Chapter Two
Finn
Present day
I would like to say things were smooth sailing once Savannah and I filed for divorce, but the truth was not even close to that. Over the course of six months, she tried every tactic to get money from me. Her claim of wanting a clean break was complete and utter bullshit.
“Twelve years of marriage should be worth something.” She’d yelled across the table at me during one of our meetings.
The judge didn’t think so and denied her request for spousal support, due to infidelity.
Then she tried to fight me for custody, and again the judge told her no because she only wanted Paisley for the child support she would get.
To top off her epically failed attempt at getting money out of me the judge ordered her to pay child support.
Needless to say, we weren’t on speaking terms.
Meanwhile Paisley thinks I’m the bad guy because I refuse to tell her the whole story.
She knows her mom left us, but I made it sound like I refused to let Savannah take her.
Thankfully, Savannah has never corrected her during the few visits she has made to see Paisley.
Visits that if it weren’t for the court ordering them, I probably wouldn’t let happen.
Paisley and I moved back to my hometown shortly after the divorce was finalized.
I bought a small home near my parents so they could help me with Paisley.
After months of hard physical therapy, I was able to walk again.
Unfortunately, thanks to the damage done working a regular job was out of the question.
The government stamped me permanently disabled with all the lovely benefits to go along with that.
Things like frequent trips to the local VA hospital, injections every few months to help with the migraines I got, and of course pain meds for home.
When Savannah’s ‘man’ dumped her ass right after the divorce, probably because he realized she wasn’t getting any money.
I wasn’t sure if I should congratulate him on figuring out what a useless piece of human, she was long before I did or just do a happy dance that she got what she deserved.
After she got dumped, she had no choice but to move back in with her parents.
Watching karma work against someone who has wronged you, I won’t lie, felt pretty fucking fantastic.
Having to deal with my ex-wife in our hometown is not so fantastic.
Of course even to our friends and family she made it all my fault.
Luckily for her I didn’t give a shit what everyone thought as long as Paisley never found out I was fine with the lies.
I’d tell her eventually, when she was old enough to deal with the pain, but until then I’d take all of her anger.
I’d remain the bad guy if it protected my little girl from her own mother till the day I died.
My parents knew the truth and I was pretty sure some of her family did too considering she was living with someone else during our divorce.
People from high school constantly ask me questions when I’m in town, but I refuse to give them anything.
It’s none of their damn business and I’m not taking the chance that it will get back to Paisley.
I planned our move so she could finish out her last year in elementary school before we left.
She had already been through enough with her mom moving out and us getting a divorce I wanted to make something easier on her.
So many things had changed for her over the last year I just wanted her to have a good transition into junior high.
Kids could be brutal and in a small town even worse with everyone knowing everyone else’s business.
“Dad, where are my shoes? I need those shoes for tomorrow, my outfit has to be perfect and it won’t be perfect without those shoes.” Paisley came barreling through the living room looking under the couch.
“Which shoes are you looking for?” It wasn’t like she didn’t own like twenty-five pairs of shoes or anything.
“Ugh! Dad seriously, my blue ones with the silver straps on the side. Geez sometimes it’s like you don’t even pay attention. No wonder mom left you.” She huffs as she continues looking under furniture.
“Ouch, low blow kid. Did you check oh I don’t know your closet? Where they are supposed to be with the other fifty million shoes you own.” Standing up she rolls her eyes at me, and blows out an exasperated sigh.
“Of course I looked there first, I’m not brain damaged.” I narrow my eyes at her and give her that ‘are you sure you looked there’ look. This is followed by her stomping off to her room.
“I found them!” She yells from the back of the house and I chuckle to myself. Imagine that she found it where I told her to look. I would tease her, but lately she’s been extra moody. She’s nervous about starting a new school, but she’s a smart kid so I know she’ll be fine.
“Have you seen my black hoodie?” She yells from the hallway as she walks toward the living room.
“Do you mean your black zip up hoodie, your pull over hoodie, or the one that says ‘Mind Your Beeswax’ on it?” Standing in the entrance to the hallway she crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me.
“I said my black hoodie, the one I wear everywhere. It’s like you don’t even know me.” This is followed by her huffing while looking in every room and closet.
“Well you have to admit you have a shit ton of hoodies, and three of them are black. Why do you need so many anyway? Why do I keep buying them for you is the bigger question I should be asking?” Yeah, no more hoodies for Miss Sassypants in the near future.
“I do not have too many hoodies. I wear them practically every day. I need different colors to match my outfits. Do you even know what it’s like being a girl?
No, no you don’t.” When she finally finds the particular hoodie she is looking for, the black zip up one, she marches back into her room and slams the door.
One of these days I’m just going to take that damn door off the hinges.
All it does is slam shut every day all day.
Days like this give me pause and I rethink telling her the truth.
She blames me for her mom leaving and for her mom not visiting her more often.
I get it, but I have done everything I can to make the transition as smooth for her as possible.
Meanwhile her mom is out partying every weekend, according to town gossip at least. Which my mother makes sure I hear every time I see her.
Honestly, I don’t care what she’s doing in her free time.
I wish she was spending more time with her daughter; Paisley needs her right now.
Savannah should have been the one to take her bra shopping for the first time, nope my mother did that, thankfully I just had to pay the bill.
Isn’t this the time in a girl's life where she needs her mom the most? Shouldn’t her mother want to prepare for what’s to come?
“Okay, I have my outfit picked out and ready for tomorrow, my backpack is packed up, and my alarm is set.” I’d been sitting there lost in my thoughts and didn’t even hear her enter the living room.
Looking up at her I notice she’s looking down at the floor, kicking the toe of her shoe against the wood.
This was usually her signal that something was on her mind, but she wasn’t ready to put it to voice yet.
“Well they said you would get a supply list from each teacher tomorrow. So once you get home we’ll hit the store. Sound good?” She nodded without looking up, still kicking her toe against the wooden floor.
“Do you...do you think you could let her come over for breakfast and see me off to my first day of high school?” She finally looked up at me and there was a plea in her eyes.
These were the moments I hated. I never kept her mother from her, I even invited her to Paisley’s birthday party, but she never showed up.
Savannah did however call that night saying how she wished she could have been there, but that I wouldn’t want her there.
“Sure baby girl, I’ll call her and see if she can make it.” I’d ask Paisley to call her, but I didn’t want to see the hurt in her eyes if Savannah told her no.