The Little Girl Left in the Dark (Elizabeth Olsen X daughter)

Part 32- Dad?

Lizzie's POV

"Hey Tatiana!" Scarlet smiled and so did the small girl.

"Hi Aunt Scar," she responded with a raspy voice and Scar pouted at her sickness.

"Someone told me that you were sick, so I brought you a little something," she whispered to Tatiana and pulled a MacDonalds bag out of her shopping bag. Tatiana's face lit up into a smile as she opened the bag to see pancakes.

"Thank you!!" She exclaimed as Scarlett open a plastic fork for her. Scarlet winked and bopped her nose before sitting with me on another couch.

"Thank you so much," I couldn't be more grateful to the wonderful woman I call my friend.

"No problem, Liz, I know how hard it can get with sick toddlers," she offered me a coffee and I smiled, taking it into my frozen hands.

"Where is rose?" I ask, starting conversation as I watch Tatiana eat her pancakes.

"With Collin, they do father-daughter bonding days," she answers and I smile warmly.

"That's cute," I suggest and she lets out a giggle.

"Yeah, it is," she nods, taking a sip from her coffee. I look over to see the dog ask Tatiana for some of her food. She looks down at the puppy and back to her pancakes, contemplating whether she should give up her sacred pancakes.

I see Tatiana huff out air and look back down at the pleading eyes of the pup, giving him the rest of her pancake. The dog ate it down within seconds and Tatiana chuckled, finding it funny how he eats.

"She's so precious," I hear Scarlett next to me and I turn my attention back to her.

"She is," I agree softly and Scarlett smiles, before getting up and heading into my kitchen with her shopping bag. I follow her in confusion as she starts to unpack food items and medicine onto my counter, acting as if it was her house. "What is all this?" I ask, baffled.

"Just a little something to help you survive the toddler apocalypse," she smiles softly at me before starting to pack them into my food cupboards.

"What? Scar, at least let me repay you!" I grab the empty bag, searching for a receipt in the bottom.

"Don't be silly! It's fine, really," she shakes her head and snatches the bag off of me, then reads a label on the back of a medicine packet.

"Well, thank you," I give in, there is no way she is letting up. She can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes and it's annoyingly almost always happening.

"No problem, bestie," she winks and saunters into the living room, seeing Tatiana had finished her breakfast. "Hey cutie, is your nose blocked?" She asks and Tatiana nodded shyly. "If you eat this, your nose becomes unblocked," she holds up a medicine cup that has kids decongestant in liquid form measured out.

"No," she shakes her head, pushing the cup away from her.

"If you don't, you won't feel better," she teases and holds the cup out to her again.

"No!" She crossed her arms and turns her head, insisting on not taking it.

"If you drink this, then I will give you your iPad," I bargain and Scarlett looks back at me, surprised.

Tatiana pouts and turns back to the medicine, taking it slowly. She takes a deep breath before drinking it down and she sticks her tongue out in disgust.

"Thank you, babe," I smile and kiss her head, slightly amused for some reason. I quickly go get her iPad and unlock it for her, letting her play on it for a bit.

"Wow, you've been a mom that long that you have learnt to trade with your child," Scarlett giggled and I hit her arm lightly. "What? I didn't bargain with Rose until I was at my wits end," she raised her arms in defence and I shook my head.

"Thank you, for being here today," I smiled sincerely and she nodded, squeezing my hand lightly.

"Always for you," she answers sweetly and I laugh.

"That was so gooey of you!" I mock and she rolls her eyes.

"I'm not 'gooey'!" She defends and I nod with disbelief.

"You're as gooey as a marshmallow!" I counter and Scarlett giggles.

"Can we please stop saying gooey?!" She asks with amusement.

"What? You don't like defining yourself as gooey?" I ask her again and Scarlett shakes her head, a smile playing on her lips as she takes a sip from her coffee.

"Mama?" Tatiana calls me and I push myself up from the comfortable couch, making my way over to her.

"Yes?" I ask, looking at the iPad to see she is playing word games.

"What does 'claim' mean?" She softly speaks, turning the iPad to me. I smile and sit beside her, lifting her blanket over my legs and I lift her into my lap.

"To claim, is to say this is mine or something belongs to me." I try to explain and she thinks before choosing the correct answer.

"Yeah!" She celebrates and I laugh lightly as she high fives me. "So you claim me?" She asks with curiosity, making my heart warm.

"We both claim each other, do you claim me?" I suggest and she giggles.

"I do, do you claim me?" She counters and I smile.

"I do, then that settles it," I kiss her head and she goes on to the next word, and gets it instantly.

"Wait, if you claim me and I claim you, who claims dad?" She asks and my eyes widen.

"Dad?" I ask, and look over to Scarlett who had the same reaction.

"Robbie," she answers in a giggle and I beam a smile, this is the first time she has called him that.

"Um, I don't know. We both can claim him too," I answer, not focusing on the question from my bewildered state.

"Okay, that can work for me," she hums and I laugh.

"Good, I'm glad," I tickle her sides and she giggles, wiggling to try to get away but I hold her with me. I stop tickling her and cuddle her close with my arms wrapped around her.

This is one of my favourite moments with her yet.

32

29/05/2022