More than a friend

Ch 16: Truth

CPOV

When I walked out of the study, I felt a wave calmness wash over me. For that past hour, I was running purely on adrenaline, and now I could finally relax. Tatiana was indeed an intimidating woman. She was also a woman who wanted to protect her people at all costs. And that's where I came in. She was clear with what she needed to be done, and it was simple. She wanted every capable moroi skilled in the art of magic and fighting to destroy every last strigoi out there. She just needed us, those present at that meeting, to make it happen. Firstly, I would need to gather a group of skilled magic users. Teach them how to educate and train other moroi and then extend this to every vampire academy across the world. Easy peasy.

I would be lying if I said this would be a simple task. If there's one thing I'm sure about is that moroi hate change. Especially change that would put them in danger. Change that would possibly make them equal to dhampires. That's the worst kind of change for them. They absolutely despised being on the same level as the dhampires. And convincing them was going to be a pain in the ass.
And if that wasn't enough, I still had to deal with this drama with my aunt and the return of Belikov. This was going to be an interesting visit, no doubt.

I headed down to the apartment buildings when my phone buzzed. A missed call from Mia. I called her back and waited. It rang twice before she answered.
"Christian?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Are you still busy at the meeting? Because I really need your help."
"We just finished up now. What's going on? Is everything okay?"
"I don't know. Something's wrong with Sofia. She doesn't want to eat and she's really quiet. I've tried to call Rose, but I can get hold of her. I'm here in the garden."
"Don't worry, I'm on my way." I briskly make my way to the little garden near the chapel.
There were couples taking an afternoon stroll, kids, and tourists. All enjoying the natural beauty that surrounded us. Sitting under an apple tree, picking at the blades of grass was Sofia. Nearby stood Mia. I approached her first. The little pixie had a worried look on her face as she watched the little girl under the tree.
"Thanks for calling me," I said to her. "I didn't know what to do. She's been like this for the past two hours. Just so...distant." We both looked to the young child who was lost in her own world, oblivious to us around her. "It's okay. Thank you so much for watching her, but I think it's time we get her home."
"It's no problem. I have to go. My shift is about to start." She waved goodbye to Sofia and left.
I went and sat down on the grass next to Sofia. The air around her was getting a little chilled, so I took off my jacket and draped it around her tiny shoulders. She mumbled a thank you and continued to stare down at the grass.
"Mia said you're not like yourself. Is something wrong?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders and remained silent. "Feeling sick?" She nodded. I felt her forehead, "You don't seem to have a fever. Tell me what's wrong, sweetie," I plead to her. She finally looks up to me. "Can I ask you a question?" she asks in a small voice. "Of course, Sophie. You can ask me anything."
" Are you my real dad?" she asked timidly. I couldn't say I was surprised by the question. I had a feeling this was the cause of her quiet mood, but it was still difficult to answer. So, I answered the best I could. "Technically, no, I'm not."
"So, Jamie was right," she mumbled. "She always said so. That's why I never liked playing with her. She used to always brag about her dad, and I hated it."
She drew her knees up to her chin and rested her head on them. My words were almost like a finality. That whatever that child said to her was true, that she didn't have a dad. But what is a dad really?
"What did she brag about?" I asked curiously. She spoke into her knee, her words muffled. "She would talk about how her dad would take her to the park and to the movies. She always said they used to go for ice cream and ride bikes, and I don't have a dad to do that with."
"Hmm... True, you don't have a dad, but you do have a Bubby."
She snapped her head up to look at me. "Don't we go to the park and have movies days at home?" I asked her. She nodded yes. "And if I remember correctly, we go out for ice cream all the time. In fact, you and I made ice cream once together at home. As for bike rides, I give you piggyback rides all the time, and I remember you loving them just as much a bicycle ride," I said while I playfully poked her side. She giggled and tried to swat my hand but missed. I sat up and kneeled before her, "Sophie, a dad is someone who cares for you and protects you. He is someone who is always there for you. He makes you laugh when you're sad, takes care of you when you're sick, and is always there when you need him. Whether it's to play dress up or tuck you in bed at night. A dad does all of this because he loves his child. And I do all of these things because I love you. I may not be your father for real, but if you would like, I'd love to be your dad."
"You would?" she asked. "Of course."
She flung her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. I only noticed then the salty tears that rolled down my cheeks. I wiped them away just as she pulled away, but I held onto her shoulders and smiled. "Are you feeling better?" She gave me her million-dollar smile and nodded, yes. I stood up and kissed her forehead. "C'mon, let's get back to the apartment," I said, taking her hand and walking out of the garden. She walked along with me, much happier than before. "I have one more question," said Sophie.
"Shoot."
"What should I call you?" she asked.
"Hmm, whatever you feel comfortable with," I said. It was her choice. I wouldn't want to force her to call me something she didn't want to. She wasn't obligated to call me dad if she didn't want to, nor was she restricted to Bubby. So, whatever she chose, I would go along with it.
"I'll think about it," and that was all she said for the rest of the way.