She's Everything To Me
The scene comes to life a few years into young Baden's life. He was just about to turn four, when all of a sudden, his life turned upside down. Suddenly, Mama wasn't around a lot and Papa was angrier and angrier when she was. All he knew was something had to change. So Baden began to behave more and more nicely, making Papa smile at him, and Mama... Well, Mama didn't really notice.
But Baden didn't care, his Papa was his world and he at least cared. Soon, the day came when there was a bunch of men and women in suits and nice dresses all talking to him, about who he wanted to live with. He said he wanted to be with his Papa, his Papa was nice, and he cared. That about broke the lawyers hearts, but little Bae hadn't noticed. All he noticed was that his birthday was approaching.
TWO YEARS LATER.
Nick Gold was a single father. He was approaching twenty eight years old, and he had a six year old son. He didn't have a nanny, or anyone really, to make his life easier. He just had little Bae, who lit his father's face up with a single smile. If he had known that everything was going to change when a young woman dropped by his store one day, he would've been paying little attention even then. He didn't believe in love, not since Milah had left them.
"Hello," the young woman chimed as she breezed into the dress store, called simply Nick's.
"Welcome to Nick's. Can I help you with anything?" Nick asked her in response, a fake smile plastered on his face as he came from behind the counter.
"No, thank you. I'm just browsing," the woman answered.
"Papa! Papa, I drewed a picture for you to make into a dress!" Bae shouted, running into the shop as he dropped the hand of his babysitter, Ashley Boyd.
"Did you really? Draw me a picture for me to design?" Nick asked, kneeling down onto his knee to hug his son.
"Yeah!" Bae said excitedly, showing his father the picture of a girl in a superhero cape, with a messily drawn triangle dress.
"Perfect," Nick gasped good-naturedly, smiling. "I'll design it soon, son, I promise." And he would- he had a special part of his store for his son's designs.
"Excuse me," The woman said softly.
Nick got up off his knees, looking over at the woman. "Yes?" he asked.
"I'd like to buy one of his works," she smiled, and oh God, when she smiled, the whole room lit up.
"Would you really?" Bae asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up with delight as he jumped up and down.
"I would," the lady answered. "I've a little niece who wants to be a superhero." She confided in Bae, winking up at Nick.
"Well, why don't you take a look over here? He's drawn all of these, miss." Nick gestured over to the children's section of the store.
"Belle, Belle French." The woman - Belle! - said, offering him her hand to shake.
He shook it. "Nick Gold," he responded.
"I'm Bae!" Baden said loudly.
"Why, how nice to meet you, Mr. Bae!" Belle said exaggeratedly, shaking his hand too.
"The pleasure's mine, Miss Belle." Bae said politely, like his father had taught him.
Belle beamed, obviously delighted at how polite the child was. She then let Nick lead her over towards the children's section.
"Bae, why don't you tell Miss Belle about your creations?" Nick encouraged his son cheerfully.
"Yes, please! I'd love to have a partner to look at these. What do you think a six year old little girl would like, mister Bae?" Belle asked Bae, a smile on her face.
"This one," Bae told her immediately, pointing to a pink coloured getup, with a red "S" on it.
"Perfect," Belle agreed, smiling at him as she took the correctly sized costume from the rack and handed it to Nick. "I'd like this one, please, Mister Nick." she said with a smile.
"If you'd just sign the receipt, you can be on your way, Miss Belle." Nick told her, handing her the piece of paper.
A few seconds later, he received it back, with a number written on the back of it.
CROSS POSTED ON ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN
LOTS OF LOVE, KINDLE