Surprises

Part 14

Sonny ran a hand over his face. The talk with Jason brought more memories to the forefront of his mind. Life would have been so different if he had taken Dara's hand, and they ran off the second she told him about the pregnancy. But no. He had to--

The front door opened and Hope's appearance in the doorway brought an abrupt end to his thoughts of the past. He crossed the room to her, somehow ignoring the need to pull her into his arms. She seemed so nervous and edgy around him. He supposed his reputation was the cause of her reaction. He prayed that was the only reason.

"Good morning, Hope. Come in."

Her fingers toyed nervously with the hem of the sweater she wore. Sonny tried hard not to stare. Having her there in real-life was like a dream. One that he didn't want to miss a moment of.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, closing the door as he watched her head for the sofa. "Was the penthouse okay?"

"It was fine," she said softly. "She said it would be okay if I just came over. There wasn't anything at the other place for breakfast."

Sonny's brow knitted into frown. "Where is Dara? Did she leave?"

"No," his daughter replied with a shake of her head. "She's on the phone. She said she'll come when she's done."

"Okay." A few moments alone with his firstborn. Sonny couldn't have been happier although he battled his emotions not to show it. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"I dunno."

"What?" he asked, coaxing her with a smile. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

A pained expression crossed her face. She averted her gaze and mumbled. "Not where I come from."

His smile faltered. God, what had his baby girl been through? He wanted to know everything. If someone had hurt her, he wanted to know. But one look at her face, the rigid way she held herself, he knew he couldn't ask. At least not yet.

He beckoned to her with his hand. "Let's go to the kitchen. We can change that. I make a mean omelet and my pancakes melt in your mouth."

"That's what she said."

Sonny's hand hung in mid-air as he pushed the swinging doors to the kitchen open. More memories threatened to intrude. He pushed them away and gulped air. Holding the door open for Hope to enter first, he said, "Well, Dara's telling the truth."

For that, Hope rewarded him with a faint smile. Sonny's heart nearly stopped in response. She had his mother's smile and Dara's, too. His baby girl.

"You're not exactly modest, are you?" she asked.

Sonny nearly missed the quiet statement. He was too caught up in the firsts. The first smile that was all his would be replayed in his mind for many times to come.

"I do okay," he said, reaching for an apron. He tied it around his waist and then handed one to her. "I've learned that when you have skills you should own up to them. Don't be afraid of your talent."

Hope nodded. She mimicked his movements by folding the apron over so that it didn't cover her top. Sonny stopped her before she finished tying it on.

"You should put it on all the way," he suggested. "Let me."

He pulled the apron over her head and moved around her to tie it in the back. For a second, he thought she'd deny him the moment. But she didn't. Hope stood still and waited while he tied the apron strings. Another first.

"I'm a good cook," he continued after the moment passed. "That's probably my best talent. Dara's best talent, in my opinion, is her singing. Have you heard her sing?"