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“Daphne! Come back here and put your shoes on!”
Daphne runs away from me screaming, threatening something along the lines of taking her pants off. I love five year olds. Normally on any other day, this would have sent me over the edge, but this wasn’t just any other day. It was back to school at Daphne’s school, and that meant I got to see a certain year one teacher. That year one teacher was Mr. Nelson, Daphne’s teacher.
“Daddy, I don’t wanna go to school, it’s stupid!” Daphne screams, running past me with a lack of pants.
I sigh.
“That’s fine, but that means no ice cream afterwards. Your loss.”
She stops in her tracks.
“NO!” She screams.
“I think you should let me help you get ready then.”
She trotted back over to me in defeat. I began redressing her, for the fourth time this evening.
— — — — —
I take Daphne out of her car seat and grab her bookbag (which she insisted on bringing because “Daddy, I can’t go to school without my bookbag!”) We start walking in and I feel a tug on my arm.
I turn around to see Daphne looking at me and I could tell something was wrong. I crouch down next to her and grab her hands.
“What’s wrong sweetie?” I question.
“I changed my mind I don’t wanna go. I don’t need the ice cream.”
“Hey, you’ve been going for half days all week and you’ve had fun at those, haven’t you?”
“Well…” she looked to the ground.
“Has it not been fun? Is something wrong at school?”
She looked up at me with tears brimming her eyes.
“Daph,” I wipe a tear from her cheek, “what’s wrong?”
“It’s just, these boys have been really mean to me, and they keep telling me not to come back to school because they think I’m weird.”
“Oh love,” I wrap my arms around her and she cries into my shoulder, “Do you want me to tell Mr. Nelson? I’m sure he could help, and I know how much you like him.”
She lifts her head off my shoulder and nods her head. I wipe the tears off of her cheeks and stand up. I grab her hand and we start walking into the building. I check us in and we head towards Daphne’s classroom. As we get closer, I notice Daphne is twirling her hair, something she does when she gets nervous. When we reach the door I get back to her level and whisper into her ear,
“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”
All she does is smile, and she is on her way to her desk. Watching her sit down at her desk made my heart swell. I was so proud of her. Suddenly, Mr. Nelson appears in the doorway.
“Mr. Spring right?” He says with a smile on his face.
This also made my heart swell.
“Yeah, Daphne’s dad,” I reach out to shake his hand, “but you can call me Charlie.”
He smiles, taking my hand to shake it, “Nice to see you again Charlie.”
He drops my hand and heads off to greet other parents, but I can still feel where his hand was on mine. I cannot fall for Daphne’s teacher, stop it Charlie. But it was too late for that. I take a seat next to Daphne where a chair had been placed for parents to sit in. I frown looking at the empty chair on the other side of her. The bell rings, signaling that it’s time for the back to school night to begin. Mr. Nelson walks up to the front of the room to greet everyone.
“Good evening everyone! Thank you all for coming out tonight to hear about what your kiddos have been up to at school this week. I know this is a big transition for a lot of you, since most of your kids have never been in school, but I’m here to make the transition as smooth and fun as possible.”
He continues explaining the curriculum and discussing the different activities, but I can hardly focus on what he’s saying. His words fade and all I can do is just look at him. Everything about him is perfect. From the way his shirt fits his arms just perfectly, or the freckles that I can see from across the room, he’s just, well he’s like Achilles; although, I can’t imagine he has any weaknesses. He finishes talking and calls the kids to the carpet to read a book. I watch Daphne walk to the carpet to sit down, but as she approaches, a boy stops her. He says something to her quietly and her mood quickly drops. She moves to the other end of the carpet and sits down. I frown, making a mental note to ask her what the boy said to her, and to find his parents and punch the–have a strongly worded conversation with them.
“Ok guys, let’s show our parents how we do storytime,” Mr. Nelson says.
He runs through the rules of storytime, having the kids list each of them. I’m honestly pretty impressed that he’s managed to have the kids memorize those rules so quickly. I’m not sure I could have them remembering their names in four days. Mr. Nelson pulls out the book they’re going to be reading and my jaw literally drops.
“Today we’re going to be reading ______ by Charlie Spring.”
No fucking way.
It was my story. Mr. Nelson was reading something I wrote. The words rolled off his tongue like he was meant to read it. His voice is smooth and soft, but loud enough to keep the kids attention. I must have zoned out completely because all of the sudden I hear the ending line.
“Though my family seems pretty silly, I wouldn’t have it any other way! They all love me and I love all of them, and that’s what really matters.”
The kids clapped and were smiling, except for what I could only assume were the boys that were making fun of Daphne. They all head back to their seats, and this time I hear what the boys say.
“Why don’t you have a mum? That’s really weird. Everyone else here has mums and dads.”
My heart dropped. I’ve always tried my best to make sure Daphne could have the best life she could, even without her mum. I never wanted her to feel like she was missing something, but her first big step into life and I’ve already failed. Parents begin filing out, but I hang around for a minute, wanting to talk to Mr. Nelson about the boys bullying Daphne. I leave Daphne at her desk to color a picture and walk over to Mr. Nelson, who is tidying up the classroom.
“Hey Mr. Nelson, can we talk?”
He smiles, “Sure thing, but please, call me Nick.”
“Of course,” I grin in response. I look back at Daphne before turning back to Mr. N–Nick, “Could we step outside? I don’t really want Daphne to overhear this.”
“Yeah, that’s not a problem,” he responds, looking a little concerned.
We step outside the door, leaving it cracked so we can still see and hear Daphne.
“So, is something wrong? I’m sorry if I did anything–” Nick starts.
I quickly cut him off, “No no, that’s not it at all. You’re perfect,” I pause realizing how weird that sounds, “at your job. I just had a concern about Daphne. It appears she may be having some issues with some boys in her class that are bullying her.”
“What?! I had no idea! I’m so sorry, trust me if I had known I would have put an end to it.”
“No apology necessary, that’s why I wanted to talk to you. Daphne didn’t tell me the whole story at first, but I heard one of the boys say something to her after storytime,” I pause, taking a deep breath in, “he was making fun of her for not having a mum.”
I could see a hint of sadness laced in Nick’s eyes, “What? That’s absolutely ridiculous, I’ll be sure to have a talk with them. I hate that kids can be so cruel sometimes.”
“Yeah I’ve definitely dealt with my fair share of that,” I joked, “I had hoped Daphne was never going to have to deal with that, but I suppose that was a bit naive.”
“Hey, I get it. I don’t have kids of my own, but every time I have a little kid come up to me crying about a bully I feel like I’ve failed them. I know I can’t protect them all, but it doesn’t stop me from wishing that I could.”
“Yeah, exactly,” I frown a little, hating that mean kids are still affecting Nick the way they’re affecting me, “You’re doing a great job though. I can tell you really care about all the kids you teach.”
He laughs, “I feel like that’s the bare minimum of my job description.”
“It definitely should be, but you’d be surprised,” I giggle in response.
“I’m sorry if I put you in the spotlight while reading your book, but it’s a pretty amazing one if you ask me. Why did you write it?”
That was a loaded question, but I was happy to give an answer.
“It’s ok, I was honestly happy to see that someone had actually bought my book other than my parents,” I laugh, “I have always loved Greek mythology, and have always shared that love with Daphne. I really wanted to write something dedicated to her, so I wrote it about the gods of Olympus, and their family (minus some of the more crude details). Even though they aren’t a family in the traditional sense, it shows that there isn’t just one definition of a family, and that they can come in all shapes and sizes. I wanted Daphne to know that though she doesn’t have a mum and dad like most of the other kids her age, she still had just as much love in her family as they did, if not more.”
Nick smiles at me, “I love that. When I found the book I really connected with it, and thought some of my kids might too. It was always just me and my mum growing up. My dad was never really around. It means a lot seeing books like this written for kids, since I didn’t have anything like that growing up.”
I could tell there was a quiver in his voice.
“Well I can tell you I would’ve loved to have a teacher that cared so much about their students when I was growing up. Maybe if they had noticed I was struggling sooner, then well, sorry that’s probably too mu-”
“Hey, don’t apologize.” Nick says, he strokes the top of my hand with his.
Before I can think of how to reciprocate, Daphne knocks and then opens the door wider.
“Mr. Nelson! I colored this for you!” She excitedly handed him the picture.
It was quite adorable, the shine in her eyes, and the shine in his as well.
“These are my favorite colors!” Nick says pointing to the three colors on the page.
Blue, Pink, and Purple. I swear Nick flashes me a look and then goes to help Daphne hang the picture up on the wall in the classroom. Could this be real? Nick Nelson, a handsome, smart, and kind man who any woman would die to get their hands on, be bisexual? As I started to think too much about the situation at hand, Daphne has her backpack ready to go.
“Ice cream now?” She asks, looking up with wide eyes.
“With sprinkles on top.” I say, scooping her into my arms.
As we start out the door, Nick catches up with us.
“Here, it’s my number. In case anything happens at school, I want to be able to let you know.” He says, however, before our eye contact breaks he gives me a wink.
A wink. If the past 30 minutes haven’t sent me into gay panic, this sure as hell did.
“DADDY!” Daphne screams.
I jump slightly, since she just screamed in my ear, “Sweetie, I’m right here, you don’t have to yell.”
“I’m sorry I just got excited.”
I laugh, “No need to say sorry, what’s up?”
“I was just gonna ask if we could invite Mr. Nelson to get ice cream with us.”
I freeze, “Daph, I’m sure Mr. Nelson has a lot of work to do tonight,” I say, turning to Nick for confirmation.
“Sadly, I do have quite a bit of work to finish up here. Why don’t we take a raincheck?” he says to Daphne.
I’m sure he’s just saying that to make her feel better, he doesn’t really mean it. Unless he does.
“Daddy can he come with us next week?”
Daphne, I love you, but shut up.
“Daphne, I’m not sure–”
“I could make that work if that’s ok with you Charlie,” Nick cuts in.
I look at Nick in shock. Did he really just? Is he really gonna? Oh my god.
“Oh yeah,” I stutter, way to play it cool, “that sounds good to me. We go every Friday, so I’ll text you?” I say, holding up the piece of paper with his number on it.
“Sounds good,” he smiles.
Daphne and I head back to our car, but all I can think about is the fact that Nick Nelson is going to get ice cream with me next Friday, granted it’s with my daughter as well, but I’ll take what I can get.
— — — — —
Whatever God I upset, I’m sorry, but making my daughter sick on the Friday we are supposed to get ice cream with her hot teacher… dick move. Daphne woke up this morning with a sore throat and a fever. I called the school and texted Nick to let him know we’re gonna have to take a raincheck on our raincheck. I’m making some soup for Daphne for lunch when I hear my phone go off. I check it and see a message from Nick.
Nick: Hey! I’m sorry that Daphne isn’t feeling well. We’ve missed her this morning :(
Charlie: Yeah I’m sorry too, lol. She definitely isn’t feeling well at all, she didn’t even want a popsicle I offered to bring her fever down
Nick: Oh no, sounds serious
Charlie: Yeah, she’ll be alright though. Sorry we had to cancel tonight, we were both looking forward to it
Nick: I was too :( there’s always next week though
Charlie: :)
I spend the remainder of the day cleaning up the house, while occasionally popping in on Daphne to check up on her. She’s been sleeping most of the day, which hopefully means she’ll feel better soon. I grab her dirty dishes from dinner and bring them downstairs when I get another text from Nick.
Nick: Hey, this might be weird, and it’s totally ok if you say no, but could I come by and drop something off for Daphne. It’s from the school.
Charlie: Not weird at all, feel free to drop by whenever, but I can’t promise Daph will be awake. She’s been pretty much asleep all day :(
Nick: Poor thing, I hope she starts feeling better soon
Charlie: Me too. Here’s my address by the way: 19 Harmers Way
Nick: Awesome! I’ll be by in a bit
Trying to give Daphne medicine is like fighting a bear. If you don’t come out with scratches and or bruises you didn’t put up a fight. To be fair, I was the same way when I was younger. She only had a half a tablespoon total, but most of the bottle ended up on the floor. I bribed her with some soda, and she eventually took it willingly…for the most part. I sat on the couch downstairs, catching up on some Love Island, when I hear a knock at the door. OMG. I collect myself and head to the door. I open it to find Nick Nelson, standing at the door with a carton of ice cream and what appeared to be a handmade card.
“Hi,” he smiles.
“Hi,” I can’t help but grin back.
There is a beat of silence before I give in.
“You know I don’t mind if you come in a while,” I say, gesturing towards the living room.
His face flushes slightly, “Oh, yeah, of course,” he stutters, walking into the door.
“So what have you got there?” I motion towards the ice cream and card.
“Oh! I thought since we couldn’t go out for ice cream, I would bring some here, and the kids wanted to make Daphne a get well soon card.”
“Who knew kids had such empathy?” I deadpan.
“Haha, yeah,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, still a flush on his face.
He hands me the ice cream and card, and I notice he got strawberry, Daph’s favorite.
“Hey, how did you–”
“It’s the little icebreaker sheets I made them do on the first day. I got hers out of the drawer they were in and did a little research before my purchase. I wanted to make her day just a little better.”
I grin, heading towards the freezer to put the ice cream away.
“She’s asleep right now, but she will be happy to have some when she wakes up. She’s pretty much been asleep all day,” I frown.
Nick frowns back at me and places a hand on my arm, “She’ll be ok. I’m sure it’s just a little bug.”
I smile at him, “Yeah,” unable to get anything more out.
He seems to notice this and smiles back at me. Cheeky. He looks over towards the tv, seeing it was left on.
“Whatcha watching?” He says walking over to the tv.
“I was just catching up on some Love Island,” I laugh, “I never have time to watch it anymore with Daph and all.”
“You mean your five year old doesn’t want to watch Love Island?” Nick says, pretending to be shocked.
“I know, she has no taste.”
“You know she’s one of the smartest ones in the class?” Nick says, and though I’m not surprised, it’s so nice to hear.
“That’s amazing to hear Nick. I’ve been so worried about making sure she’s able to do whatever she wants in life, so it’s nice to hear I’m doing an ok job.”
“She has a bit of time before you need to worry about that,” Nick laughs, “but you definitely are.”
This conversation is nice, but if I’m being honest, I want it to go somewhere else. Normally, I don’t want to be this forward, but holy shit he’s also just an amazing person. I glance at the card and his fucking handwriting is even attractive.
“Um, you care to sit down?” I question.
He smiles, “Happy to.”
We sit down on the couch and end up talking about anything and everything. The conversation just flows so smoothly, and there’s no awkward moments.
“So what about Daphne’s mom? I know you sort of mentioned it, and you obviously don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.
“Oh, it’s ok, I can talk about it. Her mom is actually my cousin, but she wasn’t at all ready to take care of a kid. She only had Daph for about six months when she got addicted to heroin, and child services contacted me, saying she wanted Daphne placed with me. I was definitely surprised, but as soon as I saw Daph, I knew I had to be there for her. She was just so little, and had no idea how bad the world was, and I just wanted to protect her from it all.”
I got through most of that without tearing up, but it happened toward the end.
“If not it’s okay, but can I give you a hug?” Nick asks gently.
I nod, knowing if I said something I’d cry, and Nick wraps his arms around me. I quickly melt into the hug, tucking my head into the crook of his neck. His hand brushes past the nape of my neck, and I can’t help but let out a quiet sob. Shit. I pull away.
“I’m sorry.”
He takes his finger to brush my tears away, “Don’t apologize.”
“Can’t help it.”
“Do you want to know the real reason I became a teacher?”
“Yes.”
We sit back down on the couch, this time noticeably closer.
“Back when I was in sixth form, I went through a rough patch with the people around me. None of them were good people and it was draining to be around them. All they ever did was make fun of everyone who was different than them. I was different from them. Around that time I realized that maybe I wasn’t the straight heartthrob everyone thought me to be. It’s hard enough to go through that on your own, but when your own friends-”
He pauses, trying not to cry through the rest of this story. I reach my hand out and take his in mine, showing him that I’m here and I know. This seems to ground him enough to continue.
“Anyway, I wanted to be someone a child could come to and tell anything to. Someone I felt like I didn’t have in my own life. Some friends stood by me, and they’ve been in my life ever since. So like I said, Daph is really lucky to have you as a father. My dad wasn’t around, so it’s just so nice to see.”
I would have never guessed that the ray of sunshine that was sitting mere inches away from me used to be surrounded by so much rain.
“Can I return the favor and give you a hug now,” I ask.
Nick nods and I pull him closer to me, wrapping my arms around his neck while he moves his around my torso. We stay like that for a few minutes, just enjoying being in each other's arms. We pull away just enough to where we are still holding each other.
“I–” Nick starts before we hear tiny footsteps running upstairs.
We quickly pull apart, moving another a foot or so, but feeling miles apart. Daphne emerges from upstairs, seemingly feeling better as she screams and jumps up and down before running over to Nick and I.
“MR. NELSON WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!”
Nick laughs and grabs her card, “Well I see you’re feeling better. The class and I made you a get well soon card, but I guess it can also be a ‘I’m glad you’re feeling better’ card,” he laughs.
Daphne takes the card and smiles wide before giving Nick a giant hug.
“Thank you Mr. Nelson.”
My heart melts a little. It warms my heart that Daphne has gotten so close with Nick so quick. I always worry that Daph doesn’t have enough people in her life aside from me, so I’m glad to see she’s getting close with some other good influences.
“I think I know the answer, but how are you feeling Daph?” I ask.
She lets go of Mr. Nelson and spins around, trying to show me she’s feeling better.
“I’m great now! I can go to school tomorrow!”
“Oh sweetie, you don’t have school tomorrow.”
Her face drops, “WHAT?”
I laugh, “Hey I know what will make it better, Mr. Nelson brought you some ice cream since we couldn’t go out to get it.”
She looks at Nick, “Strawberry?”
He nods and she grabs his hand pulling him towards the freezer. I smile as I watch Daphne direct Nick to the bowls and spoons.
“Daddy, do you want ice cream?”
“Sure sweetheart.”
We all sit on the couch and eat our ice cream, and it feels so natural. It makes me a little uneasy how comfortable I am, but I try to ignore it. We finish up our ice cream and I notice Daphne starts getting tired. I can tell even though she’s been resting all day, she’s still exhausted. She curls up in my lap and nuzzles against my chest.
“You wanna go upstairs and get ready for bed?” I mutter quietly.
She nods and hops off my lap, heading upstairs. I stand up and put the ice cream dishes in the sink before turning to see Nick standing near the couch, unsure of what to do.
“I guess I should head out then,” Nick says, scratching the back of his head.
“No! I mean… you don’t have to. She’s a pretty self sufficient kid, so I just have to tuck her in, and, well, I’ll be down in just a few minutes,” I pause, “Of course, if you have to go that’s fin–”
“If you want me to, I can stay,” Nick smiles.
“Ok,” I grin, “I’ll be down in just a minute.”
I head upstairs and see Daphne standing next to her bed, holding Kitty. I help her get into bed and tuck her under the covers, before giving her a kiss on the forehead.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Do you like Mr. Nelson?”
“Do you pinky swear not to tell?”
“Yes,” she says, holding out her pinky.
“Then, yes, I do.” I say, holding mine out as well.
“I like him too.”
I smile and turn off her bedside lamp before walking out and heading downstairs. I see Nick sitting on the couch. Wow he’s so.
“She get down ok?” Nick asks.
“Yeah, she likes her sleep. She’s like 80 years old at heart I swear.”
“You’ve got a great kid.”
“I do.”
It seems like forever until someone breaks the silence.
“I do have some lesson plans I need to finish, I would stay longer if I could but-”
“Nick, it’s fine, I understand. It’s been a long day anyway,” I say, kind of sad that this night has to end.
I walk him to his car.
“Thank you for everything you did for Daphne, she’ll remember that for a long time.” I say, a smile forming across my face.
“Of course, it made my day, and not just because of Daphne.”
I blush, looking to the ground, “It made my day too.”
“Want to make a day next week?” He asks me.
“You know, Daph has really been wanting to see her aunt, so I think I can manage that,” I smirk.
“Oh well if that’s the case, I suppose it would be a shame if she didn’t get to see her.”
“I suppose so.”
“I’ll text you then?”
“Sounds good,” I say, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking back towards the front door, “See you later!”
As I head inside, I leave Nick standing by his car in shock, but with a smile on his face.
— — — — —
“Thanks again so much for agreeing to watch Daph Tor,” I say while tying my converse.
“Of course! I need to spend some quality time with my niece. You’ve made her far too optimistic.”
“Tor, she is too young for another existential crisis.”
“You’re never too young for an existential crisis.”
I sigh, standing up. Daphne runs into the foyer to say goodbye to me.
“Be good for Aunt Tori, ok?”
“I will! Have fun on your date Daddy!”
“I’m no– what ar— I–”
Daph giggles and runs off.
“I have rubbed off on her,” Tori jokes.
“I can see that,” I laugh in response.
“Ok, have fun on your date. Hope you learn a lot,” she winks.
I get in my car and head over to Nick’s flat. I haven’t felt these butterflies since I was in secondary. Before I even realize it, I’m pulling up to Nick’s flat. Shit. I walk up to Nick’s door and take a deep breath in before knocking. Nick opens the door and is in grey sweatpants and a t-shirt, a change from his usual teacher clothes, but a good change. He must see the look on my face, because he hits me with,
“Like what you see?” A smirk forming across his face.
“Do you want me to like what I see?” I say shooting a smirk back.
“I want you to get inside so you don’t freeze.” He says taking my pinky with his and pulling me inside.
His flat is organized. A bookshelf full of books on education and psychology, and his degree hanging on the wall next to it. He graduated from Leeds, only about 2 hours from where I studied. A year older than me as well. The couch was brown and vintage, one you would find in a rustic coffee shop.
“I made sure to clean up, sometimes the lesson plans kind of end up all over the place.” He says bashfully.
“You should have seen me with my rough drafts, not a pretty sight.” I say, letting out a small laugh.
This time he grabs my hand and leads me to the couch, and this time we are practically touching legs on the couch, and it’s not like there is a lack of space on the rest of the couch. I don’t mind, and he doesn’t either.
“I’m glad you were able to find time to come over.” He says.
“Me too, it’s been awhile since I’ve been out.” I say back.
“It has been for me too.”
That’s a surprise to me. How does someone like that not have people swooning over him.
“The last person I was with, well, they didn’t believe that I was bisexual, and from there I was too afraid of someone also believing that.” He says.
Before I can say anything he speaks again.
“Oh god, I didn’t even realize I said that- if I’m making you uncomfortable-”
“Nick, I’m sorry that happened, and trust me I get it, probably too well.”
He seems to breathe for a second.
“It’s okay,” I say, “I understand being worried, but you don’t have to worry with me.”
I put my hand on his thigh in reassurance, and maybe something else. He looks at me and smiles, placing his hand on top of mine.
“It’s probably quite obvious, but, I do fancy you,” I say, intertwining our fingers now.
“I do too.” He says, scooting closer even though it’s impossible.
Well I’m glad that we are on the same page. Almost simultaneously we start to lean in.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“More than anything, yes,” He whispers onto my lips.
It’s only a matter of seconds until my hand is on his arm and his is on my neck, pulling our lips together. It’s slow at first, both of us exploring the newness of each other. He pulls away for a second,
“Everything okay?” I ask, slightly worried.
“Stand up, I need you closer.” He whispers, as he grabs my hands and pulls us off the couch.
We are standing in the middle of the living room now. His arms wrap around the small of my back, and mine onto his neck. Our bodies touching, closer than ever. The kisses are faster now, both of us more comfortable already. I feel Nick’s tongue slip between my lips and I let out a small groan.
I pull back, “Sorry, was that too much?”
“You say sorry a lot,” he says before reconnecting his lips with mine.
I wasn’t sorry for what I was about to do next however. I opened my eyes for a quick second to spot the closest wall near us. I move slightly towards the wall, and when I know I’m close enough to the wall, I push him against it. This time he is the one who lets out a moan.
“Just so you know, I’m not sorry for that,” I whisper into his lips before reconnecting them with mine.
Nick’s lips leave mine briefly, before he picks me up, turning us around to pin me to the wall.
“I’m not sorry either.”
“Good,” I mutter before pulling Nick’s head towards me.
I’ve never been this confident, maybe ever. I liked it. This continued on for a few more minutes, or years, who could really tell? When we pulled away from each other, I noticed his eyes for the first time. Light brown, like the couch, and they felt like home.
“So- I was- um-, I was going to cook you dinner, if you would be interested in that?” He asks, while trying to form complete thoughts in his head (same).
“I’d love that,” I smile before giving him a quick peck on the lips.
Nick lets go of me to head towards the kitchen. My body feels empty from the lack of contact, but I quickly accept this and follow Nick to the kitchen. Nick pulls out some pots and pans, along with a variety of ingredients, and starts cooking. I watch intently, as I have little to no cooking skills, much to Daphne’s dismay.
“How did you learn to cook? I have literally no cooking skills whatsoever.”
“It’s honestly not as hard as it looks, I just read the recipe,” Nick laughs.
I smirk, “Oh, I’m more of a hands on learner myself.”
Nick looks at me, “Well, lucky for you, I’m a hands on teacher.”
There it is, again, that funny feeling. It’s not funny, it’s serious, and so wonderful.
“Maybe you can teach me then?”
“Be patient and maybe I will.”
“Oh I can.”
Dinner was amazing. It was a simple spaghetti, but I swear I’ve never had something taste that good in my life.
“I genuinely don’t understand how you can make something taste so good. I’m impressed.”
“Honestly, it’s really not that hard. I’m sure you’re better at cooking than you let on,” Nick laughs while putting the dishes away.
I follow Nick into the kitchen and lean against the counter, watching him rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. I’m paying less attention to the dishes and much more attention to Nick’s arms. Normally I see him in a button up, so his arms aren’t quite as…visible. But now, it’s right in front of me, in arms reach.
“Watcha looking at?”
Oops.
“What are you talking about?” I say in a sing-songy voice.
Nick walks over to me and puts his hands on either side of me.
“Hi,” he mutters.
“Hi,” I respond shyly.
“Don’t act all shy now. You wanna know something?” He whispers into my ear, causing a shiver to send through me.
“What?” I breathe.
“The first time I saw you drop off Daph, I knew I needed to be closer to you, in any way. Those eyes of yours.”
Until now my eyes have been hovering around the ground and his chest, but now I look up straight into his eyes.
“You see something you like?” I tease.
“I do.”
And with that we pick up where we left off. Lips touching like they were meant for each other. My hands grab the counter behind me so that I can brace myself. Letting my head drop for a second in the process, Nick’s eyes meet my neck before his lips quickly follow.
“Fuck.” I moan.
He pulls away, worried.
“Is-is that okay?”
I respond by pulling his neck right back down to mine.
“Did I say stop?”
Nick responds to my sudden boost of confidence by picking me up and placing me onto the counter. I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him closer, if at all possible. How did I only just meet him, and already I feel this way? Last time I felt like this, it didn’t end well for me. It makes me question how this could really be happening, or if it really is happening the way I think it is. Once the thoughts start there is no stopping them. I notice I freeze, and a single tear rolls down my cheek. Nick notices and stops.
“Charlie? Is everything okay?” He asks, rubbing circles into my back.
All I can do is shake my head no. No sobs, just tears and the inability to speak. He gently guides me off the counter and to the couch, still rubbing the circles on my back. We sit farther away this time, but still not out of reach.
“Is it something I did?” He asks in a quiet voice.
Words seem to finally be able to form.
“No, god no Nick,” I finally say, “It’s just the last time I felt this way, I got hurt pretty bad. Physically, mentally, the whole nine yards really.”
He allows himself to move closer to me now.
“I would never hurt you.” Nick says, nuzzling his head into the crook of my shoulder.
“I know. I think I just have a hard time letting myself believe that something good can happen to me.”
“I’m here to remind you as much as you need,” he says, kissing my forehead.
“Thanks,” I smile.
What possesses me to do what I do next I’m not sure, but I won’t complain. I shift my weight to where I’m now on Nick’s lap straddling his legs.
“Is this okay?” I ask, hoping the mood I ruined just a few minutes earlier can be salvaged.
“Yes, Char, yes.”
I grab the back of his neck, pulling his lips onto mine. It starts off slow, regaining our momentum from earlier. From his neck I go to his hair, where I decide it was my turn. I pull his hair,
“Char-” he practically moans.
“What do you want to teach me?” I ask.
“I’m worried it’s too much.” He barely gets out.
“Try me.”
His hands lower down to my hips, and I become quite aware of the position we are both in. I rock slightly, and it seems to be exactly what was on his mind, as he drops his head.
“Thinking something like that?” I ask.
“You were right, a very hands on learner, a fast one too.”
I smile and reconnect his lips with mine, as he pulls me impossibly closer.
“Have you been thinking about this?” I whisper into his ear.
He doesn’t answer me with words, but instead pushes up into me. This causes both of us to momentarily forget how to breathe. Nick moves his hands lower, grabbing my ass to push me towards him. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him deeper, which makes me feel dizzy. We continue like this for a few minutes, attempting to have as much contact as possible at all times before I gently pull away.
“Do you wanna, um, go to the bedroom?” I ask.
“Oh, I, um,” Nick stutters.
“Hey,” I cup his face in my hands, “we don’t have to. This is perfect.”
“No, I- I want to. I’ve just never, gone that far with anyone before,” he mumbles, his eyes looking to the ground.
I tilt his head back up, “That’s ok. We can move at whatever pace you need,” I say, placing a kiss on his nose.
Nick smiles and places his lips back on mine, which I didn’t realize felt so empty until now. This kiss is gentle, he speaks again.
“Is it okay if we just hug right now?” His voice small.
I smile, my heart turned into a complete puddle at this point. I wrap my arms around him and pull him into my chest. He wraps his arms around my waist and melts into me. We sit there like that for a while, just enjoying being in each other's arms.
Nick pulls back, “Sorry I completely ruined the mood,” he laughs.
“You didn’t ruin anything, you’re perfect.”
I feel my phone buzz and open it to see a text from Tori.
Tori: Your child is asleep, don’t stay out snogging too late
I laugh and show Nick the text.
“I should probably get going and relieve Tori of her childcare duties.”
“Ok,” Nick says, nuzzling further into my chest.
I give in and hold him tighter, just for a few more minutes, before kissing him on the head.
“Ok, I’ve really got to go now,” I say, pulling back a bit.
“Okayyyyyy,” Nick whines.
I laugh and get up, collecting my things.
“This was really nice,” I say.
“Yeah, it was,” Nick smiles.
“We should do it again sometime,” I suggest.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
I kiss Nick again, wanting to savour the way his lips feel on mine.
“Can I ask one question Mr. Nelson?”
“Yes, Mr. Spring.”
“What do you want us to be?”
He smiles, and grabs my hands.
“Well considering I just made out with you for the past hour, I think it would be nice to ask if you wanted to be boyfriends?”
I smile, “I like the sound of that,” I mutter before kissing him again.
— — one month later — —
I’m getting, well, attempting to get Daphne ready, but that’s proving to be quite the task.
“Daphne! Nick is going to be here in five minutes!”
Daphne asked to start calling Nick his name outside of school because “It’s not fair that you get to call him Nick and I don’t daddy.” A feisty one she is, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hear the door open and Nick walks in.
“Hey,” he gives me a quick kiss, “Is Daph ready?”
“Take a wild guess,” I laugh.
Daphne runs in the room and jumps into Nick’s arms.
“NICK!”
“Hi Daph,” he laughs, “why don’t you get out of your pajamas so we can get going?”
Daphne seems to think for a moment, “And I get to see your dogs?”
“Yup, Nellie and Henry.”
“Daddy you should’ve gotten me ready earlier so I could’ve seen Nellie and Henry soonerrrrrr!” Daphne whines before running to her room to change.
“I can’t with her,” I deadpan.
Nick laughs and wraps his arms around me.
“I’m nervous,” I mutter into Nick’s chest.
“Don’t be, my mum is going to love you.”
“She’ll at least love Daphne, which will distract her from any hatred she forms towards me,” I laugh.
“Oh shush, she’s not going to hate you. I don’t think my mum has a hateful bone in her body.
“OK DADDY I’M READY!” Daphne screams, running into the room.
I laugh, “Ok, let’s get going then.”
We pull up to Nick’s mum’s house and I take a deep breath in. Meeting and getting with the love of my life was scary enough, now I have to meet his mum. Nick grabs my hand and looks over at me.
“Hey, what’s going on up in that head of yours?”
“I’m just thinking about how much I love you and how much I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Not a chance,” he says, pecking my lips.
We get Daphne out of the car and Nick grabs her hand and heads toward the front door. I smile watching the little family I’ve created by just being myself. I didn’t think I could ever be so lucky, but my heart is so full. Nick looks back at me and smiles, and I head after them, grabbing Daphne’s other hand and stopping at the front door. Nick rings the doorbell and I swear my heart literally stops beating. I feel like I was missing something in my life that I didn’t even realize was missing, and now my life is complete. The door opens, and I immediately can tell this will go well.
“Oh my lovelies, get in before you freeze to death!” Nick’s mum says.
Are he and his mom the same person? If so then I must have died and gone to heaven.
“Hi my name is Daphne,” Daph says, waving at Nick’s mum.
“Hello Daphne, it’s very nice to meet you,” Nick’s mum smiles warmly.
Daphne pulls me forward.
“This is my dad, his name is Charlie.”
I awkwardly smile, before being engulfed in a hug by Nick’s mum. I quickly melt into the hug, discovering where Nick got his comforting hugs from. I soon hear a pitter pat of tiny paws on the hardwood floor.
“OH MY GOD THEY’RE SO CUTE!” Daphne screams before running over to Nellie and Henry.
I laugh and just watch her immediately fall in love. Nellie is kissing her face while Henry has jumped onto her lap.
“Oh how adorable! How old is she?” Nick’s mum asks.
“She’s five,” I smile, continuing to watch Daph play with the dogs.
“Oh how lovely, I remember when Nicky was that age.”
I glance over at Nick and smile.
“Mum!” Nick complains, embarrassed.
“Hey now, I want to hear all about baby Nick, don’t ruin this for me,” I joke, nudging Nick’s side.
Daphne runs back up to me, “Daddy can we get a puppy? Pleassssseeeeeee.”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
Daphne turns to Nick, “Nick can we get a puppy? Pleasssseeeeeee."
“Daph!” I exclaim.
She shrugs and runs back over to the dogs.
“She certainly knows how to get what she wants,” Nick’s mum laughs.
“Yeah she takes after someone else I know,” Nick jokes, looking at me.
“Shut up,” I say, smacking him on the arm.
We head into the kitchen for a cup of tea, and Nick’s mum talks all about Nick’s childhood. This is how I find out Nick can speak FRENCH.
“You didn’t think to tell me this?!”
“It never came up,” Nick shrugs.
We laugh and continue chatting with Nick’s mum. Nick gets up to leave and check on Daphne, and now its just me and Mrs. Nelson.
“He’s never been so happy,” She says.
“Neither have I,” I say, a smile coming to my lips.
“You both are so lucky to have each other, and Daphne, she's going to grow up to be a strong independent person. I can just tell.”
“Mrs. Nelson, that is so sweet of you to say. However, I think Daphne may already be getting there.” I laugh.
“Oh honey, call me Sarah.”
I nod, taking a sip of my tea as Nick comes back in, carrying Daph, who’s looking a bit sleepy.
“I think someone is in need of a nap,” Nick says, motioning towards Daphne.
“No, I’m not tired at all,” Daphne says, yawning.
“Ok Ms. not tired, why don’t we get going?” I say.
“But I wanna stay with Nellie and Henry,” she frowns.
“Don’t worry we’ll be back soon,” Nick says.
She seems to accept this and lays on Nick’s shoulder. We thank Nick’s mum for the nice afternoon and tea, and head to the car. Nick buckles Daphne up and we head back towards the house. Daphne falls asleep almost immediately, which isn’t at all a surprise. Nick checks the rear view mirror and smiles.
“I love this,” He says, grabbing my hand.
“I love you,” I say, squeezing his hand.
“I love you too.”