Chapter 31 Clark
"Clark," Daddy rasped, and god, the way he shaped my name. Like a prayer, a benediction. Like I was holy, consecrated by the heat of his gaze alone. "Words can't even touch what you mean to me, from the second you crashed into my life like a comet. Like the answer to every question I never knew how to ask. I can't swear that I'll always get it right, or that I won't fuck up along the way. But what I can promise is that I’ll never stop trying. Stop working to be the Daddy you deserve."
He reached out with his free hand, tangling our fingers together.
"I’ve been waiting for the right moment for weeks now. Today only reminded me how precious every second with you is.”
And then he was opening his hand. Revealing the small, velvet box that had been clutched so tightly this whole time. "I've been carrying this ring around for weeks, just waiting for the perfect moment. But I realized - every moment with you is perfect, because you're by my side. So, I'm done waiting. Will you make me the happiest Daddy in the world and marry me?”
"Yes, Daddy," I breathed, the word tearing out of me. "A thousand times yes."
Daddy surged to his feet and captured my face between his palms, peppering kisses all over my tear-streaked cheeks, my eyelids, my nose, before finally claiming my smiling mouth with his own. I melted into his embrace, my fingers curling into the soft fabric of his shirt.
We finally broke apart when Alex's wolf-whistle pierced the air, followed by Uncle Will's chuckle.
"Fucking finally!" Alex crowed, actually jumping with the force of it. Pumping his fist in the air like he'd just scored the winning goal.
I buried my burning face against Daddy's chest with a giddy laugh, feeling his answering rumble beneath my ear. He stroked my hair and pressed a tender kiss to my temple before withdrawing just enough to pluck the ring from its cushion. With reverent fingers, he slipped the band onto my left hand. It settled into place like it had always been meant to rest there, a perfect fit. Just like us.
Uncle Will was clapping Brody on the back. Laughing as he caught me up in a bear hug. Murmuring gruff congratulations into my hair, pride and approval radiating off him in waves.
And Alex was everywhere. Leaping onto my back like a spider monkey, raining smacking kisses all over my face. Babbling a mile a minute, words spilling out of him in an uncontrolled flood.
About color schemes. Flower arrangements, guest lists and cake flavors. Gifts, each one more extravagant than the last.
"No, no, listen!" he insisted, actually stamping his foot for emphasis. "It's gotta be a whole theme, Clarkie. We're talking full-on Candyland realness, lollipop trees and gingerbread houses. Ooh, and the cake! A big ol' sandcastle, with superhero figurines on top."
He clasped his hands beneath his chin, eyes gone starry and wistful. "It'll be magical. A real live fairy tale, just for you and Uncle Brody."
Alex was going to stand beside me. Take his place at my wedding, the most important day of my life. Be the voice in my ear, the hand on my back.
Alex then reeled back to gesture grandly at Will, batting his lashes. "Gosh, I sure hope a certain someone was taking notes on that incredibly romantic proposal. I mean, not that I'm hinting or anything, but I wouldn't say no to a ring that could double as a disco ball, you know what I mean?"
Will barked out a laugh, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow at his incorrigible boy. "That right? Maybe you should be saving up for that rock yourself, sugar plum, if you've got such particular taste."
"Puh-lease, we both know I'm too cute to pay for my own bling," Alex scoffed loftily, sticking his nose in the air. "I'm destined to be a trophy husband. It is known."
"Is that a fact?" Will drawled, fighting back a smirk. "I guess I better get a trophy case to display you in then, huh? Can't have you getting dusty."
Alex gasped in mock-affront, placing a scandalized hand over his heart. "The audacity, Daddy! I am not some mere object to be- ooh, actually, that gives me an idea for the wedding!" He whirled towards me and Daddy again, practically wiggling with excitement.
I exchanged a besotted glance with Daddy, overwhelmed with fondness for my kooky chosen family. Every crazy idea Alex spouted sounded more perfect than the last.
"Alex!" I finally interrupted, grabbing his flailing hands and giving them a fond squeeze. "Breathe! The wedding isn't next week. We've got plenty of time to iron out all the details. And I love you so much, Lex. I hope you know that."
Alex made a sound suspiciously like a sniffle. But his arms tightened around my middle.
"Of course I know, you absolute sap," he mumbled, words muffled but unmistakably wobbly. "I've always known, even when you were too far up your own ass to see it." A wet chuckle, his shoulders shaking with it. "But I'm gonna need you to put a pin in the waterworks, alright? At least until I can get you suited up in Tiffany blue and crying prettily at the altar."
Slowly, reluctantly, I untangled myself from the octopus sprawl of his limbs.
"I'm counting on it," I told him solemnly. Gave him a little shake, just to watch the grin widen impossibly further. "Gotta have my best guy there to pass me the tissues, yeah? Wipe my nose and tell me to man up, quit blubbering like a baby."
Alex barked a startled laugh, head tipping back with the force of it. "Oh god, can you even imagine? You'd ruin the pics, all blotchy and gross. No way those are going on the mantle, I don't care how adorable you are."
"Excuse you, you little -"
"Boys."
The sound of Daddy's voice, warm and amused, cut through the escalating ridiculousness like a knife through butter. I glanced up to see him watching us fondly, a hand resting at the small of my back.
"What do you say we order some pizza, hmm?" he murmured, more breath than sound. "Maybe dig into that pint of cookie dough you've been saving for a rainy day."
"Bold of you to assume I haven't already demolished that bad boy, Daddy. You did leave me unsupervised for a whole twenty-eight minutes, remember?"
Daddy chuckled, a puff of warm air against my nape raising goosebumps in its wake. "Ah, yes. How could I forget the Snack Massacre? That Chunky Monkey never stood a chance."
"There's rocky road in the freezer," I offered. "And those oatmeal cream pies you pretend not to love, hidden in the back of the pantry."
"Holding out on me, baby bug?" Daddy gasped, all feigned outrage belied by the blinding grin I could feel stretching against my temple. "And here I thought we were a team. Partners, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer."
"And snacks," I finished solemnly. Lifted one hand to tangle our fingers together, already so natural.
Soon, Alex and Uncle Will left. It was just Daddy and me now. I was floating. Because there were blankets on the couch. Soft and nubby, the worn flannel of my most beloved throw. The one Daddy knew I loved to curl up under, to wrap around myself like a shield against everything sharp-edged and sour.
And there, nestled among the plush folds, my stuffies. The ratty velveteen rabbit Alex had won me at a carnival back in college. And the scruffy dinosaur Daddy had gifted me on our very first date, his eyes soft and searching as he'd offered it up.
Daddy and I cuddled together on the plush couch. The soft strains of instrumental lullabies drifted from his phone on the coffee table, mingling with the gentle patter of rain against the windows.
I was sprawled bonelessly across Daddy's broad chest, his heartbeat a soothing metronome beneath my ear.
His fingers combed idly through my hair. I hummed in wordless contentment, nuzzling my cheek against the worn cotton of his t-shirt.
"Can we watch the new Pixar movie, Daddy?" I mumbled hopefully, tipping my face up to peer at him with wide, entreating eyes. "The one with the baby sea turtles? It looks so cute."
"Of course, baby bug," he readily agreed, dropping a kiss to my lips and making me giggle. "I've been wanting to see that one too. Let me just queue it up..."
I basked in the warmth radiating from Daddy's big body, the familiar scent of his pine and sandalwood aftershave enveloping me like a favorite blanket. The rest of the world seemed to melt away, shrinking down to this perfect bubble of safety and love.
It struck me then, how different my life looked now compared to just a few months ago. Before Daddy, I'd been so lost, so desperate for an escape from the nightmare Sterling had trapped me in.
As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Daddy tightened his arms around me and murmured soothingly into my hair. "Everything okay, my sweet boy? You got awful tense all of a sudden."
Hot tears stung the corners of my eyes as I craned my neck to meet his tender gaze. "I was thinking about before. When Sterling was hunting me through the mansion and I didn't think I'd ever get away..."
"Oh, sweetheart. He's locked up now, far away from us. He'll never lay a finger on you again."
I turned to bury my face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in as the knot in my chest slowly loosened.
He leaned in to rest his forehead against mine, his breath warm and sweet on my lips. "All of that is behind us now. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life making sure you feel cherished and protected, so you never have to be that scared little boy again."
And then he was scooping me back into his lap and peppering my face with smacking kisses until I dissolved into breathless giggles, clutching at his shoulders and half-heartedly trying to squirm away.
The movie played on, forgotten, as we lost ourselves in each other - trading sweet kisses and silly eskimo nuzzles, murmuring dreams for the future against each other's smiles.
The soothing lullaby drifting from the TV mingled with the comforting warmth radiating from Daddy's body, creating a cocoon of drowsy contentment that had my eyelids drooping and my limbs feeling heavy as lead. I fought valiantly against the pull of slumber, wanting to soak up every precious second of this perfect moment, but it was a losing battle.
Distantly, I registered the sensation of strong arms scooping me up, cradling me tenderly against a broad chest. The steady thump of Daddy's heartbeat beneath my ear was more effective than any sleep aid, and I found myself melting into his embrace as he carried me up the winding staircase to our bedroom.
I roused slightly when I felt myself being lowered onto cool, crisp sheets that smelled of fabric softener and home. Daddy's woodsy, citrusy scent enveloped me as he drew the downy comforter up to my chin, his fingers skating whisper-soft over my temple.
Something fuzzy and familiar was tucked into the curve of my arm - my favorite stuffed stegosaurus, the one with the missing button eye and threadbare green fur gone buttery soft from years of love. I clutched it close, burying my nose in its squishy tummy.
A moment later, the press of Daddy's lips had me blinking blearily up at him, slightly cross-eyed from his proximity. His blue eyes were full of stars, the corners crinkled with affection.
He kissed me sweetly, reverently, like I was something infinitely precious. I hummed into his mouth, too hazy to coordinate much more than a clumsy slide of my lips against his. When he pulled back, it was only to replace his kiss with the rubber nipple of my binky. I accepted it readily, the weight settling on my tongue as familiar and grounding as the press of my engagement ring encircling my finger.
As I suckled lazily, Daddy shifted to slip beneath the covers and immediately gathered me back into his arms. I rolled into his heat, nestling my cheek into the furry planes of his chest and tangling my bare legs with his flannel-clad ones.
I tilted my chin up to meet his gaze, willing him to see the seismic depth of my feelings shining through my eyes. My other hand found his where it was splayed over my ribs, our fingers threading together like they'd been designed for that very purpose.
"Thank you," I rasped around the bulb of my binky, my words muffled. "Thank you for saving me from Sterling, but more than that - for rescuing me from my myself. You freed me from the prison of my own doubts and insecurities.”
Daddy swooped in to pepper fluttering kisses all over my face, nuzzling the arch of my cheekbone with a shaky exhale. "Oh, my sweet boy. Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done. The only thing that makes sense in this crazy world. You've got it backwards, honeybunch - it's you who saved me."
At my confused head tilt, he huffed a soft laugh, brushing his thumb over the curve of my pouting bottom lip. "Before you came into my life, I was just treading water, going through the motions. But you..." He shook his head, voice trembling with conviction. "you gave me purpose. You made me realize I was a Daddy. Your Daddy. And that's the greatest honor I'll ever have."
He pressed one last, lingering kiss to my forehead before popping the nipple back between my lips, smoothing his palm over my flank soothingly.
"I love you, Daddy," I slurred, the words honey-thick and slippery with impending sleep. "Forever and always."
"Love you too, baby bug," he echoed solemnly.
As I teetered on the edge of consciousness, my mind drifted to a distant memory - Alex and I sprawled on the floor of our dorm room amidst mountains of empty energy drink cans and half-eaten bags of Doritos, bemoaning our love lives, or lack thereof.
"Do you think we'll ever find them?" Alex had mused, his words whiskey-loose and wistful. "You know, our Daddies. The Flynn Rider to our Rapunzel, the Prince Charming to our Cinderella."
At the time, I'd snorted, flicking an M&M at his forehead. "I'll settle for a Prince Passably-Decent at this point," I'd snarked, ignoring the wistful twinge in my own chest.
If only Past Me had known what the universe had in store for us. I never could have predicted the day my real fairy tale began - a chance encounter in the park, a spark of connection, a smile from a handsome stranger that lit up my whole world.
The scene dissolved, replaced by a mirage. I saw Daddy and myself standing hand in hand beneath a flower-laden archway, facing each other with eyes full of happy tears and hearts full to bursting as we exchanged vows in front of our nearest and dearest.
I saw Alex beaming at my side, the sunlight glinting off his own wedding band as he winked and mouthed "Nailed it!" while passing over the rings. I felt the cool slide of platinum over my knuckle, the slight weight grounding me.
I saw us slow dancing at the reception, swaying in our own little bubble as the rest of the world fell away. I saw the first blush of sunset painting the sky in streaks of amber and rose as Daddy swept me over the threshold into our honeymoon suite, the warmth of his skin like a furnace through the flimsy fabric of my suit, promising a lifetime of passion and devotion.
The images blurred and reformed, the colors fading from crisp jewel tones to gauzy watercolor pastels. Now the strong hands gripping my hips were gnarled and spotted from old age, the skin wrinkled like seersucker and thin as parchment. But those eyes - those forever-summer eyes - were just as blue and full of unwavering adoration.
In my mind's eye, I traced the weathered lines of Daddy's face, the crow's feet and laugh lines and silver-threaded temples that mapped out the story of our love, our life, etched upon his skin. Each so-called imperfection was cherished, beautiful, a badge of honor earned through a thousand shared smiles and a million more shared tears.
I thought of the vows we'd spoken on a sunlit spring afternoon decades ago - to have and to hold, in sickness and health, as long as we both shall live. My throat tightened with the knowledge that we'd kept that promise to each other, that the words were more than just pretty poetry. They were a covenant, an oath honored in every mundane moment, every ordinary Tuesday, every morning we woke up and chose to love, over and over, the way the tide chooses the moon.
In my vision, old Dream Daddy touched his forehead to mine, still the perfect height for Eskimo kisses, even after all these decades. "I'd choose you again," he murmured, his voice like crackling autumn leaves, rich and weathered with age. "Every time, in every life, in every version of reality. You. Always you."
I felt my limbs grow heavy, my consciousness slowly unpinning itself from the moorings of the waking world. But as I sank into the dark, my soul felt buoyant, held aloft by the certainty that this wasn't just some fever dream or wishful fantasy - this was my future. My forever. My happily ever after with Daddy.
Because in a world full of variables and question marks, of ups and downs and twists of fate, I could count on Daddy's love. It was the one fixed point in a churning sea of chaos. The one absolute truth I could build my life upon.
So I slept, and I dreamed of growing old in the circle of my Daddy's arms. Of a thousand tomorrows, each one a promise kept, an adventure waiting to unfold. Of gray hairs and laugh lines and a love that transcended time itself.
And in the space between one heartbeat and the next, that knowledge settled into my bones, sure and solid as bedrock, warm as a shaft of sunlight, soft as an exhaled lullaby.
As Daddy pulled me closer, as he breathed me in like oxygen, I smiled. Because he was everything, and I'd follow him anywhere. Hand in hand with the love of my life, the beat of my heart. With my husband, now and always. In this lifetime and the next, until the very stars fell from the sky. Until the universe itself crumbled to dust, and all the worlds winked out like dying flames.
"Sleep tight, baby bug," Daddy now breathed into the lilac-shadowed hush, dropping one last butterfly kiss to the tip of my nose. "Dream sweet. Daddy's got you now. Daddy's always got you."