Blackjack

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“What are you doing here Alex.” I say stepping outside, closing the door behind me.

“Wow nice to see you too Hayley, been a long time.” He replies sarcastically

“Yes, its been 10 years, how did you know I was back here?”

“I drove by last week and saw Tylers truck here, I stopped in and asked if the place was up for sale. He said you were moving back here and had hired him to get the place ready.”

“Yes I just arrived today and I’m waiting on my pizza so I can eat and go to bed. Its been a long 24 hours.”

“I get it, I just wanted to stop by and say hi. I’m glad your back.”

“Thanks” I say warily

Just then I see the delivery driver pull up with our pizza. A sigh of relief as Alex says

“Well I’ll leave you to your pizza, I hope to see you around.”

I pay the delivery driver and head back inside relieved that Addie never came to the door while Alex was here. We eat our pizza and I tuck Addie in for bed.

“Goodnight princess I love you.”

“Love you too mom” she says with a yawn before rolling over.

I head out to the living room and sink into the couch. Thinking about what Alex said. He was glad I was back? Does this mean he’s going to try and waltz into Addie’s life? With so many question’s running through my mind I drift off to sleep.

“Mom” …. “mom”

“hmm”

“Aunt Mandy’s on the phone, she needs your grocery list she's heading out.”

I sit up quickly looking at the clock on the wall.

“9:30 already, I haven’t slept in like that in years, tell Aunt Mandy I'll text it to her shortly.” I sit up trying to stretch my body, I must have been awful tired to fall asleep on the couch. I get up and stroll over to my coffee pot turning it on before making a grocery list to send to Miranda. After texting everything I needed to her I hop in the shower and get washed up before she gets here. I begin to think again about what Alex could possibly want from me. I the calls he never returned before he just completely blocked my number, the letters he never wrote. When I figured out that he had either blocked my number or changed his and didn’t give me a new number I was crushed. Then I found out I was pregnant and I had no way to contact him except letters. So, I wrote him a long letter telling him how much I missed him and told him I was pregnant and how scared I was to go through that without him. I added an ultrasound picture and mailed it to him hoping he would call, text or write me back, but he never did. When I found out it was a girl, I sent him another letter telling him we were having a little girl, enclosing another ultrasound picture. I would send him letters every month, updating him on the pregnancy hoping I would hear back from him. My final letter I sent him was after I got home from the hospital. I put a bunch of pictures of Addie in there telling him I had named her Addison Grace Teller. In my very hormonal state after giving birth I had decided I wanted her to have her father's last name. I think I was holding out hope he would show up and be a part of her life. My uncle tried to talk me into giving her my last name but I refused. I had so badly wished that he had been there when she was born. There were many times when she was little I had wished that he would come into our lives but it never happened. Now that we are here back in San Diego I cant just let him bust his way in her life. That’s not good for her. It needs to be her decision. 

“Aunt Mandy’s here mom” Addie says knocking on my door

“Ok I'll be out in a minute”

I quickly hop out throwing on some clothes and bush my hair before heading out to the kitchen.

“Thanks for grabbing all this for me Miranda” I say half smiling.

She looks at me as if she knows something is wrong.

“Its not a problem Hayley, I have some more bags in my trunk. Can you help me grab them?”

“Of course” I say as we walk outside

“Spill it Hayley”

I let out a long sigh looking back to make sure Addie isn’t around.

“Alex showed up at my door last night”

“What!” a look of complete shock on her face.

“Yea, I mean I figured he would eventually hear that I was back but I didn’t think it would be my first day here. He said he saw Tyler here last week when he was working on the house and stopped in asking if it was up for sale. Tyler told him no, that I was moving back.”

“WTH! I’ll kill him!” She screams

“It’s fine, Tyler didn't know any better, Tyler doesn’t even know Alex and I have a kid together. Nobody does except you and Alex. Unless Alex told people, but considering that I never heard a word from him I'd assume he didn’t make a point to tell people.”

“I'm sorry Hayley” Miranda say’s giving me a hug.

We gather the rest of the bags and head inside as Addie comes out.

“You were taking long enough I figure you might need some help” Addie says

“Thank you sweetheart, we got everything, why don’t you start unpacking some of the bags”

“Sure thing mommy”

After getting all the food put away we get some more boxes unpacked and the house is coming together really well.

“Thanks for all your help Miranda, I don’t know what I'd do without you.”

“It’s not a problem, I'm happy to help! I better get going though I have a few more errands to run for my mother”

“Ok my first shift at the hospital is Monday but feel free to come by anytime!” I say giving her a hug goodbye.