6.2: A Suprise for Kayleigh

Alani's POV...

   "Kayleigh!" I called out. As her mother, you'd think I could figure out what was wrong with her. She was moping around the house in old sweats, eating ice cream, and watching romantic movies she normally hated. I'd say it was that time of the month, only she told me it was. Normally, she'd blush and never admit that it happened to her. So obviously she's lying to cover something else up.
   "Go away." She moaned. "I'm sleeping."
   "Kayleigh." I repeated. She wasn't going to sit and be like this. It had been twelve days of this moping; we were going to get to the bottom of this. I missed my happy daughter. I missed her smiling and laughing and joking. She was a seventeen year old girl, I understood this. But it was unhealthy to be like this, I needed to chat with her.
    "Moooom."
    "Come on honey, let's chat."
    "No... and turn the light off. It's blinding me."
    "You've missed almost two weeks of school. You're going Monday."
    "What day is it?"
    "Saturday."
    "See... time passes so quickly. What's the point of me getting up, if in ten hours I'll just have to go back to sleep?"
    "You're a pretty, young girl. You need to have a social life."
    "I talk to you and dad."
    "Screaming at us to bring you food or go away doesn't count." I took her hand and pulled her up, off the bed. I lead her over to the couch and sat down. She sat down on the other side. "Spill."
    "Huh?"
    "You're upset. I know this, your father knows this."
    "Period."
    "Doesn't last two weeks."
    "Ugh. Mooom. Gee."
    "Look, somethings wrong. Please, sweetie. I want to help. I want to make it all better."
    "No, you can't."
    "What do you mean?" Of course I could help. I was her mother. I would do anything for my little girl to make her smile, including kicking some random person's butt. Nobody messes with my daughter and gets away with it.
    "Look, there was this person... and I like-" She paused. "I don't know. I kinda think I still like them, but they don't like me. At least, not how I want them to. I told them how I feel and they hate me now."
    "Look honey, guys," I paused she didn't say it was a guy. Was this what it was about? Oh my gosh. I would love her no matter what, but maybe that's why she didn't want to go back to school, because she revealed something personal and now everyone makes fun of her, when they have no right. "Or girls, are idiots in high school." I waited to see her facial expression.
    "Mom, it was a guy."
    "Okay, honey. I just wanted you to know that I would love and support you no matter what. You're my daughter and I'll love you through the good and bad. You'll always be Kayleigh."
     "Thanks... that was sweet."
     "You know, high school guys mature eventually."
     "When? By the time they're thirty-five." She rolled her eyes. "Cause I don't think so."
     "Don't worry, he's probably all hormonal and doesn't realize what a catch you are."
     "You wouldn't understand."
     "I think I would. Come downstairs with me."
     "I'm tired."
     "I want to show you something... prove I understand."
     "Look, I've probably gained ten pounds from the ice cream and  candy you guys bought me. I'm good." She laughed, pinching her belly.
      "You look amazing, now come on. Scoot ya boot to the living room."
      "Fine... but if it's food, I'm not hungry, I want to nap."
      "You'll love it."
      "I..." She let out a sigh. "Fine, let's go." She stood up and  quickly followed her. I was excited to see her face. She would love her surprise, because it wasn't food. It was better. So much better. "Is that-?!" She gasped, as soon as she stepped downstairs. "Mom?" 
      "Honey, I would like you to meet Booker Singleton!"
      "How? I mean... I'm in sweats and an old tank top. I haven't showered in four days. Mom!"
      "Kayleigh, darling. I knew about Booker."
      "But-but. H-how? He was my secret."
      "Well, I think I should leave the explanation up to Booker." I turned to face him, waiting for him to spill. He should be happy that I worked evenings and that Trevor was currently saving lives by putting one flame out at a time. If Trevor was the one to deal with him... things would have ended with a fist fight or something of the sort.
      "Tell me! C'mon, please." Kayleigh lifted an eyebrow, clearly frustrated.
      "Alright." Booker let out a sigh. "I work for the government. I'm a politician, right?  Everything starts out innocent enough, I'm visiting my brother and I see you. My brother... he was sick of living. I couldn't deal with the fact that I just lost him and maybe someone was about to lose their sister or cousin or daughter or friend. I had to save you, so I did. We talked, chatted really.You know all this." Kayleigh nodded. "What you don't know is that afterwards," He took a deep breath. I looked at my daughter, knowing she would dislike what was about to happen next. "I went to my office. I recognized the name Janes."
      "What? How?" Kayleigh glanced at me. I shrugged; I knew what happened, but I was unsure of the exact details.
       "Payroll. I did payroll when I first started. I kept track of who the city payed. Your dad, a fireman was on the list. I didn't realize it at first, since I had moved up, but I poked around and found out about him. I met him and told him what happened. When I agreed to meet you again... he wasn't happy about it. That's when your mother showed up at the meeting."
        "Mom?"
        "Honey, I knew you. You would internalize everything if we didn't let you talk to Booker. He told us about the I love you...I knew that  had to stop. We had to tell you that we knew and bring him here for you to...you to see him."
      "So... it was a fraud? You didn't care for me at all!" She screamed at him, her eyes on fire.
      "Kayleigh, that isn't true. If I didn't care for you, why the hell would I take the time to meet you every night? You're seventeen. A kid. I want you to be healthy, but dammit I'm not going to do this like- like I'm your father. I'm not taking the blame. Look, I swear that you're something special. I know that. You know that. hell, everyone you meet should know that or they're blind or an idiot. A complete and utter fool."
     "If I'm special, why did you refuse to see me when I said I love you. Cause I do... but that doesn't mean..."
     "You're seventeen!" He shouted. I wanted to step in, but it wasn't my place. I wanted to hold Kayleigh's hand and comfort her, but she couldn't like this man who was twice her age. "You are a great girl, great kid. But you are a kid. Okay?"
      "Come to my birthday party. Please." She blurted out. "I mean, if you want to..."
      "Okay." He took a deep breath. "Are you alright? Do you undertsand?"
      "I do...I mean, I don't want to. But I do. I hate being seventeen."
      "No, no. You shouldn't."
      "Booker, could we ever...?"
      "Not now, kid. Don't think of this. Not now." My baby girl wanted to grow up so badly. So badly, it would almost kill her.