"When You Want Her Back..."



Chapter Eighteen


Standing next to the bench Bret closed his eyes. Next to him sat Andrew. After turning in Andrew’s father Bret had arranged for his mother to be called and had agreed to stay with him till his mother came from work. Holding his hand and standing right next to him was April. She had her head leaned on his shoulder as they all stood in silence.

“HE should have seen this coming” Andrew said getting up from his seat.

Bret popped one eye open and looked at Andrew. “What do you mean?”

“Well… He worked at place he didn’t enjoy! He worked non-stop. I mean I don’t even know how some one could work at something they don’t like. Of course then again I do it with school. Only they make me!”

Bret stared at Andrew in surprise. He seemed to be angry at his father and yet he didn’t seem to be worried. Suddenly the shouting of “Andrew Kenathy Bennet! What did you say about your father!?” interrupted the conversation and everybody turned to see that a small red haired woman was marching her way toward them.

The woman was short and seemed pretty slim. She carried a large bag on her shoulder that looked casual along with her jeans and shirt. She dressed sort of like April only to Bret April could have worn it better.

“I was only saying the truth! He set himself up for this!” Andrew shouted back at the woman. Eyes darkening at the furry in his tone.

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that! Don’t you dare talk about you farther while he is on a hospital bed! What is wrong with you?” There was a moment of silence after the woman spoke until Bret cleared his throat.

The woman seemed to snap back to her surroundings and turned her attention to Bret. “I am sorry. You must be the kind man who helped my son bring my husband in. I’m Elizabeth Bennet. I want to thank you so much.” She said extending her arm for a hand shake then moving in closer to hug him.

“You probably saved my husbands life!” She said smile on her face tears forming in her eyes.

Finally Bret spoke. “I’m Bret McAllister and this is my girlfriend April. It was really no big deal. I did what any man would do.”

“Yes, I suppose you did. But, it doesn’t matter. Any man didn’t save my husband. You did and I thank you once again.”

Brett nodded his head at the woman’s words.

Before soon it was ten and Bret and April had left the hospital. Bret and April sat in his car quietly. There wasn’t really any tension in the air so Bret found himself enjoying the silence. The hospital had been chaotic and the quiet seemed to be a vacation from it.

Bret looked at April and watched as she stared out into the street. They were now parked outside of April’s apartment and everything seemed abandoned. April lived in a quiet neighborhood where every one was sound at home watching T.V. or sleeping.

“I realized that I haven’t asked you how it went with Lena” Bret said turning completely toward April.

April turned her head and said “Well, it went just as I had expected. Lena was comfortable and willing to accept her arrest. I think we just might pull a plea bargain.”

Bret reached for April’s hand and held it between his. He stared at her deciding at where she stood emotionally. It seemed that there was something in her still roaming, still questioning what was to happen next. Realizing she needed reassurance Bret leaned forward and kissed her. His lips to hers he felt her sigh. He felt as she let down all her will and raised her free hand to his hair.

She ran her fingers through his hair and Bret broke the kiss. For a moment they stared into each others eyes, foreheads leaning against each other. Staring into April’s brown eyes he lost himself. He lost himself in the thought of trust and care and the thought of spending more time with her and Hana. Maybe even as a family.
At that very moment Bret’s heart ached. It beat hard in his chest and so badly desired him to drown her in care and compassion. It’s only need being that it just wanted her to understand how much he admired her. In those moments it came to him. The truth was that he not only admired her because it was now far past admiration. What his heart felt was love.

For the years that he had been with Jackie his mind told him he was in love. His mind told him that if he so truly enjoyed being with her and calling her his girlfriend that but of course he was in love. Yet, tonight it wasn’t his mind that was telling him he was in love, it was his heart.

Finally he pulled himself away from her and sat right in his seat. He ran a hand threw his hair as her hand had just done and cleared his throat.

“I still have some more time off.” He said “I don’t have to go to work for another three or four days, which even that is optional right now.”

April’s eyebrows went down in confusion. “What? What do you mean optional?”

“Well,” he said “After tonight... I realized I shouldn’t strain myself over work I don’t even like. I mean look at Andrew’s father.”

“Elizabeth said that He was in his forties. You’re young.”

“Yes, I am, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am barely even enjoying my job. I don’t want to become him. Not one bit.”

“So then what shall you do?”

“I was thinking about getting my own store.” April smiled at the idea. It was the first smile he had seen in a while.

“I can see that. I can picture it all.” She said.

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

April put the key in her lock and opened the door. Her apartment was completely lit in light. There was a smell of popcorn and she could here the T.V. on from where she stood. This was very odd. “Hello?” she called out. Hoping some one familiar would answer her calls rather then an odd encounter with a burglar or possibly another relative.

“In here!” she heard Connie call out from the living room. Sighing in relief she put all her belongings where she normally put them.

Walking into the living room her friend smiled at her. “Just where have you been young lady?”

“The hospital” April said to Connie. Walking around the couch she joined her friend. She hugged her then reached for the pop corn on her lap.
Connie seemed surprised at what she had said. It was then that she realized she hadn’t explained anything to Connie. Manny of the times she had choose to talk to Connie one of her children would interrupt or she wouldn’t be in. Last she had told Connie was about Bret and hers first date.

“Ok this is going to be a long story.” April said eating more popcorn. “Remember Bret right?”

“Right”

“Well remember how my sister had a daughter who was adopted after social services took her away?”

“Yeah” Connie said urging her to goon with the story.

“Well, it turned out that Bret adopted Lena’s daughter.” Connie gasped. When April had first thought about it she reacted the same way. It was its self a surprising factor. It was something that April could not have ever predicted.

“What does that have to do with you being in the hospital?”

April patted on Connie’s knee. “Hold your horses its coming, its coming. See I kicked Lena out and then like days later I get a call that she has ODed on drugs. So I go to the hospital with Bret and we see Lena. I find out she is going to jail.”

“What about Hana? How is that going?”

“Bret is keeping Hana only I am staying apart of her life. He said he wants me there for her. I told Lena about it and she flipped but after a minute or so of thinking she only demanded that I take good care of Hana.”

“Whoa,” Connie said “This is some Opra stuff.”

“Yeah I know…” April said leaning back on the couch and eating more pop corn.

“What are you going to do if it doesn’t work out with Bret? I mean are you going to take Hana away from him? Won’t it be awkward staying close to Hana even though you and Bret aren’t together anymore? What about when Lena gets out of jail? Can Hana still keep calling Bret “daddy” when Lena is there to tell her about-“Connie was cut off mid sentence when April said “Stop!”

“You are thinking to far ahead! I never even considered any of those things. I just automatically assumed when they did, if they did happen we will work them out. Bret and I will make it. We just have to. I really, REALLY do like him. I wouldn’t want us to end so that doesn’t have to be a question. I love him.”

“Aw, well lucky you.” Connie said then reaching out to hug her friend. “So when do we start planning for the wedding?”

“CONNIE!!” April said smiling.

“I’m just kidding jeeze!”