Behind the rhymes

Chapter 27

*Onika* - One week later

"Are you excited to go back to school, Des' ?" I asked her, glancing at her in the mirror as I tied her hair into a neat high bun.

She shrugged a little, her answer less enthusiastic than usual. "Hmm, yeah."

I frowned slightly. Destiny had been a bit off since she woke up, which wasn't like her. Normally, she was bright and bubbly, especially on the first day back.

"What's wrong, baby ? You know you can tell me anything, right ?" I reminded her.

She nodded but didn't say much.

"Then, tell me what's on your mind." I said, finishing her hair and turning fully towards her, resting my hands on her shoulders.

She hesitated, looking away. "I want to ask you something but I don't want you to get mad at me."

I turned her around so she was facing me, lowering myself a bit to meet her eyes. "I won't get mad, you can ask me anything."

"Promise ?"

I nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "I promise."

She started fidgeting with her fingers, a clear sign that she was nervous. Destiny was never usually afraid to ask me things, so I genuinely wondered what was bothering her.

"Is daddy okay ? Because I haven't seen him in a long long time..."

I'm not going to lie, her question completely caught me off guard. She hadn't asked about him for months, and I wasn't expecting it now.

I took a deep breath, then gently took her hand and led us to sit on the edge of my bed. I pulled her onto my lap, hugging her close.

"I don't know, baby. I haven't seen him in a while either."

"You're not mad at me for asking ?" She asked, her gaze lifting to meet mine.

I felt a pang in my chest. Why would she think I'd be mad over a question like that ? Even though he wasn't shit, at the end of the day, he was still her father. "Why would I get mad ?"

She shrugged, "Because..he hit you."

My heart tightened. A flash of painful memory resurfacing. She still remembered.

"Yes, he did, but that has nothing to do with you, baby. If you ever want to ask me something about your daddy, you can. I'll never be upset with you for it, alright ?"

She nodded, reassured. "Okay, mommy." She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts. "You said you don't know if he's okay ?"

"No, I don't. I haven't talked to him." Just thinking about him was enough to irritate me so I'd be damned if I ever talk to him after what he did.

"Okay." She replied. But her body language told me she wasn't finished.

I gently stroked her cheek, encouraging her. "You can talk to me, baby."

She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did he forget about you and me ?"

Her question weighed heavy, And I could see how much it bothered her. "No, baby, of course not. Nobody could ever forget about us." I said with a little smile, trying to lighten up the moment. She smiled back, just a bit.

"But why doesn't he call or come see us ? And he didn't apologize to you."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at her observation. "Apologize for what ?"

"For hitting you. When someone hurts someone, they should say sorry."

I smiled, touched by her simple wisdom. She was so smart and kind-hearted. That was all me.