The Struggle For Love ✔

Chapter 34 - Letting go

– Monday, October 22nd, 2018 –

I watch Mila slowly close her eyes, giving into the sleep soon after I put her in bed, while Finnley and Oliver were trying to light a camp fire in the pit that is in the backyard of the cabin that we rented with the four of us.

Alex is in the kitchen, putting marshmallows into a bowl, and grabbing drinks; non-alcoholic drinks.

I found out Oliver and Alex were both alcoholics, who were trying to stay sober again after a weaker period in the beginning of the year, and since Finnley isn't allowed to drink anything due to his medical condition, I just figured it would be a decent thing to not drink myself either.

No alcohol in this cabin, for the rest of the week.

The four of us rented a cabin in the Belgium Ardennes, just because we felt like getting away for a while. At first, we wanted to go with the four of us in total, but soon after we agreed on this vacation, Finnley admitted he didn't want to be away from Mila for a whole week. So we took her with us.

"Is she sleeping already?" Finnley appears in the door opening of the bedroom, and I turn to smile at him.

"Almost." I whisper back, reaching a hand in his direction, asking for his hand. He grabs mine and walks up to me, allowing me to hug him from behind, my arms around his waist and my chin on his shoulder, as we both look down at Mila.

"She's growing so fast." Finnley whispers. "She's already two months."

"Before you know it, she'll be walking, and running away from us. And talking, talking, talking."

"In the blink of an eye, she'll reach puberty and starts to annoy the hell out of us."

"And we'll have to scare away all the boys who want to date her."

"Oh, there will be no dating until she's 18."

"Agreed." I chuckle, and he smiles, sighing in content.

"You are so going to be the same as your father. Embarrassing her in front of others and making jokes about her to tease her."

"But of course, I will. That's my duty as her father, isn't it?"

Finnley laughs softly, nodding. "You do that, so she can come to me for love and hugs and everything."

"She's totally going to be your princess. I already know I'll never come near the bond you two will have."

"I'm sure you will. You're just as much her father, Cris." Finnley turns a bit to look at me. "Maybe not by blood, but most definitely by heart. I see how you look at her. You love her endlessly. You did from the first second, just like I did."

"Which is true, but you just... everything is so natural when you do it. I'm just awkwardly learning how to take care of her."

"Don't forget I had practise with Liv and Lara already, and you never came near a baby because you thought they were loud and obnoxious."

"I still think they are, just not Mila."

"She is quite the silent one, huh?" Finnley grins. But he's right. Mila hardly ever cries, just when she's really tired, or hungry, or whenever she just woke up. But she isn't screaming for attention, she isn't crying when she's being put in bed. She just stares at us and falls asleep.

"Let's go outside." Finnley whispers, placing a kiss on my cheek. "She'll let us know when she needs us."

I nod, set up the baby monitor and walk outside with him, where he turns on the other monitor before we sit down by the fire.