The Mistake

6. All these years...

A knock on her door took her out of her thoughts.
"Coming!" Astrid went to the door and opened it. When she saw how it was, her eyes widened.
"Hey."

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"This is all you have to say?! 'Hey'?! You have been gone for eight years, and now you're standing here, and all you say is 'Hey'?!" Astrid screamed. The door behind her was closed.
"Astrid, I'm so sorry I moved away. Dad wanted it that way. He didn't even leave me a chance to tell you. We moved to Germany. There, I had to finish the university to become a doctor. I graduated a week ago, and I made myself on the way to you. I'm so sorry..." Astrid sighed.
"Look, I can't just go on like you never left. You were gone for eight years and left me here pregnant without any word. I'm sorry, Hiccup, but I can't. Of course, you can meet your daughter, no question. She really wants to meet you. But between you and me, it's never going to be the same." Astrid said, a few tears tumbling down her cheeks. She opened the door and went in. Hiccup still stood outside.
"You're coming?" She asked. He nodded and came in.

"Pauline? Would you please come into the living room. I want to introduce you to someone." Astrid said, walking in her daughter's room.
"Sure, Mom! I'm coming." Pauline jumped off her chair and went with her Mom into the living room.

"Hello, Pauline." Hiccup said.
"Sweetie, that's your Dad. He came here. He wanted to see you." Astrid said with a smile. She didn't know if it was a real or a fake smile. Pauline stood still for a moment, but then she just ran into Hiccup's arms.
"Dad! You're finally here!" She cried out and hugged him. With tears in his eyes, he hugged her back. Hiccup picked her up, hugging Pauline tighter.
"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Dad!" She whispered, but Astrid heard it still.
"I'm glad to meet you finally, too." The next sentence let his heart melt.
"Love ya, Dad!" But not only Hiccup's heart melt. Astrid's did, too. To see her daughter seeing her Dad first time in life with this reaction was wonderful. She could cry. Like Hiccup. He kissed his daughter's forhead and petted it carefully, tears still running down his cheeks. But this were tears of joy.

~later that evening~

Astrid and Hiccup were sitting on the couch in an awkward silence. Until Hiccup broke it.
"Astrid?"
"Hm?" She answered.
"Thank you!" He said with a bright smile. She could see he was tired.
"For what?" Astrid was confused.
"For everything. For giving birth to our daughter. To your daughter. For allowing me to meet her. For raising her so well. I'm sorry I wasn't there..." He whispered the last sentence. She knew he felt guilty.
"Well, um, you're welcome? I just did my job as a Mom, I guess. And I know you would do it, too, if you were there." Astrid smiled at him. They moved closer to each other every second. Hiccup put his hand on her cheek, Astrid's hand laid on his thigh. They leaned in and...

... Pauline came into the room.
"Mom? Dad? What were you doing?" She asked.
"Um, we, well, we were just talking about all these years apart." Astrid stuttered awkwardly. Pauline went closer to them and sat on Hiccup's lap. They hugged each other thight. She snuggled closer into his chest, like she did to her Mom.
Soon, they both fell asleep, still holding each other close. Astrid hugged them, too, and put a blanket around them. Before that, she made a quick picture of them two. This moment had to be saved. Forever.