Disclaimer: I don't own Blood+
"Daddy!" Solomon looked at his daughter running towards him, her jumper covered with mud and sand.
"Are you ok?" he asked, picking her up. She had a little scrape on her face but was smiling. She held up a rock in her muddy hands.
"Look!" she said happily. "It looked like a bird."
He looked at it and it was shaped like a bird. He patted her head and smiled at her. She was so much like her mother. Amara. It was so hard to believe that she had died, even after four years it was hard to believe. It seemed like only last week she was here.
Flashback:
"Solomon!" he heard her call. He looked up from his book. It was summer and he was in his backyard, swimming with Amara. She was on the high dive, waving at him, her honey golden hair glistening in the sun.
"Get down from there!" he scolded, afraid she'd hurt herself.
She stuck her tongue out at him and yelled back. "Why don't you make me?"
"Amara, come on." He'd never seen her jump before, and it didn't seem like a good idea.
"You ain't my daddy!" she taunted with her fists firmly on her hips. Before he could say another word, she swan dived, landing into the deep end of the pool. He ran to her as she surfaced, Laughing.
"Don't do that." He said, his voice was calmer now, concerned.
"Party pooper." She said and let him help her out of the water. "I'm alright." He touched her now wet hair, which had just now grown back. "Ever since my Chemo therapy, you've been so wound up, relax…I'm alright."
Amara sighed, she loved Solomon but ever since he found out she had cancer, he had been so worried. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
She stood on her toes and kissed him. "Let me worry about that." She said. "I'm going to live long. I promise."
Flashback ends:
He was foolish to believe her, but he had believed her until the very end. "Daddy?" he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Are you ok?"
He looked at his daughter, her bright diamond eyes full of concern, her muddy hand still latched to his sleeve. He hugged her tightly. He knew Estelle has caused Amara's death. Amara's mother blamed Estelle still, but he knew better that to blame his daughter. He blamed himself. Whose fault was it that Amara had gotten pregnant?
"Let's go home." He said, not caring how dirty she got him, he took her home after covering the back seat. There was a car in the driveway, he recognized it immediately. "Adalie?" he said out loud, wondering what Amara's sister was doing here.
"Aunt Alie!" Estelle yelled, bouncing in her seat. "Where?" Solomon parked and as soon as he opened the door, Estelle tumbled out of the car; she hit the ground and ran to the door.
Adalie opened door to the house. Carolyn must have let her in. Carolyn was their house keeper, she was there everyday except weekends. "Hey Stella!" She said, picking up her niece, but not holding her too close, she looked at Solomon then back to Estelle. "You two been wrestling?" she asked the girl, and then looked at Solomon. "Looks like she pinned you down a few times."
Solomon laughed softly. "Nice to see you too Adalie. Estelle, why don't you to Carolyn and see if she'll give you a bath?"
Estelle hopped down, hitting the ground again. "I'm okay." She insisted as she got up and took off her shoes to go in search of Carolyn.
"She's a little clumsy." Adalie said. She was Amara's little sister and exact opposite. She was tall, had dark hair and eyes and didn't take as many risks. "Is that normal?"
"I took her to a specialist; it's nothing to worry about." Solomon assured her. "Nothing's wrong with her legs, she just moves too fast and ends up tripping."
"I'm just worried…"
"Because of Amara?"
"Solomon, we didn't find out until she was six…it was surprising she lives as long as she did." Adalie suddenly got quiet; she suddenly missed her sister terribly and wanted her to be here.
"I miss her too." Solomon said interrupting her thoughts.
"I wish mother didn't blame Estelle," Adalie said as she heard her niece's sweet laughter through the open window to the bathroom upstairs. "She'd just love her…I know she would."
"Yeah, she would." He sighed; remembering her angry voice as Adalie and her other child Nathan held her back from baby Estelle. Let me go! She screamed. I'll kill that baby myself! She killed my daughter! Nathan had asked if he would bring Estelle to see their mother, but after that day, he never asked again.
"Let's go inside." Solomon said to his sister-in-law. She nodded and walked with him in the house. She until it was time for Estelle to go to bed.
Carolyn walked down the stairs. "Ms. Adalie is gonna tuck her in, I should be going now."
Solomon smiled at Carolyn, she had three adult children of her own and loved Estelle. She had since she met her.
Flashback:
Solomon was panicking. He had taken Estelle to the park, he looked away for one second and she had vanished. He ran around the park looking for his daughter and calling for her. But there was no sign of her, he hadn't even heard her crying.
"Estelle!" he yelled, looking around and checking under bushes, Estelle was crawling and liked crawling under bushes of anything that shaded her from the sun, she was smart, and also sweet, too sweet. She let everyone hold her, she reached for anyone who was standing near her and cried out for their attention.
Once in the bank, Estelle had opened her arms for the teller behind the desk, who slowly and nervously took her until they left. Of course she wouldn't cry, she trusted too easily, she didn't know the difference between who to trust and who not to trust.
"Estelle!" he called again and listened for any possible crying or babbling.
"You're going to be okay little one." He heard a woman say and looked around, he saw a brown haired woman who looked to be about middle age. She was holding a baby in a blue dress… Estelle! That was her dress.
"Estelle!" he yelled, relieved and ran to them.
"Is that her name?" the woman asked looking up from the infant. "She crawled over here with a cut under her arm and reached for me, I didn't know what to do." He saw a bandage on Estelle's left arm and she was curled up comfortably to the woman.
Solomon reached to take his daughter, but the woman holding her took a cautious step back. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I'm her father."
"How do I know that?" she asked. "Besides, she looks nothing like you." it was true. Estelle looked nothing like him she looked like Amara.
He took his wallet and took out two pictures, one of him and Amara and one of him and Estelle. She took a glance at the pictures, still holding Estelle carefully. She looked at him, like she was thinking. Estelle looked at him too and reached for him, smiling, her mouth moved slowly, like she was struggling. Her lips moved slowly and she forced the words out. "Da…Da…"
"Well…" the woman said, she sounded as surprised as he felt. "I'm convinced." She handed Estelle over to a shocked Solomon and smiled. "You take care little one."
"Wait." Solomon said before she left. She stopped and looked at him. "Can I ask you a question?"
Flashback Ends:
Carolyn had been with them since that day, and she had been a godsend, especially when Estelle had learned to throw punches. For such a small child, she had very strong fists.
"Goodnight Carolyn." He said walking her to the car.
"Goodnight Mr. Goldsmith." She said before she drove off.
Solomon walked back into the house and up the stairs to say goodnight to Estelle and Adalie.
"Aunt Alie?" he heard Estelle say as he got to the door. "What was Mama like?" that question made him pause in mid-reach for the door.
"Your mother was a really wonderful lady." He heard Adalie say. Her voice sounded strained like she was forcing herself not to cry.
"How old was I when she died?"
"Three hours old."
Solomon leaned against the wall and slid down slowly. He couldn't help but notice she had the same innocent tone in her voice as her mother.
"Did Mama love Daddy?" she asked
"Very much, she loved you and your daddy more than anything."
"Did I love mama?"
"More than you'll ever know."
"Did you love mama?" she asked. There was a pause, before Adalie spoke again.
"She was so nice…I loved her. She was my best friend…"
Estelle was quiet, and Solomon thought maybe she had fallen asleep. He was about to get up, when he heard her speak again. "Aunt Alie?"
"Yes baby?" Adalie whispered.
"Was mama pretty?"
It was Solomon who answered this time, from his place in the hallway. "Your mother was beautiful Estelle. Just like you."
A/N: this is my very first Blood+ story, so let me know if I'm doing something wrong. R&R please. If I'm doing something wrong, let me know.