Matt's POV
"Daddy, can we visit the girls?" Charlotte asked.
I glanced at her in the rear view mirror, she hadn't stopped talking since she got in the car.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well see Aunty Sophie is going to see mommy and poor Uncle Brian will be home with the girls."
I smiled. "I guess we can, but first I kind of want to hang out with you." I told her. "I missed you."
"Oh I missed you daddy, so much."
I was glad she missed me, I hated this sharing of her, a few weeks with me, a few weeks with Ana, it wasn't fair on her but she coped so well with it, she was a strong girl and she reminded me so much of Ana, in every way.
We arrived at my place and I grabbed her bag, watching her run to the door, I let us inside and she put her bag in her room while I headed to the kitchen.
"Why don't we have ice cream and you can tell me what you've been doing?" I told her when she walked in.
"Good idea." She said climbing up on a stool at the bench.
I got us both a bowl of ice cream, placed one in front of her, sitting on the stool beside her.
"So, what have you been doing baby?" I asked her.
She shoved a spoonful into her mouth. "I like summer holidays daddy. I haven't been to school in two weeks and I don't have to go back for ages."
"Don't you miss school?"
"Nope." In went another spoonful.
"Well what are you doing over summer?"
"I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe mommy will take me to Disneyland, I mean I've been asking."
"I'm sure she will."
"You're not going away are you daddy?" She asked me, putting her spoon down and looking at me.
"Nope, not this year. Daddy is having a rest."
She rewarded me with a big smile, climbing over onto my lap.
"Good, you can come to Disneyland with us." She said wrapping her arms around my neck. "But we won't tell mom, she'll just get all upset again."
I hugged her tightly, closing my eyes. "Maybe."
"I miss you daddy." She whispered.
"I miss you." And I did, so much.
"Mommy misses you." She whispered, pulling back and taking my face in her hands.
"She does?" I asked softly.
She nodded. "Alot."
"I miss mommy." I murmured, I missed her more than I could ever put into words.
"Come home with me." She said smiling brightly.
I sighed. "It's not that simple baby."
"I know." She said hugging me again. "One day mommy will forgive you."
God I really hoped she would.
"I forgave you." Charlotte whispered and that brought tears to my eye's, because she was right, everything that had happened, everything I'd done had hurt the both of them.
"Thank you." I whispered kissing her cheek.
"Don't be sad daddy. Everything will be okay."
But I had to wonder, would it be okay?
"Yes it will be." I said determinedly.
She rewarded me with a big smile. "Now can we go to Uncle Brian's?"
"Geez I suppose so." I groaned. "But I thought you might want to spend some time with your dad."
"I do." She squealed. "But we have five whole days."
"Yes we do." I said picking her up. "And we are gonna have fun."
"Good."
"Yes good." And I started tickling her until she begged me to stop.
"Do you need anything before we leave?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Nope."
"Well let's go." I yelled, running for the door.
She laughed all the way to the car and once we were on our way she didn't stop chatting. I loved car rides with Charlotte, the only thing missing was Ana, I missed Ana's chatting, I missed Ana.
We arrived at Brian's and the girls were excited to see eachother, well Charlotte and Gabriella were, little Addie just followed them around.
"How you doing?" Brian asked me, handing me a beer.
I shrugged, how did he think he was I doing?
Brian was my savior, after Jimmy died and everything went bad, it was Brian who sat me down, it was Brian who told me I had to stop, what I was doing wouldn't bring Jimmy back and he was right of course and I was so glad he'd done that for me. I only wished he'd done sooner.
I wished he'd done it before I'd lost Ana.
