner and I realize I should probably get her a drink to go with it.
I hurry back into the kitchen and grab a glass before filling it with water. I’m just about to walk back out when I reconsider and change the glass for a plastic tumbler. You know, couldn’t be too careful, right?
I get her sorted and before I know it, the yawns start ripping out of her.
Alright, next challenge. Where the hell is she going to sleep? Couch? No. That only leaves my bed or dad’s. So, which would she be more comfortable in? Dad’s bedroom is cramped, messy and has a rifle on the fucking wall, so I guess mine would be the best choice.
“Come on,” I tell her, holding out my hand. She takes it straight away and a funny feeling settles into the pit of my stomach. I could be wrong, but it feels like some kind of weird protectiveness claiming me. This kid is now my kid to take care of and I guess it’s finally sinking in.
I take her into my bedroom and find one of my shirts that’s a little too small and pull it over her head, on top of her old shirt and laugh at the way it looks like a dress on her, but it will have to do for tonight. “This is my room,” I tell her. “You can sleep in here tonight and we’ll sort you out something better tomorrow.”
She nods her head and I help her climb under the blankets before pulling my phone charger out of the wall to take with me. “Will you be ok?” I ask. “Do you need the door open or, I don’t know…the light on?”