Fighting for her (Novak series #1) {Completed}

2. Meeting her

    I have a daughter. A little girl who is my flesh and blood. Why did Melissa never say anything!? Just because I chose to end our relationship didn't automatically mean I stopped responding to her calls. There were several times we talked to each other, and she didn't even hint about it!

"My d-daughter?" I ask stupidly, and Bernice smiles sadly.

"Melissa came and left her with us two weeks ago. She wondered if we could babysit for a while so that she could sort out her problems," Bernice replies. "We took for granted that you knew about this, considering that Camilla is already three months old. According to Melissa, she told you about it, but you chose not to participate in your daughter's life."

"Mel has never mentioned my daughter!" I exclaim and feel the familiar anger spreading in my body.

"I suspected it was that way," Hugh sighs. "Given your reaction, it's obvious that you didn't know of her."

    If I had known about my little girl, I would, of course, have made sure to be with her right from the start! I may have let my family down at home, but I'm not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. Camilla is my child, and I would love to take care of her; I just don't know how to do it.

"Wouldn't it be best for Camilla to stay with you?" I ask uncertainly. "I have no experience with children, and my life isn't directly child-friendly."

    Bernice closes her eyelids tightly, and a tear falls on her cheek. Hugh puts an arm around his wife's shoulders and carefully wipes away the wet traces of her grief. I look questioningly at the couple, and when Bernice puts her head in her hands, Hugh starts talking.

"Bernice has cancer," he says, and I stop breathing for a moment. "She doesn't have the strength to take care of a child; even though it's our granddaughter, it isn't possible. I need to take care of my wife, and I can't if I also have to take care of a small child."

    My grief for Bernice is too heavy, and only now do my tears fall on my cheeks. She's been like a mother to me since I left my own behind me. It hurts that a woman I look up to so much will die. She hugs me, and I let my tears flow faster.

"It's all right, my dear boy," she whispers in my ear. "You're so strong and caring that I know that you'll cope with this swimmingly. There's no one as protective as you, and a stone falls from my chest if I know with me in my last moments of life that my only granddaughter is where she belongs."

    I nod slowly, and Bernice lets go of me. She looks, smiling at me, and wipes away the tears from my cheeks. Hugh recovers his place by his wife's side and looks at me with pride as if he knew I would make the right choice, even though I'm still hesitant on whether it truly is.

"Is she here?" I ask quietly, and the couple nods.

"Yes, a good friend of mine is watching her right now," Bernice replies, looking behind me. "There she is!"

    I turn around, and my gaze immediately lands on the beautiful little girl lying in the arms of an unknown woman. Her dark hair I immediately recognize; she got that after her mother, but the curls are mine. The closer the woman comes with my daughter, the more hints that she's my child I see.

    When the little girl's eyes meet mine, I see the obvious sign, the bright blue eyes that not only me but also my mother has. She has the unmistakable characteristics of a Novak; even so, there's something inside my head that tells me to be critical until I know for sure.

    I don't want to create a bond with this little girl and find out later that I'm not her father after all. In all honesty, it wouldn't matter at all; I would take care of her as my own anyway. She has my heart in her tiny hands to do with whatever she wants.

    But problems would arise if it turns out that she has another father who wants to take care of her, then I have nothing to say about it because they have blood ties to each other, and I'm just an outsider. Despite all the worries, I receive the baby from the woman and stare down at the tiny bundle in my arms.

    When her little chubby hands rub her eyes and her mouth yawns, then I know I'm beyond redemption. This angel is mine, no matter what. I have to take care of her and love her because the only others who do, aren't able to take care of her.

    In addition, I remember how difficult it was for us when we found out that our father had known about us for years but didn't say anything. My father broke my mother apart when she found out the truth. Mom told me that her heart broke because we lost so many years with him.

    It wasn't at all much of her pain she felt as she first thought. No. The pain that pulsed in her was for us, her sons, who couldn't grow up like all other children. That dad finally took his responsibility in it wasn't a day too late, and pure luck that mom took him back.

    I don't want my little girl ever to have to feel like I did. Even though everyone thought I was okay with how everything went down, it's far from the truth. Noah and I went to dad's pretty soon after the truth came out.

    Caleb was the only one who couldn't do it, he felt betrayed, and I understand it because I felt the same way. But during that time, my big brother couldn't bear the weight of everything; hence I decided to take that role temporarily to carry my siblings.

    I was such extensive support I could be for Noah when we were with dad, and I hugged Caleb when we were with mom every time he needed it. Even then, my brothers were strong, and I wish I could know what my younger siblings are like today.

    But since I'm a coward who can't stand for what I've done, I haven't met Fransiskus since he was ten, and the twins were just over five years old at the time. The truth is, I miss them all, but I don't know how to go back and make up for what I've done wrong.

    My family deserves a better son, nephew, and brother than I am. I don't deserve them, and that's probably what holds me back from returning to the ones I love the most. How would they react? Will uncle Brody beat the s**t out of me for how I behaved with my mother?

    Would Caleb shoot me in the head because I ran away from the family and worried mom? Does Fiona want to see me again at all? Fransiskus and the twins, do they even remember me? Mother... Can she forgive me for all the pain I've caused?

"Do you want to take her home today?" Hugh asks, and I return to reality.

"Yes, this little girl is going home with me," I answer, smiling down at my little princess.

"We'll come over with her stuff later tonight," Bernice says. "Then you have plenty of time to clean up. Mr. Haze told us about what it looked like in your apartment when he was there."

    I feel my cheeks heat up to a red level at her words. Usually, I'm not a pig who doesn't know how to clean. Actually, I tend to be sure to keep the apartment fresh. But given how the past year has been, somewhere along the way, it has stopped meaning something to me. Now it'll change.

"It will be spotlessly clean when you arrive," I answer, nodding and put Camilla in her grandmother's arms.

❖❣❖❣❖

    I've cleaned my tiny apartment as well as possible, considering the short time I've had to do it. There isn't much more to do than to hope that it's enough. That my daughter's grandparents will think that this isn't enough for her is nothing I want to have to experience.

    My apartment isn't big at all, but it has worked for me in recent years. The front door is right in my living room which also connects to the kitchen; in addition to that, I only have a small bathroom and a medium-sized bedroom. I've tried to keep it as minimalistic as possible; you never know when it's time to bail.

    Given all the s**t Melissa had in her life, I wanted to be prepared to leave as soon as possible if necessity arose. It hasn't happened so far, and I hope it remains so, given Camilla will live here now. A knock from the door interrupts my thoughts, and I'm quick to open it.

    Outside, Hugh is standing with his arm about Bernice holding my girl. They smile, and I receive her in my arms before stepping aside to let my guests in. Gently I rock Camilla in my arms and see her big eyes close.

"You're a natural," Bernice says quietly, and I smile back at her.

"We have Camilla's bed, clothes, diapers, and other little things in the car. I can get it up here, " Hugh says, walking toward the front door while his wife inspects the kitchen part.

"Do you want help?" I ask and walk towards him.

"It isn't necessary," he responds with a smile, shaking his head. "The bed is a plastic variant that doesn't weigh much at all, and the rest is in a black garbage bag. I'm sorry we couldn't pack it better."

"It doesn't matter; she'll still use it soon anyway."

    I turn around and look at my ex-mother-in-law looking out through the blinds in a suspicious way. When I clear my throat, she jumps and pretends like nothing, obviously uncomfortable with me discovering her questionable behavior.

"Bernice, what is it?" I ask, and she looks at me with widened eyes.

"Nothing," she responds way too quickly and in a much higher tone than usual.

    I look at her with a "really?" gaze, and she sits down, sighing on the couch. She puts her head in her hands and draws in an uneven breath. I walk up to the armchair and sit across from her. She says nothing, and I already feel how my patience is drastically reducing.

"Melissa has debts," she finally says, looking at me with tired eyes.

"Don't you mean had debts?" I ask, and Bernice shakes her head.

"Has, and those people want their money. They showed up at our place just days after Melissa left Camilla with us and threatened to kill her if we didn't pay," she whispers. "I can't allow anything to happen to my granddaughter, and hopefully, they don't know who her father is. You can protect her, but we can't. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew Mila was hurt because we couldn't pay for her mother's mistakes."

    I'm not saying anything but looking at Bernice, who has tears falling down her cheeks. Her concern is evident, and I feel the anger spreading in my body when I realize that the people Melissa owes money prepare to hurt, or at worst, kill a child to get their way.

"You're planning on hiding, aren't you?" I ask even though I already figured out their plan.

"Yes, we must disappear tonight if we are to shake them off. Camilla needs a steady life, and she can't get that with us. At least not as long as Bernice's disease exists and we have to escape; she deserves more. That's why we want to make sure you're going to take care of her no matter what," Hugh replies, putting the things down.

"To my last breath," I answer without hesitation, and Hugh smiles sadly at me.

    The couple walks toward the door, and I gently put Camilla down on the couch before hugging them. These two have been vital to me in my life and my journey; therefore, it hurts even more, to know that they'll disappear now, even though it may not be forever. We let go of each other, and Bernice walks away without looking at Camilla.

"She can't stand to say goodbye to her," Hugh says when he sees my inquiring gaze. "Take care of her. We'll be in touch as soon as we can."

"Always," I answer, closing the door.

    I put the bed together and move it into my bedroom quickly, afraid she'll fall off the couch even though she's sleeping. You can't refuse to love my little angel; she's fantastic! I pick her up and walk into the bedroom to tuck her into bed.

"Now it's just you and me, little queen, just you and me," I whisper and caress her forehead before throwing myself in my bed; I'm out like a light.

A/N:

Hello everyone!

Darby has his daughter at home, and it turns out that her grandparents have to leave to keep the danger away.

~ Can Darby protect his daughter in the environment he's in now?

~ Does he have to get back to his family now before it's too late?

~ How would the family react if he came back and, moreover, with a child in his arms?

Please leave a comment with your feedback and thoughts, I truly need those words as inspiration to continue.<3