Reunited (2)

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Two whole years had passed, and family life was going great! Ashleigh was now a rambunctious little toddler, and was the little princess we had always dreamed of having. She had deep brown locks, with small ringlets towards the ends of her hair, and bolting green eyes to match. There was no denying that if strangers were to believe that one of us were her biological father, they'd think that it was Sal. Did we care that neither of us helped to make Ashleigh? Hell no. She was still our daughter, and we had promised Dylan and Sammy that we'd bring her up with a good life. Some may call it spoiling her, but if you ask us, we'd say that we were showing her what hard work and commitment can achieve. I loved being a dad, it helped me to grow up myself. Granted, Sal would still say that I'm an immature asshole of a dad, but I didn't care. I loved Ashleigh with all of my heart, and I was determined to not fuck up the bond that we share. Sal and I didn't always see eye to eye with parenting, but that happens with every couple. He didn't like how I'd sometimes let her get away with having a tantrum, but how can I resist those big green eyes – perhaps he was jealous that he had a competitor in the pouty face and batting of the eyelashes. She was so darling...and so was he.

The first two years of being a parent was great and all, but it also meant that Sal and I had barely any time to ourselves. Ashleigh always came first, of course she did, but I guess you could say that the sexual tension was beginning to get to Sal and I. If we weren't arguing over what Ashleigh were to wear one day, then it'd be over which one of us were to put her to bed. It never crossed our minds that we could both put her to bed. We would never go to bed angry, one of us would always back down and apologise, but one night it never happened.

"Brian, I put her to bed last night, it's your turn!" Sal grunted through gritted teeth, not allowing Ashleigh to hear us. I sulked, pausing Zelda on my retro console – Nintendo 64, if you must know – and looked at him. I exhaled, as I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"But I'm in the middle of a fucking game!" I replied, my voice low but agitated. Sal pushed the door shut, making sure Ashleigh remained playing her room, as he folded his arms, raising an eyebrow.

"You know I don't like you using that kind of language in front of my daughter." He stated, as he gave me a disappointed look. I stood up, switching the console off, before walking towards Sal. I stood in front of him, letting my index finger jab onto his chest.

"Last time I checked, she was our daughter, Sal." I scoffed, as I barged passed him, my shoulder bumping into his, as I made my way out of the room. I walked into Ashleigh's room, finding her sat on the floor, playing with her dolls. Sal had just given her a bath, and so her hair was still slightly damp, and she was dressed in her baby pink nightie. She turned to look at me, smiling brightly. I couldn't help but smile at her. I loved her so much, but she was such a struggle to get to sleep sometimes, especially after bath night. "Hey Princess, are you ready for a story?" I asked. Ashleigh nodded her head, as she held her arms up for me to hold. I hooked my hands under her arms, lifting her up from the floor, before placing her onto my hip. I strolled over to her little bookcase, letting her choose a short story to read. She chose a toddler-friendly version of a Superman comic – I'd taught her well.

"Daddy, you read." She giggled, as I placed a kiss to her cheek, before taking a seat on her toddler bed. I sat cross-legged on the mattress, as Ashleigh sat on my lap. I started to read to her, letting her soak in the pictures. As I was reading, I could see Sal pacing around the hall through the crack in the door. He was obviously watching me, almost observing me. I already felt insecure enough about being a father – even now – I didn't need him judging me for it as well.

After around half an hour, Ashleigh's eyes began to droop, as she tried to fight her sleep. In the end, her tiredness won, as she fell against my chest, fast asleep. I gently put the book down, before lifting her into my arms. Her head rested against my chest, with my arm hooked around her legs. I clambered from the bed, pulling back the covers, before softly placing her down. I covered her back up, stroking my hand against her cheek, admiring her cuteness. I placed a kiss to her temple, trying not to disturb her from her slumber.