Without A Glance by N.L.Gallagher (free e reader .txt) 📕

She walked slowly through a neighborhood that she knew almost as well as the back of her hand. She stopped in front of a huge two story house and hesitated, knowing that she was doing this because of… she couldn’t even bring herself to say it. She buzzed the button that calls the front and waited as out of the corner of her eye she sees the camera incline itself towards her.
“Yes?” The one word held so much disgust in it that she flinched.
“My name is Trinity Hartfield and I am here to see my family.” She said in as strong a voice she could manage.
There was a pause. Then she heard she very familiar little patter of feet and suddenly there was heavy breathing in the microphone.
“Mommy! Is that really you?” But since he was only four, it sounded like “Mummy! Iz Dat Weally You?”
She smiled and tears glistened in her eyes, listening to his voice, so much like his father.
“Yes, Tristan. It’s your mother.” She said in voice she hadn’t even known that she had anymore. Of course she loved Tristan. More than anything. But seeing him was like seeing Charlie. Then she heard a squeak of joy and the gate opened slowly, dramatically and she saw a tuff of blond hair, grey eyes rushing towards her. She scooped him up and hugged him tightly. Then when she realized she was still filthy she put him down and told him that she was dirty and needed to take a bath first then, she would snuggle him and tickle him until it’s time for bed.
He ran off shrieking and she wished that she could go and running with him. Desirously looking at him running off, innocently, she didn’t even hear someone behind me until she was in the air and getting crushed their chest, the breath rushing out of her. She wiggled around, and an unusual noise filled the air. It sounded like a thousand beautiful bells. It took her a second to realize that the sound was actually her. Laughing. She was immediately put back down but still crushed to their chest.
“Oh my lord. You are in SO much trouble.” She turned around to see her big brother, Lucan smiling from ear to ear. He laughed at her face as her mind drifted to her dad yelling at her like when she was 16 and had come home with Charlie on his motorcycle. She laughed with him. Then her vision of her dad yelling at her happened. He came wobbling down the driveway, his breathing, labored. He walked straight up to her and pulled her into his arms. He smelt just like how he always does. Like firewood and cigar smoke. He smelt like home. She breathed him in and went rigid when he pulled her closer and said.
“You are in the most trouble, little girl.” He sighed. “I’m just glad your home, darling.”
She hugged him tighter and said. “I love you, daddy.”
“TRINITY!” Somebody familiar yelled.
She ran towards them, as fast as her leg would let her. She was practically tackled as she was swept into a big bear hug. Her best friend, Charmaine Sertio, yelled and swung her around as she laughed and did their signature move. She put her arms out like she was a bird and was flying. He pushed her up higher and she looked down at him, with utter love. She loved her best friend with her whole being; he was always there with her. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t believe that she was so stupid as to leave them. Actually, as she thinks about it more, the main reason why she came home was completely obvious. She had been homesick.
. . .
He was so furious. He couldn’t believe that she did that. When he was gone from the office, someone cleaned his already neat freak office. He was, in fact, a neat freak. A perfectionist. He was just born that way. He was practically hyperventilating, when the devil in Prada walked in. She looked at his office and laughed.
“Oh, you’ve redecorated, huh?” she asked in an innocently playful voice.
He looked at her with absolute hate. “Get out, now.” He growled.
She flinched and huffed when she regained her composure. He pointed to the door and though she was his boss, she complied, stomping out. He looked at the room and went to his desk. Wiping down his glass desk, he saw a picture of a woman on his file. It was the girl from the street. But she looked cleaner, happier. He looked at her file, seeing her life played out by someone else’s perspective. He was a lawyer; he’d seen all kinds of things in his 24 years, so when he saw that her fiancé had been hit by a car and died and she was a mother of a four year old boy. She had been hurt badly and hadn’t been seen by her family for 4 years after she was released from the hospital. But he had seen her yesterday. She wasn’t missing, she was just hiding. Her name was Trinity La’Nae Hartfield. She was the daughter of the richest man in this side of the state!
He couldn’t help but look at her picture some more. He’d seen her name in the newspaper today. He looked around the office which was completely trashed in his opinion and looked for the newspaper. It was on the coffee table in the corner of the room. He walked over and pick it up, his eyes scanning the pages until a certain named popped up at him. It stated that Trinity had come home yesterday and was safely in the hands of her family and best friend.
Trinity Hartfield. She was a handful; you could see it in her eyes. He didn’t even know her that well and he knew that. He knew things like that. He is always right about stuff, and he’s not trying to be cocky, but it’s the truth. He has this thing where he feels like, well it’s hard to explain, but it’s like a tugging on his mind, pointing him to the right direction. He would say that he was physic but that would make him seem like he was crazy. So he keeps it to himself. He looks up her address, every cell in his body intending to go and take a visit. He looked at her picture one last time and then turned to leave but then turned back to get her files. She should be able to see it too.
. . .
She had bathed and went up to her room and looked around. It smelled the same as it had when she left, like green apples. She had just lain down on her bed and closed her eyes when there was a buzzing. She jumped; frightened until she realized that it was the ringer. She pressed the talk button, and asked, “Yes?”
“Trinity, you have a visitor.” Charmaine said.
She started in surprise. A visitor? Somebody had come to see her? She looked down at her clothes, a purple pair of shorts that comes midthigh and a turquoise shirt with black ankle high socks. She walked down the stairs and went to the dining room. She looked around for the buzzing button and when she found it, her soft voice boomed across house, and she heard a burst of laughter going towards the sitting room. She blushed, her embarrassment showing clearly on her face when she walked in and they all smirked at her. She looked around and was surprised when she didn’t see anyone unfamiliar anywhere.
“Where is my visitor?” she asked.
“In the loo.” My father said.
“Oh.” Was all she said.
Just then, she heard the faucet turn on and then off. The door opened and what she saw next made her drop her jaw. In walked that man from the street who tried to hit on her. So when the next thing that came out of her mouth wasn’t very nice, she was the only one that wasn’t surprised.
“Thank you for that nice compliment.” He said as he composed himself and chuckled.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” She all but growled.
“I’m here to give you something and I wanted to make sure you were ok.” He said meaningfully.
“Thank you so much so much for your concern.” She was steaming.
He flinched visibly and turned towards her father and shook his hand although she sure they’ve already done this and that he only did it to not show the hurt look on his face. He adjusted his jacket, ruffling his tie. He was tall but he looked taller now, but he had on different shoes today. He had really dark hair and it was wavy and his eyes were a really nice hazel, and his frame was muscular. He watched me as my father told him to sit down and asked if he would like some tea. He politely refused and cut straight to the chase.
“Okay, Trinity, I have something that concerns you and I have broken rules to come here and show you. It’s a file about you and your life. And when I saw it I thought that I should give it to you.” He looked up at her sadly and passed her the file. “I really think you would like to see it yourself.”
She looked at him and took the file. It weighed a lot, and she placed it on her lap. She flipped through it and when she came to the accident, tears rolled down her face. She sat there looking at the words that brought so many memories to mind. She forced herself to change the pages and cried out, slapping her hand to her mouth when she saw him. Charlie. He was smiling up at her, his eyes wrinkled.
“MOMMY!”
. . .
He watched tears rained down her face as she stared at her file. Then she turned the page and before she could slap her mouth shut, she cried out. She stared at him for a while and it pained him somewhere deep inside as she cried. Then out of nowhere, came-
“MUMMY!”
She wiped her face and smiled widely, trying to hide her pain from her little boy. He jumped onto her lap and snuggled her. He smiled at Tristan and the little boy looked at him shyly. He whispered in Trinity’s ear and pointed at Kayden. Trinity didn’t answer, just looked at Tristan and gave him a hug. They looked so content so when the door busted open what happened next rattled me.
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Publication Date: 09-21-2011