Blessing in Disguise (MM)

Chapter Eighteen

NICK'S POV

✲

Too many things went wrong at work today, one too many that are beyond my control but I can't help but be angry at the situation. Robyn has been trying to calm me down all day but I've been in a mood that makes me want to stomp on flowers to be petty.

The rest of the week is going to be tough and I doubt I'll get a wink of sleep as I'll be running through every last thought whilst attempting to close my eyes. It's inevitable, I already see it now.

I arrive home just before eight. Aris and Elodie are nowhere to be seen so I presume that he's putting her to bed. My fingers fumble with my tie that feels far too tight for my liking, I strip off my jacket and walk straight to Elodie's room.

My head peeks inside to find Aris reading to Elodie as she clutches tightly onto her yellow blanket that she's had since birth. I listen quietly to Aris' soft voice as he reads the story clearly, he's got a soothing and clear reading voice. The school said that I should be helping Elodie to read more at home and I haven't been doing it as much as I could.

Elodie's eyes move from the book in front of her to my face. "Daddy!"

"Hey, pumpkin." I say quietly, not wanting to get her excited, otherwise she won't be sleeping for another hour and that's the last thing I need right now.

I wanted to see my baby's face and I have to admit, it calmed me immediately.

Aris' eyes move to mine as he closes the book and stands. "You want to finish the rest of the story?"

"Please," Elodie says with her eyelashes fluttering.

"Sure," I step forward as Aris hands me the book. "Thank you."

I perch in the seat he was occupying and kiss her forehead, smoothing back her hair. My lungs inhale a deep breath as I watch her. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, daddy."

My back shuffles into her headboard as Aris leaves the room, giving us some privacy. I love doing bedtime with Elodie because I don't do it as much anymore and spending time with her is what grounds me, reminds me what is important.

I clear my throat and begin to read from where Aris left off. Elodie giggles at the voices I make and I laugh along with her. I move my head around when I gesture to the different words, my gaze lands on something on Elodie's bedside table.

The story dies in my mouth when I spot a handmade card that has me furrowing my brows. I take it between my fingers as I stare back at the paper that Elodie has clearly made. On the front it says, 'Happy Mother's Day!'

Elodie shuffles beside me and sits up. Then she gasps. "You weren't meant to see that."

My jaw clenches so tight that I begin to shake subtly. I rarely think about Elodie's mother because she made her choices but what the fuck is this? It makes my nostrils flare as I turn back to her.

"Who told you to do this?"

"Aris did," she shrugs and watches me with weary eyes. "He was helping me with it."

I release a shuddering breath. Why would Aris tell her to do this?

He knows absolutely nothing about Elodie's situation with her mother, or anything that we've gone through since before she was born and after. Heat spreads across the back of my neck as I stare at the card in frustration.

Aris had no right to stick his nose in where it didn't belong. Feeding her shit without knowing the full story. I've spent her entire life raising her by myself, being the best father I can for him to bring up her mother who has been absent by choice?