"When You Want Her Back..."


Chapter Twelve.



It had been a long twenty four hours for April. Hours of sitting in her room thinking of her options and letting the sad truth rip her heart apart. She really and truly loved Bret. Of course she realized how early it had been to say such a thing but she admitted it. She worried a bit of whether or not she loved Bret or just the image he has created for himself. To her he appeared to be an honest man who only wanted a family. He treated her well and showed her what romance was. He showed her the romance she had been writing about since the age of 12. Romance of love.

Sighing she picked up the phone and dialed Bret's number once more. She had called a million times and only once out of that million had Bret picked up only to tell her to stop calling. She needed to apologize to him. She needed for him to realize how sorry she was and that she had truly not known that the Hana she was looking for was the Hana he spoke so fondly of. Listening to the phone ring three times the same female voice answered. "Yes? You know I do get tired of picking up the phone right?"

Sighing she said "Look Rosa I'm sorry but I just want to talk to Bret and until he’s willing to face it I’m going to keep calling."

"Yes, well you keep calling and I will keep telling you to stop." at that she heard the phone click. Holding back her tears she bit down on her lip.

Why?! It seemed she had just found a good man and he was gone as fast as he had appeared. She couldn’t let him go like this. She couldn’t think of anything but him. Finally she decided to do what she should have done the minute Bret told her about Hana. Getting up April headed for the shower.

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"So I'm guessing that was her on the phone?" Bret said looking up from the chair he sat in on the front porch.

Nodding her head Rosa said "I know this is hard for you Bret."

"It is" he said holding his face in his hand. A day of wondering how April could have done this to him and a day full of ignoring him. Both so hard. Looking up at Rosa he said "You think I'll get her back?" He hoped so. It was all God could ever grant him to let him keep this child. If anything it was all he wanted. He had come to love Hana and although the social worker who he had gotten Hana from said he would be better off adopting a different child he still felt that no other one would do.

Taking a seat next to Bret Rosa wrapped an arm around his shoulders and said "I'm almost positive."

Sitting there for a moment he stared at Rosa. A minute passed and Bret found himself being kissed by Rosa. So surprised he stood there while she kissed him. Soon he passed over the shock and pulled himself away. "Whoa! What? How? Oh…WOW" was all he said.

Rosa seemed surprise herself as she touched her lips and her eyes stayed wide. Bret wasn’t sure what had just happened. One minute he was leaning on his best friend's shoulder trying to deal with everything and the next he was kissing her! Thinking about it he realized he actually didn’t kiss her. One odd thought ran through his mind. Did Rosa kiss him? Why would she?

"Um... Rosa what was that about?" he asked pointing from his lips to hers and back again to his.

"What? You didn’t enjoy it? Bret I love you...”

Still confused he continued "I love you too Rosa as a friend. You realize we can not be more then that"

"We have been best friends since forever. We share everything and anything. Don't you think we are perfect for each other?"

"Rosa... No... We can't. I just don’t love you that way."

Moving closer she held his hand. "But I do. I love you so much more then you think and I know if we just try we can make it work. Please just try it!"

Bret pulled his hand away and stood up. "Rosa this can't be. I don’t love you like that!"

"So then who do you love?! What Jackie? April? Come on Bret every woman you have ever loved has hurt you! Can't you see? I would never hurt you. Why couldn’t we happen?"

"Because" he said "It’s just not right." Walking away he just ignored her calls. He walked to his car and jumped in. Starting the engine he turned on the radio and hit the gas petal. He needed out. He needed someplace to think and he knew exactly just where it would be.

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Turning the corner April spotted Bret's house. She didn’t see his car so she guessed he wasn’t there but it didn’t hurt to check anyway. She pulled into the drive way and turned off her car. Grabbing her pocketbook from the passenger seat she opened the car door. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day. Stepping onto the porch she rang the doorbell. Waiting a minute or two she rang the bell again. Soon the door opened and April stood staring at Rosa.
"Yes?" Rosa said.

"Is Bret here?"

"No. I told you stop calling I didn’t mean to come over here." She said obviously angry.

Sighing she ignored Rosa's attitude.” Well do you know where he is?"

"No. I wouldn’t tell you anyway."

“That’s fine." Turning around she began to head to her car jus when she heard Rosa say "Don't come back." Turning back to Rosa she said "Excuse me?"

"I didn’t stutter. Don’t come back. He obviously doesn’t like you."

"Oh please like you know anything."

"I do know you hurt him. I do know that he happens to hate his wife for the things she did to him. So I also do know he’s bound to hate you too."

"What do you mean? What did she do to him?" Stepping forward Rosa seemed to be threatening April only not using her words. Most scariest threat April had ever received.

"She took his child away. She took his money... She divorced him. That man has been hurt so much. Every time I'm there for him. Every time I rescue him. I'm not going to let you hurt him."

"Well you won’t have to worry about that. Cause I’m not." Turning away she walked to her car and jumped in. Speeding away from the house she thought about what Rosa had said. She knew it was true. If she took Hana away Bret would hate her. Truth was she wasn’t sure whether or not he didn’t already hate her.

Thinking about it she thought of where Bret could possibly be. Maybe he needed to think. Maybe he was somewhere he thought he could finally be alone. Or maybe, she thought, he was just at work. Picking up her phone she dialed his office. The phone rang three times before a voice answered. The voice didn’t sound like the secretary she had come used to. The voice sounded like Olivia. "Yellow, Tax place just tell me what you want so I can get over with it."

"Boy, that isn’t a way to answer the phone."

"Well I saw the caller ID I knew it was you. Bret has a heart saved next to your number. Freaking weirdo huh?"

"No actually that’s sweet."

"Yeah, what ever. So what can I help you with cause good 'ol buddy Bret ain’t in now. He taking the week off on account of some court thing. Shouldn’t you know? You are like his girlfriend or something."

"Yea, yea, So did he say how long he would be gone."

"You know I didn’t sense that you were a blonde but obviously you are. I said a week." Rubbing her head in frustration April wondered why every woman in Bret's life hated her. Finally she said her goodbyes and hung up the phone. Tapping on her chin she decided maybe he was at his parents’ house. She needed to see him and tell him her new decision.

Making a U-turn she headed to his parents house. If he wasn’t there she wouldn’t know where else to check. Finally it dawned on him. If he needed a place to think he would go just where he had taken her that night. Making a right turn on Bakers Street she headed for the park.

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Sitting on the park ground, leaning on the tree Bret threw yet another stone in the pond. What was he going to do about Rosa? He wondered how he let it slip by. Such a long time of friendship and he had never even picked up a clue on her liking him the way she had told him today. Rosa was his best friend. The word Best friend didn’t say best girlfriend so how could she feel like that? Hearing a crack of branches Bret turned his attention to the direction of the sound only to see April.

"Oh great" he said making sure she heard it.

"Bret I really need to talk to you." She said moving closer to him in a faster speed. He guessed she moved faster because she was afraid he would flee but truth was where would he go? Why would he?

"Talk to me in court tomorrow. Go home. I want to be alone."

"Bret I know what your wife did... and I know you think I'm just like her but I really am not." taking a seat next to him they held eye contact for the first time in possibly years... or maybe just a day. Savoring the moment Bret didn’t say a word. "I'm not going to take Hana. I'm dropping my request. I just can't do this to you."

Surprised and grateful he threw his arms around her. "Thank you" he muttered before kissing her forehead. He had never been happier in his life. Suddenly a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders as he realized he no longer had to worry about losing Hana. He had his daughter back and he no longer had to worry about whether or not April had the will to actually take her away. His heart told him that he wouldn’t lose Hana but his head always told him he probably would and a day of those thoughts could honestly kill a man.