fifteen

She rubbed her eyes as she looked at Katie standing in front of her.

'Honey, what is the problem?'

'Mom, please help me, I have been looking for a birthday present for Jacob, and his birthday is tomorrow.'

She looked at Katie, looked at the table clock; it was 9am, she missed breakfast which was normally by 8, she crawled out of bed and stretch.

'Mom, please.'

'Honey, When is his birthday?' She asked her; she was finding it hard to deny Katie anything.

'Honey....'

There was a knock on the door. Katie went to get it and she was surprised when she came back and stood in front of her.

'Who is it?'

'It is the master; he says he wants to talk with you.'

'What?'

To prove the point. 'Pearl, please.' He added.

She stood and looked at her self, head to toes and her hair was in a mess. She turned to her daughter.

'How do I look?'

Kate made a disgusting sound, Pearl panicked.

'Wait, a minute!' She yelled at the door as she tried to arrange herself, Katie look at her mother who was confused, she just sat on the bed, watching her panicked all over the place.

What did he want? Pearl looked at her daughter as she tied her robe then she motioned towards the door and moved to open it.

'William.' She sounded surprised as she saw him by her doorstep.

'Pearl.'

'What are you doing here?' She stopped and took it back.

'I mean this is your house, you can enter into any place, but I am here and probably I am in your way, which I don't want to be but you gave me this room, you told me to stay here.'

William looked at the running mouth and looked at Katie; who stood up looked at her mother and walked out, he put his hands into his pocket.

She managed a smile; but seriously. 'What are you doing here?' She said sweetly.

'Pearl, are you alright?'

She just woke up and found him in her room; was that all right?

She nodded. 'Yes, just begin to start with the day, prepare for classes with Jacob and Katie and then.....'

'Blabber mouth, do you always get so anxious like this?' He asked her.

Not that she could remember; what was the problem?

'Anyway, I will be going to get a gift for Jacob, I'm sure you heard tomorrow is his birthday, will you get a gift for him?'

'Yes, why not? As soon as you leave and I hit the shower, I will be off.' She told nicely.

He removed a hand from his pocket. 'I was thinking we could go together, Katie wants to get him something too, how long will you take?'

She looked at him; he was seem to spoil every of her plans, not that she had any planned. 'Take what?'

'Time, how long will it take in getting ready?'

She nodded and managed a smile. 'Few minutes, I guess.'

He nodded. 'That's good.'

She nodded praying he'd leave already.

He turned, then she held the door about to shut it but he turned back to face her.

'Pearl, I apologise; this is your room.'

She nods.

'After buying the gifts, we are going riding at the fair, you should leave your hair, it is better like that.' He said and walked away.

She managed to close the door without slamming it shut. Leave her hair? No packing why?

Suddenly she remembered what almost happened.

She rushed to the bathroom; she prayed her face didn't blow; God, she had never felt like this for anyone expect the guy she had a crush back in high school; Michael Lawson but this time; it wasn't her dream guy; this was William and she was all over him.

OMG!

She smiled when William brought ice-cream for them and told them to eat up so that they could go for the ride; Jacob didn't come with them this time, it was only Katie and her, this case it was William not Richard and they were like a family.

'Are you set?'

She heard the scream her daughter made as she buckled her belts and looked at the man; who made all these things possible for her little girl.

She buckled up and so did he.

'Pearl, are you afraid of heights?'

'Why?' She was looking at the man by her.

'You are in for a surprise.'

As if she hadn't have more surprises from then she could count.

Then the machine whirred; it was time.

'Go!' Katie shouted.

How she enjoyed rides but sadly Richard had not been there to enjoy with her like this.

They went up, up, up and downnn.....

When they got down Pearl's eyes were spinning.

'Who wants lunch?'

'Me!' Katie said as she followed him.

Pearl looked at her daughter; she was really happy and she deserved it. Thank God for William.

They sat down round the table with their food and ate.

'Did you enjoy yourself, Katie?' William asked her.

Katie nodded in between the food. 'Thank you very much, master?'

He smiled. 'Call me, William, Katie.'

She smiled and looked at her mom. 'Mom, the master has been very nice, can I call him, dad?'

Pearl looked at her; where did that come from, she was about to correct her when William stopped her.

'Pumpkin, I don't mind if you call me anything, so far we are friends.'

'Then I can call you dad, right?'

William ignored the look on Pearl's face and turned back to Katie.

'Pumpkin, I won't mind if you called me dad, it will be a privilege.'

Katie smiled at him. 'Thank you very much, dad.'

He touched her cheek 'You're welcome pumpkin.'

Pearl looked at him; what kind of person was he, she turned to her daughter.

'Katie, go play for a while and come back when you are tired.'

'Can l make friends, mom?'

She managed a smile. 'Yes, honey.'

She stood up and surprised as if the thank you, wasn't enough, she hugged William and didn't leave for what seem like minutes and then she looked at him.

'Dad, I think I love you more than my former daddy.' She said.

'Katie, please, excuse us.' She registered.

Katie looked at William; who nodded and she kissed his cheek, taking her ice-cream, she walked away.

'What do think you are doing, William?' She asked him as she shoved her food aside.

He smiled at her. 'My answer would be helping you.'

'Helping me?' what sort of answer, is that?

'Yes, Katie is happier than she has been, you should be grateful.'

'Grateful? What did you tell Katie to make her call you, dad?'

He almost laughed. 'Honey, I am good looking, any woman would fall for me, looks like I only got the daughter to fall for me not the mother and now the mother is jealous.'

'I'm not jealous.' She almost snapped.

'Katie has a father, he might be stubborn but he is.....'

'Shut up.'

She couldn't believe he snapped at her.

'Are you out of you mind? Whom are you thinking of you or Katie, who got flogged you or Katie, what are you thinking, Pearl?'

Maybe that didn't wake her up but she might as well get the message; she was just trying to help Katie too.

'Why are you bringing back those awful memories, God damn it, Katie is just a little girl, she had an awful experience, do you want to her to live with that experience all her life, will you be able to carry it on your conscience, how would you feel if she didn't get over all that psychological experience, what if she isn't able to forget it?'

She looked at him as he looked at her; angry for what Pearl couldn't recognise yet.

'Wouldn't it be better if Katie knew a dad who loved her than a dad who would rather beat her up at any chance he got, what kind of a man you have you chosen, Pearl?'

She managed to find her voice then;

'I didn't choose the father; I could never have chosen him for Katie, if I had known.' She told him as her voice shook.

'But you didn't know, you made that mistake once, do you want to ruin your daughter happiness by sending her back, we learn from our mistakes, Pearl.'

She looked away.

William sat up and finished his drink. 'You are the one who makes decision concerning Katie's life but this time, you are making the wrong decision.' He stood up and walked away.

Pearl looked at him as he left; maybe he was right; Katie was happy, what difference did it make if it was with William or someone else, the main thing was she was happy, wasn't that what she wanted to achieve, for her daughter to forget the pain and loneliness she felt and be the happy kitten. Why was she killing her joy already?

She stood up and walked towards the playground.

She stopped when she saw William playing around with Katie and Katie was laughing happily and William caught her and swing her round with her hands in the air. Wasn't this what she wanted, Katie was happy, she was very happy, maybe William was right, she was jealous but of the happiness she felt?

She looked at William; he was right; Katie was her daughter, her responsibility and so she was entitled to make her happy not add not her sadness.

She wasn't surprised William didn't talk to her on their way back to the ranch but he chattered happily with excited Katie who kept on going about how Jacob would react when he see the gifts, when they got to the ranch and as William parked the car and Katie got out with the gifts.

'I will take it to great grandma.' She told him and hurried.

She watched he come down and hesitated, Pearl wondered if he would ever forgive her for not thinking of Katie.

'William.....' She called before he could leave.

William turned and looked at her.

She looked at him and moved closer to him.

'You were right, I am responsible for Katie and her happiness comes first. I know, I must have acted like an unreasonable mad woman ranting but I wasn't thinking clearly, I just thought that Katie's father had every right to know his child and take responsibility but I was wrong...' She paused to look at him; as he looked at her with expressionless face.

'Listen, you have every right to be mad at me but l....'

Her words came to a stop as he took her lips with his; for her it felt like a soft kiss on a pillow, it felt like a kiss from heaven, it ease all her insides and made her ache for more but the kiss didn't last that long.

She looked at the face in front of her; he was smiling.

'Getting angry doesn't suit you.' He said and walked away.

She stood there transfixed for what looked like forever, she was unable to move and then she touched her lips; for the first time, he kissed her, wasn't that great?

'Mom! Grandma says dinner is ready.' She heard Katie shouted from the house in front of her.

Katie had a family, the family she wanted; a happy family but how long will it last, will she be able to leave this place; this place was where Katie loved very much she couldn't bear to leave here and make her daughter unhappy.

She smiled as she entered the house; it's time, she took what she has been offered and make use of it, this happiness she would cherish and let it last.

For her and Katie.

'Did we have to leave this night?' Sophie asked Nick as he drove along the empty road with only headlights as their friend.

'I was tired of staying there, come on, do you like it if you are accommodated by someone for too long, come on we stayed one week at her house, aren't you tired?'

She shrugged. 'She is a nice woman; it is evidence why Mrs Parker stayed with her beside if the person didn't complain, I won't mind and I would rather leave on my own than be chased out like a nuisance.'

'Well, I don't care, I have left that house and back on track, we have to find this address.' He said pointing to the notepad that Pearl had on her lap.

She looked away.

'I need to sleep, keep your eyes on the road or you pull over and let the vehicle rest itself.'

He sighed and continued his driving.

Right now, his mind was on catching that murderer and have a nice long vacation to rest his head, he deserved it and of course find a way to make up for what he did to Sophie.

Sophie sighed as closed her eyes; she hoped Mrs Sonia have gotten a lawyer for Pearl, the sooner the better.