the night sky

#13 Daddy

the alarm went off and Alexis hit snooze. she stirred trying not to wake her daughter. who was snuggled next to her. she left the bedroom with her sleeping toddler to make some coffee. looking at her phone for the time. " ugghhh, 5 am. I hate farming. " she mumbled to herself. the sounds of the coffee pot stirring to life filled her with a sense of peace. her thoughts went through her conversation with Robert. how could any of them do that? how could anyone do that to anyone? she shook her head to try to erase herself of the thoughts. the coffee pot sputtered its last drips letting her know the coffee was done brewing. grabbing a cup she leaned against the counter. lights flashed into her window. " who the hell is this now? someone else ready to f**k up more of my life?" she grabbed the hand gun she kept for safety and headed towards her front door opening it. her breath caught in her throat as he stepped out. " Connor.." she whispered into the air.

he looked at her with his ocean eyes that she had fallen in love with so long ago. she placed the gun down in the drawer next to the door and walked out onto the porch. " Alexis, I know you hate me but I need to talk to you. please...." he waited for her to walk away but she stood there waiting for his words. " I didn't know." he took a deep breath. " I didn't know about the baby and my dad and Emma...." tears started spilling from his eyes as he spoke hardly able to get the words out." they drugged me that night. I didn't do anything with her. I didn't betray you I swear I never would have done that to you. if I had known about the baby I would have been there every second. I swear!" Alexis stood there as Connor fell to his knees crying on the ground pain across his face. " I never opened the gift you gave me until last night when my dad and Emma told me what they did. I didn't know. you have to believe me." his hands covered his face he was fully begging her in between sobs.

Alexis stood there for a moment then came to lean down holding him on the ground. her body convulsed in sobbing as they held each other his arms wrapping around her pulling her as close as possible begging her to forgive him. she fisted his shirt in both her palms. he picked her up as she wrapped her legs around his waste and he walked up the steps of the porch and into the house. the main house looked the same and he sat her on the counter pulling her closer to him. " I'm so sorry that I let you walk away. I understand if you can't forgive me. I still love you. I never stopped. I tried. but I only hated myself even more. I hated myself for doing this to you and I will never forgive myself for not being there for our child. I didn't know I swear. " she put her hands around his neck pulling his head to her chest holding him as close as possible. she had missed this with him.

his close contact was driving her senses into over drive. she put one hand under his chin pushing him to look at her. she looked into his eyes as a smile spread onto her face. she dropped her forehead to his. " I missed you Connor. you never came after me. you just gave up." she let go of a sob taking in a deep breath. " I prayed that you would come for me and that you wanted our baby. our little girl and you never came..." she exhaled " why did you just give up?" she looked hurt and could not hide the pain in her eyes.

" I thought you were better off without me." she reached down with her lips engulfing him with her mouth. his arms wrapped tightly around her as he deepened the kiss with her. her body sparking to life with his touch. " God I missed you." he breathed on her lips.

" Skylar should be waking up soon if you want to meet her. she turns three in two days. it's a princess birthday. " Alexis was unsure if he wanted to stay to meet his daughter and she choked down her pain as she waited for him to respond.

he smiled while he kissed her lips again. " Skylar. " he let it roll off his tongue. " I can't wait to meet her."

" she looks just like her daddy." just then their eyes went up to the noise upstairs. " speak of the whirlwind. she is awake." she jumped down from the counter and grabbed his hand leading him to her room.

" why Skylar?"

" I call her sky." Alexis blushed as she stopped at the stairs. " after that night under the night sky." he pulled her to him kissing her hard and needy. she could feel his need to be close to her right then. pulling back taking a deep breath. " Come on. come meet our daughter. " they walked quietly up the stairs and stopped at her door pushing it open. there on the bed a curly haired little chubby girl that was absolutely beautiful. she looked up showing a toothy grin and eyes as blue as the ocean. Alexis reached out for her picking her up in her arms. " hey pretty princess," she snuggled her nose. " do you need to go potty like a big girl?"

" yes! potty big girl!" she squealed in delight. Alexis motioned for Connor to follow.

" beautiful baby girl, remember when mommy told you that you had a daddy?" Skylar laid her head on her mother's shoulder.

" daddy! " Alexis kissed her little head.

" do you want to meet daddy?" Connor gulped hard as his stomach flipped.

" yes! daddy!" Skylar clapped her hands in excitement. Alexis stopped right outside the bathroom door.

" ok princess. potty like a big girl first then you get to see your daddy." when Skylar was done she ran into her mother's arms. " Sky ," she was walking towards the bedroom again. " I want you to say hi to your daddy. he misses you very much." she placed Skylar in Connors arms as she watched Connor begin to cry holding her close to him. she placed her head on his shoulder as he cried into her hair. Alexis knelt down placing her hand on his. " Connor bring her to the bed we will lay down together and get her back to sleep for a little longer. plus you look like crap. did you sleep at all last night?"

he stood up taking off his shoes with one hand not letting his daughter go. pulling the blanket back for him he crawled into the farthest corner placing Skylar in between them. Alexis crawled in next to them placing a hand on his. " I'm never letting go of you both Alexis. I'm never making that mistake again. " she smiled as he closed his eyes and fell fast asleep with his daughter in his arms.

Alexis got up as they slept and went to feed the animals and do the chores to help her mom. once she was done she made her way back to the house. she saw a car there at the house and her eyes rolled as she recognized it. " why me!" she ran the distance to the house rushing to the front door. when she got inside her eyes went to the man standing in her mother's living room. " Billy, what are you doing here?"

" I came for you and Skylar but I walk in to this man calling himself daddy and holding her. what's going on?" He looked up at her wanting an explanation. she locked eyes with Connor still holding his daughter defensively from Billy. Billy looking at Alexis demanding an explanation.

" Billy I told you not to come here. I told you before I left I didn't feel that way for you. now if you would like we can walk outside and have a conversation that doesn't include my daughter but I refuse to have any arguments in front of her." he looked around disapproving of her reaction but understanding he wasn't getting anywhere like this. " Connor I will be right back in. make me some coffee?" He nodded not knowing what to say but watching cautiously as Alexis walked out the front door to the porch. " what the hell are you doing here Billy?" He could sense her irritation.

" who is that holding Skylar?"

" not that I owe you any explanation but that is her dad. what are you doing here?"

" I came here for you." his frustration was evident in his voice. " I came here to tell you I love you and I want a chance then I see this man holding her and calling himself her daddy when he hasn't even been around her for her entire life!"

" I told you in Boston I didn't want that kind of relationship with you. I told you and made it very clear we could only ever be friends. that is her dad and he didn't know about her but now he does and I'm never going to take that away from her or him." she started walking back towards the door away from him he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. ripping her arm away from him she stopped. " you need to leave Billy. please don't ever come back."

" so that's it?"

" yes that's it." she walked to the door and left him alone on the porch shutting the door behind her. her eyes locked with Connor. " coffee?" she could tell he was itching to ask her about him. she knew she owed him an explanation. she sighed as he pushed a cup of coffee towards her knowing she needed a shower before giving any details. she sipped her coffee as she watched her mom and Emilia walk down the stairs curious about the commotion. all eyes falling on Connor holding Skylar. " I'm going to go take a shower and clean up and then I will fill everyone in on everything and who that was." she jumped off the stool taking one more gulp of her coffee before cleaning up.