The ride back to Haliya home was awkward to say the least. She was kind enough to buy food, but not kind enough to really ask how they were. If it wasn't for his eavesdropping, he would've been dead confused. But he wasn't confused. He knew everything. He knew why they separated, he knew why the woman held such a huge grudge. He knew why their daughter would have a father in her life.
But it didn't matter. At least not to him. If he felt like he needed to leave, he should've. There would've been no need for absence in Charlene's life. If they just… worked it out. Of course, that's what he thinks. But he also knows… it's not that easy. People are prideful. People are selfish, and most importantly, people are scared.
Clayton watched as Nathan fidgeted with his food. Clearly uncomfortable with the mood. The man in the backseat quickly looked around for some sort of distraction. Whether it was the never ending sea of cars that flew past them, seeming always over the speed limit. As a child, Clayton always took a slight pleasure in counting how many cars past them. Of course, he could only count to ten, so anytime it made it past that he would just repeat. It was inconvenient, but felt safe. Clayton remembers the times he and his sister, Kayla would place bets on childish things like that. It took the man several years to realize she would cheat, but that's besides the point. The thought of that memory caused him inalienable pain. In actuality, he hasn't seen her in years. He didn't know if she was off living her life, or taking care of mom. All he knew was that she was somewhere. She had to be. Dead didn't sound… plausible.
"Clayton, did you hear us?" The man's eyes looked to the ex-couple as they stared back at him. Nathan's eyed flashed a concerned look, while the other's face plaster complete disappointment. What did he ever do to her? It's not like he convinced Nathan to leave her.
"No sorry. I was out for a second." Nathan goes on to explain how they would spend a few days with Haliya before getting their car back. After that, they could head over to the address. Since the letter was unique, they practically burned the numbers in their brains as they moved. 2435 Long Street. Clayton would've looked up the address, but the fact that his phone was gone deterred the action. It was probably busted up in the car. Lacking a battery, charge, and an intact screen. He made a small reminder to buy a new one before they headed over to the mysterious place.
It wasn't long before the socially restricted group arrived at their destination. Clayton ogled the pretty decent as they pulled into the driveway. The house was a nice shade of brick to match the square windows. Outside, on the porch, an elderly woman stood in front of the door. But what was the most eye-catching was the small child that she carried in her arms.
The kids had caramel-colored eyes like her father, but jet black hair like Haliya. Her face was stained with red from the marker that the woman had to pry from her hands. But she still looked normal all the same. Instead of her being this lump of skin Clayton met years ago, she was a moving thing. She breathed, she talked. She had a face to a name. She was human. As each of them removed themselves from the vehicle, Charlene couldn't help but wave to each of them.
"Say hello Char." The older woman said. And although it seemed so fake, Charlene's voice made the pressure hello seem okay. Instead of making too much of a fuss, Clayton niceley, yet awkwardly raised his hand to do the same. Although his forceness was way more obvious. Honestly, it felt so weird seeing a mix of Nathan and Haliya. She had the nose of one, yet the mouth of another. It just seemed so… weird.
"Hello Charlene." He knew she didn't remember him, so there was no point in asking. He only came around a few months after she was born and never came back. As he tried to keep the conversation going, he felt a soft pain arising in his chest. "You know, I had a daughter just like you." The thought of his own daughter being this age was almost too much to bear. She could've been here. Sitting on a elderly woman's arms. Waiting for him to come from a terrible incident. Waving, smiling, being happy.
It felt so… unfair.
Clayton could feel tears swelling up in his eyes. He didn't need to see this. He didn't want to see her, or any child for that matter. He just needed… time. As he felt a hand on his shoulder, he knew only one person in this group knew how he was feeling.
"How about we go to the guest room? We can sleep there." Nathan tried to pull Clayton away from the group. But he wouldn't budge. He felt as if he couldn't move. He was stuck. "Clay, we need to go. Now." Nathan tightened his grip, still to only be rejected again.
It wasn't because he didn't want to. Hell, he wanted to do everything, but look a child in the face. But he needed closure. Closure of any sort. As the man watched Charlene, he couldn't help but wonder what he could've done. What he could have done to prevent the loss of his child.
Whether he liked it or not, Sage was gone. And she was never coming back. The sadness that he felt for himself turned sinister as he realized what mess he made. In front of him, Charlene shows a face of fear. Instead of him staying to see her smile, he stayed long enough to give her a reason to fear. He looked around to find someone to help him, but everyone looked the same as she did. Face of horror and confusion left Clayton feeling uneasy. Unlike before, the faces around him felt like he was in a house of mirrors. They reflected his doubts and warped them to be more convincing. He felt trapped. But instead of trying to conversate with the shadows, he decided to leave the sun.
"I'm going inside." Clayton waved off the group as he went inside to relive his mind.