Oklahoma - Chapter Twenty
Title: Oklahoma
Genre: Fan Fic/Drama
Pairing: N/A
Characters: Isaac Hanson, OFC, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson, OC, Nikki Hanson
Warnings: Language
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.
Summary: “No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away.”
-Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
Isaac Hanson learned at a young age that life isn't always fair and eventually people really do make mistakes - really big mistakes! No matter how much you try to right that wrong, sometimes you never get that luxury.
Perrie Marshall learned at a young age that life can be hard and life can be lonely, even when you're surrounded by others. No matter how much you try to cling on to something, sometimes you have to let it go and start over again.
S/N: this morning, I updated and added to the Character list, if anybody is interested.
Chapter Twenty
“Are you really my dad?”
The words played mercilessly in Isaac's mind, when he thought they had stopped, they seemed to creep right back in. Each time the words came up, he could see the confusion on Perrie's face when she had asked him. Sitting in the middle of the stairs, she had asked Isaac without hesitation. Her voice never faltered as the words left, carrying through the air. Hearing the question had left Isaac feeling like his heart was going to fall out of his chest.
Shakily, he had taken a seat on a few stairs below Perrie, wishing he had an answer for her. Without prompt, Perrie informed him that she wasn't stupid - not that Isaac expected her to be - she knew that he had been questioning whether or not she was his child. Isaac did his best to explain his discussion with Taylor, but it didn't seem to be doing him any good. The few drinks he'd had were clouding his mind and making it slightly difficult to find the right words.
Perrie must have been somewhat satisfied with Isaac's explanation, because she dropped the subject, standing up and turning to climb the stairs. Isaac had sat on the stairway, his head in his hands, unable to finish the climb. The subject didn't stay quiet for long, the next morning, when Perrie woke, she went straight to Isaac telling him that she, they, needed the truth.
“I want a DNA test.” Perrie squared her shoulders.
Isaac had only nodded, giving in to her demands. When Perrie had came to live with them, Isaac had never thought it would come to this. Voicing his concerns to his wife, Nikki agreed with Perrie's request. Knowing this kind of thing was always better, if they got it out of the way then Isaac would never be left to wonder.
“Logically, if there was Taylor then how do we know there weren't other guys?” Nikki sighed, this was the last thing Isaac wanted to hear, but it needed to be said. “Before you go off defending Amy, like you always do, think about this Ike.”
“I will.” Isaac muttered, clamping his hand around a mug of coffee and tromping off to his office.
Wanting answers made perfect sense, Isaac related to Perrie in that sense. After all, he had ran after Taylor digging for the truth.
Getting an appointment to have the testing done had been the easy part, after Perrie's demands, Isaac had called straight away. After a phone call he never thought he'd have to make, Isaac gathered Perrie several afternoons later, taking her for their appointment. The kind lady at the clinic explained that in an ideal circumstance the child, along with the mother and potential father would all need to be tested. Since it wasn't possible to test the mother, in Perrie's case, the lady explained that there could be a small margin for error in the results.
“Your results will still be at least 85% accurate.” she answered, when Isaac asked her how big of an error it could create.
“It's better than the nothing we have now.” Perrie voiced, rising from the plastic chair she'd been sitting on in the waiting area. “I guess we should get it over with.”
While Perrie conveyed a rational and calm exterior; Isaac looked as though he was going to fall apart. When a fifteen year old girl remained more collected than a grown man, there was a problem. The test procedure was simple enough, a small blood sample followed by a mouth swab and they were off. A promise from the receptionist told them that Isaac would get a call in no more than four days, when he got the call they could come back and get their results.
Two to Four days wasn't really that long, but when your future was being dangled in front of you, two to four days was a life time. Isaac moped around, trying his best not to seem like the downer he had become. At home Nikki was doing her best to support her husband while trying to keep their home running. Perrie had asked if she could spend a few days with Zoe, knowing that she was the reason for Isaac's down moods. If she wasn't there then maybe it could create and out of sight, out of mind effect.
Across town, Perrie wasn't being much fun herself. Zoe had tried her hardest to take her friend's mind off of the looming upset, but nothing helped much. Perrie would put on a smile and laugh when she felt that a situation called for it, for the most part she stuck close to her grandparents' home, keeping to herself.
On what would be her final night staying with Zoe; Perrie had finally let herself give into the break down that she had coming. Taylor's wife, Natalie and their children had stopped in for a visit, Taylor had to work late and it wasn't uncommon that Natalie would drop by her in-laws every now and then. While the kids took turns playing video games, Perrie had escaped out onto the porch to be by herself. Her mood was slightly gloomy and she didn't need to disturb the others.
Curled up on the patio sofa, Perrie sat quietly with a book in her hand, the pages were open but that was as far as she had got. The early evening air was beginning to cool down, the sun sinking cast a colourful orange and pink glow over the world. This was the type of sunset that you took photos of and sent them to everybody you knew, allowing them to bask in the beauty of nature along with you. Perrie smirked a little at the idea, normally she would have already took a photo and sent it to Ben. Getting the picture, Ben would then reply with some form of joke or thoughtful wisdom. She always enjoyed that.
Tonight, Perrie wanted to sit in the last bit of light by herself, allowing her mind to go wherever it wanted along with the sinking sun. Amongst the chaos that had been her life in the last week, Perrie hadn't thought about enjoying anything. Letting her book fall shut beside her, Perrie drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her folded arms. Her mind was swirling with thoughts when the patio door opened and Natalie poked her head out.
“Nikki just called, she said that Isaac will be here for you around 10AM.” the older woman informed.
“Oh, okay.” Perrie spoke with a shaky voice. She hadn't expected her voice to come out so unsteady. “T-thank you.”
Come tomorrow, she would learn her fate once again. Did the universe hate her? Wasn't it enough that she had to leave her home in Seattle? What happened if she had to leave Tulsa too?
“Perrie, are you okay?” Natalie had stepped out onto the deck before Perrie had even noticed she was still there.
Perrie shrugged and shook her head. How could she be okay? If it wasn't for Natalie's husband and his inability to use the word “No” then Perrie wouldn't be sitting here wondering whether or not she would have to pack up her life again.
“Do you, maybe, want to talk?” Natalie approached the subject, standing next to the sofa, but not sitting.
“W-what i-if.” Perrie got out the first two words. She didn't have to finish.
“Honey.” Natalie cooed, sitting down. “I'm not even going to pretend I understand, because I don't, but I do understand what it feels like you have your world crash down.”
Perrie swallowed a hard lump in her throat, wiping her hands across her cheeks. Hot, wet tears stained her cheeks, there was no use in trying to fight them off.
“Come here.” Natalie opened her arms, gesturing for Perrie to move closer. It was odd, finding a confidant in the woman whose husband was potentially ruining Perrie's life. No that was unfair, Natalie had nothing to do with Taylor's actions. “I'm not going to make excuses, for anybody, but you have every right to be upset.”
“Isaac was supposed to be my dad, it's why I had to come here.” Perrie sobbed. “My life was ripped away and if he's not my...” she paused. She couldn't say it. “I left everything for nothing.”
“And if he is your dad, you're only gaining.” Natalie reminded her of the brighter side. “Isaac is pretty fond of you, I am willing to bet that this is tearing him apart too.”
“You know, we wouldn't even have to worry about this if...” Perrie stopped, wiping her tears again. “I'm sorry, because that isn't your fault.”
“If you need to be mad at Taylor, then be mad at him.” Natalie encouraged, brushing her hand over Perrie's hair. “I'm not going to support any form of cheating, he deserves what he gets.”
“He isn't the only one. My mom was part of it too, hating Taylor is only one sided.” Perrie sniffed. “She knew.” Perrie cried, angrily groaning. “She knew that Isaac loved her and she still asked Taylor. She knew that she was everything to him and she still did that! She hurt him! She hurt him more than Taylor ever could.” sobbing harder, Perrie laid her head on Natalie's shoulder, her body shaking.
Gently rubbing Perrie's arm, Natalie let her cry.
“I hate her!” Perrie muttered forcefully. “I hate her for doing this to him, to us. We'd have been okay, but she hurt us.”
“Perrie, honey, you're angry but do you really think you hate your mom?” Natalie asked, continuing to support the younger girl's emotions.
“I hate what she did. I can't forgive her for breaking Isaac's heart.” Perrie answered between sobs. “Taylor made a mistake, he was a pawn. She knew what being with him would do to Isaac and she never cared.” Perrie laid her accusations. “Taylor shares blame, but he never would have done any of this if she hadn't asked him.” Perrie whimpered. “Isaac knows that, I know he does.”
“You really care for Isaac, huh.” Natalie mused, hugging Perrie tightly.
“He never deserved anything she did to him.” Perrie offered with a shaky breath. “All he did was love her. All he's done is love me. What if tomorrow...what if he's hurt again, because of her?”
“I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know Isaac and I can honestly say that he won't give up that easily.” Natalie assured Perrie with a soft smile.
“Natalie.” Perrie's voice was quiet. “I want you to know, I don't blame Taylor. I know Isaac doesn't either, not really. Can you tell him, I don't hate him?”
“I will.” Natalie nodded, hugging Perrie. “And Perrie, no matter what that paper says tomorrow, you always have a family here that love you.”
As much as letting go with Natalie seemed to help, Perrie couldn't manage to shake the uneasy feelings that plagued her. When she had went to bed, sleep came quick but didn't last long. The night had been spent tossing and turning around in bed with a mind full of “What Ifs?” and it took a toll. Not having more than an hour or two worth of sleep, Perrie was out of bed early, there was no sense in laying in bed any longer.
The hours counted down slowly, until doorbell rang around twenty to ten. Announcing Isaac was at the door, Diana retreated back to the kitchen where she had been busying herself tidying up after breakfast. Not wanting to impose his dreary mood on his parents' home, Isaac gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and was gone again, Perrie in tow.
The drive to the clinic was short, even with the morning traffic, which Perrie was thankful for. Talking with Isaac had become awkward in the last week, even more so than when she had first met him. The only time either of them spoke was when the receptionist asked for a name. Each one gave their name and then took a seat in the uncomfortable plastic chairs.
“I think Nina had been missing you.” Isaac spoke, trying to create conversation. “She was looking for you, yesterday when I was home alone with her.”
It wasn't uncommon that Isaac and Perrie would be left in the mornings, while Nikki ran the boys to appointments or play dates. On these mornings, Perrie would make it a big deal fussing over the baby.
“Maybe you could come see them?” Isaac was talking as if Perrie was never going to return to his home. For all Perrie knew, maybe she never would. “We all missed you, Perrie.”
“You get that I'm not doing this to hurt you, but I feel it's fair to both of us if we know.” Perrie announced, her hands clutched tightly in her lap. Her leg bounced nervously and she looked terrified. It was the only thing she had to say. Isaac was talking as if this was the end of her ever being in his life and they didn't know that, not for sure.
“Since when did you become the grown up here?” Isaac smirked, nudging Perrie's shoulder.
“Isaac.” Perrie bit her bottom lip, her eyes wide. “What if you aren't my dad?”
“I am 99.9% sure that I am.” Isaac clarified. “In the unlikely event, I am not, then we'll work on it from there. As of right now, your birth certificate has me listed as your father. I think that's a good sign.”
Stealing a glance at the piece of identification paper in Isaac's hand, Perrie forced a small smile. He was right, he had to be. Surely her mother would never list Isaac as her father, if it wasn't true. Perrie would hold onto that tiny piece of hope, she had to, until the results came back.
“You should forgive Taylor.” Perrie insisted, glancing sideways at Isaac. She needed something else to talk about.
“Why do you feel that way?”
“He's your brother. Sometimes the only and best friend you have, is your brother.” Perrie stated with a sigh. “Ben drives me nuts sometimes, but he's still my brother and we stick together. You and Taylor should do that too, because brothers never really mean to hurt you.”
“You and Ben are close.” Isaac acknowledged. Perrie smiled and nodded. “You're right about brothers, you know. They don't mean to hurt you, but sometimes they do and it takes a while to forgive them.”
“It takes a while to forgive anybody, if they hurt you bad enough.” Perrie shrugged. “Can you make me a promise? Whether this DNA thing says you're my dad or not, I need you to forgive Taylor.”
“Perrie, I can't just forget about what he did.” Isaac stated.
“He didn't act alone, my mom is the real one to blame. Taylor only went along with her decision.” Perrie pleaded the case. “I think you should forgive him, because you never know when something could happen to those you love.” she had a good reason, Isaac wouldn't deny that. “I forgave you. When I was told I had to come live here, I assumed you were some horrible person who didn't love me. I was wrong, I think you're wrong about Taylor.”
Not getting a chance to argue his side, Isaac sat dumbfounded for a moment when the lady behind the receptionist desk told them that they could receive their results. Standing up and heading straight for the small office across the hall, Perrie didn't bother to look or wait for Isaac, she trusted that he'd follow.
Inside the office, sitting at a neat little desk was a man in a crisp dress shirt and slacks, judging by his facial features he wasn't much older than Isaac. Sitting in a chair across from him, Perrie folded her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking, forcing a smile and a greeting to the man who held her fate. Lost in a world of her own, Perrie heard everything that was being said in slow motion. Isaac had taken the seat beside her and was listening as the man behind the desk explained exactly what it was they looked for to determine a person's paternity.
Agonizing, was the word Perrie would use for this discussion. Couldn't the man just tell them the results? Somewhere between her thoughts and frustration, Perrie saw the man pick up a manila envelope. Carefully flipping it open and pulling out a paper, his face was expressionless. In his hands were the results of the test.
Come on, read them. Perrie silently urged the man. Beside her, Isaac sat stiff, he appeared to be holding his breath. Numb was the feeling that came over Perrie as the man opened his mouth to speak, without realization she had reached out grabbing onto Isaac's arm for support.
Hearing the words, seeing the paper, Perrie burst out in a fit of tears. Almost gasping for air, she shook as she spoke. “You're really my dad.” she turned to Isaac, her face streaked with tears. “I finally have a real dad.”
Genre: Fan Fic/Drama
Pairing: N/A
Characters: Isaac Hanson, OFC, Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson, OC, Nikki Hanson
Warnings: Language
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.
Summary: “No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away.”
-Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
Isaac Hanson learned at a young age that life isn't always fair and eventually people really do make mistakes - really big mistakes! No matter how much you try to right that wrong, sometimes you never get that luxury.
Perrie Marshall learned at a young age that life can be hard and life can be lonely, even when you're surrounded by others. No matter how much you try to cling on to something, sometimes you have to let it go and start over again.
S/N: this morning, I updated and added to the Character list, if anybody is interested.
Chapter Twenty
“Are you really my dad?”
The words played mercilessly in Isaac's mind, when he thought they had stopped, they seemed to creep right back in. Each time the words came up, he could see the confusion on Perrie's face when she had asked him. Sitting in the middle of the stairs, she had asked Isaac without hesitation. Her voice never faltered as the words left, carrying through the air. Hearing the question had left Isaac feeling like his heart was going to fall out of his chest.
Shakily, he had taken a seat on a few stairs below Perrie, wishing he had an answer for her. Without prompt, Perrie informed him that she wasn't stupid - not that Isaac expected her to be - she knew that he had been questioning whether or not she was his child. Isaac did his best to explain his discussion with Taylor, but it didn't seem to be doing him any good. The few drinks he'd had were clouding his mind and making it slightly difficult to find the right words.
Perrie must have been somewhat satisfied with Isaac's explanation, because she dropped the subject, standing up and turning to climb the stairs. Isaac had sat on the stairway, his head in his hands, unable to finish the climb. The subject didn't stay quiet for long, the next morning, when Perrie woke, she went straight to Isaac telling him that she, they, needed the truth.
“I want a DNA test.” Perrie squared her shoulders.
Isaac had only nodded, giving in to her demands. When Perrie had came to live with them, Isaac had never thought it would come to this. Voicing his concerns to his wife, Nikki agreed with Perrie's request. Knowing this kind of thing was always better, if they got it out of the way then Isaac would never be left to wonder.
“Logically, if there was Taylor then how do we know there weren't other guys?” Nikki sighed, this was the last thing Isaac wanted to hear, but it needed to be said. “Before you go off defending Amy, like you always do, think about this Ike.”
“I will.” Isaac muttered, clamping his hand around a mug of coffee and tromping off to his office.
Wanting answers made perfect sense, Isaac related to Perrie in that sense. After all, he had ran after Taylor digging for the truth.
Getting an appointment to have the testing done had been the easy part, after Perrie's demands, Isaac had called straight away. After a phone call he never thought he'd have to make, Isaac gathered Perrie several afternoons later, taking her for their appointment. The kind lady at the clinic explained that in an ideal circumstance the child, along with the mother and potential father would all need to be tested. Since it wasn't possible to test the mother, in Perrie's case, the lady explained that there could be a small margin for error in the results.
“Your results will still be at least 85% accurate.” she answered, when Isaac asked her how big of an error it could create.
“It's better than the nothing we have now.” Perrie voiced, rising from the plastic chair she'd been sitting on in the waiting area. “I guess we should get it over with.”
While Perrie conveyed a rational and calm exterior; Isaac looked as though he was going to fall apart. When a fifteen year old girl remained more collected than a grown man, there was a problem. The test procedure was simple enough, a small blood sample followed by a mouth swab and they were off. A promise from the receptionist told them that Isaac would get a call in no more than four days, when he got the call they could come back and get their results.
Two to Four days wasn't really that long, but when your future was being dangled in front of you, two to four days was a life time. Isaac moped around, trying his best not to seem like the downer he had become. At home Nikki was doing her best to support her husband while trying to keep their home running. Perrie had asked if she could spend a few days with Zoe, knowing that she was the reason for Isaac's down moods. If she wasn't there then maybe it could create and out of sight, out of mind effect.
Across town, Perrie wasn't being much fun herself. Zoe had tried her hardest to take her friend's mind off of the looming upset, but nothing helped much. Perrie would put on a smile and laugh when she felt that a situation called for it, for the most part she stuck close to her grandparents' home, keeping to herself.
On what would be her final night staying with Zoe; Perrie had finally let herself give into the break down that she had coming. Taylor's wife, Natalie and their children had stopped in for a visit, Taylor had to work late and it wasn't uncommon that Natalie would drop by her in-laws every now and then. While the kids took turns playing video games, Perrie had escaped out onto the porch to be by herself. Her mood was slightly gloomy and she didn't need to disturb the others.
Curled up on the patio sofa, Perrie sat quietly with a book in her hand, the pages were open but that was as far as she had got. The early evening air was beginning to cool down, the sun sinking cast a colourful orange and pink glow over the world. This was the type of sunset that you took photos of and sent them to everybody you knew, allowing them to bask in the beauty of nature along with you. Perrie smirked a little at the idea, normally she would have already took a photo and sent it to Ben. Getting the picture, Ben would then reply with some form of joke or thoughtful wisdom. She always enjoyed that.
Tonight, Perrie wanted to sit in the last bit of light by herself, allowing her mind to go wherever it wanted along with the sinking sun. Amongst the chaos that had been her life in the last week, Perrie hadn't thought about enjoying anything. Letting her book fall shut beside her, Perrie drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her folded arms. Her mind was swirling with thoughts when the patio door opened and Natalie poked her head out.
“Nikki just called, she said that Isaac will be here for you around 10AM.” the older woman informed.
“Oh, okay.” Perrie spoke with a shaky voice. She hadn't expected her voice to come out so unsteady. “T-thank you.”
Come tomorrow, she would learn her fate once again. Did the universe hate her? Wasn't it enough that she had to leave her home in Seattle? What happened if she had to leave Tulsa too?
“Perrie, are you okay?” Natalie had stepped out onto the deck before Perrie had even noticed she was still there.
Perrie shrugged and shook her head. How could she be okay? If it wasn't for Natalie's husband and his inability to use the word “No” then Perrie wouldn't be sitting here wondering whether or not she would have to pack up her life again.
“Do you, maybe, want to talk?” Natalie approached the subject, standing next to the sofa, but not sitting.
“W-what i-if.” Perrie got out the first two words. She didn't have to finish.
“Honey.” Natalie cooed, sitting down. “I'm not even going to pretend I understand, because I don't, but I do understand what it feels like you have your world crash down.”
Perrie swallowed a hard lump in her throat, wiping her hands across her cheeks. Hot, wet tears stained her cheeks, there was no use in trying to fight them off.
“Come here.” Natalie opened her arms, gesturing for Perrie to move closer. It was odd, finding a confidant in the woman whose husband was potentially ruining Perrie's life. No that was unfair, Natalie had nothing to do with Taylor's actions. “I'm not going to make excuses, for anybody, but you have every right to be upset.”
“Isaac was supposed to be my dad, it's why I had to come here.” Perrie sobbed. “My life was ripped away and if he's not my...” she paused. She couldn't say it. “I left everything for nothing.”
“And if he is your dad, you're only gaining.” Natalie reminded her of the brighter side. “Isaac is pretty fond of you, I am willing to bet that this is tearing him apart too.”
“You know, we wouldn't even have to worry about this if...” Perrie stopped, wiping her tears again. “I'm sorry, because that isn't your fault.”
“If you need to be mad at Taylor, then be mad at him.” Natalie encouraged, brushing her hand over Perrie's hair. “I'm not going to support any form of cheating, he deserves what he gets.”
“He isn't the only one. My mom was part of it too, hating Taylor is only one sided.” Perrie sniffed. “She knew.” Perrie cried, angrily groaning. “She knew that Isaac loved her and she still asked Taylor. She knew that she was everything to him and she still did that! She hurt him! She hurt him more than Taylor ever could.” sobbing harder, Perrie laid her head on Natalie's shoulder, her body shaking.
Gently rubbing Perrie's arm, Natalie let her cry.
“I hate her!” Perrie muttered forcefully. “I hate her for doing this to him, to us. We'd have been okay, but she hurt us.”
“Perrie, honey, you're angry but do you really think you hate your mom?” Natalie asked, continuing to support the younger girl's emotions.
“I hate what she did. I can't forgive her for breaking Isaac's heart.” Perrie answered between sobs. “Taylor made a mistake, he was a pawn. She knew what being with him would do to Isaac and she never cared.” Perrie laid her accusations. “Taylor shares blame, but he never would have done any of this if she hadn't asked him.” Perrie whimpered. “Isaac knows that, I know he does.”
“You really care for Isaac, huh.” Natalie mused, hugging Perrie tightly.
“He never deserved anything she did to him.” Perrie offered with a shaky breath. “All he did was love her. All he's done is love me. What if tomorrow...what if he's hurt again, because of her?”
“I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know Isaac and I can honestly say that he won't give up that easily.” Natalie assured Perrie with a soft smile.
“Natalie.” Perrie's voice was quiet. “I want you to know, I don't blame Taylor. I know Isaac doesn't either, not really. Can you tell him, I don't hate him?”
“I will.” Natalie nodded, hugging Perrie. “And Perrie, no matter what that paper says tomorrow, you always have a family here that love you.”
As much as letting go with Natalie seemed to help, Perrie couldn't manage to shake the uneasy feelings that plagued her. When she had went to bed, sleep came quick but didn't last long. The night had been spent tossing and turning around in bed with a mind full of “What Ifs?” and it took a toll. Not having more than an hour or two worth of sleep, Perrie was out of bed early, there was no sense in laying in bed any longer.
The hours counted down slowly, until doorbell rang around twenty to ten. Announcing Isaac was at the door, Diana retreated back to the kitchen where she had been busying herself tidying up after breakfast. Not wanting to impose his dreary mood on his parents' home, Isaac gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and was gone again, Perrie in tow.
The drive to the clinic was short, even with the morning traffic, which Perrie was thankful for. Talking with Isaac had become awkward in the last week, even more so than when she had first met him. The only time either of them spoke was when the receptionist asked for a name. Each one gave their name and then took a seat in the uncomfortable plastic chairs.
“I think Nina had been missing you.” Isaac spoke, trying to create conversation. “She was looking for you, yesterday when I was home alone with her.”
It wasn't uncommon that Isaac and Perrie would be left in the mornings, while Nikki ran the boys to appointments or play dates. On these mornings, Perrie would make it a big deal fussing over the baby.
“Maybe you could come see them?” Isaac was talking as if Perrie was never going to return to his home. For all Perrie knew, maybe she never would. “We all missed you, Perrie.”
“You get that I'm not doing this to hurt you, but I feel it's fair to both of us if we know.” Perrie announced, her hands clutched tightly in her lap. Her leg bounced nervously and she looked terrified. It was the only thing she had to say. Isaac was talking as if this was the end of her ever being in his life and they didn't know that, not for sure.
“Since when did you become the grown up here?” Isaac smirked, nudging Perrie's shoulder.
“Isaac.” Perrie bit her bottom lip, her eyes wide. “What if you aren't my dad?”
“I am 99.9% sure that I am.” Isaac clarified. “In the unlikely event, I am not, then we'll work on it from there. As of right now, your birth certificate has me listed as your father. I think that's a good sign.”
Stealing a glance at the piece of identification paper in Isaac's hand, Perrie forced a small smile. He was right, he had to be. Surely her mother would never list Isaac as her father, if it wasn't true. Perrie would hold onto that tiny piece of hope, she had to, until the results came back.
“You should forgive Taylor.” Perrie insisted, glancing sideways at Isaac. She needed something else to talk about.
“Why do you feel that way?”
“He's your brother. Sometimes the only and best friend you have, is your brother.” Perrie stated with a sigh. “Ben drives me nuts sometimes, but he's still my brother and we stick together. You and Taylor should do that too, because brothers never really mean to hurt you.”
“You and Ben are close.” Isaac acknowledged. Perrie smiled and nodded. “You're right about brothers, you know. They don't mean to hurt you, but sometimes they do and it takes a while to forgive them.”
“It takes a while to forgive anybody, if they hurt you bad enough.” Perrie shrugged. “Can you make me a promise? Whether this DNA thing says you're my dad or not, I need you to forgive Taylor.”
“Perrie, I can't just forget about what he did.” Isaac stated.
“He didn't act alone, my mom is the real one to blame. Taylor only went along with her decision.” Perrie pleaded the case. “I think you should forgive him, because you never know when something could happen to those you love.” she had a good reason, Isaac wouldn't deny that. “I forgave you. When I was told I had to come live here, I assumed you were some horrible person who didn't love me. I was wrong, I think you're wrong about Taylor.”
Not getting a chance to argue his side, Isaac sat dumbfounded for a moment when the lady behind the receptionist desk told them that they could receive their results. Standing up and heading straight for the small office across the hall, Perrie didn't bother to look or wait for Isaac, she trusted that he'd follow.
Inside the office, sitting at a neat little desk was a man in a crisp dress shirt and slacks, judging by his facial features he wasn't much older than Isaac. Sitting in a chair across from him, Perrie folded her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking, forcing a smile and a greeting to the man who held her fate. Lost in a world of her own, Perrie heard everything that was being said in slow motion. Isaac had taken the seat beside her and was listening as the man behind the desk explained exactly what it was they looked for to determine a person's paternity.
Agonizing, was the word Perrie would use for this discussion. Couldn't the man just tell them the results? Somewhere between her thoughts and frustration, Perrie saw the man pick up a manila envelope. Carefully flipping it open and pulling out a paper, his face was expressionless. In his hands were the results of the test.
Come on, read them. Perrie silently urged the man. Beside her, Isaac sat stiff, he appeared to be holding his breath. Numb was the feeling that came over Perrie as the man opened his mouth to speak, without realization she had reached out grabbing onto Isaac's arm for support.
Hearing the words, seeing the paper, Perrie burst out in a fit of tears. Almost gasping for air, she shook as she spoke. “You're really my dad.” she turned to Isaac, her face streaked with tears. “I finally have a real dad.”