Disclaimer: I do not own Being Human.
"Do you, Aidan Rath, take Sally Malik, to be your wife – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"
Aidan looked lovingly at his soon-to-be wife. With pure confidence, he said, "I do." A tear trickled down Sally's face.
"And do you, Sally Malik, take Aidan Rath, to be your husband – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"
Sally bit her lip and smiled. "I do."
- 1 year later –
"Oh Jesus Christ! Aidan, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Sally screamed as she was wheeled into the emergency room. Her grip on the handles of the wheel chair were so tight that her knuckles were sheet white, her breathing was rapid and heavy, and her puffy, red face was dripping sweat.
As Sally was screaming profanities at her husband, the entire hospital stirred their attention at the pregnant couple. Aidan however, remained calm and cool and stood by his wife, and kept saying that he loves her too.
After exactly 21 hours of labour, Sally gave birth to a black haired, hazel-eyed beauty, named Britney.
Sally wakes up at 4AM, and instead of Aidan snoring on his side of the bed, all she finds is an empty space. She frowns and waits a moment for the sleep to leave her body. Her eyes settle on the bathroom, but the door is open and the lights are off. She gets out from under the covers, her small feet hitting the carpeted floor, and she feels the cold when she stands up, knowing that she's to blame for sleeping in only her panties and a tank top. She brushes her bangs out of her face, and makes her way to Britney's room.
On her way, she stops to find pictures hanging on the wall. She smiles to herself.
She opens the door carefully, and has a brief panic attack when she sees the empty crib. The house is quiet, which only makes her heart beat faster. She tells herself to calm down-there is nothing wrong. No ninjas, no kidnapping. She takes a deep breath, but reminds herself that there is a loaded gun under the mattress and nun-chucks on the top shelf of the closet.
Going down the stairs, one step at a time, she feels relief washing over when she realizes the lights are on in the living room, and that right in the middle of it, Aidan is walking around with Britney in his arms. He's doing a little dance, perhaps to get her to calm down or got to sleep.
Sally sits on one of the steps and watches from afar since interrupting them would be a shame.
The baby has her head on Aidan's shoulder, her chubby, tiny hands on his chest, and he's holding her firmly, dressed only in sweatpants (he always wears them to sleep), while Britney is happily clothed in her favorite pink onesie-the one with the angel wings drawn on the back.
He bounces her a little, she smiles, and he talks to her, tells her she's the prettiest lady in the world and she laughs, not understanding a word.
"So tomorrow, well..." he steals a glance at the clock on the wall. "Today, actually, is father's day. I know, how cool is that...I get a day all for myself because I have you," he says, kissing her cheek.
It makes Sally melt all over. Her right hand on her chest, as if to hold her heart. A habit of hers-she doesn't know she does it, but every time something happens that has her worried, happy, or sad, she brings her hand to her heart.
She bites her bottom lip. Holds back the urge to say something.
Aidan doesn't seem to know she's there at all, and if he does, he simply doesn't mind.
He would never mind.
He says, "But I won't be here. Not before midnight, I mean. Which is not really fair since most daddies get to spend this day with their children, but your old man here has a really stupid job that, hopefully, when you get older you'll understand that it's not stupid at all...and maybe you won't hate me?" he raises an eyebrow at the question, looking down at his daughter.
She's got a round face and big, brown eyes that let you know everything is going to be okay.
She's adorable like that.
"Look, sweetheart, I know it's late and you won't understand a thing I tell you-ow-and if you could get my hair out of your mouth, I would appreciate it," he says, chuckling and taking the strand of hair she likes to pull and chew on out of her mouth.
On the stairs, Aidan brings a hand to her mouth and tries to muffle her giggles.
Aidan goes on, "I just want you to know that if I had a choice, I'd drop everything to be here with you tomorrow. Today. Every day. I swear I would. But for every action, there's a reaction and-oh gee, I do sound like a dad," he says, caressing Britney's face. "Good for us, huh?" he smiles. "I love you, alright? I love you more than anything, and you're my top priority, no matter what. You and your mother. So this is not me choosing work over you...it's just me doing what I have to do..."
He stops talking then. Walks around with Britney, does that little dance again, and stays that way with her until she falls asleep in his arms. By that time, Sally has already walked back to the bedroom, and is lying in bed with a heavy heart and a million thoughts in her head.
II.
There is paperwork to be filled.
He sits on his chair, the one that hurts his back, and checks for messages on his phone.
He's not doing anything, to be honest. Just sitting there, staring at the disorganized mess that is his desk now.
"Hey, Rath! Happy Father's Day, man!"
Kenny White's voice catches his attention, brings him out of his haze. He looks at the man standing before his desk. He's tall and lean, he's got greasy hair and a pimple on his neck that is red and infected, as if someone had spent some time trying to pop it. Aidan diverts his eyes from it, and smiles politely.
"Thanks."
"It's gotta suck...Being stuck in here while every one else is enjoying the day."
There is something about Kenny that makes Aidan want to punch him in the face. Repeatedly.
"Yes, Kenny, it does suck. Thank you very much for reminding me."
"Heh, I wish I had a different job. I'd get myself a kid and enjoy a day off or so."
"Because that's why Father's Day exists."
Kenny gives Aidan a playful punch on the arm. "Right? Anyway man, I gotta go."
Aidan closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and counts to ten.
This is going to be a long day.
III.
"She's got Dad's nose."
Sally rolls her eyes, grabs the two glasses of soda and heads back to the living room. She finds her baby being lifted by her old friend. He's squinting and analyzing her face. He brings her down, balances her on his lap, her feet on his thigh as strong hands help her stand in one place.
She becomes a bit bigger when she's with Josh.
"You think?" Sally asks, placing the glasses down on the coffee table, and smiling at her daughter. The baby smiles right back at her, and laughs a little, as if she wants Sally to understand what's going on. She's standing on her godfather's thigh. That she's amazing and everybody should pay attention to her.
"Yeah. It looks a bit more like yours though. I'm just glad she didn't end up with Aidan's nose," he says, holding Britney properly now that the little one has grown tired of standing and decided slapping Josh's face is much more fun. Her tiny hand goes on his cheek, he pretends it hurts, and she giggles.
Sally laughs.
"Let Aidan hear you saying that..."
"C'mon," he says, pulling away from Britney's hand as she tries to grab his nose, and then letting her grab it a moment later. "What fun would it be if I didn't get to tease him?"
"You're impossible."
"And you're a mother."
"Yup."
"Still can't believe it."
"Well, Britney's seven months old now, so you gotta start believing it."
"Seven months? Already? Well, look at you," he says to Britney. "You're almost a grown up!"
"Isn't she?" Sally asks, leaning in to give Britney a kiss. The little one puckers up her lips just like she learned a few days ago, and gives her mother a noisy peck on the cheek.
"Hey, no kiss for your uncle Josh?"
Britney gives him a noisy peck too, proud and happy that everybody is looking at her and talking to her.
"Oh, that's not a kiss, ok, that's drooling," he says, making a face and sending Sally off to a laughing fit.
She cleans the drool off his cheek since he's still holding Britney, and she winks at the baby. "That's what he gets for mocking your Daddy, huh?"
He chuckles, rolls his eyes. "Believe me, this girl will be just as happy that she didn't get his nose once she grows up," he says, and when he notices the look on Sally's face, he frowns. "You okay?"
She shakes her head. "I'm fine."
"Sally."
"Ah, it's just..." she grabs Britney's hand, and smiles. "Look how cute she is! She's adorable, and Aidan's stuck at work and it just...sucks. He really wanted to be here today. He'd talk to her nonstop about it-that he'd have his first father's day together and that they were going to do a bunch of stuff together...And last night, I caught him talking to her and apologizing because he had to go and work and I know that he hates his job, he tells me that it's the only way that puts food on the table and a roof over our heads, but I know he can find a better job. Plus, we are so behind on paying our debts, that him missing a day of work, especially today since he has this 'life or death' meeting, it's gonna cost him, and I just… I'm just doing nothing about it."
She bites the inside of her cheek. She always does that when she's upset, and she feels Josh's hand on her shoulder.
"He needed the job, I understood. But that was before we had Britney, and now I'm always wondering when things will go wrong, and I start thinking that if something happened to Aidan, it wouldn't be about me going through a loss and suffering, it would be about Britney too. She would go through it too and I can't stand that thought, I can't stand any of it. These financial problems we're having… It's just not finishing. Just last week, we got a letter from the Tax Department, they're giving us a warning. I can't think about him suffering and coming home all tired and worried anymore, and I can't think about her having to go through that, I can't. I'm just...becoming this selfish, crazy person."
She rests her head on his shoulder, her hands find Britney, and she plays with her, smiles and holds back the tears. Rudy puts an arm around her, never lets go of the baby, and kisses the top of Sally's head.
"You're not crazy. You're not selfish either. You're just worried and that's okay. You're thinking about you and your family's future. You don't want Britney to grow up in an environment that's always changing. It's not wrong for you to hate what he does or how he feels. I hate it too, you know. I love you, Sally. You and Britney. You're my family, and I'm just as worried as you are because you may not be a soldier, you may not be called out on the field, but you are a fighter and I'm always wondering if I'm gonna get a call one day telling me something happened to you. It drives me crazy too, but then I think that he needs to do this, he needs to fight for a better future so Britney can get a normal childhood-"
"I know that, and I think so too, but lately I'm just so scared..."
"And it would be weird if you weren't. Sally, you're a good mom, okay? And worrying is part of it. The same goes for the rest. You're a good wife..." he smirks. "Especially for putting up with that thing on Aidan's face. I mean, Jesus, that shit is scary."
"You jerk!" she says, but laughs. Laughs really loud, and he does too, content that he can still make his only female friend, (who he considers as his own sister) feel a bit better when she's not okay.
IV.
He's in a meeting. He gets a message from Kenny.
Go home.
He texts him back, asking him what's going on.
He explains:
Boss sent you home, Aidan. Just excuse yourself from the meeting. I'll take care of it. Go be with your daughter. Happy Father's Day.
He smiles, texts a quick thank you and then he's out the door.
V.
It's not the surprise itself that makes his world.
He digs the key from out of his pocket and opens the front door of the house, drowns in the familiar smell of coffee, baby powder, lilacs (Sally's favorite flower) and Windex, heads straight to the living room, and then to the kitchen. Figuring they're probably in the bedroom, he climbs the stairs quietly, and doesn't shout for attention; Angela may be asleep and he would hate if he woke her up. He learned that lesson a few months ago when he just couldn't wait for his baby to wake up, and Sally was out and he just wanted to talk to his daughter. It's not like anyone could blame him. She's pretty amazing, and no, he's not saying that because she's his, although he did tell Sally right after she gave birth that they were artists. How else would they explain the gorgeous tiny human they'd made? Honestly. So he picked her up that day, the day he was alone in the house with only a couple of weeks into fatherhood in his résumé, and he woke her up and dear God, that baby cried until she couldn't anymore. Cried as if she was yelling at him, blaming him for disturbing her. And he apologized, and took her into his arms, and talked and sang and rocked back and forth and sang again and kissed the top of her head and tried telling stories and finally, when he was running out of tales about Sally and how clumsy, but unbelievable strong the woman is, Britney fell asleep again.
He doesn't call out for Sally.
Instead, he knocks on the bedroom's door, the softest knocks he has ever managed (he even feels a bit proud. Sally is always complaining that he's going to bring down the door one of these days) and says her name in a low tone before opening the door.
It's not the surprise itself that makes his world.
It's the scene happening right before his eyes.
It's Sally in a summer dress, dancing with Britney, making her smile and laugh and kissing the tip of her tiny nose.
It's the way she stops, and looks at him, lets it sink in what's happening and her smile just grows and she points at him, and says "Look, sweetie, Daddy's here."
It's the way Britney does look at him, and the way she raises her chubby arms, trying reach out to him. She babbles something, turns to Kim, there's a frown on her face, and Sally asks, "You want Daddy?"
And Britney keeps the frown, but says, "Dada," and looks at him again.
Aidan remembers he can move, and does so, thinking about a hundred cheesy things or so to say, and noting that the fact they're cheesy doesn't make them any less true. He is home. If this is a dream, he doesn't want to wake up and so on. But he keeps his mouth shut, at least for now, and he takes his baby in his arms and kisses his wife. A kiss on her rosy, smooth lips. Long and cute, and her hair smells of peach scented shampoo, and their baby demands attention, and he's just so happy to be holding her, so happy that life seems to be giving them a break and letting them live.
"Britney, baby, tell Daddy how much we missed him," Sally says.
Aidan smiles at her, at the nickname, at their baby. He can't stop smiling. He can't.
Not when he feels like a boy all over again.
A boy who is very much in love.