Fate Has A Way
Chapter 17
{ZACH'S POV}
I watched as Ryan Carter walked down the hallway with Avalon. I really didn't want her to go with him. But for the moment I really didn't have a say. But there was no doubt in my mind that little girl was mine. I honestly didn't know what my problem was with Ryan, but we had been rivals ever since we were kids back in Minnesota. It was obvious he made Maddison happy and he had been taking care of Avalon. Although today Avalon didn't seem to happy to see him.
But I knew whatever my problem was with Ryan I was going to have to get over quickly. First because he was now a new teammate of mine and we were going to have to work together. Second of all for Maddison and Avalons sake. I knew if I wanted to get along with Maddi than I was going to have to get along with Ryan.
Also I knew I was going to have to stop pressuring Maddi for answers about Avalon. Because everytime I asked Maddi who Ava's father was, we would end up arguing. I didn't want to argue with her anymore, I hated fighting with Maddi. It always made me feel like complete and utter shit when I fought with her. I would just have to wait for the test results to come back to get some answers.
Than I really needed to apologize to her for this morning. I probably had over stepped my boundaries once again, when Avalon had run over to me in the parking lot. I mean I had saw her and kept my eye on her the entire time. But Maddi was right she shouldn't have run off like that. Plus the tension in the room during the whole appointment was unessciary. I was just irritable because Alisha hadn't come home last night and wasn't back this morning. So I had to rush around and get the twins ready and get them to school. Plus make it to the appointment on time. Alisha was spending more and more time away from home and it was wearing thin on me. Making me take it out on anybody who's around at the time.
"Soooooo," Maddison said, looking at me.
"Uh yeah. I just wanted to apologize for this morning. I realize I may have once again over stepped my boundaries and I'm. Well I'm sorry," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Wait a minute. Is the great Zachary Parise apologizing?" she asked, with a teasing grin.
"Yeah I know you don't hear that coming very often from me. And the great Zachary Parise?" I said, laughing.
"Yes well we have to boost your ego somehow," she replied.
"So Ryan finally made it?" I asked, slightly grimacing to myself.
"Yes Zach, Ry finally made it. And stop making that face, you know the one I'm talking about. It's your face you make when your sucking on something sour," she replied, giving me a look.
"I'm not making a face," I answered.
"Yes you are buck-o. Your making it in your head. I can tell, because your trying really hard to make it," she said.
"So is he the reason you were late picking up Ava?" I asked.
"I don't think that's any of your business," she responded, starting to blush.
"Not my business? I'm the one who sat here and made sure she was alright. While you were off doing who knows what with your boyfriend," I snapped, before I could stop myself.
"No one asked you to sit with her. I was on my way and she would have been just fine," she snapped right back.
"Sure she would have been just fine," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"God Zach, your...... your..... your just soooooooo. Ugh I have no words for you," she said frustratedly, than turned and walked off.
"Errrrrgggggghhhhhhh," I sighed, just as frustrated, running my hands through my hair and tugging on it.
I sat there silently for a few minutes, until a little voice broke through the silence.
"Dad?" Michael asked quietly.
"Yeah bud?" I asked looking at him.
"A-are y-you ok?" he asked worriedly, looking at me than looking back at the ground. He kicked his foot back and forth on the floor, at the invisible dirt.
"I'm good bud. Now come here," I responded, holding my arms open for him.
His eyes flicked up to me and than back at the ground. Before he hurried over to me and climbed up into my lap. I wrapped my arms around him securely and rubbed a hand up and down his back, as my chin rested on top of his head.
"Ooooooooh a bubba sandwich. Can we have a bubba sandwich?" Mariann asked, coming out of the classroom.
"Sure come here," I answered, motioning for her to come over.
Mariann came over and set her and Michael's backpacks down and tried to wrap her arms around both of us. Which caused me to laugh.
"We LUB YOU BUBBA," Mariann's muffled voice said loudly.
"Can we go home dad?" Michael asked, lifting his head to look at me.
"Sure," I answered, nodding.
I let Michael climb off my lap and than stood up. Grabbing both of their backpacks, all three of us headed out to my vehicle.
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Once we got home and inside it was eerily quiet. Sighing I shook my head and threw my keys down on the table and headed for the kitchen with the mail.
"Are you guys hungry?" I asked, turning back and looking at Michael and Mariann.
They both nodded at me. "Well go upstairs and get changed, than come back down. I'll get dinner started."
I watched as they both ran up the stairs to go change their clothes. When they disappeared from my sight I headed into the kitchen. Going through the cabinets I decided on just making them some Mac and Cheese, and Hot dogs. It was simple and easy to make, plus I wasn't really in the mood to make anything else. I pulled out the box of Mac and Cheese and set it on the counter. I walked over to the freezer and pulled out the Hot Dogs and set them on the counter. As I walked over to get the pots out I noticed a piece of paper on the counter. I walked over and picked it up, immidately recognizing Alisha's writing. I could feel my temper starting to rise as I read the note.
Zach,
I stopped by to grab some clothes and thought why not leave you a note. I won't be coming back home tonight either. Make sure you get the brats feed and get them to school tomorrow. I'm sure I won't be back in time to take them.
From: Alisha
I crumpled the note up in my fist and slammed my hands down on the counter. I hung my head down and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I didn't need the kids see me angry. Finally getting myself calm enough, I stood up straight and walked over to the house phone. I dialed the only person I could think of to help me at this point.
"Hey I need your help badly," I said into the phone, as the person answered.
I watched as Ryan Carter walked down the hallway with Avalon. I really didn't want her to go with him. But for the moment I really didn't have a say. But there was no doubt in my mind that little girl was mine. I honestly didn't know what my problem was with Ryan, but we had been rivals ever since we were kids back in Minnesota. It was obvious he made Maddison happy and he had been taking care of Avalon. Although today Avalon didn't seem to happy to see him.
But I knew whatever my problem was with Ryan I was going to have to get over quickly. First because he was now a new teammate of mine and we were going to have to work together. Second of all for Maddison and Avalons sake. I knew if I wanted to get along with Maddi than I was going to have to get along with Ryan.
Also I knew I was going to have to stop pressuring Maddi for answers about Avalon. Because everytime I asked Maddi who Ava's father was, we would end up arguing. I didn't want to argue with her anymore, I hated fighting with Maddi. It always made me feel like complete and utter shit when I fought with her. I would just have to wait for the test results to come back to get some answers.
Than I really needed to apologize to her for this morning. I probably had over stepped my boundaries once again, when Avalon had run over to me in the parking lot. I mean I had saw her and kept my eye on her the entire time. But Maddi was right she shouldn't have run off like that. Plus the tension in the room during the whole appointment was unessciary. I was just irritable because Alisha hadn't come home last night and wasn't back this morning. So I had to rush around and get the twins ready and get them to school. Plus make it to the appointment on time. Alisha was spending more and more time away from home and it was wearing thin on me. Making me take it out on anybody who's around at the time.
"Soooooo," Maddison said, looking at me.
"Uh yeah. I just wanted to apologize for this morning. I realize I may have once again over stepped my boundaries and I'm. Well I'm sorry," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Wait a minute. Is the great Zachary Parise apologizing?" she asked, with a teasing grin.
"Yeah I know you don't hear that coming very often from me. And the great Zachary Parise?" I said, laughing.
"Yes well we have to boost your ego somehow," she replied.
"So Ryan finally made it?" I asked, slightly grimacing to myself.
"Yes Zach, Ry finally made it. And stop making that face, you know the one I'm talking about. It's your face you make when your sucking on something sour," she replied, giving me a look.
"I'm not making a face," I answered.
"Yes you are buck-o. Your making it in your head. I can tell, because your trying really hard to make it," she said.
"So is he the reason you were late picking up Ava?" I asked.
"I don't think that's any of your business," she responded, starting to blush.
"Not my business? I'm the one who sat here and made sure she was alright. While you were off doing who knows what with your boyfriend," I snapped, before I could stop myself.
"No one asked you to sit with her. I was on my way and she would have been just fine," she snapped right back.
"Sure she would have been just fine," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"God Zach, your...... your..... your just soooooooo. Ugh I have no words for you," she said frustratedly, than turned and walked off.
"Errrrrgggggghhhhhhh," I sighed, just as frustrated, running my hands through my hair and tugging on it.
I sat there silently for a few minutes, until a little voice broke through the silence.
"Dad?" Michael asked quietly.
"Yeah bud?" I asked looking at him.
"A-are y-you ok?" he asked worriedly, looking at me than looking back at the ground. He kicked his foot back and forth on the floor, at the invisible dirt.
"I'm good bud. Now come here," I responded, holding my arms open for him.
His eyes flicked up to me and than back at the ground. Before he hurried over to me and climbed up into my lap. I wrapped my arms around him securely and rubbed a hand up and down his back, as my chin rested on top of his head.
"Ooooooooh a bubba sandwich. Can we have a bubba sandwich?" Mariann asked, coming out of the classroom.
"Sure come here," I answered, motioning for her to come over.
Mariann came over and set her and Michael's backpacks down and tried to wrap her arms around both of us. Which caused me to laugh.
"We LUB YOU BUBBA," Mariann's muffled voice said loudly.
"Can we go home dad?" Michael asked, lifting his head to look at me.
"Sure," I answered, nodding.
I let Michael climb off my lap and than stood up. Grabbing both of their backpacks, all three of us headed out to my vehicle.
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Once we got home and inside it was eerily quiet. Sighing I shook my head and threw my keys down on the table and headed for the kitchen with the mail.
"Are you guys hungry?" I asked, turning back and looking at Michael and Mariann.
They both nodded at me. "Well go upstairs and get changed, than come back down. I'll get dinner started."
I watched as they both ran up the stairs to go change their clothes. When they disappeared from my sight I headed into the kitchen. Going through the cabinets I decided on just making them some Mac and Cheese, and Hot dogs. It was simple and easy to make, plus I wasn't really in the mood to make anything else. I pulled out the box of Mac and Cheese and set it on the counter. I walked over to the freezer and pulled out the Hot Dogs and set them on the counter. As I walked over to get the pots out I noticed a piece of paper on the counter. I walked over and picked it up, immidately recognizing Alisha's writing. I could feel my temper starting to rise as I read the note.
Zach,
I stopped by to grab some clothes and thought why not leave you a note. I won't be coming back home tonight either. Make sure you get the brats feed and get them to school tomorrow. I'm sure I won't be back in time to take them.
From: Alisha
I crumpled the note up in my fist and slammed my hands down on the counter. I hung my head down and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I didn't need the kids see me angry. Finally getting myself calm enough, I stood up straight and walked over to the house phone. I dialed the only person I could think of to help me at this point.
"Hey I need your help badly," I said into the phone, as the person answered.
4/3/13