Never Let You Go

Chapter 25

Same day but in Chicago with Connor and Natasha. 

It is 8 am in the morning, the sunlight shined through the curtain in Connor's bedroom. A small body quietly opened the door and sneaked into Connor's bedroom. Then climb on to Connor's bed. Soon, Connor felt the extra weigh on his body.

'Daddy wake up! Wake up!' Natasha sat on Connor and tried to wake him up. 

'Oh, good morning sweetheart. What's the time?' Connor slowly got up and rubbed his eyes. Then sat up cuddling Natasha. 

'It's morning.' Natasha couldn't really tell time yet. 

'It's only 8 am.' Connor looked at the clock. 'Why are you up so early?' 

'You said we are going to the park today.' Natasha said as she gets off Connor and went under the blanket that Connor was using. 

'Yeah, right.' Connor realised and he did promise her. 

'Hey, daddy!' Natasha put on a cheeky smile. 

'What?' Connor looked at her. 

'Tickle war!' Natasha put her little hands on Connor's neck and started tickling Connor.

'Oh, is that so?' Connor tickled her back. And Natasha is very ticklish. 

'Haha... Daddy, stop... please.' Natasha giggled. 

The two played on the bed for another 10 minutes until Connor felt Natasha's hands were getting cold. He took her back to her bedroom and got a set of warmer clothes they bought the other day. Natasha changed into it with Connor's help. Then Connor changes into something that he can go out with too.

'Natasha, what do want for breakfast?' Connor asked. 

'Avocado toast, please.' Natasha answered. 

'One avocado toast coming up.' Connor said. Now, he understood why Ava got that many avocados the other day. 

He made some avocado toast for Natasha and himself, also a glass of milk for Natasha and a cup of coffee for himself. 

Natasha drank the milk after she finished her avocado toast, but the glass that the milk was in was bigger, so she got a milk 'moustache'. 

'Daddy look.' Natasha showed Connor her 'moustache'. 

'Oh, honey, you are so funny.' Connor smiled.

'Daddy, do you have one?'

Connor didn't answer but he took a sip of coffee from his cup and intentionally get coffee on and above his upper lip.

'Now I do.' 

'You have a coffee moustache and I have a milk one.' Natasha giggled. 

A small thing can bring a lot of happiness in childhood. 

'What do you say we take a picture, and send it to mommy later?' Connor took his phone out of his pocket. 

'Yes! Mommy will be so happy and maybe she wants one too.' Natasha nodded her head. 'And we can show her how to get one.' 

'Good idea. But I think your mommy is very smart and she will know how to do it.' Connor said. 

'It's ok, then we can all have moustache together next time.' Natasha replied. 

Connor took a picture of them being silly and wrote:

'Good morning, milk and coffee 'moustache'.'

Not for long, he got a message back. 

It was a picture of Ava, just like Connor and Natasha had a little bit of tea on the top of her lip, with the message:

'Good morning, from tea 'moustache'.'

'Hey, Natasha look!' Connor showed the picture to Natasha. 

'Mommy look silly.' Natasha giggled.

'We all look silly.' Connor said. 

After they finished breakfast, they were ready to hit the park. Connor packs up a few things then they went down to the car park. He put Natasha in the car and fastened up the seatbelt carefully. 

On the way to the park, Connor played Disney songs the whole way, although Natasha did not actually sing the lyric properly, she still really enjoy singing. 

After they arrived at the park, they play tag for a while, running around chasing each other. Of course, when Connor chases Natasha or vice versa, he slowed down so Natasha can catch him or give a chance for her to escape. 

However, just when they were having fun, it started raining. Which frustrated Connor a bit because he looked up the weather before and it was not going to rain, apparently, it was wrong. 

Connor picked up Natasha quickly and hid her under his jacket, then ran back to their car. He sat at the back with Natasha and attempted to dry the part of the clothes that got rain on. It was close to lunchtime anyway, so they drove to a restaurant near the park to get lunch. Connor got a sandwich and Natasha got a small piece of chicken with some vegetable. 

After lunch, they went out of the restaurant and lucky for them, there was an indoor market in the mall. It was only a little one and mainly selling art and craft, hosting kid's activities or food stances. 

'Daddy.' Natasha pulled Connor's collar. Connor picked her up and held her when they came out of the restaurant, so he doesn't lose her in the crowd. 'Can I please have cotton candy (fairy floss)?'

Connor looked over and see that there is a man making small animal shape with the cotton candy. But Ava words were around him, not too much sugar for Natasha. 

'Please.' Natasha made puppy eyes. 

Connor could not resist, he didn't even try to struggle, but he did think of getting a small one. 

They walked around the mall and they went home. The day didn't go as Connor had planned but it was the first time that he spend a whole day just him and Natasha. It was not as hard as he thought, maybe this is the magic of father and daughter relationship. 

Later after dinner, Connor was completely regretting the decision of giving her the candy and ice cream that day, because Natasha was still up and running around fully charge at bedtime. In his words, it was harder than three hours of surgery. 

Hi everyone, first my deepest apologies for not updating last week. I was so overwhelmed with the assessments from the university. Second, it was difficult for me to write this chapter because I usually have more time to write but I really just rushed this one out. Also, I usually call these ones the transition or just add-ins chapters because most of my ideas are for bigger events that happen (e.g. Ava and Connor met after three years). 

Spoiler alert: something big is coming their way! And it will be a thing that surprises them both and get them closer.