BONUS EPILOGUE
Blaise - ten year later
“Are you girls ready yet?” I bellowed impatiently as I waited for my wife and daughter to grace me with their presence. Sophie, my little girl, was going to university all the way across the damn country.
With her damn best friend.
Her male best friend.
I knew the little shit wanted to get into the pants of my baby girl, but Kallen was mostly a good kid and the truth was he was so in love with Sophie it was hard to watch.
My little girl, however, seemed to have no clue how much this kid adored her. The kid had it bad all those years, but I suppose it could have been worse; she could have been dating all sorts of guys and throwing it in his face, but I couldn’t remember Sophie ever bringing a guy home and dating. Not that she couldn’t. She was beautiful, a spitting image of her mama.
But instead of dating Sophie was studying, reading books, watching documentaries, all with Kallen by her side.
Every occasion in her life was with Kallan. He took her to prom, he took her to movies, they told each other everything. At some point she’d started texting him in the middle of the night when she was scared instead of calling for dear old dad.
As much as I grumbled about the kid, I really liked him.
I didn’t have a choice.
Brianna had threatened to divest me of my manhood long ago if I tried kicking Kallen out on the front porch again.
Call me old fashioned, but something ‘bout seeing your seventeen-year-old daughter in bed with a boy had me losing a gasket. Even if they were fully clothed and watching Nightline.
“Coming Daddy! Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Sophie waltzed down the stairs and kissed me on the cheek.
I was going to miss the hell out of my little spitfire.
My only damn kid.
Brianna and I’d tried for years but it just wasn’t in the cards for us.
That made today a pretty big day for both of us.
“Ok, Sophie you got everything?” Brianna’s soft voice asked, a tear falling from her beautiful eyes.
“Mom, I’ll call you every week. We’ll skype, I’ll see you in the summer, at Christmas and mid-term breaks. You aren’t losing me, I need to grow up some time.” She put her arms around her mom, trying desperately to reassure her.
“I know, baby. I’m not sad. I know you are meant for great things. Besides Kallen is going to be with you. You know you should tell that boy how you feel.”
My ears perked up.
How she feels? Feels about what exactly?
“Care to include the old man?” I looked between my wife and daughter. Sophie better not be telling Kallen to take a hike. I liked the kid, he was good to her. Most men are pigs, he treated my kid right.
How else would I sleep at night with her so far away?
“That she loves him.” Breanna breathed, taking my hand.
“She what?”
“Come on, Blaise. Look at her. She is beautiful, you don’t think boys are chasing her non-stop? Why do you think in all these years she’s never dated?”
I pushed a hand over my face, letting the new information sink in.
I was a damn fool.
My memory rolled back to prom night and how Sophie glowed when she looked at Kallen. She looked just like her mama on the day we were married, her gentle features radiating happiness as I recited my vows.
“Well I will be damned.”
“See, mom?! They’re all clueless.” Sophie laughed and pushed us out the door.
“How many bedrooms did you say that apartment has again? You should wait ‘til you’re married before the hanky panky happens.”
“Daddy! There isn’t anything happening. He thinks of me as a sister.”
“Oh, baby girl. You have so much to learn about men.” I kissed my kid on the head as we got in the car and drove to the airport, smile pulling at the corners of my lips as more memories of my wedding day overtook me.
* * *
Brianna
“I love you Sophie. I want you to know that raising you has been the greatest joy of my life and I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter. You make me so damn proud.” Blaise’s arms tightened around our daughter as fresh tears leaked from my eyes.
“Kallen you better watch out for her.” Blaise’s grumble.
“I will, Sir.”
He hadn’t taken his eyes of of he since the day they’d met as kids, I couldn’t imagine he’d start now.
“Blaise! Let go so she can hug her mother. The kids will miss their flight.”
My big bad husband let go of our little girl and I wrapped my arms around her.
“I love you. Call me whenever and please don’t be scared to take a chance.” I whispered in her ear.
“Love you too, mom. I’ll call when I land.” And with that my little girl was pulling away from me.
“What are we going to do with all the space and quiet? It’s going to be so weird with her gone. ‘S’pose I could build a gym. Or we could get a puppy,” Blaise uttered.
“Well…” I dug into my purse and took out the soft cotton t-shirt I’d wrapped in my bag and handed it to him.
“What’s this?” His warm golden features turned quizzical.
“Open it.”
Blaise took off the bow and opened the little package inside.
He unfolded the shirt in his heavy palms, a slip of fabric falling to his feet as he read the heavy block lettering: ‘You’re killin’ me, Smalls’.
He bent and picked up the second-half of the gift that’d fallen--a tiny human-sized onesie that read ‘Smalls’.
“Is this what I think it is?” His eyes watered over and his big hands trembled.
I nodded, brilliant beam widening my cheeks.
“You’re going to be a daddy… Again.”
THE END