Makeup remover wipes S.M.

Chapter 13

April 17

"Going?" Her eyebrows furrow at me. Brooke and Geoff adopted the kids, and Reese is going with Ian. It's really hard to leave them but I'm being pulled away.

"Yeah prince, Reese," I stop myself. Andrews forcing me back out to New York and I'm not allowed to bring any of them. Reese doesn't know where I'm going and she wasn't even supposed to be awake yet to see me leave.

"Why?" Her eyes go soft and she sits at my feet, she hasn't learned to stand yet, and I really wanted to be the one to teach her. She ended up giving birth to a baby boy about four months ago, he was very premature so she never got to hold him and probably never will, he's now in Brooke and Geoff's care. New York is supposed to turn into my permanent home.

"I have work to do honey, I haven't done any in a long time." I peck her forehead and watch her smile slowly fall apart and the look on her face, the look of confusion, the look of her heart being shattered by my every word. "When I'm allowed," I kneel down in front of her. "I promise I'll come home and we'll get married." I'd planned a whole wedding and all that was left was her dress shopping but I had to fly out of the country the day it was supposed to happen so she never knew about it.

"White dress," her eyes regain the sparkle they had when she first crawled out here. "Bear," she pouts gripping my hand. She's never really cried, not in this state, not since I've had her back. She pretends to cry all of the time but not once has an actual tear ever fallen. "Me?" She looks up her lips trembling and tears in her eyes. "Leaving me?" She moves away.

"I don't want to princess," I hum but she won't have it. "Hey," she yells and she screams she cries and she whines while I try and hug her. "I'm not coming home," even though she doesn't stop crying she turns letting her head fall on my shoulder. "But Ian said he'll take good care of you." My hands slip underneath her shirt and I hold her.

"You," she demands. She knows I'd take her everywhere with me if I could so I'm sure she just doesn't understand why I can't bring her with me now.

"I'll call you when I get there." I kiss her forehead and she pouts, he kids cried and whined and Mercy wouldn't talk to me neither would Angelina and the boys were mad that they couldn't have their mama either. They're all really upset about that, they can't be with either of us at all anymore. "Goodbye sweet cheeks." I kiss her lips softly getting a kiss back for the first time in four years.

"Love you bear." She waves as I walk out making me cry. I walk back through the door lifting her up and holding her against me knowing she can't do it herself. She then moves herself down giving me a kiss that I haven't felt in years.

"I'm gonna come back for you, I promise." I mumble into her mouth. "And we're gonna live happily ever after," For the first time in so long when she moved her head back, it feels like I've lost something. Just the warmth of her lips against mine but it's a feeling I haven't experienced in years.

"Promise?" She holds out her pinky and I nod admiring her skills.

"I promise," I connect our pinkies and our lips in one swift motion. "Now why don't you go do your workout? Or play with some of your toys?" I try to force myself away knowing I'll never leave at this rate. I tell my mom one more minute and I bring her into our room. "Soon, this won't be ours anymore." She looks around all scared and confused. "But when I come back we'll get a bigger one," I slowly change her diaper. "A better one," she shakes her head.

"Perfect!" She slams her fist against the bedsheets. "Stay?" Her eyes go soft, she never usually has very much emotion or so much change in thought with anyone else so this must be shocking to all of them.

"I can't," I sigh bringing her to the bathroom where I brush her hair putting it up into a messy bun, one of her favourite styles. "Makeup?" She nods slowly letting my take the old stuff off and put the new stuff.

"Shawn I don't wanna rush it but your flights boarding in an hour," I nod finishing her makeup and putting her glasses on.

"You're gonna behave right?" I take her back into my arms and carry her out to the door.

"Miss you," she sniffs looking down. I continue to run my hands over her back but slowly I sink to the ground sitting her down.

"Miss you too," with one last kiss, one more I love you I'm out the door.

"She's been practicing for you," my mom smiles. "She wanted to tell you she loved you properly on the day you guys get married." She explains. "We spent hours every day trying to teach her and she got really frustrated because she was worried you might leave if she couldn't. She's even started going to physical therapy when she says she's out with the girls, she wanted to learn how to walk so she could stand with you at the alter instead of sitting."

"She doesn't think I love her like I tell her I do."

-

"This is my baby boy," I smile at the picture of my son. "He's a preemie, that's why he's so small." I nod even though they probably knew, all of social media knows. "And his mama won't ever get to hold him," I cough doing my best to act tough even though it burns holes through me. "I've only held him once." I look down.

"And I'm sure it won't be the last time you do." They turn to Andrew.

"In another year of two," he nods making me sigh. She wanted this baby so badly and I can't even give him to her, she can't keep any of them.

"My poor family."