Those Five Words

3.

Chapter 3

Max POV

Our daughter turns two today. I can't believe that Charlie is turning two today. Her name is really Charlotte but Tobias and I have always called her Charlie much to Evelyn's disgust. But then there isn't much that Evelyn is ever happy about. I don't even know where she is at the moment. She spends less and less time with us. Which is fine with me, I'm happiest when it is just Tobias, Charlie and I.

I hear the front door open and shut and my two kids are calling me, "Dad," they call out in unison.

I'll never forget the day Tobias first called me dad. I felt so proud. Tobias was still being home schooled at the time. Although it was hard to ever find him in the apartment. He would wander off for hours; we never did know where he went, he still does it now. The Dauntless compound is so large and there are so many places you can hide. I was watching the latest bunch of initiates going through stage three of training. Watching them go through their fear landscapes. There were so many people there that no one even notices the little boy sitting in the corner.

Once the initiates had finished I went over to Tobias and asked him what he was doing here. "I just wanted to see what everyone was doing," he said. I know he didn't like crowds and would often run and hide if there were too many people around so I didn't want to make a big deal of him being around so many.

I explained how the fear landscape worked and how to pass training the initiates had to face their fears. He stood there soaking in the information when he said, "I only have four fears."

"Really, are you sure?" I said. He nodded and I said, "Well if that's the case then you will hold the Dauntless record."

"Yep, I only have four," he said. Adamant that he would only have four.

"Well if that's the case then I'm going to call you Four from now on," I said.

He looked up at me and said, "Does that mean that I can call you Dad?"

I knelt down so that I was face to face with him and I said, "Of course you can call me Dad." I think I had the biggest smile ever on my face as I said this. Tobias wrapped his arms around my neck and said, "Well then you can call me Four".

Ever since that day I and everyone else other than his mother have called Tobias Four and he has called me dad.

Charlie comes running up and jumps into my arms, "Happy Birthday Charlie," I say giving my daughter a hug and kiss her on the cheek.

"Where's mum?" Four asks.

"No idea," I reply.

"Is she going to be here for my party?" Charlie asks.

"I'm sure she will be, baby."

I set Charlie back down on the ground and she runs over and jumps on the lounge next to her brother. Four absolutely loves his baby sister. I really was blessed that even though there is such a huge age gap between them they get along really well. Charlie adores her big brother and he spoils her rotten.

Four has come so far since he first arrived in Dauntless. He still has recurring nightmares from his life living with Marcus but he doesn't seem to scream out in the middle of the night anymore. He has made friends. Four and Zeke are inseparable. They usually have Uriah following around after them, which can be really funny at times. Especially when they are up to no good, then they try and blame it on Uriah. Or they just get him to do whatever will get them into trouble first. There is also Shauna who hangs with them; she is the same age as Four and Zeke. I am sure she has a crush on Zeke but he is clueless. Uriah's' friends Marlene and Lynn can often be seen with them as well. They are a good bunch of kids and it is nice to see Four around others his own age.