Amore Mio

IV. My Muffin

Six Months Later

Alice: 11 years old

Neilson: 19 years old

❋

Alice’s POV:

I sit inside the giant turtle tunnel at the park. Wrapping my arms around myself, I bit my trembling lips. Taking a sniff, I wipe off the tears from my face.

“It was an accident. Daddy didn’t mean to do it. He wasn’t feeling well today, that’s all,” I told myself, twiddling my dirty toes against each other.

***

Unlocking the front door, I dropped my backpack and threw off my shoes. “Daddy, I’m home!”

When I didn’t hear any sounds, I walked into the living room, seeing dad passed out on the couch with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Dad started drinking more often ever since mom left us.

Biting my lips, I nudge his shoulder. “Daddy, you can’t sleep here, or else you will catch a cold,” I said softly.

He turned his head towards me and sat up, taking a drink of what’s left in the bottle. When he realized it was empty, he threw it across the living room, causing the picture frames on the wall to fall.

“Why?” He asked in a tired voice. He turned towards me, tears dripping down. “Why didn’t you stop her from leaving?”

“D-D-Daddy I-”

“Stop calling me, daddy! What are you? Five!?” He screamed, causing me to flinch.

He stood up and walked towards the kitchen, pulling out another can of beer. Forming my hands into fists, I marched towards him. “D-Dad, you have to stop d-drinking. They say drinking is n-not good for you.”

He opened the can and chugged it all down, then turned towards me and started chuckling. “It’s your fault,” he slurred, unable to stand up properly.

“W-What?” My fault that mommy left?

He slammed the can down on the counter and marched towards me. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me inward. “Why didn’t you stop her from leaving? If you had tried and cried, throw a f*****g tantrum or some s**t, she wouldn’t have left!”

He lifted a hand in the air and smacked me across the face. I fell to the ground, feeling the pain. I swallowed the lump in my throat and placed a hand on my bruised cheek. I turned toward him, and he looked down at the hand that just hit me.

“Y-You h-hit me.”

He looked at me and shook his head, getting down on his knees in front of me. “I-I’m so sorry, P-Princess, I-I didn’t know what got o-over me. P-Please don’t hate me, d-don’t l-leave daddy,” he cried out, head buried in his hands.

I crawled over to him and hugged him. “I won’t leave you, daddy.” 

***

After dad fell asleep, I ran out of the house, and here I am. Inhaling a deep breath, I stand up, getting ready to go home. I throw on my hood to cover the red cheek. Shoving my hands inside my pocket, I crawl out the tunnel.

“Hey! Aren’t you Neilson’s little friend?” A familiar voice shouts.

I turn around to see Drew, one of Neilson’s friends. He has messy blonde hair with crazy tattoos on his arms. Behind him is a guy named Anthony, who is very scary. He never smiles, ever. Then there is Michelle, Anthony’s younger sister. She has this wild red hair and this look that says - mess with me and bye-bye. Anthony and Michelle don’t look like siblings. She told me when I grow up; she will make me sexy too. Neilson is entirely against it. They look mean, but they are nice. Neilson jogs towards me while I cover my cheek with my hair.

I hope he doesn’t see it. I shake my head and throw a cheery smile on my face. “Hi, Neilson!” I shout, skipping my way towards him.

He went down on one knee and hugged me. Unlike Neilson’s old friends, they won’t tease me. “Hey there, Angel,” he whispers.

I take a step back and shift uncomfortably, feeling my cheek stinging. “Where are you guys going?”

“Out,” Neilson replies, and I knew he didn’t want to say any more than that. Whenever Nina or I ask him what he is up to, he always replies: “Just something or just going out.”

I nod my head while the other three come close to us. “Hi!” I said, giving them each a wave.

“What happened to your cheek?” Neilson said, tucking my hair back to reveal my red cheek.

I take a step back and cover it, chuckling awkwardly. “I fell,” I lied.

He narrows his eyes. “Guys, I’ll meet you later at the place,” he said in a lower tone than usual, eyes staring at my cheek that I quickly try to cover up again. Glancing up, they were staring at me and nodded their heads before walking away.

Neilson grabs my hand and walks me to the swings. He lifted me, placed me down, and went down on one knee. “Who did it?” he whispers.

I sat there, twiddling my thumbs, avoiding his intense glare. “Who did it, Alice?” He said in a stiffer tone, jaw grinding against one another.

“Alice! Who did it?” He yells in front of my face, causing tears to string down my cheeks. I ball my hands together, rubbing my eyes, and release a loud cry.

“Oh no, no, Angel. Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to yell.” His tone was lower to a softer one. He pulls me into a hug and pats my back.

After I calm down, cautiously, he wipes off my tears. “Angel. I’m just worried about you. Please, tell me who did it,” he whispers.

Biting my trembling lips, I glance up at him whose brows crease together in an unfriendly manner, eyes fill with concern. “My dad,” I mumble under my breath.

I can feel his hands shaking on my hips. “Your dad hit you?” He inhales a sharp breath, “I’m going to kill him.”

I hop off the swings and grab his hand to pull him back. “No, Neilson! Daddy didn’t mean to! He wasn’t feeling well!”

He turns his head towards me. “Alice, he laid his hand on you!” He screams, his face turning a deep shade of red.

I shake my head, lips trembling. “D-Daddy wasn’t feeling well. P-Please N-Neilson, d-don’t hurt daddy.” Another cry left my throat.

Neilson’s eyes softened, and he went on his knees, pulling me into another hug. “Shhh, don’t cry, Angel. I don’t like it when you cry.” 

I wrap my arms around him. “D-Don’t hurt d-daddy,” I stutter, wrinkling his shirt. “P-Please, d-don’t be angry.” I don’t like it when daddy and Neilson are angry.

Neilson sat down on the ground, pulling me into his lap while I continued my cries, wetting his shirt as he pats my back. Before I knew it, I passed out in his arms.

Waking up, my body rests on the couch, wrapped up in a large fluffy blanket. Peeking past the blanket, I saw Neilson cooking food in the kitchen. Neilson’s younger brother, Sheng, left for college a year ago, and his parents are always gone on a business trip, so he stays at home alone. Neilson’s biological dad lives in Italy, where he would visit him every summer.

Neilson decides to start working right after high school instead of going to college. I’m not entirely sure what job he works as, but it seems to be going well.

He turns around to pick up some spices. A grin breaks out, and he walks towards me, kneeling downward. “Hungry, Angel?” I can smell something delicious.

I nod my head, and he takes my hand, leading me to the counter. I hop onto a round chair and place my head down on the table, hungry stomach waiting for food.

After some time, Neilson takes out two plates and places some spaghetti on it. He put one plate in front of me and sprinkle on some cheese, which quickly melts. The other dish was in front of him. I grab the fork and spin the spaghetti around it, blowing on it because it’s seriously hot.

Silently, we sit there, eating spaghetti together. This is precisely how I imagine our future together. Neilson glanced at me, and a snort left his throat as he grabbed a napkin and wiped the sauce off my face. Gently, he grazed his thumb across the bruise on my face, and a deep breath left his mouth, corner of his lips tilting downward in an unpleasant manner.

“I’m okay,” I whisper, putting my fork down.

He chews on his lower lips. “Alice,” he breathes out my name while I continue looking down on my lap. Neilson places a finger under my chin, lifting it to meet his deep brown. “I won’t hurt your dad but promise me, you will tell me if he hurt you again, okay?”

I nod my head, a smile on my face. “I promise,” I whisper, hearing a ding.

He jumped off the chair and went towards the oven. I sniff the air, smelling baked goods. “Muffin?” I ask, and he pulls out a fresh pan of sweets.

Neilson throws the gloves to the side and nods his head, leaning against the counter. “I thought I should cheer you up, so I made you some muffins. I’m not quite sure how good it is since it’s my first time.”

I peek at the muffins; eyes widen in horror when I see some eggs shell inside. Glancing up at him, I chuckled lightly while he smiled proudly at me. “They look good,” I said slowly, unable to think of any other word to describe the horrific attempt of a bakery in front of me.

He let the muffin cool down and sat back in his original seat. “Want to stay here with me tonight, Angel?”

I chew on my upper lips and nod. “Yes, Muffin.”

Neilson brows crease together. “Muffin?” He asked, looking at the muffins.

“Yes, since you have a nickname for me. I’m giving you one too. You are Muffin from now on,” I said, giggling lightly.

He chuckles at my nickname for him and nods. “Muffin, not bad.” 

After eating the spaghetti, Neilson put on Finding Nemo for me while I sat on the couch. He takes a seat beside me, and I crawl onto his lap, cuddling into his chest.

The movie starts playing, and I can feel his massive arms wrap around me, eyes concentrate on the movie we watch a million times.

“Remember, to tell me,” he said slowly, breaking the silence.

“I promise,” I reply, feeling quite sleepy. I cuddle closer to him, and he pulls the blanket over us.

And that was the first promise I’ve ever broken.