The Space Speculation: Book 2 ~Painful Past~

Chapter 25: "Uncle" to "Dad"

 As the days, weeks, and months went by, both Tom and I grew into a stronger relationship.

 Paisley was thrilled when he started coming by on Mondays and Thursdays to watch her, as well as Saturdays still.

 Calvin began coming over with him on Saturdays to visit and have a mug of tea or coffee.

 "You know," I said as we sat on the sofa, chatting, 

"I knew a person named Calvin when I was a girl. Well, I didn't really know him. I just knew who he was. I had never really seen him." I blushed, embarrassed that I was talking too much. 

Calvin chuckled. 

"Well, Calvin is a popular name these days." 

Tom stood up. 

"I think Paisley has a surprise for us," he winked at me. 

"Is that what she was whispering to you about when you got here? I thought there was something suspicious about both of your behaviors," I said playfully, letting him hold my arm and help me up. 

"Come and see," he said softly, a smile on his lips.

 I closed my eyes and followed blindly behind Tom, tripping over random toys here and there. 

"Okay, open." I opened my eyes. 

Paisley stood in the middle of her bedroom, arms spread, grandly presenting a small child's table with plastic roses in a toy vase and dinnerware from her plastic kitchen set. 

"Welcome, miss Mommy and mister Uncle Tom," she said importantly, pulling the tiny chairs out. 

We sat, pulling our knees up so they were almost touching our chins.

 Tom smiled politely, accepting a tiny napkin from Paisley to put on his lap. I could tell he was very uncomfortable. 

"And now, for your entre-tiny-mint," Paisley carefully pronounced the long word as Tom and I hid smiles. She then picked up a toy violin and started humming a song she made up, pretending to play.  

At the end of the song, she bowed. 

"Now, you will have a roman-tick dinner together." She switched off the lights and placed electric candles on the table, giving it a romantic glow. 

Tom and I sat at the table awkwardly as Paisley, dressed in black and white with a napkin around her arm like a waitress, brought us store-bought cookies (that obviously Tom had brought) on plastic toy plates. 

"Enjoy," she said, turning abruptly to sit on her bed and stare at us for the rest of the meal. 

I gingerly picked up my cookie and nibbled at it. Tom, however, had no such manners. Crumbs fell from his open mouth as he took large bites of the chocolate chip dessert, making Paisley laugh. 

He wiped his mouth with his arm and grinning foolishly. I couldn't help but smile back. 

"So," I started, picking up my doll's teacup and sipping the warm water, "uh, you knew about this?" 

Tom nodded and swallowed, leaning forward to whisper, 

"It was Paisley's idea. I just came up with some extra things." 

"Like the cookies?" I smiled playfully. 

"No, those were her idea," he took a deep breath. 

"This, however, was mine." He stood up, with some difficulty getting his knees out from under the table, and took my hand. I heard a squeal from Paisley, who was smiling wide. Tom got down on one knee and reached for his back pocket. 

"Mrs. Paisley Parker," he took out a box. I gasped. 

"Would you grant me the honor of making me the happiest husband—and father," he looked at Paisley, "in the whole galaxy?" 

Of course I said yes! 

 I knew I would never fully move on from Colin or Jace, but I also knew that I loved Thomas Lane, as did Paisley. 

I decided to not tell Tom about my being an alien.

 I didn't want something bad to happen to him, like Chad tracking him down and torturing him or something.

 I just wanted to be a happy family with no alien backgrounds; only joy and love. For the moment, Paisley didn't know either. And I wanted to keep it that way. 

I knew that she would find out when I left to find William, but until then, she would be a normal girl with a normal mother and father and a normal dog named Creamsicle. Things were starting to look good again.

This section was written by Melina