Chapter 31
Four Days Later
Tiffany's View
"Moma! Where's daddy?" Courtney asked running into the living room. I looked up from my book and said, "He's down in the studio."
"Again? Daddy works too much," Courtney said.
"He's almost done though," I smiled at her. "Now why do you wanna know where daddy is?"
"Cause I want to play dolls and Christian won't play with me. Michelle told me to go away and Jason is too busy playing a video game," she said.
"What about me?" I asked.
"Sorry mommy but daddy's more fun to play with!" she said. I just laughed lightly.
"Do you think he'll play with me?" she asked coming over and sitting next to me on the couch.
"I'm sure he will, he loves playing dolls with you," I said.
"So I can go ask him?!" she asked excited.
"Of course you can," I laughed. She smiled brightly and then ran out of the room. I just smiled after her.
Christian's View
"What are you doin'?" I asked walking into the game room.
"Playing a game, what does it look like moron?" Jason said hitting the buttons on the controller.
"That's my game!" I exclaimed looking at the TV.
"It is not!" Jason said putting it on pause and looking up at me.
"Yes it is! I bought that last week!"
"Liar, you just want to play it," he said. I glared at him and turned the game off.
"Stupid! What are you doing?! I was winning!"
"Not anymore," I said taking the game.
"Butt nugget," Jason said.
"Fish breath," I shot back. "Why can't you go play basketball with dad so you can't bother me?"
"Cause he's down in the studio," Jason shrugged.
"STILL?" I asked a little shocked. Jason just nodded.
"Well, go ask if he'll play some basketball, I'm in the mood," I said. Jason looked up at me and said, "Why can't you?"
"Because I don't want to," I said simply. "Just go do it."
Jason groaned and got up leaving the room.
Tiffany's View
I was reading my book on the couch with a long light green skirt and light green tank top on when I heard some footsteps on the marble outside the living room. I looked up finding Courtney walking past the room, her head low, and her doll hanging from her hand.
"Sweetie, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked at me with tear filled eyes and ran over to me. I sat up as she ran into my arms. She started to cry into my shoulder.
"Honey, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly.
"Daddy..." she cried.
"What did daddy do? He isn't going to play with you?" I asked. She shook her head and cried harder into my shoulder. I held her and rubbed her back.
"It's OK sweetie," I said softly. She shook her head and cried, "No its not!"
"Shhh..."
"Mommy...he yelled at me!" she said through her tears.
"He what?" I said looking at her.
"He yelled at me!" she hiccuped.
"Why did he yell at you?" I asked moving some hair out of her face.
"Cause I wanted him to play with me!" she cried. I picked her up and rocked her back and forth. She was pretty upset. Brian hasn't yelled at one of the kids in a long time. I couldn't even remember the last time he yelled at Courtney. I couldn't even think if he had yelled at her before. He loves her to death.
"Hey Mom, what's up with Courtney?" Jason asked coming into the room and looking at Courtney weirdly.
"It's nothing," I said.
"Right, is Dad downstairs?" he asked. I nodded and he turned to leave.
"Are you going down there to ask him to do something?" I asked. He stopped and turned to me, "Yeah, I'm gonna go ask if he wants to play basketball with Christian and I."
"Hold on," I said. "Courtney, I'll be right back, OK sweetheart?"
She nodded her head and rubbed her eyes. I set her down on the couch and got up.
"What are you doing?" Jason asked me.
"I'm coming with you," I said.
"Why?"
"I want to see what your father is gonna say to you," I said. Jason looked at me confused and then shrugged.
"Just don't tell him I'm outside the door OK?" I asked. He nodded and made his way to the staircase that led down to the studio. I followed behind him a couple feet and stopped outside the studio door where Brian couldn't see me.
"Hey Dad," Jason said stopping at the side of Brian's desk. Brian set his pencil down and looked up at Jason, "Hey Buddy. What's up?"
"Christian and I were wondering if you would play basketball with us," Jason said. Brian sighed and said, "As much as I want to I can't."
"But, why not?"
"I'm busy," Brian simply said picking up his pencil and focusing on the sheet of paper in front of him.
"But dad you're always busy..."
"Tough," Brian shrugged. Jason just looked at him.
"Dad..."
"Jason, I'm busy here, I need to get this done, now go play basketball with Christian," Brian said looking up at Jason.
"We want you to..."
"Well, I can't right now Jason as you can see," Brian said getting frustrated. "Now please leave while I finish this up."
Jason stood there for a moment starring at Brian not knowing what to do. He finally stuck his hands in his pockets and left the room. I looked after him frowning. He was upset...real upset. I looked back at Brian who was back writing things down on the piece of paper that was in front of him. I entered the room and leaned on the door frame, my arms crossed. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He looked up at me and then smiled.
"Hey beautiful," he said.
"Hi," I said. "What are you doin'?"
"Trying to finish this song," he said writing some more words down and then erasing them.
"I see."
"Is there something you need?" he asked. I shook my head. He looked up at me and then asked, "What is it then?"
"It's about you..."
"What about me?" he asked.
"The way you're acting."
"What are you talking about Tiffany?" he asked.
"What am I talking about? You know damn well what I'm talking about," I said dropping my arms to my sides and walking further into the room.
"Obviously I don't."
"Get a clue Brian. Think about what you just did to Courtney and Jason."
"What did I do to them?"
"You yelled at them for one and you won't even play with them," I said.
"I'm busy Tiffany! Can't you see that? I don't have time to play stupid little games!"
"Stupid little games?"
"Yes, stupid little games! I don't have time to do that stuff! I'm writing an album!" he said, his anger building.
"Those are your children Brian!" I exclaimed pointing toward the door.
"Do you think I don't know that Tiffany?!"
"Brian, those are your children and they all love you deeply! You should know that! All they want is to spend time with you! That's it! They barely expect anything from you but what they do expect is to have fun with their father, you aren't giving them a chance to do that!"
"Tiffany...we aren't going to discuss this now, we can finish this later when I'm not so busy," Brian said looking back down at his paper. I grabbed the piece of paper he was writing on, crumpled it up, and then throwing it on the floor. Brian stood up quickly and glared at me angrily.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Stop writing your damn songs and go up and play with your daughter and son!" I yelled.
"I don't have the time Tiffany for the millionth time!" he yelled. He was about to explode. I looked at him angrily and then said in a softer tone, "Right now, two of your children are upset more than you know. Courtney is in the living room sobbing her eyes out because her daddy won't play dolls with her and Jason and Christian are probably both outside moping around because their dad won't play at least one game with them. They look up to you Brian. They think you're the best. You're their hero to them! You're hurting them though Brian...you're hurting them a lot. They miss you and they love you. Just like I do. You promised me over and over that you would never put your career before your family. You said you'd always do things with your family no matter what, you always said you'd put anything aside to play with your daughter or your son. You're breaking that promise Brian."
Brian looked at me and said, "I'm trying to make you happier. You deserve so much more than what you have, so do the kids. I'm trying to give you a better life."
"What?" I said.
"No matter what I do it's never good enough! I am always doing something wrong! I'm trying my best to make my family's life great and worth living."
"God Brian, is that why you're working so hard? I'm happy, I'm the happiest that I have ever been. The kids are happy too! They don't want anything else!"
"I just want to give you guys the best," he said softly.
"We have the best! We're all happy! But right now you aren't giving any of us something that we want, something that we always want. You aren't giving us you. That's all we want Brian. We just want you."
"You really are happy?" he asked.
"Yes! I'm happy! It hurts that you would question that," I said. He looked at me and said, "I'm just worried that I don't make you happy."
"You do, you make me very happy, but right now I'm not very happy," I said. He looked at me and then said, "What can I do to get you to forgive me?"
"All I want...is
for you to go upstairs, give a hug and kiss to Courtney, tell her sorry then
play with her. Do the same to Jason, and for the rest of the week just play
with them when they want you to. That's all I want," I said. He looked
up at me and stood there for a minute thinking what I said over. He
then sighed and looked down. A moment later he looked up at me shaking his head
slowly, "I...no...I can't."
I pressed my lips together firmly and my eyes began to water.
"I'm sorry baby..."
"No, Brian just stop," I said putting my hand up signaling for him to stop. He stopped and just looked at me. I looked into his eyes sadly.
"You just proved to me that you don't keep your promises."
"Tiff..."
"You didn't make a very wise choice," I said softly. He looked at me puzzled. "I have to go...when you finally choose to spend time with your family...give me a call at my mother's house."
"Tiffany...what are you saying?"
I looked at his sad eyes and then stepped forward. I closed my eyes and kisses his lips softly. I then pulled away and looked into his eyes. He just looked at me questionably. I looked at him sadly and then said softly, "Good-bye Brian."
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