FOTD, Cherry Chocolate Chip 19: Truth
Title: Truth
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: FOTD (undertone: a low or subdued tone of speaking, an underlying quality or element; undercurrent.), cherry chocolate chip 19 (responsibility), malt (Sara's truth or dare: Has Nathan ever done anything he's truly ashamed of?), whipped cream (Aaron is nine), fresh peaches (A very active Moon stirs up all sorts of emotions tonight, including jealousy).
Word Count: 825
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Melanie raises a concern, Nathan says something he shouldn't have, and a lot of things lie just under the surface.
"Dad!" Aaron ran up the stairs, backpack bouncing. "Dad, dad, dad!"
"Hey, kiddo!" Nathan bent down and hugged him. "How was your weekend? Did you have fun with Mom?"
Aaron nodded gleefully, and Nathan took a brief moment to be grateful that he was not a typical nine-year-old. Someday he'd hit the sullen age where he didn't want to acknowledge either of his parents, but that day, thankfully, was not today. "Lots. We went to the zoo, and she helped me do my report."
"That's good!" he said, as Melanie came up the stairs behind their son, at a rather more sedate pace. "So all of your homework is done?"
"Well..." Aaron drew the word out, which meant the answer was 'no, not remotely.' "Almost."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Mmhmm. Well, you get inside and start on the part that isn't done."
"Oh, Dad!" A distinct whining tone entered Aaron's voice. "I'm almost done!"
"Almost only counts in horsehoes and hand grenades, kiddo. Inside." He looked down at Melanie, at the look on her face, and added, "I've got to talk to your mother."
Aaron blew a raspberry and went inside, dragging his feet the whole way.
"Lord," Nathan said, looking after him, and shook his head. "You'd think he was going to his execution."
Melanie, usually ready for a joke, ignored this, and leaned her hip against the wall. "Who's Ivy?"
Nathan blinked. "Ivy? She's Gail's daughter. Why?"
"Ah," Melanie said, the sound almost a hiss. "Gail's daughter. And would you like to tell me what business you have introducing her to our son?"
Okay, Melanie was pissed. About what, though, he had no idea. "I thought they'd like each other. They did, as it happens."
"Oh, I know that." She smiled at him, not happily. "All weekend long, it was Ivy this and Ivy that. What did she do to him?"
Nathan folded his arms. "She's four, Melanie."
"My point exactly. Aaron is nine. What on earth does a nine-year-old find interesting about a four-year-old?" There was a sharp, bitter edge to her voice that he did not llike at all.
Nathan, nettled, said, "She's a very interesting four-year-old. Where are you going with this?"
Melanie narrowed her eyes. In very deliberate and measured tones, she said, "I think it is irresponsible of you to introduce our son to the daughter of someone you may leave tomorrow."
"It's been two years," he replied, straightening with irritation. "I'm not leaving Gail. And just where the hell do you get off telling me who Aaron can and can't play with? I'd say that's his decision."
Melanie snorted. "He's nine. He can't make good decisions yet. And I am his mother! Don't I get any say in his life?"
He very nearly rose to that bait, but bit it back, mindful of his son just on the other side of the door. "You get plenty of say in his life. As much or as little as you want to have." Okay, so he couldn't resist that little dig. "I still don't see what your problem is with Ivy."
Melanie didn't answer directly. Instead, she hitched her weight away from the wall and began ticking points off on her fingers. "Aaron mentioned that you had her over, while her mother was away."
"I was babysitting," Nathan said. "Arrest me."
"You took her and Aaron out for dinner."
"Multiple times," he said. "Along with Gail. Which specific one are you objecting to?"
Melanie glared at him. "He even said that you bought her some books."
Nathan threw his hands up. "She'd just learned to read!"
"The point, Nathan, is that you are treating her like she's your child! She's not, Aaron is!"
"And is he complaining?" Nathan retorted. "Has he said he feels neglected? Not to me."
Melanie snorted again. "He doesn't need to. She isn't your child, Nathan. She has a father."
That got to him, more than anything, that blithe assertion that just because genetics demanded it, Ivy had a father. "No, she doesn't," he said, through his teeth. "She has a sperm donor who ran off when she was an infant. She doesn't have a father any more than Aaron has a mother."
Melanie stepped back, as if he'd slapped her. "Fuck you," she said, voice low and shaking. "Fuck you, Nathan, I am trying."
"Not hard enough," his mouth said, without any input from his brain.
She drew herself up erect, and her face became very remote. "I've got Aaron next weekend too," she said. "Tell him to pack his swimsuit. We're going to the beach." She turned away from him, and walked down the stairs, her back stiff. Nathan, watching her go, nearly called out an apology, but her straight spine and careful posture forbade all attempts.
He had nothing to apologize for, anyway. He'd spoken nothing but the truth, even if it was a truth Melanie didn't want to hear.
Wasn’t it?
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: FOTD (undertone: a low or subdued tone of speaking, an underlying quality or element; undercurrent.), cherry chocolate chip 19 (responsibility), malt (Sara's truth or dare: Has Nathan ever done anything he's truly ashamed of?), whipped cream (Aaron is nine), fresh peaches (A very active Moon stirs up all sorts of emotions tonight, including jealousy).
Word Count: 825
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Melanie raises a concern, Nathan says something he shouldn't have, and a lot of things lie just under the surface.
"Dad!" Aaron ran up the stairs, backpack bouncing. "Dad, dad, dad!"
"Hey, kiddo!" Nathan bent down and hugged him. "How was your weekend? Did you have fun with Mom?"
Aaron nodded gleefully, and Nathan took a brief moment to be grateful that he was not a typical nine-year-old. Someday he'd hit the sullen age where he didn't want to acknowledge either of his parents, but that day, thankfully, was not today. "Lots. We went to the zoo, and she helped me do my report."
"That's good!" he said, as Melanie came up the stairs behind their son, at a rather more sedate pace. "So all of your homework is done?"
"Well..." Aaron drew the word out, which meant the answer was 'no, not remotely.' "Almost."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Mmhmm. Well, you get inside and start on the part that isn't done."
"Oh, Dad!" A distinct whining tone entered Aaron's voice. "I'm almost done!"
"Almost only counts in horsehoes and hand grenades, kiddo. Inside." He looked down at Melanie, at the look on her face, and added, "I've got to talk to your mother."
Aaron blew a raspberry and went inside, dragging his feet the whole way.
"Lord," Nathan said, looking after him, and shook his head. "You'd think he was going to his execution."
Melanie, usually ready for a joke, ignored this, and leaned her hip against the wall. "Who's Ivy?"
Nathan blinked. "Ivy? She's Gail's daughter. Why?"
"Ah," Melanie said, the sound almost a hiss. "Gail's daughter. And would you like to tell me what business you have introducing her to our son?"
Okay, Melanie was pissed. About what, though, he had no idea. "I thought they'd like each other. They did, as it happens."
"Oh, I know that." She smiled at him, not happily. "All weekend long, it was Ivy this and Ivy that. What did she do to him?"
Nathan folded his arms. "She's four, Melanie."
"My point exactly. Aaron is nine. What on earth does a nine-year-old find interesting about a four-year-old?" There was a sharp, bitter edge to her voice that he did not llike at all.
Nathan, nettled, said, "She's a very interesting four-year-old. Where are you going with this?"
Melanie narrowed her eyes. In very deliberate and measured tones, she said, "I think it is irresponsible of you to introduce our son to the daughter of someone you may leave tomorrow."
"It's been two years," he replied, straightening with irritation. "I'm not leaving Gail. And just where the hell do you get off telling me who Aaron can and can't play with? I'd say that's his decision."
Melanie snorted. "He's nine. He can't make good decisions yet. And I am his mother! Don't I get any say in his life?"
He very nearly rose to that bait, but bit it back, mindful of his son just on the other side of the door. "You get plenty of say in his life. As much or as little as you want to have." Okay, so he couldn't resist that little dig. "I still don't see what your problem is with Ivy."
Melanie didn't answer directly. Instead, she hitched her weight away from the wall and began ticking points off on her fingers. "Aaron mentioned that you had her over, while her mother was away."
"I was babysitting," Nathan said. "Arrest me."
"You took her and Aaron out for dinner."
"Multiple times," he said. "Along with Gail. Which specific one are you objecting to?"
Melanie glared at him. "He even said that you bought her some books."
Nathan threw his hands up. "She'd just learned to read!"
"The point, Nathan, is that you are treating her like she's your child! She's not, Aaron is!"
"And is he complaining?" Nathan retorted. "Has he said he feels neglected? Not to me."
Melanie snorted again. "He doesn't need to. She isn't your child, Nathan. She has a father."
That got to him, more than anything, that blithe assertion that just because genetics demanded it, Ivy had a father. "No, she doesn't," he said, through his teeth. "She has a sperm donor who ran off when she was an infant. She doesn't have a father any more than Aaron has a mother."
Melanie stepped back, as if he'd slapped her. "Fuck you," she said, voice low and shaking. "Fuck you, Nathan, I am trying."
"Not hard enough," his mouth said, without any input from his brain.
She drew herself up erect, and her face became very remote. "I've got Aaron next weekend too," she said. "Tell him to pack his swimsuit. We're going to the beach." She turned away from him, and walked down the stairs, her back stiff. Nathan, watching her go, nearly called out an apology, but her straight spine and careful posture forbade all attempts.
He had nothing to apologize for, anyway. He'd spoken nothing but the truth, even if it was a truth Melanie didn't want to hear.
Wasn’t it?