I'll always need you

47

Later that same day

Claire's POV

"So dad, why are you here?" I ask as I set the food on the table. I invited dad to eat with us so we could catch up. 

"I heard about your mother and I felt awful. I wanted to..." He started, but stopped and looked at the kids, who were putting food on their plates "oh who am I kidding?" He says and I sit down

"What is it?" I ask

"I came here... I wanted to take the kids with me, so that you wouldn't have to take care of them" he says and I look down

"How did you know they were here?" I ask, so many things weren't adding up

"I... I..." He took a deep breath "your aunt told me" he said and I paused

"Aunt Marla?" I asked, that was my mom's sister

"Yes" he admits, looking down

"I didn't know you knew her" I say and he looks back at me

"She was the only one in the family who knew you and actually could stand me" he says "after your mom died, I came to California and asked her where the kids were and she sent me this address telling me you lived here" he said "I forgot what all of you looked like until I saw your face" 

"I'm not sending to kids away to live with a stranger" I say, to them he was a stranger

"I'm living with your aunt Marla and Charlotte" he says and I gasp

"Charlotte still lives with her?" I say... She was 29 years old and still lived with her mother

"Yes, and Charlotte's son August" he says and I nearly fainted

"What! Since when did Charlotte have a son?" I ask

"Since she was 27" he tells me

"Wheres the baby daddy?" I ask. She told me she was getting married before kids, so this shocked me

"I dont know" he tells me and I help Haven into her highchair

"I'm not forcing the kids to go to Marla's house" I say and he nods

"I understand" he says and turns to the kids "would you kids like to go live with your aunt Marla?" He asks them and they both stare at him like he was speaking a foreign language

"Why?" Alice asks "does sissy not want us anymore?" She looks up at me, I kneel down to her

"Its not that I don't want you, it's just wouldn't you rather live with mommy's sister than me?" I ask her "I don't have alot of room in this house" I add and she looks down

"Its ok sissy, I understand" she says sadly and sits down with her plate and Scott does the same. We all sit down together and eat as a family.