Kisses | Reddie

thirtyfour ☆ family first

by: reddiebagels on wattpad (cute and fluffy!! uwu)

~~~~~

Eddie didn't plan on a lot of things. He never planned to live a life where he was controlled, never planned on getting married to a woman he didn't love, never planned on getting her pregnant and then demanding all rights when they got divorced.

He didn't consider for a second Myra's bad health and that she'd die three weeks later, resulting in Eddie's full custody of his three week old daughter, a child he didn't expect he'd even get to take care of.

It was a hassle, but not one he hated. In fact, Eddie loved his daughter with everything he had, but it was extremely complicated to be a single father. He worked at an auto body shop for one of his friends that he'd met in Boston, and he was really good about making sure Eddie had time for his daughter, but it wasn't the same.

He wanted to give his child the best life possible, but he had no one to rely on. Especially as a single parent with only a few friends and not a lot of money.

Sometimes, life felt impossible.

Eddie didn't know that one day that would change.

---

Seven years into being a parent, and Eddie was stuck. Literally.

"Ben! Help me out!" Eddie yelled, trying to tug his arm out from the tight space where he accidentally dropped a bolt.

Ben jogged into the room, a bottle of vegetable oil in hand. "Don't pull to hard or you'll cut yourself," he said calmly, trying to help Eddie ease his hand out. "Are you okay?"

Eddie grabbed his oil covered hand and wiped it off, cringing in disgust. "Stupid piece of shit won't start," he grumbled, resting his head on the hood of his car.

"Daddy?" called a small voice from behind Eddie and Ben.

Eddie turned and smiled at his seven year old daughter, Harper, who was walking out of the break room. She was dressed in a pink tutu that she'd decided she wanted to wear with one of Eddie's t-shirts tucked into it. It looked ridiculous, but Harper was always very firm about what she wanted to wear, and Eddie refused to be as controlling as his mother and dead ex-wife were.

"What is it, sweetie?" he asked, picking her up as she ran over to him. "Everything okay?"

She looked a lot like Eddie, with soft brown hair and dark eyes, freckles splattered all over her face. She also had an attitude, which irritated most parents, but Eddie found it a unique trait that was important to his daughter.

Harper nodded before whispering in Eddie's ear. "Can we get milkshakes?" she asked, her brown eyes pleading.

"Okay, but I need to finish starting this car with Uncle Ben first," Eddie said, but Ben stopped him.

"You're good, Eddie," Ben said with a smile. "This one's a lemon anyway. Owner said if we can't fix it, we can scrap it down and he'll pay us for it."

Harper smiled giddily. "Can Uncle Ben and Auntie Bev come with us?" she asked.

It was no secret that Harper adored Bev. She was one of Eddie's friends that she'd met through Ben, and she always offered to keep an eye on Harper while Eddie was working.

"Sure, I think I owe them one. Or a hundred," Eddie said, wincing as Ben clapped his shoulder.

"You don't owe us a thing and you know it," Ben said. "And Bev's off later tonight. She's got some design thing for a comedian she's worked with for a while."