(Orion Ligh)
"Mister! What are you doing here?"
My daughter asks Colton, who in turn bends downward and picks her up in his arms. That sight makes me wish for a lot of things, which I know are impossible.
That's weird. Why does Eira look so much like Colton? Well, for starters, their eyes do look similar, and the hair colour, she certainly didn't get that from me, only my natural curls. Colto whispers something into her ear, which earns him a giggle from her. That's weird, their smile are even similar, even the way she squints her eyes when she smiles or laughs. Nah, I'm just overthinking it. It couldn't possibly be him. I'm just reading into it too much.
I would have noticed if it were him. How can anyone forget his frame? Perhaps it's because she took a liking to Colton when they first met. But it's really weird how she just liked him like that. She is mostly guarded against people. She never lets anyone close to her whom she doesn't know. She likes to study people, but this interaction I'm seeing is weirdly strange. As much as it warms my heart, it makes me scared as well. What if it is Colton?
"Eira? You need to take a shower before you play with Colton, baby."
"Can't I please stay with him more than I'll shower. Please?"
"Yeah, please?"
Ooh, this sight is sweet, both of them trying to sway me, but it won't work on me. Lord knows if it involves my daughter, I'm not compromising.
"Honey, you shower first to remove today's germs, then play, okay? I might let you see a present meant for you?"
Of course, I don't tell her that she has a store's worth of gifts to choose from. Yeah, I'm gonna keep them and give them to her little by little. I want my daughter to live the life I never got to. That and the fact that I just enjoy seeing her cute face when I hand her presents, it feels my heart every time. And the way she says thank you is simply magical, divine even.
"Do I have to, mister?"
She looks at Colton for an answer, which in turn makes him stare at me, pleadingly but I don't fall for it my word is final. She must shower first then have her afternoon snack then sleep for a couple of hours before waking her up to have our bonding time before dinner. I leave for these little moments.
"Yes, princess. You have to listen to your papa, okay?"
She nods, then tries to climb down Colton's hold. That's sweet. He lets her down slowly while she runs towards me. I scoop her into my arms, but her gaze is still on Colton, which makes me turn around. Colton is looking at us as if he's seeing something out of a fantasy, his eyes glistening with so much raw love, while a cute, simple smile is plastered on his face.
While deciding which of her clothes to wear, she picks her favourite blue clothes.
"Her room is beautiful."
Colton is leaning in the door, watching Eira and me decide which dress she prefers. He was too quiet, I hadn't even noticed his presence, but something about the way he was staring at us made my heart feel all mushy and warm.
"Do you like it? Papa said since I'm an ice plincess, I get the best out of the kingdom."
I don't know what happens but for a minute, Colton's face goes blank then he stares at me as if piecing something together. But then his face goes back to normal.
"Really?"
Eira wriggles free from my hold, grinning after I let her wear the blue clothes. She bounces over to Colton, stretching her arms up like a little bird ready to fly, her eyes shining with happiness. I feel a little sad, she never asks me for this kind of attention. Moments like this make their bond feel special and almost natural, it gives me a little tinge of fear. I'm probably overthinking it.
"Traitors, you guys just met and now your," gesturing to them, "leaving me out."
"Don't wolly, Papa."
She bursts into a light-hearted giggle, a sound that catches Colton's attention, making him wonder about the happy secrets behind her smile. I watch as he excitedly shows her the colorful presents he brought, each wrapped neatly with bright ribbons. I feel a flicker of concern cross through my mind. I hope I am handling this situation well and that she won't grow up feeling entitled. Parenting can feel like a journey without a map, and often, there are no clear rules to follow or guidelines. One moment, life is quiet, and the next, boom, it surprises you with the incredible gift of a small child, and now I'm responsible for raising anothe rperson and making sure they have all the basic necessities, but all in all, its the joy of raising the child that fills you up with so much joy. Every mile stone and steps my child takes is always a memory worth engraving.
I remember when I first found out that I was going to be a parent, my life had been a mess till that point. I didn't have ny directions whatsover on how to be parent. I was scared and afraid. But, I wanted to give her something that I never got to had as a child. A stable love and a filial bond, so that she doesn't go through what I did.
"Aren't you coming, Little Kitten?" Colton calls for me from the sitting room.
"Where's little kitten?"
I hear Eira ask Colton. I move so fast I almost knock one of my vases down. We are not getting a little kitten.
"Nowhere, honey. He was just calling for me."
She looks between Colton and me as if trying to answer her question. This is going to be a long night. She then turns to Colton.
"Why are you calling Papa little Kitten?"
Well, Pandora's box has been opened. She's going to ask a lot of questions. I stare daggers at Colton accusingly, but he just smiles and looks at me.
"Because your Papa is like a little Kitten, my little kitten"
"Whoa, is it true, Papa?"
"Honey, it's just his way of calling me with a nickname only meant for him to call me. Like how I call you honey."
"But, glandpa also calls Miss Neighbor Darling. Does it mean that it's only meant for her?"
Well, that's a development I didn't know about.
We had to explain to Eira until she went to sleep, but I know it's far from over.
"She's just like you. You know that, right?"
Colton whispers into my ear as I wash tonight's dishes.