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.