AJ sat on the bed in his hotel room; he stared at the phone and thought about yesterday.  He hated thinking about it, dealing with it, it made his heart hurt so much that she could do this to him.  He still didn’t understand why and that made him angry after everything he deserved an answer but she wasn’t giving him one. Well besides the “I don’t trust you” bullshit.  With a sigh he picked up the phone and called Anne’s place. He waited and waited as the phone rang.

Finally someone picked up. “Hello?” And he knew it to be Chelsea.

“Is Nadia there?” AJ asked trying to be as calm as possible.

“She’s sleeping.” Chelsea replied.

“I’m in Kentucky.” AJ told her.

“You are?” Chelsea replied and he heard the shock in her voice.  “Don’t you have recording?”

“I have a couple of days.” AJ told her.  “I want to see her.” There was a long pause. “Chelsea did you hear me?” He asked his voice showing a hint of anger.

“Yes, yeah I heard you.” Chelsea replied a second later.  “That’s fine I’ll get her up and let her know you’re coming.”

“Good” AJ replied.  “I’ll be there in half an hour.”

He then hung up the phone as she said Ok, and he knew she was waiting for him to say more but he wasn’t going to, he didn’t’ want to talk to her right now.  With a frustrated grunt he got up from the bed and gathered up his key and wallet.  Letting the door close and lock behind him he made his way down the Hotel hallway towards the elevator. Making his way through the lobby he stopped of at the small café attached to the hotel and grabbed a coffee.  He than made his way to his rental car and proceeded to make his way to Anne’s place.

When he got there he only saw Anne’s car and what he assumed was Chelsea’s rental in the driveway glade to know Jerald wasn’t there.  Grabbing his coffee he stepped out of the car and saw the front door swing open as he shut the car door.  He smiled when he saw Nadia running towards him; quickly he set his coffee on the car roof and met her with open arms.  She wrapped her arms around him tightly and started to cry.

“It’s ok Nadia.” AJ told her.

“This is so unfair.” She cried.

“I know darling.” AJ replied as he looked up and saw Chelsea standing at the door.  He couldn’t help but think there was a time when she would run out to greet him like that.

“Jerald’s been a total jerk.” Nadia said as she pulled away.

“Why am I not surprised.” AJ sighed.  He looked up when he felt someone approached them.

“Hi” Chelsea said as she stopped at the two of them.

“Is it ok if I take her out for a bit?” AJ asked not even bothering to say hi back.  It pissed him off enough he even had to ask her.

“Sure” Chelsea replied with a light nod.

“Let me go get my Ipod” Nadia said before she took off into the house.

“So how are things?” Chelsea asked.

“I have nothing to say to you unless it is dealing with our daughter; I don’t want to talk to you.” AJ snapped at her.  He then opened the car door, grabbed his coffee and got inside.  He noticed Chelsea stared at him for a minute and then slowly she turned around and began walking into the house.  A second later Nadia came flying out of the house and jogged over to the car.  When she got in AJ pulled out of the driveway.

“So are we really going out or are we going to the airport to go back home?” Nadia asked and he heard the hopeful tone in her voice.

“We’re going out for a little bit; don’t want to make myself look bad before the injunction even goes through.” AJ told her with a light smile.

“This sucks” Nadia sighed.

“I know” AJ replied with the same sigh.

“And it doesn’t help that last night Chelsea spent like two hours outside.” Nadia said as she looked out the window.  “Had to sit there with Anne watching TV.”

“Anne is a nice person Nadia.” AJ said looking at her.

“I know but two hours just sitting in some field, like really” Nadia sighed. “If she wanted me to like it here she could at least take me out somewhere.”

AJ’s eyebrows fell in confusion a little.  “Where was she?” AJ asked.

“I dunno, some field in behind the house, Anne said she use to go out there all the time and practice her Gymnastics and stuff.” Nadia said giving a light shrug.  “Have no idea what she was doing out there for that long but I guess it was better than hanging out with me.”

AJ wasn’t sure how to take what Nadia had said.  Two hours out in the bluegrass field? Two hours of not being with your daughter, two hours that yesterday he would have killed for but she always went out there for a reason, she went out there to think and to be alone.

“So where are we going?” Nadia asked as she looked at him.

“Figured we go to the Fayette Mall and do some shopping.” AJ replied with a smile.

“Awesome” Nadia replied with an even bigger smile and it made AJ laugh; she sure did have his love for shopping.

Chelsea sat at the kitchen table staring at her coffee replaying the words AJ had said to her outside over and over again.  Each time they would cut deeper and deeper but she had no one to blame but herself, she really couldn’t even blame Jerald.  She’s the one that ripped his daughter away and she is the one that needs to deal with his anger.  The kitchen door swung open but she didn’t hear it, she didn’t even see the person sit down beside her.

“Chelsea?” The voice broke through her ears as a hand waved in front of her. She looked up and saw Anne staring back at her.

“Huh?” She replied as she tried to gather her thoughts.

Anne frowned.  “Chels, why are you two here?” She asked.

“Because right now I can’t take care of Nadia on my own, I need to make sure there are no lingering effects from the coma and AJ is so busy…” She stopped and looked back at her juice.  “And it’s not like I can trust leaving her with him.”

“Well now you sound like my oldest.” Anne replied but Chelsea didn’t look at her. “You really think he would go out drinking again, after almost losing you and getting back his daughter?” Anne asked.

“I don’t know” Chelsea mumbled.

“Do you still love him?” Anne asked. Chelsea had to stop herself from answering with a very strong yes; instead she chose to say nothing at all.  “Chelsea…” Anne said and she could hear the sadness in her voice.

“Maybe Jerald was right, maybe life has finally caught up with me.” She replied still not wanting to make eye contact with Anne.  Pushing her coffee away she stood up from the table.  “I’m going to go for a walk.”  She was glad Anne didn’t say anything as she walked out the back doors and across the backyard towards the small path that cut into the trees at the end of the yard.  When she reached the large field of long blue grass she walked out a few more feet and sat down.  She loved how you disappeared into the grass, it’s one of the reason she loved coming out here, to get lost for a little bit.  When she was younger she would do Gymnastics, now she really couldn’t do that anymore but she still loved the lost feeling from hiding in the grass.  Laying down she looked up at the sheet of light grey clouds and wondered if there would be rain soon.  She watched the clouds roll by letting her mind think of nothing. The clouds were hypnotic and she didn’t even notice her eyes getting heavy.

The next thing she knew she was woken by someone yelling her name, blinking a few times she looked around and realized she fell asleep.  “Oh crap” She thought when she had realized what time it was.  She heard the voice again calling her name and she sat up as she fixed her hair.

“Chelsea?!” She heard and she looked behind her, AJ was standing at the pathway. He saw her and started to make his way over to her.  “Are you ok?”

She looked at him a moment, wanting to tell him no she wasn’t, that Jerald had her backed against the a wall and this was the only way she could get out of it but she didn’t.  “Yeah, I must have fallen asleep.”

“You fell asleep?” AJ asked and she caught some anger in his tone. “Anne has been worried sick about you; you’ve been gone almost all day.” AJ replied.  “First you drag Nadia out here and then spend hours here in this stupid field, now you come out here to nap, you’ve become a real selfish bitch ya know that?”

“Alex” Chelsea replied with a frown.

“You better get back to the house.” AJ said before he turned around and started to head towards the house.

“Alex” She said as she grabbed his arm but he ripped it out of her hand.

“Your daughter is home, maybe you’d like to spend some time with her, if you don’t I could always take her back to Cali, because I know I would like too.” He said staring at her.  “I don’t know what the fuck has gotten into you.”

She stared at him as he walked away.  “Stupid field.” His words replayed in her head.  This was their place, their field; it wasn’t stupid at least to her.  As she walked a few feet behind him down the path she realized there was no stopping what she was doing now and there as no going back.  He was starting to hate her if he hadn’t already, she broke his heart and he was in pain because of her.

When they arrived at the house Anne and Nadia were standing on the back porch.  “Where was she?” Anne asked.

“She was taking a nap.” AJ replied as he walked up the steps.

“I must have fallen asleep, haven’t been sleeping much.” Chelsea replied and AJ laughed sarcastically.

“Here you guys are.” Jerald said as he walked out the back door and then he saw AJ.  “What’s he doing here?” He asked looking right at Chelsea.

“I’m here to see my daughter as if it’s any business of yours.” AJ snapped back.

“Chelsea came out here to have some alone time, you didn’t need to follow her.” Jerald said angrily.

“Again what business is it of yours asshole!” AJ shouted back.  “You know what I don’t need this shit.” AJ sighed as he threw up his arms and left the porch.  

“AJ” Nadia said and Chelsea could hear in her voice she didn’t want him to go.

“That’s right AJ walk away from your kid.” Jerald yelled after him.

“Shut up!” Nadia yelled as she turned to Jerald.  “Shut up, shut up shut up!!!” She screamed at him as she pushed hard on his chest, shoving him back.

“Nadia” Chelsea said as she gently grabbed Nadia’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!!!” Nadia yelled at her.  Chelsea’s heart broke when she saw the tears in her eyes.  “I hate you!” She yelled at Chelsea and took off into the house.

“Jerald” Chelsea snapped angrily.  “Why can’t you ever keep your mouth shut, just for once keep your fucking mouth shut!?”  She stared at him, her body shaking with anger waiting for him to say something but he didn’t. Chelsea grunted in frustration pulling on the back screen door so hard it slammed against the house.  She walked upstairs and went to Nadia’s room.  Knocking on the door she waited for her daughter to answer.

“Nadia open the door please.” Chelsea said as she leaned up against the hall wall.  “Nadia please talk to me?” She said again when she heard nothing.  Putting her hand on the doorknob and turned it.  As the door opened she looked into the room and saw no one in there.

“Nadia?” Chelsea said as she looked around.  She walked over to the closet and opened the door.  “Nadia?” Chelsea said again as she looked amongst the clothes.  Her face fell in confusion as she looked around the room again.  Walking out into the hallway she headed to her bedroom door and opened it.  “Nadia?” She said again.  Still there was no answer.