Chapter Thirty Nine
Maria stood by the car and waited for Michael to come out of the school building. She was so excited to see him after his first day she came twenty minutes early. She looked into the car to make sure Izzy was alright before she turned back to the huge metal gates. She had managed to talk herself calm, but she needed to see Michael to be completely calm. She pulled out the phone Dave had gotten her to check the time again, there were five minutes left and several text and voice messages from Dave.
She hadn’t bothered to call him back, she was sure once he heard her voice he would know she wasn’t okay. The man picked up emotions like a canine police unit picked up scents. She was going to call him back, right after she felt calm enough to, right after Michael was safe in her arms.
The building’s wooden doors opened and kids began to rush out. Maria felt giddy and happy when she spotted Michael laughing and talking with three other boys. He was so unlike her, capable of making friends so fast. She was a little surprised when she saw a man in a grey suit walk out behind them. He stopped at the gate and waved at her when he spotted her, Maria laughed realizing that Dave had gone overboard with keeping Michael safe, but she appreciated it, making her like him even more.
“Mama!” Michael yelled, running to her open waiting arms. She hugged him tight, all the fear and anxiety slipping away.
“So how was your first day?” She opened the door and put him in next to Izzy. She shrieked happily when she saw him.
“It was great. I missed you too.” hugging her.
Maria rushed to the driver’s side and got in. She handed Michael the phone before she pulled the car out of the parking lot, “Call Dave and tell him we are on our way home.”
***
“Hello Maria.” Dave jumped from his seat, unable to contain his relief, he had thought something bad had happened to her and Izzy.
“Hi, mama says to tell you we are on our way home.” Michael sang out.
Dave smiled, he was glad to hear his voice, but he would have preferred to hear Maria’s. He needed to know if she was still mad at him, and the fact it was Michael who called only meant she was, “Tell her she doesn’t have to cook. I’m bringing pizza to celebrate your great day at school.”
“How did you know I had fun?”
“I’m psychic. See you soon.” He hung up, then picked up his briefcase and walked out of the office. He still had a lot of work to do, but he needed to get home, Michael would definitely want to talk about his first day and he needed to fix things with Maria. Besides, he had spent too much time in his office and very little at home, he needed to make time for his family.
Todd rushed behind him with a paper in his hand, “Where are you going, we aren’t done yet?”
“I’m going home. If I keep spending my time here, I’m going to forget my home and what my family looks like.” He stepped into the elevator determined to leave.
“They are always here and besides they aren’t your family.”
“Yes they are, and if you want your mess fixed you better keep that in mind.” He said harshly, before the elevator doors closed.
Todd stood there looking at the doors, helpless. He knew he couldn’t do anything else without Dave’s approval and he surely wasn’t going home early for his father to scold him for dodging work, the only thing left to do was drink the bottle of whiskey he had in his desk. He turned around and skipped to his office.
***
Dave parked his car at the side walk. He liked having two cars parked in front of his house, it gave him a feel of a family, he had longed for a family when he was with Amy and now he had it, with Maria. He walked to his door with two pizzas in one hand and a bouquet of red and white roses in another. He wasn’t sure which flowers she liked, but a man could never go wrong with roses.
Michael opened the door before he could, “Hi buddy,” Dave said, stepping in.
“Hi dad, mama doesn’t like flowers.” Michael said before he took the pizzas and jetted off to the living room. Dave stood there for a while, shocked, but yet pleased Michael had called him dad again. He understood he had to put up a show at school, but at home it was different and very genuine. Michael saw him as a dad and it made Dave very glad.
“You need to stop him from calling you that.” Maria emerged from the living room, she walked to him and took the roses from him, “Thanks.”
Dave saw how carelessly she held them and knew he would have to find something that appealed to this woman, most women would be cooing and smelling them, but she held them like she would a dead branch, “Why should I? He wants to and I like it.” he took off his coat and placed it in the closet, “besides, now you don’t have any other choice but to marry me.”
“How about you and Michael stop being delusional.” she walked ahead of him to the kitchen, “This is going to end bad Dave and he’s going to get hurt.” She placed the roses on the counter, reached into the cupboard and took out several plates.
“It doesn’t have to.” He stood at the door and watched her move around the kitchen. She looked like she lived there for years, like it was her home.
“Izzy already had her dinner and I thought you would want to tuck her in. You haven’t done that in weeks.” Maria said, changing the subject. It always made her uncomfortable when he talked about their future, which she wasn’t too sure they would have one.
“Thanks.” he blocked her way and kept her in the kitchen, “Why do you keep doing that?” he took the plates out of her hands, walked to the counter, pulling her with him, “We can eat out of the box. Why do you change the subject when you get uncomfortable?”
“You’ve already answered yourself, it would be silly if I repeated it.” keeping her head down.
“Maria.” he said gently, lifting her head with his fingers.
“Michael is going to finish the pizza.”
“I’ll call for another one, just answer me.”
She stared at him, her lips bitten shut. She had a number of reasons why she wasn’t comfortable with speaking of a future with him, she just didn’t think he would be too pleased to hear them.
“If you are afraid I’ll turn out to be like Ricky, you couldn’t be more wrong.”
“I can’t take that risk.” she said, stepping away from him.
“I spent seven years of my life married to Amy, not once did I lay a hand on her, as much as I wanted to kill her a few times. I think that’s proof enough.”
“You are right, Amy is enough proof but… what if it doesn’t work out?” she shook her head.
Dave moved closer to her, “There is no guarantee in life.” he pushed her hair back out of her face, “We just have to risk it.”
“I will be the one risking it, you already have my entire life in a little black folder. A journalist, that was clever, but not clever enough.”