Nick left Zoe sleeping the next morning as he went to speak to his daughter, he could hear her TV, the muffled sounds travelling down the hall. He chapped her door quietly, waiting for a reply.
"Yeah?" She called, her voice still thick with sleep.
She was still in her bed when he entered, an old episode of friends playing in the background. "Morning, love" he smiled, taming a seat on the edge of her bed.
"Hi dad" she whispered, looking at him sheepishly; she loved time she got to spend with her dad without his girlfriend being there.
"I think we need to talk, about last night…" He began, trailing off as she interrupted him
"No, dad. I know what you were doing I'd rather not have that conversation with you" she cringed.
"No, it's not that. I just need you to be more courteous, like knocking before you come into our bedroom please. It's common decency, Rebecca does it and it saves for embarrassing you in the future" nick finished what he was trying to say, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way.
"Oh, yeah perfect Rebecca, Rebecca can do no wrong" Sarah muttered sarcastically "why does she get everything dad?! She has the biggest room, but she's the youngest; you pay for your girlfriend to take her shopping but not me, it's all about her" she shouted; not seeing why her dad was being so unreasonable.
"Keep your voice down" nick hissed at her; it was still early in the morning. "She has the biggest of the rooms because she lives here all the time, me and Zoe have always said if you wanted to live here full time we'd out an extension to yours and Jonnys side of house so you could have bugger rooms. As for yesterday, I'm sure Zoe would gladly have taken you with her if you weren't so nasty to her" he sighed "what's happened to my little princess, eh?" Nick tried to smile "when did she become so horrible to others?"
Sarah tutted at her dad "the day you left mum for your little tart and her perfect brat"
Nick shook his head and left the room "we're trying Sarah, please meet us halfway"
.
Breakfast was a tense affair that morning, as usually Sarah and Jonathan completely ignored everything Zoe said; her pleasantries fell on deaf ears. Sarah appeared in the kitchen as Nick and Zoe were clearing away dishes.
"I'm going out" she announced, to her father, acting as though Zoe was merely an annoyance.
"You can't go dressed like that" Zoe cried, appalled. Her shorts and crop top barely covered her figure.
Sarah turned to look at her with a frown on her face "yes mum" she drawled sarcastically "oh wait, you're not my mum and after what I saw you wearing last night I'd say this is a vast improvement" she turned on her heel and stormed from the house before either of them could say a word.
Zoe looked at Nick in shock "she can't keep treating me like Im something she's scraped from her shoe"
"I know" Nick soothed "I'm taking her home tomorrow, I'll have a word with Yvonne then" his hands came around to circle her bump, stroking lightly "she'll come around, I promise" he kissed the back of her neck lightly, the one thing that was guaranteed to soothe her "I love you Dr Hanna" he whispered in her ear.
Zoe relaxed into his embrace and smiled she couldn't remember ever being this happy, aside from the stepdaughter from hell. Her life was perfect; her next mission to make peace with her stepchildren before their baby arrived "I love you too, Mr Jordan"