the night sky

#11 three years later

" Alexis honey it's your sister's wedding you need to come home. he ain't even around anymore." she could hear her mother sigh on the other line. " please dear. we miss you." Alexis knew she couldn't miss her sisters wedding but she didn't have any desire to step foot back in that town. the town that destroyed her and took away her ability to breath.

" mom I'm coming. I requested a month off. that's all I could get. so I will come a week before the wedding and leave a few weeks after." she could feel her mother's excitement. " and before you say anything, yes I'm bringing Skylar."

her mother squealed with excitement. " oh dear that's wonderful!" she could hear shuffling on the other end. " ok your sister said she will pick you two up from the airport. is there anything you guys need me to grab before you all come?" Alexis spent the next twenty minutes assuring her mother that she had everything she needed and she would be there. she really missed her family. she hadn't been back since that morning she walked in on Connor. she changed her number after a month. at first she waited for him to call or text anything to beg for her back. she thought once he saw her gift to him he would want to know more but he never called and never texted. he just vanished out of her life. the only proof she had left of him was Skylar. Alexis sighed watching her 2 year old played blissfully with her toys.

" mom play" Skylar looked up at her with excited eyes.

" sky do you want momma to read you a book?" Skylar clapped her hands reaching up to her mother. " sky momma loves you so much. you want to go see grandma and auntie?" Skylar nodded her head as she clapped her hands.

" Gamma and ti ti!" Alexis nuzzled her nose and sat down to read her daughter a book.

looking back at her small house as she drove away Alexis felt nervous at the thought of being surrounded by the memories of Connor again. " baby girl let's hope this doesn't take all my energy and that God grants me the ability to get through this month." she watched her daughter give her a toothy grin. the airplane ride was smooth. Alexis was grateful that Skylar slept through the entire ride. she grabbed her daughter up as she made her way to baggage claim. after grabbing their bags off the belt. not looking up she put her back pack on and started wheeling their suitcase behind her so she could hold her daughter in her arms. she ran right into someone in a suit not realizing the person was there. " oh I'm so sor...." she hesitated when she looked right into Roberts eyes.

he looked down at her then his eyes trailed to the little girl in her arms. she watched as realization washed over his face. " Alexis?" his eyes stayed on Skylar as if waiting for Alexis to say something and confirm what he was thinking.

" Robert.." she paused looking for a way out of this conversation. " she knew he recognized this little girl. " this is Skylar. Skylar, this is ...." she paused contemplating her words. " this is your grandpa Robert. " his eyes went big and threatened to bulge out of his head. she saw her sister and her sisters fiancé walk towards her alarm on their faces. she gave them a weak smile trying to stay calm.

" my granddaughter? y.. you had a child?" He looked confused and scared all at the same time. her sister and fiancé came up standing beside her for support. " why didn't you tell Connor? why keep this from him?"

a pang of anger washed over her with his words. " I did tell him. he chose to not acknowledge I was even pregnant. I haven't heard from him since...." she closed her eyes taking a deep breath trying to calm herself. " since the day I found him in bed with that slut. " she handed Skylar over to her sister and begged for them to take her away from this situation. her sisters fiancé grabbed the bags and they walked away. Alexis watched as they walked away. " look," her voice was sharp and to the point. " don't worry about your precious money we don't need it. I don't need anything from either of you. " she looked down then back up at him. " we do just fine without either of you." she stepped to the side and walked away as she saw him take his phone out of his pocket. " great way to start this trip." she scolded herself as she walked out of the airport.

" Alexis?" her sister Emilia was looking at her as she climbed into the truck. " you ok?"

" I'm gonna be fine. I was just hoping to avoid all of this." she remained quiet the rest of the drive home to the farm. pulling up to the main house she watched her mother come running out to greet them. her excitement overwhelming as she pulled Skylar out of the truck.

" oh my babies are all here!" she squealed. " I hear grandmas big girl is going to have her third birthday soon!"

" me Gamma! my birfday!" she clapped her chubby hands together. Alexis hugged her mother not wanting to let go of the warmth she felt in her embrace.

" man I missed this momma." her mother squeezed her tighter before letting her go. " saw Robert today at the airport. a certain someone never mentioned I was pregnant. guess it's pretty clear he definitely wanted and wants absolutely no responsibilities or ties to her. " they walked up the porch to the front door.

" someday honey you are going to find someone who could never let either of you go." her mother leaned down releasing Skylar to run around crazy inside the house. " don't lose faith ok? " her mother reached up patting her cheek. " so what did our dear lovely friend Robert have to say?"

" he thought I kept it from Connor." she sighed with a sadness in her heart. " he must think that poorly of me to think I would keep her father from her." she slumped onto the couch. " he always treated me like a monster so why am I so surprised?"

" honey, he is a man used to taking everything and earning nothing. " she sat next to Alexis placing her hand on her leg. " you and that little girl right there are special people. you deserve better than how you were treated. just remember that you have us and we love you both so much. that's more than what either of them will have. " she smiled and walked out of the living room towards the kitchen. " go put your stuff away dinner is almost ready." Alexis climbed the stairs to her old room lugging her bag and luggage behind her.

she looked around her old room smiling. her mother changed nothing from when she was last living there. she could hear Skylar running around downstairs. she smiled as she listened to her mother trying to keep her contained. " Skylar Ann grandmas gonna get you!" the giggly sounds of laughter snapped her out of her trance. coming downstairs she could see her mom tickling Skylar.

" hey momma, if that old place isn't rented out I was thinking sky and I can move in there for the month." she saw her mom's eyebrows raise slightly. " before you say anything, " she breathed a heavy sigh." we will be fine. I'm gonna have to face things anyways and that place is the perfect size for us. it just makes sense." her mother shook her head in agreement.

" well then tomorrow we will get you girls set up over there." she pulled out a roast from the oven then gave one last statement. " maybe you can extend your stay if you are more comfortable and let this grandma have more time."

" momma I have to go back I have a job. I worked hard to be a nurse and ..." she stole a cooked carrot and blew on it before eating off of it. " I worked hard for my position. I don't want to give all my hard work up."

" I know baby girl. a mom can hope." she smiled weakly at her mother. Alexis looked down realizing she had given up hope a long time ago. hope wasn't a luxury she could afford anymore. now her days were filled with trying to make it through life without crying for a past she had to leave behind. she gave up on love and hope that day she saw Connor in bed with someone else. her life changed that day and the only hope she allowed herself anymore was the hope that some day Skylar wouldn't go through the same pain she had been going through since that day. " get that baby girl and the others and get up at the table for dinner." Alexis did as she was told. she was seated in her chair when headlights flashed in the window.

" where you expecting someone momma?" Alexis eyed her mother curiously as her mother shook her head. " I'll get it momma you sit with your crazy grandchild and get her to eat something. " Alexis smiled at her mother and walked towards the door. as she opened it her heart sank as she saw who was standing there in front of her. " Robert? what do you want?"

" Alexis, I was hoping you had time to talk. I.." he looked away from her trying to hide his face. she couldn't help but see the shame he was trying to hide from her.

Alexis stepped outside shutting the door behind her. she motioned towards the bench and chairs on the front porch. " what can I do for you Robert?" she was trying to hide her disdain for the man. she felt uncomfortable in his presence.

" please hear me out before you react. I honestly thought I was saving him. I .. I thought it was the right thing to do..." his voice trailed off as he searched for words. " that day you found Connor in bed with Emma. " he cleared his throat. " nothing happened. "

" I don't want to discuss personal matters with you..."

" please, let me finish." he looked at her pleading with her. she nodded her head. " I drugged him and staged the entire thing. I thought I was saving him from a life I thought he didn't want. I thought he would regret not having the money and everything my life gave him." he closed his eyes as he saw her mouth drop open. " I'm a monster. I was wrong and I destroyed him and you and I regret every single decision I made that day. Emma convinced me it was the right thing to do and I couldn't see past my own wants and needs for him to see I was taking away the only thing that meant anything to him. " he stood up looking down at Alexis. " I know you hate me and I have never given you a reason to not hate me. hell Alexis, I hate myself more than you could ever know." he started walking towards his car then looked back one last time. " I talked with him after the airport and he swears he didn't know about her."

" it was in the gift I gave him for his birthday. " she looked away staring up into the night sky. " it was the box. I told him he was going to be a dad. he never called or texted. I waited for a month before I changed my number and decided I had to move on." tears started streaming down her face. " for three years I did it all by myself. there was no one there when she was born just her and I. you broke my heart and didn't even care but I have had to beg her forgiveness every day for her not having a father. for not having a daddy to treat her like his princess." anger was flowing through her like blood now and she looked up at him trying to calm herself without success. " you took away her family. you took away everything from her also. you should leave. NOW!" Alexis left the porch slamming the door behind her. she looked over at the table everyone sat quiet unsure of what to say to her. she fell to the floor hugging herself finally allowing the tears to pour out of her.