A Father's Love

Ch.3- The Secret

Jake's POV

We met both Poppy and Louis and I had instantly fell in love with them. They seemed quiet but I felt a connection with them. Lisa felt the same and we always wanted two kids. I loved Louis's innocence and cheekiness, I loved Poppy's laugh. But there was something they were both holding back, like a spark had been put out and never ignited again and part of me couldn't let that go.

We told Jenny and she drowned us in terms and conditions and paperwork which we signed hastily wanting to get all the official stuff over and done with. I was surprised at how much paperwork was involved even though this was only one overnight stay. We were just about done with all the paperwork when Jenny folded her arms, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite bring herself to say it.

"If you are really serious about this, there are a few things you should know," she said eventually, breathing deeply. I glanced towards Lisa then back at Jenny with narrowed eyes. She hesitated then continued, "They had an abusive father,"

Those words seemed to hit something in me and made my blood boil, I cursed out of empathy and anger, what the actual hell. I gripped the edge of my chair, my fists clenching as I realised that, this was the spark that was never ignited; love.

"In what way?" Lisa asked beside me I glanced up; not anything good has ever come out of the word abuse, yet, like my wife, I was intrigued.

"Emotional, mental," she hesitates, and I already know what she's going to say, "physical,"

"We never had enough evidence to get to court, but he is still on the police radar so be wary of that. He is a dangerous individual. Poppy doesn't like to talk about it or more like she refuses, she's a good kid but she is damaged more than she lets on," she continued.

"Then we will help her, both of them, we want to give them a secure home and two people that love them," Lisa said confidently, feeling her fingers tracing over mine.

"And I have every faith in you and nobody deserves it more than them kids," she finished, smiling now. I tried to reciprocate it but my head was running a thousand miles an hour, it could be why Poppy is so quiet and more nervous when she is around me, I reminded her of her dad. I had to prove her wrong.

"I think we are done here, unless you have any further questions?"

I glanced at Lisa and she smiled back at me, it was all the confirmation I needed; this was right. I felt my wife's hand gaze over mine as we stood and I could feel the excitement radiating off of her, the beaming, bubbling woman I arrived was finally on the road to becoming a mum. But, even weirder than that, I was becoming a dad.

"No, I think we are all good," Lisa told her, standing, I followed her and reached my hand over the desk to shake Jenny's hand.

"Just remember what I told you about Poppy, she's never known anything different from her dad and then this, it could be quite a shock for her," she reinstated wearing a worried expression.

"We will make her as comfortable as possible," I reassured her, earnestly. I needed to make sure she felt safe and she enjoyed the time she spent with us, she had preconceptions about me already, it was a lot of pressure.

"Could I go and help them pack?" Lisa asked, Jenny agreed and told her the directions to Poppy's room again probably sensing she had forgotten.

"Did you bring a car seat?" she asked me, I mentally kicked myself I didn't even think we would be bringing home a child today let alone two. I shook my head rather sheepishly, she smiled warmly and ushered me through to a cupboard that was bursting at the seams with car seats, pushchairs and toys.