Touching the Heart of Ace

My heart broke as Lia merely dropped her head and did not even make a peep.

"How many times have I told you not to let her do anything that would embarrass me? Why is she even here?" Janice shouted at me looking at Lia.

I ran to my baby girl and picked her up.

"Look what she did! Jesus, I cannot even get a break in my own home."

Her own home? Janice's home? So what, this was not Lia's home?

Lia shook in my hands. Her forgotten ice pop dripping on my shirt. Lia did not see Janice coming out of her room and smacked her tiny hand on Janice's new gown. The ice pop left a wet patch behind her knee and all the hell broke loose.

"Do you even know how much this cost? BRAT!"

"I will order you a new gown." I hugged my baby to my chest and patted her back. It was just a piece of cloth, for the love of god and the ice pop would not even leave a noticeable stain. She was a baby; she would make some mess. It was not like she did it on purpose.

"NEW ONE!!! This is a limited edition Marchesa gown and when would it arrive? I have this... Forget it! Better control this brat, so it won't happen another time. Fuck! My gown!"

"Stop calling her a brat, she did not see you there. You will get your new gown in an hour." I stormed off to my bedroom with my baby girl still on my chest, her ice pop dripping on my shoulders. "Davey will get you a new popsicle, sweetheart." I dropped it in trash before calling Frankie for a Marchesa gown.

The sellers brought five of colours similar to the one she was wearing and one the exact replica. All in three different sizes, so one would fit her perfectly. They also brought their tailor with them, if she wanted some last minute tweaking.

I did not get what Janice's problem was. She got her gown, right? Why was she looking at me like she wanted to murder me? I did not care. She was not going to scold my baby ever again.

If anyone was a brat here, that was Janice.

Janice finally chose one which was different from the one she had and I did not even care. The gentlemen left after the gown was fit according to her needs. Frankie would settle the bill.

"Now, sweet baby, apologize for soiling her gown."

"Sowwy." Lia mumbled her apology, her tiny lips wobbling. I turned her face back to my shoulder when Janice turned her hateful glare to my kid.

"How convenient! To have expensive things delivered to..."

"Did you not get your gown?" Janice was seething and I left her to her own drama taking my child with me.

'In my own home.' Janice had said.

That hurt me more that I let on. I gently patted my child's back as she soundlessly sniffled and dropped tears on my shoulder. I wanted to cry too. Lia did not even want another pop.

I finally had enough when Lia let out a tiny whimper. I packed a bag stuffing it with my clothes and Lia's, took another one and piled it with other essentials before calling a cab. I was not staying if my baby was not welcome here. I stayed in this stupid home with stupid stairs only because my baby was here. If she was not allowed to run around and make a little mess, then I would take her away.

I called Windy to water my plant babies and relieved her out of domestic work. Husband and wife could play house all they wanted. Lia and I would find somewhere else to live.

I blinked back my tears.

Why was Robbie so nonchalant and ignorant towards our hurt? Did he not love us?

I changed my baby and called a cab. I informed Frankie about going to the Lake Cabin. It was my baby's. She could burn it to the ground and I would only glare at her.

It was hers.

No one had no say in what mess she would make in there. I would not let anyone else discipline her. Not even her daddy!

Her daddy was really bad at that. Disciplining; I meant.

Two weeks back I had to pull out big guns on Amelia. I took out my plastic stick from the kitchen drawer. She was terrified of it, so was I.

"Will you ever do it again, Amelia Angeline Brantley?" I shook the stick in front of her, and she sniffled, not answering me and looked away.

I did not like her attitude one bit.

"I am asking you one more time. Will you throw things again?" She crossed her arms on her chest. She was scared but too ashamed to accept her mistake.

"Show me your hand." Her eyes flicked to me in surprise. I had never asked her to do that. We had never reached such a positon before. "I am telling you one more time. Show me your hand right now or you will get it on your knee."

She cried then and tried to hug me. "No... Davey... no."

I had to push her away. I could not have her to be spoiled so rotten that she hurt someone in anger. The issue was seemingly innocent but it was not. Jason and Robbie thought it was funny but they were wrong.

She did not like something Robbie said and threw her toy at him. She cried and screamed at him before pushing on his chest before stomping on the toy in anger.

The throw was not serious but that was not the point. She did it to hurt him.

I was not letting her grow up like that. She could have cried and screamed. I would have listened to her but she had absolutely no right to take it out on her daddy or anyone.

"Show me your hand Amelia." I sternly said and she was so afraid.

"Sowwy. M sowwy..." She threw her head back, wailing and tried to hug me again.

"No. You always throw things and try to hurt others when angry. Davey does not like that. Now show me your hand. You are going to get it."

"Peeese. Baby sowwy. Lilil baby no do ageen. No ageen. Peeese... Davey... Peese."

Don't cry, Ace. Don't cry. This is needed. So my baby Lia will grow up beautifully. If I do not do it now, someone might stand on their moral pedestal and point their fingers at her. They will never try to help; they will only hurt her more. I can't have that. I love her so much.

"I am angry now. You, threw your toy even when I asked you not to, several times. So no toy for you." I picked the toy telephone from her basket and took it with me.

I glared and waved the plastic stick again when she yanked on my pants crying. "No ageen. DAVEY... MINE!!! DAVEY. Not YOUS. MINE."

That was how Robbie found us. Lia and I barely fought. She was a good kid. She really was. But sometimes, she had these episodes and it would normally take an angry glare from me to make her stop.

She was growing and she was pushing her limits, which was healthy for her to do. But if I did not set new boundaries, she would turn into a bully, only to hurt herself when she grew up as a girl and... a woman one day.

I ignored her cries, pleas and demands and dropped the toy in the upper drawer where she could not reach and locked it.

"Go with Daddy, Amelia."

She stopped crying and her eyes widened in surprise. "No..."

"Yes. I am angry now. You don't listen to me. So go with Daddy now."

"Sowwy. Baby no nee toy. Davey, baby sowwy."

I sighed because dammit, my heart was breaking and I was going to cry too. I just did not want her to see it. "I know you are. You are a good baby, Amelia. But Davey does not like it when you don't listen to me. So, go with Daddy."

not to laugh out loud. The bastard knew

Asshole.

her up making her scream and cry until I glared again. I

her away. Robbie

I hated that thing, as much as Lia did. I hated it because Lia was afraid of

too much out of line. I wanted her to feel a bit of a pain so she would not do anything disastrous if I could not manage her with my glare

Gods that the time would never come for me to smack her

wrote down this incident in My

to erase the image of Lia crying from my mind. I tried watching T.V but I did not even know what

warm hand touched my back, I started crying like Lia

"I know."

"S... she ca.. can't do things

"Mmm... You are right."

don't want to discipline

down. But my baby's crying face kept on popping in my mind

try to discipline her next

will blink and you will start throwing things with her." I

next time she throws away things, I will throw it away in trash and if she stomps on it, I stomp on it too and destroy it in front of her. Maybe break it

I blinked.

destroyed stuff will make a greater impact on her. And you will never have to show her that

He was serious.

front of my

"Robbie."

"Yes, baby?"

never disciplining our kid. Hell, no.

it is

Uh

I shivered

was a real demon,

I could always steer him

Lia's tiny hands when she came to me to properly apologize after her nap. We cuddled, kissed and played until we both forgave each other

because someone else

was not coming for us.

upside down for us. But that did not mean I did not want to make

I was crazy, okay?

wiped away my tears and ignored the cab

Mr. Sullivan. "Uncle

boy? Are you okay, bud? Why

wanna do that paper signing today? I will be at our Lake Cabin

If that is what

change the name of that

with Robert?" Why was the people

"Maybe."

How many days are you planning to stay? We

throwing a tantrum. I should have waited for him at home and told him what had happened.

Whatever.

chose

grumbled and whined when Uncle

will see you there,

Huff!

us when we reached there and a new pink

'Baby Lia's Little Cabin.'

baby. Dried tears made her cheeks sticky. Yet I kissed her,

Not just someone... No someone. Janice was not her mom. She never was and I was done hoping for a healthy and

my baby

lovingly rubbed my head. "Does Robert know you are here,

and Frankie smiled at

tradition going, isn't that right Frank? I still remember Claire coming to this cabin all angry

tradition are you taking

the baby down the crib. We have arranged everything."

kept on checking the clock calculating the time when Robbie would come for us. Frankie and Uncle

in a couple of years. But, if it took my attention from Lia, we should wait for a few years too. It was not like she needed more money right at this moment; her daddy

the calls kept on coming after 3.30 pm and I ignored

was all his

But...

was Robbie's fault. I crossed my arms and went to play with Lia. She was happy here.

us to be free because it was

had to open the fence to leave, which she

me and I smiled

really beautiful, my Baby Angel.

me understand but I was too stupid to follow her amazingly creative head and

at 6 pm and it took everything in me not to jump around like a lost puppy.

"Baby..."

his charms. Why was he here? Should he not play house with this wife? After all it was her house,

'In my own home.'

Yuck!

I had enough money to buy her all the beach houses

He had a flower in his hand.

he cared about

reply to that either. "Love... Come on. Talk to me.

did nothing! And

I did, I am sorry. Come

mine. I pushed his

"Baby..."

I might be making a little too much of

so

"You are angry."

head. If I did

very angry." Robbie raised his hands in surrender when he saw my glare and I felt bad because he honestly had no idea what

had no way of knowing without my telling

it. I was hurt and this man who I

kitchen stool and watched me

he looped his hand on my waist when I was near him. I went in search of my kid and saw her talking to her toys about

she patted her baby monkey plushy on