Blessing in Disguise (MM)

Chapter Seventeen

ARIS' POV

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When Elodie decided she wanted to do some arts and crafts after school, I shat myself when she started to open some purple glitter. I've never moved so fast in my life to take it from her hands before it flies everywhere. I don't need another reason for Nick to murder me.

Anger by a million pieces of glitter.

She pouts when I take it away. "But I want to use it."

I watch as her arms cross over her chest and she flashes me her upset face. Don't be fooled, I've been at the end of Elodie's tantrums more than enough times. I think I know how to deal with them now because negotiating with a five year old is hard but it's not impossible.

"Els," I say as I clutch the little pot between my hands. "This glitter could have gone everywhere, meaning it would have taken hours, if not days–probably years to clean up. You tell me where you want the glitter to go and I'll do it for you."

Elodie's eyes lighten up before she crosses her arms tighter over her chest. "No," she grumbles. "I want to do it myself."

I huff out a breath. I already laid out newspaper across the coffee table so that she could make a mess and I wouldn't be charged thousands of pounds for marked furniture. "Elodie, if this goes everywhere then your daddy is going to be mad. It's the last thing he wants to see when he comes home. So either I do it for you, or we use these glitter pens instead?"

Her eyes move to the plastic tray of funky glitter pens I spotted earlier. I pray in my mind that she picks the goddamn pens before I lose my mind. She sits up on her knees and starts rummaging through the box to find a purple pen.

I say nothing as she takes off the lid and uses it on the piece of paper in front of her. "Hmm," she mumbles as she looks at it. "It's not as good as the glitter."

"Hey," I say, catching her attention. "Why don't we do the glitter another day? Preferably when your daddy is here and he's totally fine with your house getting destroyed."

She gasps. "I would never."

A chuckle escapes my lips. "Look, those pens look so good."

Her face is still angry looking but she sighs and looks at the paper. "I guess."

"It looks pretty," I comment. "That colour is better than the glitter anyway."

I'm lying but I need her to stop eyeing up those pots of glitter that could ruin this career for me. I've seen those glitter bomb pranks online and they do not look fun.

Elodie starts picking up the other pens and I'm relieved that she's distracted from the glitter, so when she's not looking I slide them into an empty box and keep them away from her wandering eyes.

"Do you like my daddy, Aris?" She asks out of nowhere.

I blink at the sudden question. "Yeah," I nod. "Sure. He's... a nice guy."

Those big green eyes flick to meet me. "What is your daddy like?"

"My dad is the best man I know but he's sick."

Her little brows pinch together. "Sick?"

"Yes. He has this disease called Alzheimer's."

"What's that?" She asks curiously as she places down her pen onto the newspaper.

I swallow back the lump in my throat because I rarely talk about it. I remember when I mentioned it to Luca and I practically broke down. It's painful to talk about. "It's a problem with the brain that makes you forget memories and everyday tasks." I explain slowly.