Holy Llamacorns

Tess

6

Being in a place you were once so familiar with that you couldn’t even recognize from all the changes makes me both sad and relieved. The floor we got put on doesn’t seem like anyone lives here. Not that I have been exploring too much, though people have been cleaning and moving many boxes in. I found a tv and put on a puppy dog show for Winnie. I usually didn’t let her watch too much tv, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I was mentally making a list of things I would need to keep Winnie occupied while we stayed here. I left in a hurry, not wanting to let anyone know there was a plan to leave. Two duffel bags and a backpack were about all I let us take with us. God only knows what I packed being in such a panic.

I must have dozed off when I woke up; I didn’t see Winnie anywhere. Feeling my heart rate speed up and drop down to my stomach, I panic, shouting, “Winter! Winter, where are you?” I run out of the room, frantically scanning around, looking for signs of her.

When I entered the kitchen, I saw her flop down from the kitchen island chair with a mouth full of pizza. Sauce covered her mouth as she pouts at me before glaring at me. “It’s Winnie mom!” With her hands on her hips as she says, “daddy brought us PIZZA!” Seeing six boxes of pizza on the island next to them.

“Wow! He sure did, are others joining us?” I asked, looking around the room for anyone else that may be there.

“Didn’t know what kind Winnie would like, so I ordered some options.” He shrugs as if it is no big deal. “Cheese was the way to go.” He smiled at Winnie as she happily swung her legs back and forth, taking a big bite of pizza and looking back at Ace like he hung the moon.

Looking over at the pizza selection since my stomach has started rumbling. 1) cheese, 1) pepperoni 1) meat lovers 1) margarita 1) Hawaiian, and 1) mushroom, green olive, sausage, and garlic. When I see the last one, my heart skips a beat making my eyes water. He remembered my favorite.

My eyes look up, meeting his, and he only smirks at me. I pick up a piece and savor the taste of comfort. After I finish eating, Ace stands up and looks down at Winnie. “Are you ready to see your surprise?”

Her eyes go around, and a huge grin erupts on her face as she jumps up. “Yes!” She said, holding her arms up for him to pick her up.

He quickly picks her up and walks down the hall; I quietly follow them down the hall. We stop at the second door on the right, and he opens the door to a unicorn princess-themed room. With doll houses, unicorn stables, dolls, and stuffed animals. A pink table and chairs were in the corner, and a canopy bed with purple curtains. With unicorns, rainbows, and clouds on the purple bedding.

“I love it! Look at this momma!” She says as she runs back and forth around the room before launching herself onto the bed in a fit of giggles.

“So I take it you like it?” He says to her in a joking tone.

“I love it! Thank you so much, daddy!” She said, running up with her arms stretched wide to hug him.

“Anything else you need you to let me know. I also had clothing bought, so if you don’t like something..” he starts to trail off like he isn’t quite sure what to say to a little girl. “Also, your bathroom is over there,” he said, pointing at the door opposite the closet.

“Mommy! Are you going to sleep in my room with me?” She asks shyly, wanting to share her stuff with me yet wanting to have her own room. Money was tight, and we shared a studio apartment for a few years before moving into a one-bedroom.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Ace beat me to it “come here. I will show you where your mommy will be.” Leading us across the hall to a queen size bed with a light purple comforter. “Your closet is also full.”

He walks down the hall, holding her hand, turning to the door at the end of the hall. “This is my bedroom; if you need me, I will be here.” He states as he pushes open the door to a room with a king-size bed and a dark grey comforter with splashes of black and darker greys.

Surprised, it didn’t seem like a woman lived here with him. It screamed bare-minimal, with no decorations, pictures, or anything that stated feminine touch. Honestly, I thought this floor was just empty, something for guests. I looked at Ace with a tilt to my head, “do you live here full-time?”

“Yes, I do. I wouldn’t put you, girls, anywhere but with me.” He smiled down at Winnie like she was the most precious thing in the whole world.

Maybe they lived separately? It wasn’t exactly sure, or hell, maybe they got divorced. However, the whole thing seemed like a business transaction with benefits from what Regina made it sounds like. Ugh! I should stop caring. I try and scold myself, but it’s nagging.

Probably super selfish of me to be worried about Ace’s marriage or lack thereof while someone was trying to kill my daughter and me.

At that moment, Winnie pulled on Ace’s arm so he would look at her, “Daddy, can I go play with my toys?”

“Of course, Bear, you go ahead and have fun.” He said, getting down to her level to talk to her.

“Bear? My name isn’t bear silly!” She said, smiling at him like he had lost his mind.

“Well, Winnie the Pooh was a bear, so you're my little Bear. Can I call you that?” He asked her just like that, and my heart melted.

She nodded after a minute, “yep! I like it, daddy.” She hugged him tightly and then ran off to her room, slamming the door harder than I imagined she meant to. Before yelling, “SORRY! It slipped.”

Ace chuckled before standing back up and looking at me. “She does things to my heart I didn’t think it was possible to do.”

Nodding my head in a way of understanding what he meant. “She tends to do that.”

“I can tell you have questions, and so do I. However, right now, I need mine to take precedence over yours.”

I knew he wasn’t being rude; it just wasn’t in Ace’s nature not to have all of his questions answered. He was a leader, someone in charge, never answering anyone and always having his questions answered without hesitation. We sit at the kitchen island, and I blurt out before I mean to, “Why doesn’t she live with you?” I pause, not believing what just came out, “Do you live here full-time? Never mind, don’t answer that.”

“Who lives with me? Queenie? She needs her wing and space; she can take care of herself. But yes, this is the only place I live full-time.” I open my mouth to answer his question before he puts his finger up to stop me. “Yeah, not my question, don’t give a fuck about Queenie right now. I am going to focus on one thing at a time. Is there a relationship that ended poorly, and they would seek to hurt you or Winnie?”

I searched my mind trying to think of anyone over the years, but I lay low. I lived modestly, used the money to get an associate's degree online then did online billing for the hospital. I was never having to meet my coworkers, terrified of dating my mother's profession had ruined that for me. I had one friend who lived in the apartment building Vivian. The next closest people were delivery people and cafe regulars.

“Umm, no, I don’t think anyone from the apartment building would be. There was a creepy cook at Paula’s Kitchen, a restaurant he would leer at me. But I worked from home and had movie nights with Vivian and her daughter Cami” I said, unable to think of anyone else from my past.

“No exes or guys that maybe didn’t take a brush off from you, well?” He said, his eyes slightly hardening when he said that.

“Ace, think about my past.. I never would put Winnie through that.” Shaking my head while unable to meet his eyes, I look down at my hands instead. “I never wanted to put her in danger.”

“We will revisit that. How did you disappear? I haven’t found you, and I have looked.” That made my heart speed up. He looked for me.

I stand up, go to the living area, grab my mail carrier-style bag, and pull out my wallet. I pulled out the ID cards his mother had given me years ago and sat them before him. “When your mother gave me the bags, I picked this one rather than the name she picked for me. I became Nina Wilcoxen. Not sure I look like a Nina, but It had a nice ring to it.”

He grabbed the ID cards aggressively, slamming his palms down on the counter and making me jump before starting to pace towards the door, then back to me, getting so inches from me. I creepily lean in and smell him and almost shiver over it. Whatever soap he used, I wanted it. “My mother gave you these? You sure?” He said, voice raising a small bit before looking down the hall to ensure Winnie didn’t hear.

“Yeah, prim and proper Regina Cress,” I said, looking at him like he was almost crazy because he had to be right. Surely he knew? Or maybe she was acting in self-interest to help her son tie up loose ends, so he didn’t have to? “You didn’t know?”

“No, this changes our suspect pool big time. I need all documents you have on you and Winnie now.” He states, snapping at me with almost a look of rage and frustration.

I quickly ran back to my room, found the important documents I had brought, and handed them to him in a rush. “When did you first get any note?”

I think it all started so minor, and I truly thought it was a joke or mistake. “First note came about a year ago, then nothing for about six months.”

“What did the first note say? Did you keep it or throw it away?”

“I threw it away, but it said, ‘I found you.’ I thought it wasn’t important or put on the wrong car.” Now feeling slightly stupid for throwing it away, but it felt like a mistaken identity.

“I would have probably done the same thing in your shoes. You kept everything else, though, right?” He asked curiously.

I blushed and looked down, feeling like I failed, “no, next time, it was dead roses, no note. After that, they started ramping up a month ago, and I dated and kept everything else.”

I couldn’t help the tear that escaped; mentally, I knew I wasn’t in the wrong, but over-tired, worried, and having my life uprooted was getting to me. Ace wiped my tears away with his thumbs while cupping my face. “You did good, Tess.” He pulled me in for a hug rubbing my back and kissing the top of my head. “Go take a bath. I will get Bear in her pajamas and read her a book; come kiss her goodnight when you're done.”

He leaves me dumbfounded before walking down the hall a few minutes later. I peek into Winters's room and see her holding up two pajamas, unsure which to wear.

I turn away, smiling as I hear him say, “you can wear the llamacorns tomorrow. Let’s match Macaroni tonight.” He has patience with her. I did not see that one coming.