9. King
Holy shit, I can’t believe Sparrow is staying. Or she’s letting Loch stay, I’m really not too sure what’s going on here. All I know is that my daughter called me Dad, and I’ll do anything to hear it again.
Taking Sparrow and the kids to my side of the school, sweat starts to drip down my back. I haven’t had anything to be nervous about in years, so this is a different emotion for me. I have a surprise for them, but I don’t know how receptive some of them are going to be.
“This is the living room, it’s smaller but we have a bigger media room that we share. This is for if I’m sick of the idiots.”
“Hey! We aren’t idiots!” Ace yells from behind me. I didn’t know they were all following me, but I should have known they would want to make sure Loch is okay. They haven’t inserted themselves too much, in fear of Sparrow. But I think they have officially gotten sick of not getting to know their niece and nephew. I know my dad wants to get closer to them.
Stopping in front of a closed door, I slowly open it and walk in. “Umm, this is Telle’s room. Telle, if you don’t like anything, let me know and I’ll get it replaced.” I’ve filled the room with a queen-sized bed, soccer posters on the walls, a T.V., along with every gaming console known to man. I dreamed of half these things when I was his age.
Telle spins around, taking everything in with wide eyes. “You got me all this stuff?”
“Sure did. I want to make sure anytime you're here, even if it’s just for a little bit, you're comfortable,” I tell my son. He still barely tolerates me, but I have all the time in the world. And the newest PlayStation doesn’t hurt my cause.
I’m not above bribery.
“Where’s Loch’s room?” Telle asks quickly.
“Right across the hall, come on.” They follow me across the hall, and I don’t miss the gasp from Sparrow when I open the door. It looks like I spent more money on this room, but I did good and spent the same amount.
“Kingston…” Sparrow whispers.
In Loch’s room I went with another queen-sized bed, but hers is a canopy bed, with some white fabric surrounding it. I don’t know, Skye told me what to get. Along one wall is an art table, with every imaginable drawing utensil, an easel in the corner, and a T.V. hanging on the wall.
“Daddy…this is a princess room!”
Holy shit, I wish I recorded that.
“Well, it’s a good thing you're my princess. Do you want to lay down for a little bit?” Loch nods her head, so I pull back the covers, looking at Sparrow. “In the top drawer are some pajamas, maybe it will be cooler.” Sparrow slowly blinks her eyes, before going to the dresser and pulling out a set of pajamas.
Handing Loch off to Sparrow, I close the door behind me while she gets changed. I don’t have a problem helping my daughter, but I’m still feeling Sparrow out. Even though I'm the father, I’m new on the scene and have no intention of stepping on her toes.
As long as she starts to let me in.
Telle runs back to his room as I meet the stares of my brothers. “Is she okay?” River asks while he starts cracking his knuckles. We all have our tells, and for my youngest brother, it’s cracking his knuckles.
“We need to build something out there with a cover, Loch got too hot,” I bark out. I should have thought of that, but how was I supposed to know my daughter can’t sit outside? There’s a lot I don’t know and it’s starting to get to me.
I don’t get to say anything else because Loch’s door opens, and her and Sparrow step out into the hall.
“Everything okay, princess?”
“Dad, can we have a movie night?” Loch asks as she jumps from one foot to another.
“Of course we can, let’s go.”
Jolting awake to the movie credits, I look around the darkened room. My brothers left, but Sparrow, Loch, and Telle are sound asleep on the couch next to me. Silently, I watch them sleep, thankful to whoever is upstairs, for bringing them to me. I don’t know how I got lucky enough for Sparrow to be comfortable enough to fall asleep, but a soft snore escapes from her, bringing a smile to my face.
Silently I pick up Telle and carry him to his room. Making it out of his room without him waking up, I get back to the couch and pick up Loch. As I’m tucking her in, she murmurs, “Don’t leave us, Daddy.”
Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, I kiss her forehead before saying. “Never, princess. I’m never leaving you.”
Hesitating, I gently scoop Sparrow into my arms. I second guess my decision to pick her up, until she burrows her face into my chest. Ahh, so when she is asleep, the sweet Sparrow is still in there.
I gently lay her down in the middle of my bed and weigh my options. I could sleep somewhere else, like my perfectly fine couch or back in the media room, but I’d give anything to hold Sparrow in my arms. She’s kept me at arm’s length, but I noticed the looks she gave me earlier. I know I’m in good shape, and I also know that many women like tattoos.
And I have a lot of tattoos.
Slowly, Sparrow’s eyes start to flutter open, and she starts to take in my room. “Where are the kids?”
“I carried them to their rooms.”
“Your bed is comfy. You can lie down, there’s room for both of us. I mean, if you want to.”
I don’t need to be told twice, and quickly lie down, making sure to leave enough space. “Tell me something.”
“What do you want to know?” Sparrow softly responds.
“Everything. What was your pregnancy like? What was their birth like? When’s their birthday? I want to know everything, Bird.”
“I had a lot of morning sickness until I was about six months pregnant. They were born a month and a half early, on September eighteenth. I was lucky, I guess. I was worried that since I’m so small and there were two of them that I would need to have a C-section, but the recovery is long with that. I was able to have them naturally, which wasn’t fun, but there weren’t any complications.”
Sparrow moves slightly closer to me. “Telle was born five minutes before Loch, he was five pounds, eleven ounces. Loch was four pounds, three ounces. They were really good babies, no colic. Teething was a nightmare, because they alternated. One of them was always pissed off.”
God, they were so tiny. Thoughts of these little babies… my babies living in the backseat of a car at one point in their young lives. If I keep thinking that, I’m going to need to go take a few swings at the punching bag.
Sparrow yawns as she moves closer. I don’t even try to hide my smirk this time. “Oh, put your smirk away, I’m just getting comfy.”
“Are you going to let me in any time soon?”
“I’m not the same person, Kingston. I’m stitched back together for the moment, but I’m not the same,” Sparrow softly says as she drifts back to sleep.
She doesn’t get it, but she will. She doesn’t think she’s the same, and she isn’t, but there isn’t a single version of her that I wouldn’t want. I was a boy when I thought I wasn’t good enough for her. Now, I know that I’m not good enough for her, but I’ll fight like hell to keep her here with me.