Darren's Obsession: Family Matters
Disclaimer:Not real people, everyone is 18/18+
DARREN
My dad had cleared out for the time being when I brought my mom, Lisa, and our daughter, Beth, home from the hospital. Mom was exhausted from dad's constant phone calls and texts calling her a whore and a freak. The man would find some way to retaliate for being left high and dry. For now though I was more concerned with getting Mom and my fussy little girl settled.
"I'll take her, Lisa, take some time to rest." I said as we walked through the door and Beth immediately needed a new diaper. I kissed mom's head and headed off to change her. After I had her changed and settled in her crib I checked on Mom. She was passed out in our bed, but her phone was buzzing angrily. It was dad again. I picked it up and listened silently.
"You sick slut, spreading your legs for your own son. Wait till I tell your mom..." he was saying but I cut him off.
"You won't tell anyone shit." I growled dangerously into the phone. "Because if you do I'll hunt you down and rearrange your face. Do you understand?" I snapped and he made a choked noise.
"D-darren! It's you. I thought this was your mother's phone. I-" I snapped the phone off not wanting to hear more of his whining. I had been sick of him when I turned ten and he raided a private sketchbook drawing I had of Mom. Called me a freak and wouldn't let me live it down. He had been a physical menace to me as a kid and I ached to return the favor.
"It was Warren again wasn't it?" Mom asked from the couch, I was about to answer when Beth started crying from the other room. Mom got up and stretched.
"Time to feed." she said tiredly and went to go feed Beth in the nursery. I sat in the living room for a moment, thinking about how I would get dad out of our lives. Maybe I could get Tessa to take him back. I pulled out my phone and called her. She answered in her usual sing-song voice.
"Hello Darren! How have you been!? How's your mom?" She asked as I could hear seagulls and waves in the background.
"Better, I need you to talk to Warren." I said my voice grouchy and she laughed on the other line.
"That cheating bastard has a lot to answer for. He's been avoiding me." She said and I growled, of course he had just run when he got caught.
"He's back in our lives trying to get back with mom, but she's...seeing someone." I said not quite sure how to I wanted to let slip mom and I were together.
"Oooo! Your dad told me about your little illicit love for your mom. Did you finally make a move?" Tessa asked, her voice filled with scandal. I blushed, if she knew I might as well tell her.
"Yeah, mom and I just had our first daughter. I don't want him anywhere near her. Can you help Tessa?" I asked and she sighed.
"I can try and call him and get him back, but like I said he's been avoiding me." She said and I thanked her before clicking off and grabbing my tablet. I wanted to draw mom in the chair with Beth.
I walked in on mom with Beth on her breast, the baby's little mouth latched hard to Mom's nipple as Beth's little hands fisted on Mom's breast. I pulled up a spare chair and turned on my tablet. Mom smiled at me as I began to draw. This week I would get to stay with mom every day due to spring break. Most of my friends were going to the beach, but all I wanted was this.
"She's so beautiful, mom. I can't wait for her to be moving, till she's talking and chattering at us." I said and mom smiled, she had loved that phase when I had gone through it.
"She's a hungry eater, that's a good thing." Mom said as Beth pulled away and mom moved her to her shoulder to burp her. I watched and drew as she cared for our child, the sense of warmth in my soul unmatched. Then the front door rang, I sighed and returned to the living room. As I opened the door mom came around the corner. A police officer standing at the entrance.
"Darren Stanford? You're under arrest for domestic violence, assault and incest." He said and grabbed me, shoving handcuffs on my wrists.
"DARREN!" mom exclaimed in alarm and rushed to me.
"Officer please there's been a misunderstanding, this is my son. He hasn't done anything wrong." Mom said as she followed us out to the police car and the officer shoved me inside and shut the door. The conversation they had was muffled but I still heard it, and seethed with anger.
"Please officer, he didn't hurt me. That's just my ex making up stories." My mom said and the officer crossed his arms.
"I'm sorry ma'am, we get all kinds of abuse survivors that advocate for their abusers. I can't let him go with you and still sleep at night. Especially after your husband told us he raped you." the officer said and mom gasped. A look of horror and rage came across her face.
"Darren would never! He would never hurt me! That bastard Warren is the liar, please officer." she pleaded again and I could see his resolve slipping.
"I'm very sorry ma'am, but there's still the assault charges your ex brought against him. He's got to spend a night in lock up for that." He said before he got into the car and drove us away leaving mom behind crying.
LISA
Rage and disbelief surged through me. How dare Warren call the cops on Darren! I packed up Bethy and got in the car fully intending to follow the officer down to the station and getting Darren out. Then Warren's car pulled up next to me. Sudden fear rose up in me, he wouldn't hurt me, but he would use his body to intimidate me. He leapt out of the car and came around to me, he grabbed me and pushed me up against the car.
"Did you really think I'd let him put his hands on me like that? Did you think I'd let him put his hands on you?" Warren growled and I slapped him asking my nails across his face.
"I'm not property WARREN! You don't own me! I can do what I want with my body, now I have to go bail your son out of the mess you put him in!" I snapped and slapped him again to get him to back off before I slipped into my car and started it. He roared and punched the window. I screamed as it cracked and Beth started crying, I pulled out and sped away.
I pulled into the police station and quickly got Beth out of her car seat and calmed her down. We were both terrified by Warren's violence. He had never been that mean before, but he had never been alone before either. I put my baby back in her carrier and went into the police station. The lady at the front desk was kind and helped me find the place to go to try and bail Darren out.
"Ma'am his bail Is fifteen hundred, can you afford that? Asked the officer working the counter. I pulled out my card and ran it. It went through and I felt relief wash over me. I stood waiting patiently as they released Darren. I talked with another officer about a restraining order on Warren while I waited. I ran into Darren's arms when he appeared and he immediately embraced me, his eyes going down to Beth.
"I'm so sorry mom, I shouldn't have hit him." He said and I smiled sadly. The officer I had talked to approached with a Manila envelope.
"Here's your restraining order. He can't come near you or the baby with this." Said the female officer as she cooed at Beth before moving on. Darren looked at me curiously.
"It was like he was waiting for you to be taken. He showed up and tried to break the car window." I said and Darren's hands fisted.
"I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He said and I stroked his cheek.
"Let's get home and you will be." I said and he smiled, taking Beth from me and then my hand as he guided me out to the car and opened the passenger door for me. He drove us home where Warren was waiting. Darren burst out of the car and bowed up to Warren right away.
"You think you can threaten her, you think you can threaten my little girl!?" Darren snarled and Warren took a swing at him. Darren backed out of the way then planted his fist in Warren's gut. I used the distraction to get Bethy to the porch and inside safely. I watched from the living room window as the two men fought over me. One for my body, the other for my safety.
Darren threw Warren into his car and punched him in the gut one more time. He said something I couldn't hear and Warren nodded before crawling into his car and driving off. Darren Came back in with a black eye and some other bruises but no worse for wear. I was pacing in front of the door bouncing Beth on my shoulder when he came back in.
"He won't be back. He knows about the restraining order now." Darren said as he hugged me and kissed Beth on the head. She burbled at him and grabbed his nose, he smiled at her and kissed her hand.
"I love you, my little Beth." He said before he kissed my cheek and went to the kitchen to put ice on his eye. I settled Beth down in her baby pillow to nap while I helped tend to Darren's injuries. They were trivial, just a few cuts and bruises but they still stung.
"Thank you Dare. For chasing him away." I whispered and he smiled at me.
"Of course mom, I need to keep you and Beth safe. You two are everything to me." He said as I sat on the couch with him and cuddled up to his side. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my head, turning on my favorite soap opera while Beth slept and we relaxed.
I had just finished feeding Beth and put her to bed for the night, or however long she let us sleep, when Darren pulled me into our bedroom. He wrapped me in his arms and held me close, his face washed with worry. I stroked his hair as he held me, sensing unease.
"Dare, tell me what's wrong. What's got you so bothered?" I whispered and he sighed. He let me go and showed me his phone. It was a text from Warren, saying he would see us in court for the custody of Beth. That the courts would see our home as a dangerous environment. My hand flew to my mouth, he was going to try and take my daughter. A strangled sob escaped me as I fell into Darren's arms.