"You don't have the fucker's number? Address? Social security?"

Henry's sister Haley asks me.

She is angrily pacing up and down my living room.

"I don't even know his name."

Uggh!

"So are you sure this letter was legit? Was it really in Selena's handwriting?"

Henry asks while sitting down next to me.

"It was definitely her writing, and judging by the way that ass-wipe degraded my poor Kyle- "

I start to tear but continue anyway.

"-he would not go through the trouble of making a fake letter. He does not want anything to do with Kyle."

"Damn. I know that really touched a nerve."

Henry says while rubbing my back.

"I-"

Take a deep breath, Laila. In through the nose, and out through the mouth.

I continue.

"I know what it is like when the people that are supposed to love you unconditionally instead resent and hate you for no justifiable reason. So for this stranger to pop up from nowhere and call Kyle a bastard, along with talking about framing the negative results of a paternity test-"

I get so angry that I start shaking. I can't even finish my sentence.

"I promise you Lai, God will bring him back into your life just so we can have the opportunity to beat the shit out of him."

Henry's statement makes me laugh.

Damn. I was just crying.

He has always been the bigger brother there to cheer me up.

"I hope I don't see him again. I do not even know how he found out where I worked.

Oh great.

Now I need to get a new job. Let me know if you guys hear of anything."

I get up and walk to the table where I rested this morning's newspaper. Hopefully, there are some job listings.

"You know you should really be your own boss. There is no reason for you to work for anybody who you are better than."

"Thanks, Haley."

I state dully while looking through the job offers.

"I'm serious. You're the best hairdresser I know."

Oh wait what time is it?

When I look at the time, I cut Haley off.

"I have to go pick up Kyle from school. You guys staying or coming with?"

I get up from my seat and face them.

Haley opens her mouth.

"You know what let us pick up Kyle. I don't know the last time I saw him or Khlo. We'll pick Khlo up from mom too and we can all go out to dinner. Henry's treat."

She playfully slaps her brother's stomach.

"Wait. What? "

Henry asks looking confused, causing me to chuckle.

"Later!"

Haley says as she grabs her brother's arm and walks him out my apartment door.

....

We decided to go to my favorite restaurant. Henry allowed me to choose the restaurant to make me feel better about being fired today.

If I had known that being fired from that hell hole of a job would result in a celebration like this, I probably would have slapped the boss' daughter a long time ago.

No, I am joking.

I took that job for a reason, and the reason is I need an income to support my kids and myself. I know I am a better stylist than my old boss and the rest of my coworkers.

No disrespect to them, but I was the only one who completed cosmetology school. I also received a degree from college in business.

However, I do not have enough money to own my business. I know I will one day, but until then, I need to find a job.

"When is this waiter coming?"

Henry states starting to get irritated.

"I know. It is so packed though. I wonder if they will ever come to us."

Haley states.

We have been ready to order for almost half an hour now

"I like your outfit."

Henry complements me making me smile.

"Thank you. I don't know the last time I went out or the next time I'm going out, so I decided I should actually look decent today."

I make him and Haley laugh.

I showered and changed from my work clothes before coming here. I decided to wear thigh-high brown boots with light blue jeans and my pink poncho shirt. My brown hair with blonde highlights is parted down the middle and put in a long ponytail.

"You always look beautiful Lai."

My sweetheart Kyle tells me.

"Aww you're so sweet sugarplum, but what did I tell you about lying?"

I joke, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

Now he has nude lipstick smudged on the side of his face.

"Lai I have to ba-room."

Khloe states.

I smile because Khlo is getting better at this potty training thing. She's wearing pull-ups but still remembered to tell me she has to use the bathroom.

"I have to tinkle too, Lai."

Kyle tells me.

"I'll take Kyle to the men's room."

Henry offers.

"Yay! I don't want to go to the female bathroom with Lai again."

I smile thanking Henry.

"Okay, so I'll take Khlo. Haley, if the waiter does decide to show you already know what to order for us."

She nods.

The rest of us walk to the bathroom and luckily there is not a line.

It does not take us long to finish. After I wash Khloe's and my hands, Khloe walks to a hand dryer. Right when she is a few steps away, a lady my age cuts in front of her and steals the dryer.

My eyes widen of disbelief at the scene in front of me, and I get so angry when I see the sad face on Khlo.

I swear the blood in my veins start to boil. I am about to walk over to the lady and confront her but realize I do not want to be a bad influence to Khloe, so I instead call Khloe over and dry her hands with some paper towels.

The lady finishes drying her hands and never looks back at us when she walks out of the bathroom.

When we leave the bathroom I am lucky not to see the lady.

I start to walk to our table, but stop in my tracks when I see the last face I want to see!

It is the asswipe from earlier today!

I guess he noticed me before I noticed him because he is walking towards me right now. Probably to sue me for the purple eye he is rocking.

I turn away and walk a different way with Khloe. I don't want to speak to that man and especially not with Khloe around.

I pick up Khloe and then power walk with her.

"Ms. Clyne. Please."

I feel a hand on my shoulder and when I reluctantly turn; I turn to face the beautiful ass-wipe.

I hate to call him beautiful, but he just is- even with his swollen eye.

"I am not talking about this subject again and not in front of my child. So please stop harassing me, and if you are stocking me stop that as well."

He arrogantly chuckles at my response.

"Don't flatter yourself Firefly. I would not waste my time stocking you. You're neither important nor exciting enough."

"That eye you're rocking looks exciting enough though"

I mumble with a smirk on my face.

I turn and walk away with Khloe in my arms because I don't feel like receiving any insults from this arrogant piece of shit. You would think that having only one eye that can open fully would humble most. However, not this arrogant prick.

"Tell that virgin of your sister I said leave me alone and find another piggy bank. Where is the walking STD anyway?"

I stop walking when I hear those foul words come out from his mouth. As angry as I am, I have to remember that Khloe is around. I know that if I do not respond however, he will keep going. So I decided to turn around facing him again and answer him.

"Selena the mother of the child I am holding in my arms now, the mother of the same child that just heard you disrespect who brought her into this world is dead. She has been dead for only three months. Now, since that is settled you may crawl back into the pits of hell where you came from and leave us alone."

This man's jaw drops.

"She's dead? Wait. I thought you said that girl is your child."

Khloe then starts to cry, and I know it is because of the mention of her mom being dead. I wipe her tears and walk back to the direction of our table that now has food.

"What took you guys so long?"

Kyle asks.

"Just ran into someone."

I state causing Haley to raise an eyebrow.

"Why was Khloe crying?"

Henry asks.

"She's fine now."

I state curtly ending the uncomfortable conversation.

They all look at me suspiciously but do not say anything.

The rest of the night I plastered on my famous fake smile and fake laugh so no one would realize how crazy I was feeling on the inside.

I kept on wondering why Selena would write that letter to that mystery arrogant man.

The time goes by quickly, and before I even know it we finish with our dessert and the bill is already paid.

I button up Khloe's jacket and put on her hat and scarf. Haley takes Khloe to put her in the car seat, and Henry goes with her to start the car. I finish putting on Kyle's stuff and walk towards the door.

"Lai. You wrapped the scarf around my face. I can not see!"

I look to see my poor Kyle and I can't help but laugh. I accidentally covered his eyes too.

"I'm sorry, Sugarplum. I'll fix that right now. I guess I was not thinking. It is cold though. You should thank me for covering up your whole face."

I am about to fix his scarf when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

When I turn I am face to face with the ass wipe.

"Uggh! What the hell do you want!"

I reflexively shout at him.

"Huh?"

Kyle asks me with horror because he doesn't know who he is talking to since he can not see.

"No not you, Sugarplum."

I tell him as I grab his hand.

Shit, I forgot Kyle was here for a second.

"I wanted to apologize-"

The fucker starts, but I cut him off.

"Forgiven now leave me the- I mean leave me alone."

I state walking away before I accidentally say any curse words.

"Lai. I can't see!"

Kyle states again and I have to stop again.

"I'm so sorry, Sugarplum."

I then unwrap his scarf and fix it over.

"It took you long enough."

He states making me chuckle.

I turn when I hear a gasp, and when I look I see that the asswipe's jaw is dropped. He is staring at Kyle and is in total shock.

I look at Kyle to see if he is aware of this man staring at him, and for the first time ever I notice the undeniable similarities in traits that they share.

Although Kyle looks so much like his mother, I can not deny the fact that he and this stranger look unbelievably related. They have the same blue eyes the same black hair color, the same full lips, and the same angled jaw.

"Oh no."

I hear a voice behind me say and when I turn I see it is coming from Haley. She has her mouth covered in shock and I know that because of the black eye, she recognizes that this is the man I told her and Henry about. However, I know she is in shock because even with the black eye, it is obvious that this man looks like Kyle.