"When You Want Her Back..."

Chapter Five.


Monday morning Bret left for work in his Ford Explorer leaving Hana for the first time since he had her in his custody. He'd gotten Hana Friday and spent the whole entire weekend with her. Bret knew come Monday he would have to leave her but what he didn’t know was the worry he would face. He completely trusted Rosa but he just couldn’t help but worry. Maybe it came with the being a new parent thing or maybe it was just him but either way it had his mind on Hana and far from his work.

Settling taxes wasn’t an easy task when the where about of a three year old was on your mind. Bret worked for a big company being a tax advisor and in some cases lawyer. His job wasn’t exactly dreamy but he enjoyed it.

He had his own office and a secretary who was also two other peoples secretary but he considered that a minor detail. He had his own parking spot and made a good hundred thousand a year. Enough to pay for the house mortgage and cars, insurance and phones. Plus the weekly pay he gave Rosa.

Pulling into his parking spot he hopped out of his car and speed walked his way to the building entrance. Finally reaching it he entered and zoomed passed every one in an effort to catch the elevator. Using his arm he stopped the elevator and entered it.

"what are you rushing to?" asked the prissy Olivia. Olivia and Bret had a bumpy past of arguments and from time to time Bret and her would compete and mention accomplishments in an attempt to prove who was better. Judging by her tone she had chosen now as one of those times.

"I’m trying to get to my office so I can call and check on my DAUGHTER" Bret said emphasizing the daughter trying to show Olivia that being a parent made him better.

"Daughter? Wow I didn’t know.... who'd you knock off this time?" Olivia smiled at her words and Bret only clenched his fist.

"Olivia I have told you OVER and OVER do not talk about Jackie!"

"Oh come on Bret I didn’t even say anything and already your yelling!"

"Why do you do this?! I will never understand you Olivia."

"Well then that’s good for you... but honestly... Who'd you knock up? I guess the info hasn't reached the building... I would love to spread it"

"I didn’t knock up any one Olivia... I adopted her" Olivia gasped at his words and as if on queue and purposely planned to leave Olivia in suspense the elevator doors opened and Bret quickly jumped out. Hollering back to Olivia that he'd see her around.

Walking past the secretary he went straight into his office and jumped into his chair. Picking up the phone he dialed his home number and made a mental note to make it one of his speed dials. After three rings Rosa’s voice answered the phone.
"Yes Bret?"

"Well hello to you to" he said laughing.

"How can I help you Bret and if you’re going to ask about Hana I will hang up this phone." Rosa told him with meaning in her words.

"I'm jus a little worried. Excuse me but I’m new at this and I just didn’t feel right leaving her this morning."

"Don't you trust me??"

"OF COURSE... but a person still worries." he said sighing hoping Rosa would understand.

"Well she’s fine. Hold on." Bret said ok and stayed on hold while listening to the background of Rosa calling for Hana. "Here you go talk to her yourself." Rosa said being followed by the small child’s "ello? Daddy?"

Bret smile at her words. Hana had grown into the habit of calling Bret daddy in the course of a weekend. Bret still fascinated by it grew to hearing it and it soon was as if they had been daughter and father longer then just a weekend. Though in Bret’s mind it was JUST a weekend. It was completely amazing, full of fun and wonder. The best weekend he'd ever been through.

"Hi honey. How are you?"

"I’m fine... Rosa and I are playing with clay! And I’mma make you a suit case like the one you gotted with u when you left the house."

"O wow that’s great I can’t wait to see it."

"yeap... Daddy when do you come home from your worky place?"

"Tonight. You'll be with Rosa the whole time so remember what we talked about." Bret thought about his words and realized he WAS sounding like a parent... his father to be exact.

"OK, OK, OK... I go play with clay now! Bye daddy!" the little girl said making a sound that appeared to be her putting the phone down.

A minute later Rosa was back on the phone. "She’s sweet."

"Yes very" Bret said pushing the speaker button.

"So now that you have heard her voice and you now know she’s still alive you can work in peace. Right?"

"Yup." Bret said turning to his computer on the desk.

"So how’s the dating going?" Rosa asked casual but with hesitation.

"Fine I guess. I have been doing the computer thing."

"Computer thing? Any one good?"

"Yes in fact" Bret said smiling at the thought of her. They had only exchanged a few messages but for some reason she had truly gotten to him. "April. That’s her name. She’s really sweet and she loves the fact that I adopted Hana. Even though I wouldn’t explain to her why I adopted Hana."

"Well of course you couldn’t explain. I mean what would you say? ‘My ex-wife Jackie got pregnant and killed my child with out my permission or even telling me... then divorced me for all my money and so now I’m getting Hana to start the family she killed’ " Bret hissed at Rosa's words. All so true yet all too painful.

"No I don’t think I would say that..."Bret said his words not really into the conversation as he signed into his &HEARTS account.

"So when are you going to meet her?" Rosa's question surprised Bret.

"Rosa we jus started speaking. We can’t meet yet"

"Why not?"

"Well because we don’t know each other that well and we should get to know each other better"

"What better way to get to know each other then to meet?"

"Rosa we are not meeting. That’s that. Now get back to watching my daughter OK"

"Fine, fine" Rosa said in defeat "But if you don’t meet that woman soon she might jus find interest in another man. And by then... WHO KNOWS?!"

"ROSA" Bret said his voice warning her that now was the time to stop where ever it was she was taking this conversation.

"Yes, yes. Ok Bret talk to you later." The phone clicked at Rosa's last words and Bret turned the speaker off.

Looking at April’s new response to his letter he smiled. She had told him more about her being a writer and how her sister was going through a hard time. She'd told him about the vacation in Reno she had just gotten back from and the new series she was TRYING to plan. Bret planned to tell her Rosa's idea but he didn’t plan to actually ask her about considering it. Really he wasn’t sure if he was ready to meet her or if she wanted to meet him. Only time could tell.

****************************

"Ok can you please tell me why you haven’t said a word to me for the past day?" Lina said to her sister at the kitchen table. April had left Jay's office completely furious with her sister. She had been so angry she couldn’t bear to look at her with out having the urge to yell. Ignoring her sister was her only means of sanity and completely avoiding killing her.

"Lina... I don’t want to talk to you right now."

Lina shook her head and said "I don’t see why? What happened to helping me? What about Hana?"

"I'm going to get Hana back. I repeat I'm going to get Hana back. Not you. I want custody of her." April said listening to her sister’s gasp. April had thought it over multiple times and this was her only option. She couldn’t see her sister actually pulling together and achieving the approval of a judge. Truthfully she wanted Hana back but she wasn’t sure she wanted Lina to have her back.

"You can’t! April that’s mad how you could even consider that! How could you think of it?"

"Lina I said I don’t want to talk about it"

"NO there is no ignoring me now!!!"

"Lina you lied to me! I'm here trying to help you and you lied to me!!! Luther didn’t die on a ship. He ran away after being KICKED OUT! Why would you lie to me? Why didn’t you tell me that the social services had visited your house on a previous occasion or that you have had a drinking problem for a while?! Lina I am your sister why didn’t you come to me before? I would have thought you of all people know I would be there for them. Lina I love you. Why do you always insist on pushing me away?!" Anger rushed through her veins and tears formed in her eyes. Lina stared at her in shock.

"I'm not sure... I can’t answer any of those questions April. I've been confused and lost lately... well what seems to be forever. I mean think... How could I tell you about Luther?! How do I look telling you that the man I loved for three years had a child with and married just left me!? He left me and Hana like we meant nothing to him. Man it hurt so much April."

"Lina you lied... that doesn’t change. I'm going to get Hana one way or another."

"April you better not take my daughter away from me"

"Just watch me” April said getting up from the table and walking out of the kitchen. Quickly she grabbed her jean jacket and car keys. She walked out of her apartment and headed straight for the elevator. Waiting outside of the elevator she held her the bridge of her nose and took deep breaths.

This all was becoming too hard. It seemed jus a week ago she was in Reno enjoying her vacation and thinking about her new series. Now she found herself arguing with her sister about custody over her daughter who in fact had been adopted by another person. How could all this happen so fast? Finally giving April a break the elevator doors opened.

An hour later April found herself at Jay's office sitting in a seat talking about the morning. "I don’t understand her jay! Lina just acts so irresponsible. Do you think I'm doing the right thing with Hana?" April needed to talk to some one and Jay was there for her. Lina had looked at her like she had betrayed her when she told her she would be getting Hana. It surprised her how much her sister had taken the idea of April taking Hana as a threat.

"Well I think" Jay paused and took a second to think. Obviously he was thinking just as hard as April had about it. "Yes I do. I think that the court should grant you custody because well you are her aunt. Lina will get over it. You really need to let her know that just because you are taking Hana doesn’t mean she won’t ever see her again or that she can’t EVER get her back. Truthfully I think you are better for Hana. You’re her true relative and you have a VERY flexible job."

Jay's words comforted April and she felt just a little better about what she was doing. "We'll come with me to the social services? I need you with me." Jay nodded his head. He was always there for her. "With out a doubt" he said.