"I don't wanna go. Can't you and Danny teach me. You would be good teachers, and we could eat ice cream, and watch Barbie, and.." she trailed off, zoning out as we pulled up to the school.
"I can't do this Willy." Sophie whispered from the backseat. It was her first day of school, ever. Despite the lack of any education she was already smarter than most kids her age.
I didn't want her to go. In fact just like her I had counted down the days, putting a little x on each day of the calendar until September second. I hated leaving her.
"Sophie, look at me. It's just five hours. That's only two Barbie movies. And then you, me, and dan can go get dinner together." I smiled, watching her little grin in the rear view mirror.
She had just lost another tooth last night, which gave her a certain look of innocence. The little girl who had seen more shit than most, still had a childish purity.
"Promise?" She asked me, shoving her pinky in my face. I took it, and wrapped mine around hers.
"Promise." I grinned and watched her climb out of the car, lingering for a second.
"Bye daddy." She smiled, and then ran up the steps into the school.
---
"I'm worried about her." I sighed, drinking the remainder of my beer.
"She'll, be, be, fine." Dan laughed, taking a sip of his water.
"Don't worry about her mate. She's going to fit in perfectly. You know she'll be alright." Kyle punched me playfully on my shoulder.
"She's just been through so much. What if the other kids think she's weird? What if they ask about her mother? Kids can be so cruel."
Both Kyle and Dan looked at me, giving me the you're being stupid look. And then I relaxed a little.
"I gotta go. See you later." Dan smiled, leaving a couple dollars for the waitress.
It had been a month since he had back, but he still had therapy three times a week. His speech had improved slightly but he still wasn't all there. I still caught him staring blankly at the wall, completely zoned out.
I still felt guilty for him. Sophie was his daughter. Biologically she belonged to him, but legally she belonged to me.
He hadn't brought it up. But sometimes I still caught him looking at the old Polaroid, carefully holding the picture in his hands.
"Earth to will..." Kyle trailed off, waving a hand in front of my face.
"She's his." I muttered, watching as his face contorted in confusion.
"Sophie." I clarified. And pulled out my phone, showing him the picture of the Polaroid.
"I remember this. Can't be right. Remember she left him." Kyle pointed out.
"She was already pregnant. She had been for a month when the picture was taken. Kyle she told me."
"Oh fuck."
---
"Oh my gosh daddy you will not believe what happened today!" She squealed, both me and Dan laughing.
She picked up tiger listening as he quietly meowed in her ear.
"A girl in my class is named Sophie, and now we're best friends. Isn't that so cool. School was so fun!" She giggled, shoving a whole chicken nugget in her mouth.
It made me smile. For once everything seemed to be going right. Sophie and Dan were exchanging jokes, both smiling as they ate their chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.
My family, my crazy, untraditional, crazy family was perfect.
---
One more chapter...
Trying really hard to not do something but I wanna do it so bad, but then I feel like this book would be like everything else I've ever written so IDK
