"When You Want Her Back..."



Chapter Fifteen



Turning in bed April pretended it wasn’t time to wake up. Today she was forced to face many things. Today she had to get Hana back with Bret, today she had to visit Lena before they took her away and today she had to call Rico and tell him how the story was coming or rather wasn’t coming. Rico was like her manager only off the book and every two weeks he desired a report on how work was going.

Getting up April tumbled into the bathroom and showered. After her shower she ate some crackers and made a mental note on the fact that she no longer had food in her cabinet. After her crackers she called Bret. She had been yearning to hear his voice all morning and deciding it wasn’t too early and she HAD to call him because of the Hana situation she took the opportunity. Picking up his card she dialed the number and listened to it ring. One ring, two rings, three rings, “Hello”.

“Morning, Bret” April said voice happy, smile on her face. His voice sounded relaxed. She could imagine him sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee and reading his newspaper with his hair distorted from tossing and turning in bed. Just the image of Bret made her melt.

“Good morning April.” He Replied.

“I just thought I would tell you that Jay is handling Social Services right now. He says we could probably pick her up later.”

“Hmm…” he said. A moment of silence lasted until she finally heard him say. “So what did you eat this morning?”

“Crackers.”

“Do you want to go out to breakfast with me? I haven’t eaten either.”

“But I did eat…”

“Crackers aren’t food. Should I pick you up in twenty minutes?”

Smiling at his persistency she said “Yes,” and simply hung up.

Exactly twenty minutes later Bret pulled up in front of April’s building and honked his horn. April jumped into his car and together they pulled away leaving April’s red brick apartment building behind in the dust. “So where are we going?” April asked turning toward him.

“We are going to ‘Gina’s Diner’. Do you like that place?” He asked glancing at her then focusing on the road.

Leaning back in her seat she said “Yeah…”

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As April told the waitress her order Bret watched her. Her golden hair was in yet another ponytail. He figured she either favored that style or just choose it because it was easiest to do when you were in a rush. Her skin glowed and her scent was just as he remembered it every time they were together. She wore a long sleeved shirt that had the saying “Writer only on Sundays” and regular jeans. Some how she seemed to wear jeans better then any other woman he had ever known.

Catching him staring at her she said “What?”

“Nothing, I’m just admiring. Can’t a man admire his girlfriend anymore?” He said smiling at her.

“Maybe,” She told him reaching for his hand across the table. He held her hand and cradled it with a sense of protectiveness. “So how did it go with Rosa?” She asked.

Glancing down then looking up he replied with “Ok… She moved out.”

Seeming a bit surprised she said “How did that go?”

Looking into her eyes he knew really what she was asking. He knew that deep down inside she wanted to know if he was feeling ok. She wanted to know if he was regretting anything and he knew exactly how he would answer her.

“Well,” He said “It went fine. We agreed to be friends and she said she would still be here to help me with Hana. She told me she couldn’t live with me, not after what had happened and she left. I’m fine with it. I think she was right.”

April bit her bottom lip and seemed to sit and contemplate what he had just said when finally she said “Are you really going to need a lot of help from her? With Hana?”

Realizing exactly what she had been thinking he said “I don’t thi-“stopping he thought about his response. How would he explain to her just what he was trying to say? “I wont need her help, as long as you are here for us. You’ll be here right?”

“Of course” she said smiling. At that moment the waitress arrived with their food and they were forced to break apart their hands and begin eating.

Checking his watch Bret read that it was now 10:30. He knew the hospital that Lena was in wouldn’t begin visiting hours till 1 so he figured that they had time to waste. Time he hoped they would spend on getting Hana.

He had been separated from her for about four days and it drove him crazy. At night he stood awake wondering just what the little girl was going through. When he ate she was the one on his mind. He wondered if they were feeding her right and putting her to bed on time.

Well actually, he thought to himself, he worried.

Not wondered but worried. It seemed that Hana’s surroundings always worried him. Maybe he was just paranoid or maybe it just came with being a parent but either way it happened. A lot.

Thinking about Hana he asked April “so do you know how Jay’s doing on the Hana thing?”

“Hana thing?” Swallowing she said “Oh, yes, well we can call him now if you want? I spoke to him this morning and he said he would work on it right away.”

Nodding his head he told her “No, just enjoy your meal. You have to admit… It’s better then Crackers.” He smiled as he watched her giggle.

It fascinated him how beautiful April could look at so many different times. It seemed that if she wasn’t looking stylish she pulled off a different look of trendy and even at certain moments did she have the power to look sexy in the most weirdest surroundings. There was something about April that pulled at his heart and made him open his arms to her every time he saw her.

Knowing it was love was the worst thing for him. He was, in the simplest way to put it, scared. He was afraid that if he told her how he felt she would leave. He was afraid of risking the pain. He was afraid of just love. He was afraid of ever letting love in and then, possibly having it taken away again.

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12 30 and April walked through the doors of Jay’s office. Walking beside her was Bret. Bret walked with a certain pride in his steps and a feeling of complete control. He wore grey slacks and a fitting T-shirt. His black belt matched his black dress shoes that added a sense of sexiness to his outfit. Somehow he dressed simple yet still managed to look professional. “Is Jay in?” April asked Rita

Rita nodded her head and both April and Bret went straight into his office. Walking in they caught the end of Jay’s conversation. “That’s thrilling news.” He said into the phone. “Just give me a minute and I will write the number down. You should know,” he joked “That I might need your address to send you a million gift baskets in thanks” Laughing at his own joke he took down some information and said his goodbyes.

Hanging up the phone Jay looked up at them. “Guess you’re here for the Hana report huh?”

“Yes,” Bret said stepping forward moving closer to Jay’s desk and adding a serious tone.

“It’s all settled.” He said to Bret, “You can go pick her up now if you wanted to.”

Bret smiled at Jay’s words and said “Really?”

“Yes.” Jay said to him. Both men locked eye contact and April couldn’t help but wonder what it was they were doing. From where she was standing it seemed they were going through some kind of manly thing that April would never understand.

“Well then,” she said “Let’s go!!”

Bret turned around and smiled at here. “Just what I was thinking.” He said.

April wasn’t to sure that’s what he was thinking but for now she didn’t care. Now all she knew was that she was just a car ride away from meeting her niece and Bret’s daughter. Still she wondered.

She wondered how they would work out explaining to little Hana that her mother was in jail and for the time being she was being raised by her father through adoption who just happens to be dating her aunt. The thought of it had her mentally slapping her head. She just couldn’t wait for the day little Hana walked up to some one and said “I saw daddy kissing my aunt”

Not many people would understand and some people might even be sickened at the sound of it. Of course, April thought, after a brief explanation people would understand… right?

Turning toward the door Bret left the office and April followed him. Walking through the door she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. “Wait,” she said “What was that all about? The whole phone thing or the meetings? What’s going on?”

Jay smiled at her, winked at her and simply closed his office door. Surprised and confused she shrugged her shoulders and signaled for Bret to keep walking. There was no use wasting time on something that wasn’t her business.