Niall and the Princess

First Times - 7

"Daddy, I don't think I'm ready for this." Olive gulped. She was clad a a chunky light blue helmet and elbow and knee pads. Today, I would be teaching her how to ride a bike. Since I was home from tour for a while, I decided that this was the perfect time to spend some bonding time together.

"You'll do great, Princess." I held onto the back of her seat and one of the handle bars. "Now just stat pedaling slowly." Olive started slowly turning the pedals on her two-wheeler. "You're doing great, darling." I encouraged her.

She was doing really well while I held onto the bike with her, but it was time for her to learn how to ride a bike by herself.

"I'm letting go now."

"Daddy! Don't let go!" Olive wailed, but nevertheless kept on going. I released my grip on her bike and she was doing excellent for a few minutes... until she let landed in a bush. I ran over to her quickly to check up on her. "Daddy! I almost died because of you!" She didn't 'almost die' but she did scrape her legs, arms, and had a forming bruise on her face.

"You weren't going to die. It's time for you to be a big girl. You can't have training wheels forever."

"Yes I can."

"No, you can't."

Olive shooked her head violently. "I wish you weren't my dad! I wish Harry was my dad! I hate you!" I think everyone in the park could hear my heart break. It was one thing when a stranger said they didn't like you, but when it was someone who you loved like your own daughter, it hurt, alot.

Olive picked herself off the ground, untied her helmet, and threw it on the ground before walking away. She had definitely thrown fits before but normally she would throw them first and a second later she would apologize.

I figured she would later get over it like she always did, and she did.

"Daddy, I'm sorry I yelled at you in the morning. It's just really frustrating that all my friends can ride bikes and I can't."

"I forgive you, Princess. You will learn eventually, you just can't give up that easily. You have to be perstitant.

----

I've been dreading this moment the most since I got custody of Olive...

"Where is my mommy?"

"I thought Harry was your mommy?" I tried to play it off cooly, but I honestly wasn't the best actor on this planet even though i managed to feign it on national television. Olive shook her head. "Boys can't be mommys, Daddy."

"Come here Princess." Olive crawled into my lap and rested her little head in the crook of my neck. "We'll have this talk when you get older so that you can understand where mommy went okay."

"No daddy! I want to know now!"

"That is not how big girls act, buddy." I smiled. Olive gasped and tryed to regain her composture.

"But I am a big girl!" I shook my head and put Olive down. "Daddy!" Olive grabbed the hem of my long sleeve and tried to convince me to tell her where her mother went.

"I'll tell you when you turn thirteen, princess."

"Ugh, no fair."

----

"I'm sorry Princess, but I have to go." I gently tried to pry the child that was attached firmly to my leg. Her face was stained with dry tears. She had been crying since last night. We had both figured that today would never come and we could just skip over it, but that obviously isn't possible.

Today was the day that I would be leaving for a worldwide tour for the next entire year which meant that I would not be able to see Olive for an entire year. I wasn't so sure how our relationship would survive this sudden break.

I'd gone on tour many times but they had always been a time where I could go back to visit Olive, but on this specific tour we were playing shows every other night in a different city everytime. There was absolutely no time to go back home and visit her.

"Daddy, quit your job! I don't... want... you... to leave me!" Olive managed to say inbetween loud sobs and wails. We were making quite the scene at the airport. Thankfully the fans didn't crowd the airport. Extra security measures were made so that me and Olive would have a more private departure.

"I can't Darling. You know I love you very much and that I'm working to help support us as a family. Trust me, this year is going to fly by so fast! I'll be back home before you know it." I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist. "Stay strong for me, Princess.

I'm not going to lie, leaving One Direction had crossed my mind several times. There was no way I wanted to continue to be separated from my child, especially when she is at the age where she knows what is going on. It is not like when she was a couple months old and I could leave her at my mother's at not have to worry about how our relationship would fare. Eventually, I'm going to have to explain to her that I'm not her father, and what happened to her parents. My heart sinks just thinking about that day.

"I'm going to miss you very much. Come back and visit me soon, daddy." I smiled sadly. This was hurting her just as bad as it was hurting me.

"I'll try. In the mean time, go keep grandma company." The child unlatched herself from my leg and stood on her toes to give me a kiss and a firm hug.

"I love you dad."

"I love you more, Olive."

------

"Niall aren't you every going to fall in love? You are getting pretty old. You are nearing your thirties! I think it's time you find yourself a girl and settle down." Harry pressed on as he slid me back the tiny photograph. He had been pressuring me to find that special someone for a while know. It's not like I haven't considered it. It's crossed my mind several times but it all comes back to putting Olive before me.

"Harry, you know my stance on this. I can't just fall in love with anyone. She has to accept me for me and Olive. It's like dating for two." Harry shook his head.

"Olive would love a sibling to play with, I think it's time." Harry patted my shoulder. I pondered on it for a bit before getting off the barstool I was sitting on. Harry departed the empty bar and most likely made his way to his car.

"Here is your tab, sir." The young waitress handed me my bill and I groaned. The total had come out to exactly thirty-five dollars, thirty five was Olive's favorite number. "Is there something wrong sir?" The waitress asked me with a bit of concern showing in her eyes.

"It's nothing, Miss." I forked out my wallet and flipped through the wad of cash stored in it. I pulled out a hundred and handed it to the waitress. "Keep the change." I smiled and walked away. My mind still remained on Olive. I hadn't seen her in over six months. The only thing keeping me sane right now was the fact that there was only six more months to go.

"Wait!" The waitress called back again. I turned around and the waitress was holding a small picture in her petite hand. "I think you forgot this."

Sure enough, I had left the picture I was showing Harry of me and Olive at the airport from six months ago on the counter.

"Right!" I mumbled. "Thank you...Ellis." I said as I peered down to look at her name tag.

"No problem." She smiled warmly back. "Is that your daughter?"

"Kind of, she's my niece but after my brother and his wife died I got legal custody of her. She's been mine since she was born practically." I took a seat at the barstool again. I wasn't feeling like leaving yet. If I left right now, thoughts of Olive would haunt me for the rest of the night.

"Really? I'm kind of in a similar situation. I'm mothering my brother's son because of his terrible drug addiction."

To spare you all the details of my late night talk with the waitress at the bar, let's just leave it at I didn't get home until about four in the morning and not because of sexual reasons.