𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰

5 - Fantasies.

What really was a daddy?

Claire couldn’t know any better.

Julie said it was the grown up boy who would try his best to braid his little girl’s hair, Kenneth told her that he is the man who would piggy-back ride him to bed as his mommy scolds him that he might hurt his head.

She has seen her best friend Bella walking home with a man she called “Papa” and she has witnessed the way Mister and Mrs. Miller hold their beloved Ricky in between. Claire tried to comprehend her classmates’ words properly as she stared there from a safe distance, standing idly with the company of her glittery pink backpack, watching her friends disappear into their car doors or their nearby neighborhood.

The pretty faced blonde didn’t know why she was so zealous towards the sacred question she kept asking. The four-year-old gazing into space could still feel Miss Harper’s presence just behind, and it came to her full attention when the lady laid a hand on her head and gave it a light pat.

“Are you okay, Claire?”

Round eyes directly turned to the teacher’s brown irises. Miss Harper nearly took a startled step back.

Out of all the little girls she had ever met Claire Briar Winters is the most quiet, but according to her class dismissal observations the girl seemed to be smitten to her mother. Claire looking, talking to her unambiguously, made her surprised and alarmed that the little girl has a voice of her own too.

A small smile quirked her student’s lips. “Yeah.”

Harper decided to be the one to lead their growing conversation, right before the child can retreat to her invisible shell. “Did you enjoy class earlier?” Brilliant, an airy inquiry to begin with.

The teacher did her best to accept the fact that she was a better speaker to kids than to men. As memories of awkward dinner dates surged through the woman’s head she kept her hopes up that her student would respond.

“Mmh-mmh.”

That can be satisfactory enough, Harper supposed. “Who are your friends in the classroom?” She was growing eager if the girl had any.

“Bella, and a few other girls. I like Lucas too.”

“Do you like drawing with them?” The teacher inquired next, hoping she wasn’t rambling or bombarding the still child with random questions too much. She didn’t want to chase the kid back to her frequent silence.

Claire only meekly nodded, and the two succumbed to silence once again.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Ed Sheeran warbled through the roaring red Ferrari’s speakers as Aiden drove on further into the roads of solidified asphalt, the rumbling noise of friction sputtering occasionally to his ears.

“I’m gonna pick up the pieces, and build a Lego House...”

A turn here, a turn there and soon a stop light. He never really minded the stop lights like most drivers would—it counts agonizingly slow, like it was mocking everyone. It used to exclude him, but today was ironically an exception. It mocked him the worst.

Starting today, it will always be an exception perhaps.

When Elsa practically squeaked, or maybe whispered if he could drive her to Claire’s preschool today because her wrists felt too sore, of course the given choices are only yes or yes. The matte black keys were already stuffed in her fists, and at first it felt like an obligation he was simply obedient to execute.