Mixed Emotions

By Ally

In an apartment in the city two people sat silently watching the clock as it moved around to show a minute had passed, still they did not speak.

As time passed in never-ending seconds one of them eventually spoke.

"This is ridiculous," he said snatching his worn jacket from the back of the seat and shrugging it on "You don't even try to understand and I don't think your attitude is helping anything."

The woman looked up at him, fire dancing in her blue eyes.

"You really believe this is my fault?" she snapped. "It seems to me you're the one who got us into this mess."

He shook his head and started towards the door but stopped as she began to speak again.

"It's your answer to everything isn't it? If there's ever a problem you run. You always run. I couldn't care less what you do but I think you should remember it's not just about you anymore. There is a little girl in there who needs a father and despite everything else that is one thing you should be thinking of. If you walk out that door you won't be coming back. Ever. So think it over, you only get one chance," she said coldly.

The tense silence was broken by a knock at the door, still staring at him angrily she crossed the room and flung the door open.

She was met by two familiar faces.

"Hey! Exciting news peoples!" Mart Belden said with a grin.

Trixie stared at the pair that had gathered in the doorway her eyes a stormy grey.

"So, can we come in?" Mart asked eventually.

"Or is this a bad time?" his raven-haired girlfriend asked.

Trixie shook her head "No, come on in. Everything"s fine," she said with forced calmness as she stared at the dark haired man that had walked to the other side of the door way.

"Yeah, come in," he hastily added and opened the door wider.

They looked uncertain but entered anyway.

"So what's up twin?" Trixie asked once they seated themselves on the old sofa.

"Mart and I are getting married!" Diana squealed excitedly.

Trixie smiled. "Congratulations," she said with a smile before her face turned bitter. "I hope it turns out better for you than it did for me."

Mart and Diana exchanged glances before Mart quickly asked where his niece was. Trixie nodded towards the small bedroom where the three year old was sleeping and they left Trixie and Dan alone in the living room.

"Make a choice Dan. Deal with your problems or keep on running but I wont run any more. If you leave, you leave without me or Leah," she said in a harsh whisper motioning towards the door that their guests had closed after they entered.

Dan shook his head "You can't stop me from seeing Leah," he whispered angrily.

"Don"t bet on it. You don"t know what I can do," she said warningly.

Dan cursed and pulled the leather jacket off before falling heavily onto the sofa.

"I"m doing this for her," he muttered to Trixie as the other adults came out of the bedroom with the three year old in tow.

Trixie nodded stiffly before turning her attention to her young daughter who was meant to be sleeping.

"Uncl" Mart an Aun"y Di waked me," she said with a yawn.

Mart scoffed "She's worse than Bobby when he was her age," he said "She was under the bed so I put her back on top."

"Leah, you have to go back to bed now sweetie. You're going to visit Grandma tomorrow!" Trixie said with fake excitement "We have to get up early."

Sensitive Di spoke up at that "Leah could come to Sleepyside with Mart and I tonight if you like. We're going to your Moms anyway," she suggested.

"Thanks Di," Dan spoke at once. "That would be great."

Trixie looked at him surprised but he ignored her wide-eyed expression.

The four adults chatted lightly but the tension in the room was obvious to everyone except the curly-haired child that had fallen asleep on her uncles lap.

After a few minutes conversation lapsed and Mart and Diana hurriedly excused themselves and left, Mart carrying his young niece.

"This isn't going to work Trixie," Dan said after they had left.

Without needing to ask what he meant, she nodded in agreement.

"But I won't abandon either Leah or you," he told her.

"I am capable of looking after myself Dan," she said without her usual spirit. Despite the problems in their relationship Trixie knew she and Dan were meant to be together. They had been through so much together in the six years since they met they needed each other to survive.

She looked up from her thoughts and saw similar emotions flitting across her husbands face.

They had married too young, everyone knew but they had done it for their daughter, so she could have a real family. Their own feelings had come second.

With a sigh he beckoned her over to him, she came willingly and didn't resist as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"We'll work something out," she whispered into his chest.

He lifted her head to face him and nodded. "Forever," he said with a smile.

"Forever," she agreed with a smile thinking of the words to a song she had heard many times before.

I keep on falling
In and out
Of love
With a you
I never loved someone
The way that I
Love you
Oh Oh
I, never felt this way
How do you give me so much
Pleasure
Yet cause me so much
Pain
Just when I think
It's over, we are through
I start falling back in love with you

The end for now…