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~Chapter Two~
~Stay, beautiful baby
I hope you
Stay, American baby
American baby ~
-Dave Matthews Band (Stand Up) “American Baby”

Although the first visit was a success, he was still a little nervous about going again. It was his daughter that he never saw grow up. Walking up the sidewalk he stopped and looked up. The house was beautiful.

Ringing the yellow glowing doorbell he stood there and waited for the door to be opened. His daughter opened it.

“Hey-”

“You need to leave.” She said with a flat voice. The same expression that she wore the first time she visited him. She leaned against the door frame blocking a way into the beautiful house. His arm was over her head and her foot was against the opposite side of the frame she was leaning on.

“What are you…” Looking at her arm, he saw discolored skin peeking from below the long shirt that hung loosely from her.

“Anna.”

“I need to take Brian to school,” she said and turned around, “Brian you almost ready hun?” she called to the kitchen.

“Almost mommy!” he called. And she turned around after he forced himself into her house and pushed the door shut.

“Anna. What’s going-”

“You need to leave. Dad, just go. I’m gonna call-”

“Call them, after you tell me what’s going on?” he grabbed her arms and pulled her to him gently. She yanked away from him viciously growling.

“Nothing is going on.” She snapped crossing her arms heaving.

“When’s Thoman get home Anna.”

“He’s on a business trip.”

“Bullshit.”

“What?” She stepped around the couch as he stepped to her

“You know that’s bullshit Anna. Don’t lie to me.”

“What do you want dad?”

“I want to know what the hell is going on. What’s wrong with your arms? Thoman hit you, grab you?”

“He loves me too much.” She said softly looking at him with arms crossed. Her face was soft and calm. He stepped quickly around the couch and grabbed her.

“Okay, I’ll tell you!” she cried out with her arms in the air. He had her by her arms and pulled her to her. They didn’t notice the small boy in the door way.

“I’ll tell you.” She said softly and he starred into her eyes. She looked away.

“I was moving some stuff and I almost fell down the stairs and Thoman grabbed me by the wrist. Dad, I’m perfectly fine, he freaked out okay. I told him I’d just explain to him.”

“Then what the hell has been going on?”

“Dad, its morning time.” Anna said rolling her eyes giving him a small smile, “I don’t want to see people in the morning. I barely want to even see Thoman that’s why I told him to go to work.”

“How long has he been on that business trip?” he said without a smile. She sighed dropping her arms.

“Since yesterday at six o’clock. Dad, really want to see what I moved? I’ll show it to you.”

“Yes, I want to see what you moved.”

“And you promise that you’ll believe me?”

“Yes.” He replied and he followed her. ‘When Thoman comes back, if this isn’t what it seems, I’m killing him. I’m going to strangle him with my bare hands.’

Kevin followed Anna as she led them to a corner recessed from the wall just before they entered the kitchen. She pointed to a crate full of magazines. Looking at them briefly as she stood next to her with crossed arms, he looked up at her.

“Why didn’t he take these down stairs?”

Smiling she sighed, “He was getting ready. He was gonna be late.”

“So he had enough time to bruise your wrist and not enough time to take the crate down stairs and set it there?” he pointed to the floor. Laughing lightly Anna patted him on the chest.

“Dad, Thoman loves me. He’d never hit me.” She said looking into his eyes. And he gave her a smile.

“Okay baby.” He said, “You take Brian to school and come visit Brian later when ya’ll aren’t busy.” He said and he began to walk from the living room. He stopped then turned, flashing a smile he waved at the boy standing in the kitchen doorway. Brian waved back slowly and Kevin walked out the door. The cool wind hit his skin and he sighed.

‘She’s lying I know it. I know she’s lying.’

His cell phone rang and he stepped into his SUV.