“Don’t ignore what they show you

No matter how much you wish it weren’t so,

It is.

Stop arguing with reality.

They are what their behavior reveals them to be.

Respond and move forward…accordingly.” 

Steve Maraboli

 

 

The drive back was awkward for Cassie; the entire confrontation between her mentor and her parents was not only heard by her, but also Lily and Sammy. They sit quietly on the drive until Lily breaks the silence, hoping for some clarity in what had just happened.  They were minutes from the cabin and Cassie’s only focus was to check on her parents.

“Who was that awful woman, Cassie?” Lily had turned her attention over to her.  She was concentrating on the road, in deep thought of the events.  How was it that the voice she heard speaking to her parents in such a way, be the same familiar voice that allowed her to shadow and train with her under the strict guidance of martial arts.  This was the familiar voice that cared, nurtured and helped suppress her mind and anger.  How was it that it was the same voice she heard tearing apart her parents.

 

“She is…was my sensei in the martial arts.”  She sighed as she turned off the highway and down the road leading to the cabin.  Mumbled talk was quietly coming through the speakers, neither Cassie nor Lily could understand.  Hunter’s phone must have still been in his pocket, fore as the call was still ongoing. “Hunter, I want to go home, I cannot stay here.”  The voice of her mother was clearly heard coming through the speakers of Cassie’s truck.  Lily looks over to her as she sighs, shutting her eyes for a moment.  “I must handle this.”

 

As they pull into the drive, Cassie notices the bronco and quickly turns the wheel, blocking the exit.  She looks in the rearview mirror at Sammy and then over to Lily.  “Stay in here.  Sammy has heard enough; this won’t take long.”  She opens the door and slides out from the driver’s side.  Megan can see that it’s Cassie and steps out from her bronco.  “Ah, Cassandra, nice to…” Cassie had stepped up to Megan, she had a very stern look upon her face; she did not smile; she did not greet her, instead, she sends a flying right hook to the side of Megan’s jaw. Lily looks on in shock as she reaches for her phone and makes a call to Colton.  “Babe, you guys need to come back quick.  Cassie just nailed some lady in the face.  I don’t know who she is, but apparently, it’s someone causing trouble with your parents.  We overheard the incident on the phone.”  Lily looks back to Sammy whose eyes are watching every move.  “Yes, we are fine, we are in the truck.  I believe your parents are still inside.  Please hurry, this doesn’t look good.”  Lily places the phone down, leaning towards the back seat.  “Get her Auntie Cass.  Mom did you see that swing?  I bet auntie Cassie could have hit a home run with that.”  Lily’s eyes close as she sighs, looking at the excitement on her young child’s face.  “Sammy, what have we told you?  You don’t need to pay attention to what every adult does, now get your tablet and play a game, son.”  Sammy frowned, trying to catch a glimpse of the scene from the side of his eye.  Lily gives him a stern look.  “Yes, mommy.”  Sammy lowers his head and begins to swipe his screen. 

 

Megan stood in shock; she reaches for the right side of her face and smiles as she looked a bit confused.  “Cassandra?  You must harness that anger.”  Cassie gives Megan a sadistic smile; almost as if Vanity were standing in her place.  She steps back up to Megan, turning her body to the side, she lifts her right leg and goes for a spinning kick to Megan’s chest.  “Harness this…” Megan catches Cassie’s leg, swinging her in the opposite direction.  This angers her more as she looks Megan dead in the eyes.  Hunter swings the front door open and stares Megan in the face.  “Touch her, and I promise, I will bury you where you stand, Megan.”  Hunter balls up his fists and all expressions seem to leave his face; never taking his eyes off Megan; “Cassie, get in the house.”  Cassie turns to her truck looking at Lily.  “No, daddy, not this time.”  She turns back to Hunter who has a surprised look upon his face.

 

Summer takes notice of what’s going on, and immediately sprints to the outside of the cabin.  She walks over to Hunter, who has yet to take his stare off Megan. “Cassie come here now!”  Summer walks up and stands in between Megan and Cassie; she reaches for Cassie’s arm as she is quick to pull away. “No! I want to know what the hell is going on here.  Dad, you told me to never let mom see the picture that she sent me for my birthday of us together.  I think it’s time I know why.”  Summer turns to Hunter with a stern side eye and confused look upon her face.  He closes his eyes for a moment, dreading the persistence of his baby girl.  Cassie stands with her hands upon her hips, looking at all three involved.  “Someone better start talking or heads are going to spin.”  She turns her stare to all three, individually, ending her last glare upon Megan.  “And I promise you all, it will not be mine.”

 

Summer takes her eyes off Hunter and turns to Megan.  “What picture?  When were you with my daughter and why?”  She stands nose to nose with Megan, never blinking an eye.   Megan takes a step back and looks over to Hunter.  “Hiding things from your wife, Hunter? That is not good.  What else doesn’t Summer know?”    She turns to Cassie giving Hunter an evil smirk.  “Cut the Bullshit, Megan.  I know what you are trying to do, and it will not work.  You will not make me out to be the scumbag of your story in front of my family.”

 

Flying down the gravel road comes Colton and William in Summer’s black hummer.  Clouds of dust surround the rearend as the tires come to a sliding stop, inches behind Cassie’s truck.  William swings open the passenger door, sprinting towards Cassie.  Colton steps out, looking at everyone and immediately goes to Lily and Sammy.  He opens the door, giving Lily a kiss and looking back at Sammy.  “Hey Buddy, let’s get you inside.”  He opens both doors and retrieves Sammy from the car seat.   “Daddy, auntie Cass punched that lady.”  Colton turned to Lily and sighed. “I know buddy, daddy is going to find out what is going on.  Go in the house with mommy, ok?  I will be in there shortly.”  Colton hands Sammy over to Lily as he escorts them to the front door, opening it for them.  He then shuts it and turns to everyone standing outside.  “What the hell is going on here.”  He looks at Megan.  “Who the hell are you, and what business do you have here?”  William stands beside Cassie; Summer is still standing in front of Megan and Hunter stands off to the side from Summer.  “This is Sensei Forester, my Martial Arts instructor from college.”  Summer’s eyes squinted, she turns to Hunter and then back to Megan.  “Since college?  You’ve had your filthy hands on my daughter for years?”  Summer lunges at Megan and shoves her in the chest.  Colton looks to Hunter with a confused look upon his face while Megan stands blocking every swing Summer takes at her.  Hunter finally steps in.  He wraps his arms around Summer from behind, lifting her feet from the ground while she kicks like a little child.  He turns her away and sternly speaks before lowering her feet to the ground. “Damnit Woman, this is the exact reason why I did not want you to know about that picture.  This has been going on for thirty years.  Thirty fucking years, Summer.  LET IT GO!”

 

Hunter spins her around gripping both of her forearms sternly with his hands.  She looks down, unable to loosen his grip as he tightens with every movement she makes.  She looks up to him with a shocked look on her face.  “Let Go…You are hurting me, Hunter.”  Everyone seems to be looking over at the two as Colton steps up to his parents.  He places his hand on Hunter’s shoulder.  “Pops, easy now, let mom go.”  Hunter’s gaze was dark, as if he was decades away.  He releases his grip, looking up to everyone staring at him.  Summer looks into his eyes; they were as cold as a fridged ice storm.  She had known that look; seeing it only once before.  He was brought back to the rafters.  Summer’s eyes began to water, she stepped back slowly, only to turn and run down the hill towards the boat ramp.   William takes one look at Cassie and then at Colton as they stand in shock, not knowing what to do.  William takes off running after Summer as Hunter now steps closer to Megan with his cold, dark stare.  “You want to know what is going on, well, I will tell you, and you will not like what you hear.” 

 

He cuts his glare down the hill to Summer who is being consoled by William at the end of the boat dock.  He turns his head and looks directly at Megan.  “This female, used to be one of your mother’s good friends.  You see, before all of this took place; before your mother and I were married, she was just a chapter in my drunkin stupor years, that I had long forgotten about, and wished I still did, until your Birthday.”  He turns to Cassie.  “You see, this trash human you see standing in front of me, did everything possible to hurt your mother; she had me beat down, tied up and hung from a 30ft rafter beam while your mother stood watching me fall to what should have been my demise.”  Hunter now steps closer to Megan with his face inches from hers.  “You remember that don’t you, bitch?”  He gives her a sadistic smile as Megan turns to Cassie who looks on in disbelief.

 

“You were and always will be that chapter in my life that I wish I could erase!  There is not enough free alcohol in this world that would ever make me change my mind.   That woman down there.” He points to Summer.  “Never deserved the amount of hell you put her through.  I do not deserve to walk the same dirt as her.  And you do not deserve to breathe the same air.  She was and always will be the better woman.  With all your schemes, your pathetic drama and your ability to lack focus and effectiveness, she came out of it all, shining like the diamond she is.  She is the true image of hardcore.  Now, that I am through wasting my oxygen about you, it is best if you get in that piece of shit you call a ride and get the hell away from here.  WE will be out of this place by morning.”  Colton now steps up to Hunter.  “Pops, what are you doing?  We cannot just leave now.”  Hunter starts to step away from Megan and up to the front door.  “You kids can stay if you want.  I would much rather stand in the middle of a rattle snake den than to subject your mother to anymore of this shithole.”  Hunter gets to the door, takes a deep breath before punching in the code. “You kids let her ass out of here before William brings your mother back.”    Hunter opens the door, steps inside and slams it shut.  He walks straight into the bedroom and closes the door behind him. 

 

Colton and Cassie move their vehicles to the side as Megan stands with a dumbfounded look upon her face.  Colton is the first to park and exit the car.  He stands looking on at Megan who seems to be looking down towards Summer as William slowly walks along her side.  “You heard my Pops.  Leave!”  Megan lowers her head walking to her vehicle as Cassie steps out of her truck staring over at her.  “Why…”  Cassie turns her back to Megan with a disgusted look upon her face as they all watch Megan drive off. 

 

William and Summer reach the top of the hill, as her head was lowered, and she has her arms crossed with each hand covering her arms where Hunter held her.  William walks closely behind her with both hands on each of her shoulders.  He looks at Cassie and then at Colton as they stare at her arms as she tries to hide the bruises.  Colton tries to step up and William shakes his head as they walk past them both with Summer never looking up.  Colton stares at Cassie and just shakes his head.  Cassie’s eyes water from the heartache.

 

Hunter stands for a moment trying to relax his mind.  He notices a small black box with a red ribbon tied into a bow sitting in the middle of the bed on top of a folded piece of paper.  He steps closer, picking up the box, falling to a seated position on top of the mattress.  He slowly begins to untie the ribbon and opens the small black box.  Inside, there is a sterling silver chain with a silver and black wolf’s head pendant.  On the lid of the box there was a tiny note.  Turn me around.   He flips the back of the pendant to see his and Summer’s name engraved in the center.  He let out a sigh and folds the top down on the box.  He reaches for the piece of paper, and he begins to read.

Hunter,

Whenever you feel overwhelmed, remember whose Alfa you are

And sharpen your teeth.

The day I met you, I found my pack.

Meeting you was fate, becoming your partner was a choice.

 but falling in love with you was beyond my control.

I may be a little late to be your first,

But I want ALL my lasts to be with you.

I love you,

Always and forever!

Happy Father’s Day

Summer

 

Hunter sat quietly clutching the paper in his hand.  He stands on his feet looking around the area.  He notices a small frame sitting off to the far side of the room, which sits on a several old milk crates near a glass door to a tiny makeshift balcony.  He steps closer picking up the frame as the image inside was of Megan, Cassie and Kami in a small dojo style building.  He rubs his finger over the dusty image of Cassie and he sends the frame flying through the glass door with a massive yell.  He falls back down into a seated position on the bed as Summer walks in behind him.  She notices the broken glass and sighs, walking her way around the bed, standing in front of him.  Lifting his head, Hunter notices the bruises on her arms and his eyes begin to flood with tears.  Summer kneels in front of him, sliding her body in between his legs, wrapping her arms around his waist, and leaning her head against his chest as he wraps his arms around her with the side his head resting on the top of hers.