This came to us when we talked about her father. She doesn't have that great a relationship with him, a child of divorce. We were watching Season 2 and she became upset at Caleb and Kirsten. So, this is the end result. A short, three part fic about Kirsten and Caleb. It takes place after Kirsten reads the letter from Caleb. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Don't own or are not affiliated with anyone.
Chapter 1: Sandy
I watch her sleeping. She looks so peaceful. The most peaceful I've seen her in months. The anguish in her eyes has finally disappeared. Her breaths come in long, deep respirations. She groans lightly as she turns over, draping an arm around my waist. I inhale her scent and look down at her innocence. She never deserved this much pain.
She had gone through so much already; she didn't need to deal with this now. I look down at her face, her mascara tears dried upon her flawless face. She was exhausted. The tears and the hurt that had consumed her had tired her out. I knew that. She and I, we have a silent bond. We've known each other for too long for me not to understand how she feels. However, this battle is her own. I can't help her here; I can only be there for her.
We've been together over twenty years. For over twenty years, her father has been a commanding force in our relationship. He never liked me. And I never really liked him. I only put up with him for her. It was always for her. That was the one thing we had in common. We always just wanted her to be happy. Even when he and I would disagree the most, we always put her first.
I never meant to be a force that caused a rift between her and her father. I just wanted her to be happy. We were always at odds, her father, and I. We would argue about almost everything. Money. The boys. Her. I still remember the first time we met. He thought I was a joke. I could see it in the way he would look at me. He would make fun of my background. He always thought I was never good enough for her. There are times when I agree with him. I didn't know what I did to deserve such perfection.
There's the one thing that we always agreed upon. She was utter perfection. Beautiful. Intelligent. She was everything a woman should be. I always heard him say that she was exactly like his wife. Maybe that's why he never could really let her go. His wife had died several years ago. His other daughter gone. She and he were all that were left of their family. He just couldn't let her go.
I had always thought he was heartless. Treating her the way he did. I realized one afternoon that I spent with him, looking for her ring that he was like her. Passionate. Caring. They just didn't know how to show it sometimes. Him more than her. She had grown to be very loving. He had a little more difficulty showing he cared. You could see it though. In his eyes. The way he spoke about her. He loved her like there was no tomorrow.
Spending that day with him was an interesting experience. He wasn't such a bad guy. It was times like that that I missed my father the most. He ran out on my family when I was much younger. I never really had a father.
That day, he spent the day with me, trying to find a ring for her. To prove my love to her. Of course, he had thought the idea preposterous but he had come nonetheless. He respected that I loved her. I think I was starting to grow on him. I have to admit. He was starting to grow on me too.
I wish he wasn't gone. I still need someone to give me that extra push. Someone to make me try and become a better person. In that aspect, he was like a father to me. He was the male figure in my life that I somewhat wanted to be like. Strong. Resilient. He was the male figure in my life that I didn't want to be like. Selfish. Cold. But he loved. He loved so much that when he got hurt, it destroyed him. This destroyed everyone and everything around him. Even his relationship with his daughter. Still, he was a driving force in his small place. He was a sign of power.
I can't believe he's gone. As much as I had disdain for him, I couldn't help but love him all the same. Oddly enough, he used to treat me like a son. I hate that she has to go through this. It is hard enough for me to deal with his death. I used to see him everyday. Even if he isn't the nicest man, he was always there for me. Regardless of his disrespect toward me, I knew I could always count on him. For anything.
He gave me his daughter. I hate that as we began to get along, he had to pass on. He had to leave us. It breaks her heart. It breaks mine, too. I watch her sleep. The peace in her face, evident. He's watching over her. That I knew for sure.
Cal, I'll miss you. You were what made me try my best to be worthy of her. You were right. No one is good enough for her. But I can try. I will spend my life making her feel loved. I will make sure that she is looked after. Happy. Well. You were like a father to me, regardless of how much we fought and argued. I think in a sense that made us family. I was one of your only friends. You were one of mine, too. You made her happy. I used to wish that you were my father. I used to wish that someone were there for me at my greatest times of need. I realized that I didn't need to wish or pray for that. You were here. Whether or not you knew you treated me like a son. Whether or not you actually accepted me. It doesn't matter. I never got to know my father. I'm glad I got to know you.