Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Chapter 2.23-Hearing and Listening




          “I am so glad that is finally finished,” Ignacio said as he sat heavily on the couch. It had taken the better part of two hours going back and forth to get all of his things moved over from his bedroom at his parents. Now, it all lay stacked untidily in the corner mingled with the toys he’d brought over for Tiburcia to amuse herself with.






          When he didn’t receive an answer, Ignacio glanced at Layla then frowned at the intensity of her gaze. She wasn’t looking at him, but by following the direction of her eyes he quickly found what had her so preoccupied.






          Layla’s eyes were locked onto Tiburcia happily playing with a stuffed animal across the room. The child was being quiet, she was occupied, she was happy. Ignacio’s eyes swept the room looking for something out of place perhaps, other than the boxes of his belongings in the entryway. Maybe his little girl had messed with something and Layla was a little paranoid it might happen again?

          But he could find nothing out of place. Every gem, every ingot, both lamps and even the vases of wildflowers in the corner were still rigidly in the positions they were always in.






          “Uh, Layla?” Ignacio asked, still probing the room with his eyes just in case he’d missed something. “Is there something wrong, honey?”

          “There’s a child in my house.”

          Blinking, Ignacio’s mouth opened as if he were about to speak. Then he closed it, puzzling over what she’d said.

          “Yes, I told you I had a daughter and that I would like her to live with us eventually,” confusion colored his tone. “You said that was okay.”

          “I thought you were joking,” her voice, on contrast, was sharp. “I had no idea she was real.”






          “You though I would joke about such a matter as a child?” It was a question, but spoken as a statement.

          “You’d never mentioned her before.”

          “Because the time was never right,” he said. “It has not been very long since we have really been together, and when my mother showed up, let us agree that that was not the time to mention my daughter. Honestly, I figured you would have heard enough from the rumor mill that you would have known about her long ago. I thought that was why you accepted so readily. I had half thought you would have brought her up yourself long ago!”






          “Well,” she said. “I didn’t know about her. I had no idea she existed. And if she’s your daughter, shouldn’t you be the one to bring up the topic of her existence?”

          Ignacio spun to face her completely.

          “I did, if you will recall. I told you I have a daughter and I would like her live with us eventually. You are the one who did not listen.”






          With a small shake of her head Layla finally shifted her focus. Seeing the disbelief on Ignacio’s face exasperated her. She had listened! Didn’t she just tell him that she had thought he was joking because of how he brought it up? Isn’t that listening?

          “Uh,” she said. “I just told you that I had indeed listened. I thought it was a joke.






          His glower changed to a disgusted, reproachful look that made her roll her eyes at him.

          “No,” he finally said. “No, I told you and you did not hear me. You heard what you wanted to hear. Like you do all the time, you did not listen. Hearing and listening are two different things, Layla. And you have a hearing problem.”

          “Excuse me?” she shot back. “My hearing is just fine thank you.”

          “And again, you hear but you do not listen.”






          “Hearing and listening are the same thing, Ignacio,” she raised her voice slightly, making Tiburcia grow quiet.

          “No, they are not an’ you know it,” he challenged speaking extra quietly. “If you do not want to accept it, you hear it and do not take it in. That is not listening. Listening is hearing it and accepting it. You just refused to accept the reality of my baby girl.”

          “I did not-”

          “-Oh yes you did! And if she is not welcome here, I cannot be here.”






          “I said nothing about who is-”

          “-You did not have to say it. It is in your words for anyone willing to listen. You said that having a child in your house is wrong.”

          Refusing to give up though, she charged ahead not realizing the rocky ground she was treading. “That is not what I said, and it was not about hearing or listening to what I said at all. This is about you not telling me you have a daughter!”






          “You should have told me about her a long time ago if she’s really important to you! You should have said ‘Hey, I’ve got a daughter, just so you know.’ You have never brought her up!”

          Glaring, he nearly snarled the words. “I did tell you. And I have told you many times about the responsibilities I have. And I have alluded to past mistakes that I must bear cheerfully. And I would be shocked if you were to tell me your Aunt did not at least tell you. Estella Sixkiller was one of the first ones to spread that juicy morsel when the town found out what had happened. Again, this is about you not listening to what is told to you.”

          “And again, this is about you not telling me in the first place.”






          Raising her chin high, she tried to match the glare Ignacio gave her. But something didn’t feel right about it and her stomach churned nervously a little.

          “I told you,” his voice was deadly quiet. “I told you and gave you an opportunity to talk about her. When you dismissed it, I assumed you had heard about Tibi a long time ago. So I must apologize for assuming. And now I will take my daughter back home, and then I will come back and get my things out of here.”

          “Oh, for pity’s sake,” she sneered. “Why on earth would you do that?”

          “I have already said this once, and I will not repeat it. If Tibi is not welcome here, then I cannot be here either.”

          This time, however, concern flashed across Layla’s face. “I didn’t say she wasn’t welcome here.”

          “You did not have to use those words, but you have made many other indications that my daughter is not welcome. Unlike you, I listen to what others say.”






          “I don’t want you to go, and I didn’t mean to imply that she isn’t welcome here,” Layla finally conceded without apologizing. “I’m just-”

          She took a deep breath and tried to shrink into herself. Seeing her submission, Ignacio slumped back.

          “-I was shocked that you really have a daughter and I’m just not sure I’m ready to have kids,” she said. “I don’t know what to do with them and they kind of scare me.”






          Relief washed over Ignacio’s face briefly before he forced it back to weary disbelief.

          Oh, my PlumbBob. She’s actually listening and correctly responding. Finally.

          “That does not make it my fault that I have a daughter. And it does not excuse you treating her like she is unwelcome in your home. You had heard it said around town that I had a child, did you not?”

          Struggling momentarily, Lalya rolled her eyes.

          “I did. But I didn’t want to believe it. I figured it was just the rumor mill saying mean things.”






          “The rumor mill has officially put it around that I’m pregnant and that Ned and I were engaged and that you are some awful womanizer and that Ned is stuck up; and I’d just prefer to not listen to gossip,” she said.

          Narrowing his eyes slightly Ignacio leaned forward hoping she’d continue.

          “There was nothing like this where I grew up. Nothing. No one cared what anyone else did or why most of the time. The only time they cared was when they wanted something out of you. My brother only cared because his girlfriend wanted me to act a certain way so as not to get in her way. So I’d rather just not listen to what goes around and only take what others tell me themselves. No one gets hurt that way.”







          Gathering himself he let her have a moment, kicking himself for doing what he was about to do. But it was time for her to move on from being a teenager and he had warned her he would still be an ass occasionally. With what other reasoning would he have brought Tiburcia as he had this morning?

          “But do you see how you not accepting what someone says can backfire? Do you see that you hurt me and hurt my baby by just not accepting that what is told you might be true?”

          She nodded glumly.

          “Listening to gossip and listening to what people tell you are two different things. And you are not protecting yourself by not listening; you are hurting yourself and those around you.”






          “It is time to let go of high school and how your now sister-in-law hurt you back then, or how you hurt someone or any of that and for you to figure out how to sift through what you are being told to find out for yourself what is true and what is not. And it does not hurt to ask to see if something is true. Give a person a chance to clear their own name.”

          “That just sounds like a good way to get duped.”

          “Then be duped. Learn from it and move on. You cannot live in a bubble.”

          Shaking her head, she didn’t respond.

          “Well then,” he pursed his lips. “I guess we had better go. I will-uh, I will see you around I guess.”






          At last, she turned back to him.

          “Don’t go,” she said. “Don't-just don’t go. I have no idea where we’ll put a bed for her, but I’ll get used to it. Just give me,” she shrugged searching for words. “Give me time. Okay?”

          “You still did not listen,” he said heavily. “I said eventually she would live with us. I know this house is too small to fit in her crib and her things. I did not expect her to live here full time immediately. You do not know her, she does not know you. She does not know your house, or your scent or your quirks. I would never put my child in such a stressful situation.”

          “So you’ll stay?” It killed her that she couldn’t hide the note of desperation in her tone.

          “We shall stay.”






          “But you had better start listening, not just hearing, when someone tells you something. Right?”

          “I’ll try.”

          “No,” he shook his head. “No, that is not good enough. You will listen now. Or I will have to leave.”

          Frowning, her lips parted and closed again for several minutes.

          “I will listen,” she agreed. “But you will forgive me if I sometimes forget, or if I genuinely miss something.”

          He studied her for a long moment, eyes narrowed.

          “Alright.”






          Immediately, Layla launched herself across the couch into his arms.

          “I’m sorry.”

          Ignacio smiled, wrapping his arms around her, letting her nestle nearer.

          “Those were just the words I needed to hear. Thank you for saying them. All is forgiven.”




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          Awwwwww. Aren’t they cute? And it’s totally sitcommy and Layla learns a lesson wrapped up in a nice 30 minute package but whatever. Maybe we can move forward a little now. Actually, after the next chapter I should be able to speed things up quite a bit with everything finally in place for the rest of the story and roll to start. I just really needed her to start attempting to listen to what is going on around her instead of fleeing to who-knows-where in her head.

18 comments:

  1. Hey, 2 hours to move all this things isn't so bad! Oh, I guess it was only a bedroom's worth of stuff. Plus Tibi's stuff too. Not so bad, then.

    Yes Layla. Interpreting everything as a joke is listening. Most people don't joke about having a kid they want to live with their girlfriend, lol. Although I do agree he should have brought her up sooner, and not assumed she'd already heard he has daughter, he also has a point in that they've only been together a short time, and circumstances haven't always been the finest moments to have that talk. But then again, he's got a point about her hearing but not listening.

    But Layla really isn't arguing about the right topic. Clearly she's upset that he has a daughter that is now living with her, but she's stuck on him not "telling" her. It's not entirely his fault if she interpreted it as a joke. However she interpreted it, he DID tell her.

    Ah, finally, some honesty. It's understandable not being ready for kids or knowing how to handle them. She should have just said that from the get-go instead of making an argument about an invalid point.

    But I see now what you mean about how he manipulated the situation in order to teach her a lesson. He *knew* she'd thought he was only joking, and he brought Tibi over on moving day just to teach her a lesson about listening, knowing full well he wasn't going to bring Tibi into the living situation immediately. Not cool, Iggy, not cool. You're not Layla's daddy. At the very least, when she finally admitted she just hadn't been expecting it and wasn't sure how to deal with kids, he should have gone with that line and been more gentle, helping her come to grips with it and reassuring her. Not proceeded with the lesson as if following an academic lesson plan.

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    1. No even Tibi's stuff, just his. And only one house over. If Layla had ever stuck her head out of her door she might have noticed how close he lived a long time ago. Ha!

      You seem to be seeing both sides of the issue. Love it! That makes me glad.

      Oh yes, she should say what she means to say more often. Somewhere between listening and speaking she hasn't really figured out just how they go hand in hand.

      It was really manipulative. He had a point, she had a point. And it most likely should have not gone down that way, but that passive aggressive manipulation is a part of who he is. He doesn't really see how what he did was a little over the top, or how it might even have been a little aggressive. Ignacio only sees the end result which is a positive.

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  2. That was certainly an interesting conversation! It was probably good for Layla to learn some home truths about the way she reacts to other people, but I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Ignacio handled that.

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    1. He didn't handle that very well in my opinion either. He's got a bent for manipulating situations to fit what he needs. And he doesn't see that anyone could be hurt by what he does in the set up so long as the end result is something he considers a positive. Uh, however, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in his case. He's learned a lot of this from his dearest mother. Not that that is an excuse for his behavior, but he has witnessed how it can be justified and so believes the end justify the means more than he should. It's not bad, he just doesn't get it. Layla's not listening wasn't bad per se, she just didn't get it.

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  3. I'm with Misty. Iggy was a bit harsh, but Layla needed that lesson.

    He was right that he was going to keep being an ass, because shoving your daughter in your new girlfriends face without having a proper discussion about her is very... assy? assish?

    Even if he 'assumed' she knew, he should have had a conversation about what happened, who with, why, how etc. He *knows* how gossip spreads and changes as it does so, and she's right to not believe gossip, so he's to blame for not talking as much as she is for not listening.
    Plus, if you've got a daughter that you love, you'd want to talk about her, right? Layla was right in saying that. (Not really comparing, but even Kaity who thinks she's an awful mother told her 'one night stand' about her twins within 10 minutes of meeting him)
    There is never a 'right time' to have a conversation like that, because you can never 100% know how the other person will react, until you've been together for years. And if you've been together for years, you should really have mentioned big things like children by then ;)

    I'm glad Layla felt comfortable enough (although, she was pushed, really) to admit that she wasn't ready for kids, didn't know what to do with them, and was a little scared of them. Well, Layla, the more you're around kids the easier and less scary it gets, and we know you have a lot of children in your family right now! So, start playing with them! Do it now! Tibby has her daddy there to help you not do anything wrong right now, so go for it :)

    As for the 'there's no room', well, if there truely is no room for her, and Iggy and Layla are serious about this relationship, maybe they should get a bigger house?

    Love how I felt that Iggy would never have actually left, he was just trying to force Layla to say 'I'm sorry', which can be very difficult to say sometimes.

    Next, please! :)

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    1. I think Assy is a great term. Lol. Assish sounds like something you faintly remember smelling in the bathroom... and it's now sitting on a plate in front of you and you're wondering how to tell your host that you're not touching that dish with a ten foot pole. However, I also love a good pair of assy pants. So assy he was!

      Actually, right now, she only has one toddler niece/nephew in game. Though there's a teen one now and Layla loves hanging out with teens. She's going to interact some with Tibi and get more comfortable though. Toddlers have a way of inserting themselves in your life whether you want them to or no. lol

      I think a larger house is in order. That house has always been intended as a starter house by me. Too small. I can't even shoot a conversation unless they're in the kitchen or seated. lol. I'd love more room for my pixel dollies to roam. Tell Layla though, not me. Ha!

      Oh no. He wouldn't have left at any point. He would have stood at the door giving her eyes until she relented I bet. lol

      Later! It's typed I've just got to start polishing it. Really. With a million bloopers too for the side. ;)

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  4. I actually didn't find Ignacio that harsh at all. Sure, he set her up in order to teach her a lesson, but it didn't bother me. I don't know, maybe it's just because it was a lesson that Layla *really* needed to learn, but I'm glad that he did it. Her line about "you should have told me about her long ago if she was really that important to you" felt a whole lot harsher than anything Iggy said or did. Really, I'm surprised he didn't just jump up and march out of there right that very second. I wouldn't have tolerated her lashing out like that if it were me.

    I'm glad that they worked it out though. I really hope Ignacio is here to stay. =)

    P.S. I had no idea that Iggy lived one house over from Layla! I guess that's how his mom was able to walk right on over that one day when she caught them together. Still, if I were Layla I'd have moved, like, yesterday. I wouldn't want my boyfriend's parents living that close, lol. Reminds me of that old TV show 'Everybody Loves Raymond'. Let's just hope Iggy's mom isn't that meddlesome. ;)

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    1. That was a nasty line for her to use to him. Not being a parent though, she can't understand. I think most of what was harsh was how he manipulated the situation. But he's quite with you in that so long as the lesson was learned, there was nothing too harsh about it. lol.

      I hope so too! I'll get to that roll reveal sometime this generation I promise. lol. It's coming and we'll see if he's here to stay or not.

      Lol! We lived in the same town as my grandparents once while daddy worked from home. It lasted 6 months because of that and when that show started we thought they had found my grandma and copied her mannerisms. Ha! They still do that to one of my Aunts and her girls who all live there. Sabria isn't quite like that though, thank god. She'll interfere, but only in her head where they'll never know she's keeping an eye on them as best she can.

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  5. I hope that really sunk in with Layla.
    She weirdly reminds me of my mother, who till hasn't moved past high school and who still only hears what she wants to hear. Sadly, it is a condition that can last a lifetime. I hope for Layla it's something she can learn to get past.

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    1. I hope it sinks in too, and if nothing else she'll make a greater effort at listening for a little while at least. Maybe if she can get into the habit it'll stick a little longer that I suspect it would otherwise.

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  6. Hi ShakespearesSunshyne! I'm a big fan, and found your lovely story via Margaret Pendragon's amazing Ouroboros Legacy story. I'm reading everything in the back log so my first comment is coming late to the game-sorry 'bout that! Each of the comments have made great points, and listening to other's points of view on the stories is almost as great as the stories themselves! IMHO the bottom line is Layla is very immature for her age and her tendency to be a loner with little need for companionship nurtures that immaturity to another level. Ignacio was treating her more like a wayward child than a lover for sure, and if I were on the receiving end, it might make me rethink that relationship. Granted, as the point was made by others, he definitely fudged that entire situation up by not making his daughter a topic of conversation regardless of timing and time spent together. He was thinking with his smaller head when speaking with her, instead of really trying to get to know one another as people. Once she came around, her hormones ruled over her head as well, so like many couples, communication is a serious problem. It's going to continue to be interesting watching the story unfold. I'm not sure whether having Iggy as her permanent partner is a good idea for either of them. He may be better as a more in depth object lesson than Joel in her (loooong) path to earning her Big Girl Panties. Wow, I definitely overstayed my commentary welcome-yikes! Sorry about that! Oh-one more thing before I forget-I love the Maple Leaf tattoo and tried to download it. The link said it was removed or broken :-( just in case you weren't aware. Anywho, thanks for a fab story and looking forward to the next installment in the Sixkiller drama!

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    1. Hi! Call me Sunny. It's a lot easier and what most people in my life call me. Yay for fans! Thank you! I love the Ouroboros Legacy too! So yummy. And my goal is to kind of leave things so that it's as open to interpretation as possible. I love to see how opinions are formed and what people take from different situations. So yes! All the different points of view are incredible to read.

      You are absolutely correct. Layla is still incredibly immature, and has a lot of growing up to do. And, also, Ignacio treated her more like a child to be coddled than as a lover. However, due to her immaturity the dynamics of their relationship are going to be a little skewed until she finally decides to open her eyes to the wider world around her. She's always had someone there to make the bigger decisions for her, or to make sure she doesn't take a fall.
      "Thinking with his smaller head" *snort. One.Hundred.Percent! I believe you win the cookies with that one, as no one else has noticed that these two are in this more for their immediate physical gratification than for compatibility. But it should be fun to watch these two figure out how to make it work. Joel would have been Much better for her, IMO simply in the stability he would have provided, but I'm also sure he wouldn't have been too happy in the long run constantly trying to get her to act her age. You did not overstay your welcome. I love the unique perspective we all bring. Sometimes it even helps me find a new direction for what's going on currently.

      And thank you for letting me know on that link! It actually looks like a few others are broken too. The Maple Leaf is fixed and I'll get the others replaced in a moment as well.

      Thank you for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it!

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  7. Well, that was an interesting conversation! I think they are both in the wrong, lol Iggy should have told her about his daughter a long time ago, and Layla should have taken his words, "I have a daughter" a whole lot more seriously.

    It's a bit irksome that only Layla apologized. Imo, Iggy should have apologized too! It'll be interesting to see where they go from here. =)

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    1. They totally are. He should have made it more clear and she should have taken him seriously is exactly what should have happened between anyone acting seriously.

      It is indeed not good that he didn't apologize. That he planned a lot of that is just as shady and she deserved it. Just because he thinks he taught her a lesson is no excuse not to be humble or generous back. However, it's how he saw it. Not that I think it's right but it's how he decided things are. It is quite interesting to see how these two progress. Ha!

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  8. So now I'm wondering if they'll move or add on to the new house. What would she do without her precious tomato plant?

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    1. Alas! The tomato plant of yore! lol. Y'know? I cannot remember what I did with that plant. That particular house sits just as it is in this scene (without the gems, insects, etc.) because it's an EA build originally found in Sunset Valley. It's the Cottage Cheese house and comes fairly nicely decorated on it's own (Since I kind of s u c k at decorating.) But the build and lot orientation make it really difficult to build onto without destroying the exterior "cuteness" of the house. Great for a starter! Sucky for a family. lol

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  9. As predicted, I do like Iggy now :D He's such a good balancing point for Layla. Their personalities complement each other so well!

    Tibi is freaking adorable. She needs to move in full time right now! Iggy is being a good daddy though, thinking about her needs first.

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    1. Those two were a very good balance one for the other.

      I luff my Tibi! Iggy was such an awesome dad.

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