Long Days [Jack Lexington]

Iris took off her jacket and hung up her bag grabbing out some file folders that she needed to work on that night. She saw him look at the photos on the walls of her and Charlotte, she liked photos and was always upset she never had any photos of herself when she was a baby, so she made sure to take lots of photos of Charlotte, from the time she was little. She had two albums already full of photos of her daughter that sat on the small bookshelf by the TV. She watched Nick interact with Charlotte and tried to decide if he would honestly be a good father or not. She hung up her daughters stuff as she watched them. He gave her a wooden duck to which Charlotte and smiled and said something her mother didn't over hear.

Charlotte went inside the house and kicked off her shoes and took off her jacket, her mommy kept telling her that it would get warmer soon and they would go get to buy her some new clothes for school. She loved her school, but loved it more when she spent time with her mommy. She saw that man from the other night outside when they walked up and then he followed them inside after her mommy invited him in. She looked over at him as he knelt to her level and asked if she remembered him and she nodded. She did and she also remembered how her mommy wasn't very happy to see him, but then seemed nicer to him before they left. She took the wooden duck that he handed to her and asked her if she liked ducks. She nodded some as she looked at it and smiled, she hadn't really ever seen a duck, but she did sometimes on the TV. "Thank You"

She watched him hug her daughter and knew how much he must want to tell the little girl who he is. She hugged him before running to the living room to watch her TV show that always came on around this time and to play with the duck. Iris hung up his jacket on the hooks by the door before grabbing out a few more things from her bag and going to put them on the table. She knew how hard everything was for almost everyone in this world, it was filled with horrible poverty and stealing. She sighed some as she went to the kitchen to start dinner and he asked for a drink she looked in the fridge. "What do you want?" She asked him pulling out what she needed to make dinner, she assumed he was staying and eating with them. "Do you like chicken?" She asked him curiously.

When he asked about the photo of the man she looked at him and rolled her eyes walking over and picking it up looking at it. "Its my dad before he became a drunk, I tell Charlotte about him sometimes, I don't tell her about the later years, but before I do." She said smiling some and faintly. Her father was still alive but she avoided him, she didn't want to see the man who abused her all her life. She didn't want her daughter exposed to him, or what he did to her. She was tied of having to explain everything to him. "For the last time I'm not seeing anyone" She said quietly.

"yeah i like chicken, i like anything that doesn't come from the garbage can."

Iris smiled some though she felt bad for him. She knew he had always had to eat out of garbage cans, when they were together she would try to cook for him some wanting him to have some good food. She might have to cook for him more so that she didn't feel so awful for him. She loved him, and it was hard for her to see him not having enough to get by. She would probably pack him up left overs if he wanted them. Not having meat in 34 days must be hard for him; she knew that he couldn't afford hardly anything but she didn't know that it was that bad. She started to feel bad for snapping at him all the time as soon as he got here; he had just wanted to see his daughter after all.

Iris set the photo down looking at it one last time. She missed her father from when he was nice, sweet, strong, and smart. She moved back to the kitchen to put the chicken into the oven hearing him say he wouldn't ask about a boyfriend again. thank god she thought to herself as she set the chicken into the oven. She started on the vegetables on the stove and took out some bread for dinner, it shouldn't take the chicken too long to cook. She ran her hands through her hair as she looked over at him over the counter.

"he's not coming around here is he?"

He was referring to her father of course and she was insulted. He thought that she would let that monster around her baby, he must be so so stupid. "Of course not! She said insulted "You think I would let that monster around her?"

"If he ever shows up here I'll make sure he leaves for good, that bastard."

Iris sighed when she heard this before looking over at Charlotte. She walked over to him and hit him in the head. "Don't swear, little ears pick up everything." She didn't comment on what he said about her father because if he was coming around here she would want him dead. She didn't want him around her small child when she knew what a monster he was. She sighed some knowing she should defend her father but she couldn't because she agreed. She didn't think about his comment on her father any longer. Not wanting to get angry at anyone or anything.

"So what is she like? Would you tell me about her birth? Did you get her alone?"

She thought about all the questions he was asking her. She knew he was just wondering about their daughter and she couldn't be upset with him for that. At least he cared now. She thought about it. "She's sweet, and independent, you have to when your mother works 60 hours a week though right?" She laughed a little bit but it was obvious she wasn't happy that she was working that much and not getting to spend a lot of time with her beautiful daughter. "Her birth was painful and I was by myself, besides my doctor of course. She was the most beautiful little baby though and it was completely worth it"

"I guess I'll have to watch my language around her."

She nodded some when he said he would be watching his language around her. She didn't want Charlotte ever picking up any swear words, especially from Nick. She made sure to keep her focus on the food after that and while talking about Charlotte. She liked talking about her daughter and how amazing the little girl was. She could talk about her all day, but she didn't really have anyone to talk to besides her daughter anymore, always working and having to take care of a child caused her to lose all of her friends; she didn't mind giving them up though for the little girl. She would rather have Charlotte then all the friends in the world.

"You're so proud of her. It's cute."

She smiled some when he said that and nudged her. She was happy that he noticed that she was proud of her, which meant she had to be a good kid right? She loved her daughter so much. She hoped that he loved her too and that would keep him around more. Every second she was spending with him it made her fall back in love with him and she was even considering telling Charlotte that he was her father. She was having trouble keeping her head on straight. When he took her hand and told her he was sorry for making her go through that alone she shrugged some. He said he should have been there and she nodded some. "Its okay Nick, I told you I'm not upset anymore" She said before leaning down and taking out the cooked chicken. She took it off the sheet and put it on a plate and got everything ready setting it on the table before grabbing plates and silverware.

She smiled some when he took the dishes from her hands and set the table for her. She was happy to have the help and not have everything up to her. She made sure to get Charlotte some milk in her sippycup and then pour both herself and Nick some milk as well. She figured he probably didn't get anything to drink besides water and alcohol a lot. She saw him finish setting the table and then go out to talk to Charlotte. She smiled as she finished the sides and set them on the table waiting for them to come back for dinner. She found some plastic wear to pack up any left overs if there were any. Iris sat down watching them on the couch.

Charlotte looked over at him when he asked what she was watching. She was watching one of the capitol bands that targeted toddler marketing. She smiled some "The Laurie Berkner Band"