David quietly placed the file on the table and faced Laurel fully. He stared at her face for a while, trying to figure out the best way to start up the main conversation which he wanted to talk about.
Laurel on her part, was trying as much as she could to avoid eye contact with this man that was making her insides different with his looks and the way he looked at her.
"There's this nice school where Nichole can be enrolled and she'll be well taken care of." David started and it took Laurel some time to wrap her head around the line of topic he chose. "Like I promised her, she wouldn't be going to that school again, I don't think it's good enough for her..."
"Uhmm..." Laurel interrupted his words, "Mr Edward..." her words were cut short by David's voice.
"David please, enough with the formalities." he corrected.
"Well David, I appreciate the fact that you want to help, but I'll really appreciate it if you stayed away from our lives. I know how Nicole's school is and not to worry, I'll deal with it in my own way. Thanks for offering to help, but I think I've got it."
"Ever the strong-willed lady." David commented. "But I'm really not putting this up for debate. Even before telling you, things have been set in place already. She's already been enrolled in the school and her information have been scraped from her previous school."
"What? When? How could you do that without my consent." Laurel shouted out at him angrily. "You can't even enrol her in any school without her guardian present."
"Oh, actually I can. Cos I showed up as her guardian, actually as her father."
"What?" Laurel almost screamed, "What do you mean as her father?" she barked at David.
"I am her father, ain't I?" David asked to Laurel's despise. "You don't need to lie anymore, I took a DNA test and the result is going to be available by tomorrow. I just don't want her to miss out any day from school that's why I had her enrolled immediately." he informed her.
"What gave you the right to order for a DNA test without my knowledge nor consent?" Laurel asked blowing hot with anger, "Meanwhile, you didn't even need to cos I'd tell you right now, she's your daughter." she blurted out with reddened face. "Yes David, your sperm brought her into this world, but you can't just appear out of the blue from God knows where and start feeling entitled to be called her father." she paused for breath, "Nicole is my daughter, I told her her father died and yes, he died as far as I'm concerned."
"That's ridiculous, Rose," David said with a scoff, "I didn't even know she existed until about 4 or 5 hours ago." he argued.
"I believe you forfeited the right to that knowledge 8 years ago when you chose to toil another human being's feelings and life." Laurel threw at him angrily.
"I looked for you, Rosie. For years the only thing I've done is look for you."
"And let me guess," she said with contempt filled look, "that should make everything better? The pains, the humiliation, the embarrassment, the struggles, the shame and everything I faced in the past 8 years will just melt away once I hear that you've searched for me all through."
"That's not what I mean..." David responded feeling weak at heart cos he felt sorry for all she has passed through all these years without him knowing.
"Wait, you know what?" Laurel injected as she tried picking her bags and putting Nicole's school bag which she'd scattered a bit together. "I think it's time to take 'my' daughter home." she said laying much emphasis on the 'my' as she tried to stand up from where she sat.
David quickly held her so she wouldn't be able to stand up yet. "Wait Rosie, please hear me out." he pleaded.
"There's nothing to say, Mr Edward. I need to take my daughter home, so she'll rest after a hectic day at work." Laurel said as she tried pulling her hand from his so she could stand.
"Okay, at least let her go to the school tomorrow, to complete enrollment and start up so that she doesn't miss lessons that will be useful to her." Laurel had finally got him to release her hands and stood up looking him in the eyes.
"Thank you Mr Edward, we appreciate the break and sumptuous meal, but we have to go now." she said without saying anything about his request.
"You didn't respond to my request."
"I'll go." They both turned towards that door together once they heard the unmistakable tiny voice, and true to their thoughts, it was Nicole standing by the door staring at them with guilty eyes.
"Nicole, I think I've warned you about eavesdropping on people." Laurel cautioned sternly.
David looked at the little girl with compassion filled eyes and asked, "How much of the conversation did you hear Nicole?"
"I heard enough to know that you're my father." Nicole gently said. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop though," she immediately added waving her both hands towards them, "just that I was coming in when you were talking and I knew if I let you know I'm here, you'd stop discussing immediately."
Laurel scoffed before saying, "We'd discuss that when we get home."
"I'm sorry mummy." the little girl said in her tiny voice. "But I needed to know, since it's clear you've been lying to me." she added without thinking.
"Shut up, Nicole Madison." Laurel barked at her angrily."Like I said, we'll discuss all your bad behaviours today at home!" she affirmed with a stern voice that shit Nicole up immediately. "Take your bag, we're leaving." Laurel added and threw her bag to her foot.
David kept his eyes on Nicole as she gently picked up her bag, hung it on her bag and stood there in wait. "You know she didn't do anything wrong right?" he calmly told Laurel.
"That's none of your business." Laurel shot at him. "Thanks for lunch and have a good day, boss." she added and started moving towards the door.
"You know I wouldn't give up, right? She's my daughter too." David said after her but she said nothing to him, so he added, "I'll send Charles to pick her up in the morning for school, I hope you'll put some thought into it this night. She can't miss school because the friction between us."
Laurel just stood by the door for a bit to hear all he has to before she quickly walked out without second thoughts with Laurel trailing behind her as quick as she could in order to keep up. Once in the car, Laurel laid her head quietly on the steering trying to calm herself before moving the car.
Nicole on her own was very quiet at the back seat to avoid being shouted at. She quietly strapped herself in the seat before she'll be told to, and waited till her mother started moving.
Seconds later, they were on the way home with deafening silence hovering around them inside the car and each person thinking about their own issues.