AnyaxFamily

Chapter IV

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"Pa..pa..?"

' Anya? '

"Who..are you..?"

' Anya! '

Loid woke up with a gasp, hands clenched tight at his blanket, he looked around him trying to orient himself, wiping his face with his hands before standing and going to his bathroom.

' A dream? Nightmare? Memory? Damnit!'

Loid sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror after finishing his morning routine. He stared there for a few more seconds before shaking his head and leaving to go make breakfast.

' Anya should be waking up soon ' Loid thought as he stared at the wall clock almost ticking to '8:00am', their breakfast laid out though it was composed of the food he bought the night before.

As if summoned from his thoughts, Anya walked in rubbing her eyes with one hand while the other held her lion plush which made Loid smile at the cute sight.

"Good morning Anya" Loid greeted walking to where Anya stopped when she arrived at her seat.

Anya paused in her rubbing at hearing the voice of her father especially in the morning, "Papa?" She called out in question staring at her father before slowly looking at the wall clock and even if she couldn't really read the time, she - inside of her - knew that when one of the clocks hands was past the number 8, she would be at the house alone until a man with shaggy hair came to bring her food.

"Is there something wrong Anya?" Loid asked after he saw his daughter's eyes not moving from where the clock was located.

Loid watched as Anya removed her gaze from the clock and turned towards him but now her arm was pointed towards the clock with her small index out.

"Work.. byebye" Anya said to her father, her expression as empty as her voice though she was confused when instead her father's face grimaced.

Loid felt his heart hurt at her words, head swirling with thoughts and memories of when was the last - first - time he had ever spent the whole day with her.

"Papa doesn't have work today or for the next few days okay Anya? Papa wants to make it up to you and promises to spend time with you, is that okay?" He said as he slowly kneeled down in front of her.

He was glad when Anya didn't flinch nor moved away as he did so which somehow lightened the hurt in him as he hoped that maybe not everything was broken between them, that maybe he wasn't back to square one with her but rather one square forward.

Anya just stared at him, she understood his words but didn't understand why. She might have seemed like she wasn't clever with her silence but she was, at least in regards to emotions and actions. So she didn't understand the purpose of her father's words because of the many times they have been broken and proven fake.

Nonetheless, she still gave her father a nod before she turned around and started to try and climb to her chair, Loid had wanted to offer her help once again but stopped himself as he knew that right now both of them were still testing the waters.

It took a few tries before she was able to climb and sit successfully though that may have been possible due to Loid steadying her chair when it nearly toppled as she climbed, but it was a secret that didn't need to be exposed.

Ready for breakfast, Anya was about to reach for her spoon when she noticed her father still standing beside her rather than sitting opposite her.

"Hungry" she said to her father who seemed to snap off whatever world his mind moved to as he blinked at her and hummed in confusion.

"Papa.. hungry" she repeated to her father as she grabbed her spoon and showed it to him to somehow prove herself.

Loid smiled and nodded, "Ah yes, I'm sorry I was thinking of something, what would you like?" Loid said as he gestured to their food, quickly serving the food that Anya pointed out to him before he took his seat and began eating after Anya took her first bite.

Loid smiled as he watched Anya eat, his mind once again drifting but now recalling the conversation said to him by her teacher before he and Anya left her school.

••• Flashback •••

"Mr. Forger, I believe this is our first time meeting? I am Ms. Chel, Anya's advisory teacher" the teacher introduced as she extended her hand to shake.

"Yes, nice to meet you ma'am. I apologize for being late" Loid said as he shook the hand offered.

Ms. Chel said nothing but nodded before presenting him a paper where a drawing lay, "This was made by Anya as she waited for your arrival and before she fell asleep" the teacher said.

Loid said nothing but looked at the drawing which was obviously done by Anya even without the teacher mentioning, as what seemed to be her was scribbled at the center of the paper and behind her was a house he knew all too well, but then he noticed farther from her, on opposite sides, Loid could see an interpretation of him with his back to her and in the direction of what he believes was a hospital building while on the other side, Loid was surprised to see a drawing of what he supposed was an ambulance and his wife.

' Anya... ' Was all Loid could think as he stared at the drawing and turned to where his daughter was, sleeping.

"I was quite surprised at her drawing and while Anya may not have been my student from the start, I have seen a few of her personalities or lack thereof. Mr. Forger, I apologize for being intrusive but is Anya-" the teacher said or tried to, when Loid interrupted.

"Yes on both questions you may be thinking, I'm sorry it's quite difficult to explain but I assure you that Anya is my daughter, while for her mother... She is..." Loid tried to explain, but it seemed the teacher understood especially because he knew that his expression said it all, matter how much he tried to hide it.

"I understand, I apologize again for my intrusion. Anyway, aside from this, I would just like to report that Anya is a very good and kind child, though I fear that the other children of this school aren't so welcoming of her due to her silence but since school is almost at it's end, I would recommend transferring Anya to a school where she would be better guided and her talents enhanced, because she really is a good artist" Ms. Chel said with a small smile, trying to lighten the atmosphere at the end.

Loid felt a small smile upon his lips too at the praise Anya received, before he nodded at the teacher's recommendation though he was slightly worried to how was Anya's real experience in this school.

"Well, that is all. You can bring this drawing home and take Anya too Mr. Forger, it was nice meeting you, I shall see Anya next Monday then. Have a good day" the teacher said before she stood up and shook Loid's hand and left the two in the room.

••• Flashback End •••

"-pa?"

Loid snapped out of his thoughts at the small voice calling before he looked at Anya and saw her holding out her bowl to him.

"Yes Anya? Would you like some more?" He asked grabbing the bowl from Anya's hands

Anya shook her head no, murmuring a small "full" to which Loid nodded before he grabbed her bowl and placed it beside his to put away as he quickly finished eating.

"Would you like to take a bath now and accompany me to return my coat to the hospital? After, we can go and shop for the hamburger steak and maybe even some desserts if you would like" Loid asked looking at Anya as he placed their plates in the sink.

Anya stared at him before she nodded and to his surprise and delight, lifted her arms up for father to put her down from her chair to which Loid immediately did before she took off running to the bathroom.

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Quick Note!!

Chapter IV out!! This was quite a long chapter compared to the others but I just had difficulty in deciding where to stop 😅. Anyways is the pace of the story alright with you all? Please do tell me 😊.

Hope you had a fun read! 💜💜 Thank you for the votes too in the previous chapters 💜💜