"Big plane." Addy had her nose pressed up against the window at the airport.
Alfie was squatting behind her, he was nervous, she was nervous and only Iris had remained calm. She was just keen to get it over with, she was toey she had told Alfie that morning when he annoyed her. "I'm going to lock myself in my room with Colt. You know, we've got a kid in the house now, there are things she doesn't need to see."
He had scoffed at her and muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch.
"It is a big plane." She was fascinated watching all the coming and going of the planes in the background and the hustle and bustle of people around her. As long as she had Alfie close by she was doing well. That hadn't surprised anyone, how much she stuck by her Dad. She'd had a lot of people come and go in her life lately it was no wonder she was clingy. It was nice that she wanted Alfie a lot of the time and that she was developing a strong bond with him. He took her to bed every night, got up to her when she woke or cried during the night, he bathed her and got up every morning to make breakfast for her.
Iris was aware that it was important for Addy to trust her Dad, he was her parent and Iris offered some emotional support but also made sure she just had fun with her while Alfie did the heavy lifting and some days were harder than others, Addy still had rough times. Her whole world had changed as had Alfie's and they were learning together.
He learnt very quickly that Addy had to hear the word 'No' because he was so keen to make her happy he let her do whatever she wanted and then one day he said no to her and it was like world war three. It was an ugly three hours when Addy threw the mother of all temper tantrums.
The airline had done them a solid and given them a whole row to themselves at the bulk head so that Addy could move around and lie down. She burst into tears as the plane took off and wanted to climb into Alfie's' lap and as soon as the seatbelt sign went off that's where she spent the first two hours of the flight. Eventually she got used to it but hated landing again once they hit Hong Kong and once they got off the plane and she did not want to get back on. "Addy, I'll be right beside you. You can hold my hand and once that little light goes off we can cuddle. Okay?"
"I don't want too."
"Its' the last time."
"No." she slapped Alfie's hand.
"Addy, we have to sweetheart, that's how we get to our new home."
"I go home, I want Mummy."
Addy refused to let Alfie touch her. "I know Sweetheart, I know you do. Daddy's here with you though."
"No Mummy." She burst into tears. There had been a bit more of this over the last few days. Alfie just tried to go with it, calm her down or wait for it to pass and it usually did. It drew a few strange looks when Addy was yelling at him that she wanted her Mum and they tried not to let it upset them or react and draw attention to her outburst. He took her for a walk to calm her down and to stop people gawking.
Addy was much happier when Alfie bought her back. They had been to the shop and he had bought her a book and a colouring set which she was happy to show Iris. "Alfie buyed it." She wanted to open it right now and Iris convinced her to wait for the plane. They had a bag full of stuff for her to keep her amused, clothes, toys, food she liked and an iPad jammed with videos that Alfie never thought he'd have on his iPad. He was lamenting that they didn't buy Addy her own and would change that once they got back.
Her lip did quiver when they told her they had to board the plane again. Instead of walking herself she asked Alfie to carry her leaving Iris as the pack horse. Luckily they got to board first and got her settled into their seats but she did sit on Alfie's lap until the last minute and looked out the window at all the action on the tarmac and that distracted her for a while. Alfie was prepared for take-off and got her set up watching a video and she did better but still wanted to sit in his lap. She slept for a long stretch and played happily with Iris, walked up and down the aisle, visited the cabin staff and was chatted to random people who paid her any attention. They only had a few meltdowns, mainly when she was tired but it was a long trip for someone so little who was going through such an emotional upheaval.
Adam insisted on going to the airport and made Gus take him. It had taken a lot of convincing to keep Lola and Mae away, at least until they got home. Alfie didn't want to overwhelm Addy and even he didn't think he could face every one straight off the bat.
Addy was tired and emotional and being held up in customs and immigration didn't help. They had a few hoops to get through due to Addy being and Australian citizen and her passport being less than a week old. They had a letter from his lawyer in Australia explaining the custody arrangement and proving that Alfie did have custody of his daughter and permission to leave the country with her. There was also documentation from the US Immigration Department, she wasn't an American Citizen yet and they were unsure whether she ever would be, hopefully she could remain a dual citizen. He had to show documentation on how he was going to support her and what provisions he had made for her welfare and wellbeing. Alfie was getting frustrated because Addy was tired and he just wanted to get her home.
It was monotonous, the constant need to prove that he rightfully had custody of his own child. He understood it to some degree but Addy didn't and it made things harder to deal with, especially when she randomly asked for her mother. It raised eyebrows and he had to explain the situation which upset Addy even more. She didn't understand what was going on but refused to leave Alfie's side either.
"Mummy died, I with Alfie now." She had blurted out at one stage when a Border Agent was asking Alfie about her passport.
"Are you happy with that?" Alfie was annoyed they were asking Addy questions. She was three for fucks sake but he bit his tongue and just rubbed Addy's back gently letting her know he was right there with her.
"No, I very sad."
He had to explain that she hated flying and it made her ears hurt and that's why she was sad. It sounded lame but it was all he could say, it was the truth Addy's only issue was the plane made her ears hurt.
"Are you happy with Alfie?" Now he was really pissed but he gritted his teeth. Getting shitty with the Border Agent wasn't going to help get him through Immigration any quicker.
"Yes. I live Alfie's house now, we go zoo. We like the 'raffes and I got Ed'na." She showed the agent her Echidna and looked at her Dad and smiled. "And Bug too."
"Who is Alfie?"
"He Alfie." Addy pointed to Alfie. "He bringed me on the plane."
Iris headed out, Alfie asked her to go out and explain the hold up because Adam would be getting impatient. She spotted the crazy old coot with Gus and couldn't believe how much she missed him and almost knocked him over with her hug.
"How's Addy? Where are they? Where's Alfie?"
"They are coming Pops. They just have some Immigration stuff to deal with. It's all fine, he's just got to show the paperwork. It's all okay."
"Hurry up."
"Did you miss me?"
"What, of course I did. Colton started to annoy me, always moping around waiting for you to call."
"He loves me Pops."
"Yeah yeah. He should marry you then." Gus was just laughing, it was typical Adam these days, he was just a cranky old man, sweet, but cranky. "I'll be dead if they take much longer."
"You will not be dead in the next few minutes."
"If you fucking tell me to calm my farm Iris I will lose my shit." He warned her when Iris went to speak again.
"Here they are." Gus pointed them out. Alfie had Addy perched up on top of their bags, she was clutching her echidna and listening to Alfie talk to her. He was telling her they were going to meet her Pops and Uncle Bus and they would love her and be so happy to meet her.
"Hey Pops." Adam pulled him in for a hug, the old guy still had a grip on him as he whispered in Alfie's ear how proud he was of him. "Addy Sweetheart, say hello to Pops."
"Hi."
"Hello Adelaide." Adam waved. "I've been waiting to meet you."
"We come big plane. Alfie bringed me."
"I'm so glad he did, Bug told me you were a very brave girl."
"I cried." She looked at her Daddy and smiled. It bought a tear to Adam's eye and he didn't care. "You sad?"
"No, Darlin' I'm very happy to meet you." He wanted to hug her and smother her with love but Alfie had made it very clear that they needed to let Addy do it in her own time and that's why he asked that Lola and Mae stay away from the airport, he thought too many people would overwhelm her. They were coming over later though, he couldn't stop that tidal wave.
He introduced her to Gus before they headed to the parking lot. Alfie sat in back with her and Iris and she talked a little on the way home. The rudest shock for her so far was that it was cold and snowy out. Alfie had showed her videos of the snow and talked about how cold it was. Gus had bought her a warm coat which Lola had sent along. They had come from Summer to winter and a colder winter than she had ever endured and she was unprepared for the icy cold blast to her face.
"I cold Alfie." She didn't like it but once in the car she was looking out the window in amazement.
Lola and Mae had done a beautiful job with her room and Addy face lit up when Alfie opened the door. "Me."
There was only one yellow wall, Adam had put a stop to them painting them all in the bright yellow colour. The bed was in the centre of the room, with bright yellow and green sheets and there were pictures of animals and flowers adorning the walls and photos of her and Alfie and Iris on the shelves and drawers and also a photo of her and her mother that they had asked Alfie to send them. In the corner was a tepee with big overstuffed floor cushions and it was light and bright. They'd done a beautiful job and Addy seemed to love it.
"For you Sweetheart. Do you like it?" Running to her bed she put her echidna on her pillow. She would always put her echidna on her bed when they made her bed in the morning but it usually didn't take long for her to have it tucked under her arm or sitting close by. Alfie loved how quickly she had come to love her echidna, they all still had theirs and while his giraffe was packed away, he treasured it all the same. "Daddy's room is just right across the hall. You can come in anytime."
Sitting up on the bed was a present from Adam. "I think Pops left this for you." He handed her the present which she happily ripped open.
"Oh, a baby." She hugged it tightly. "She pretty."
"Like Addy." He touched her nose and she giggled. "Pops left a card; do you want Daddy to read it to you."
"For Addy?"
"Yes, it's says 'Dear Adelaide, Welcome to your new home, I am so happy to meet you. We are so happy you are part of our family. You are a very special little girl and we love you very much. Lots of love Pops.' Alfie read it to her. "You will have to thank Pops for your present."
"He nice, he buyed me a baby." Alfie took a couple of photos; he knew Lola and Mae were waiting for them and couldn't wait to meet her.
Alfie held out his hand and loved the feeling of Addy's hand in his. "Shall we go say thank you?"
"I bringed my baby?"
"Of course."
Before they went back downstairs Alfie showed Adelaide where the bathroom was, where Bug's room was and where his room was. The first few nights they had her Addy would just wake up crying and Alfie would find her standing in the doorway not knowing where to go. The last couple of nights she had made her way into Alfie's room and would stand beside his bed and whisper his name quietly until he woke up. It had scared the crap out of him the first few times she did it. His heart did melt though when she came in early one morning and asked for a 'cuddle' and climbed into bed.
Addy was a little shy when she met Lola and Mae but she loved Sam and Poppy and Sam took it upon himself to show her some toys she could play with, he lugged in a big bag of toys and dropped them on the floor. Apparently he had spent half the afternoon choosing things he thought she'd like which Lola thought was very sweet of him.
Poppy just followed them around like a lost puppy and Addy also loved Billy. She loved babies and had spent half an hour talking gibberish to a baby on the plane, she wanted to cuddle Billy and Lola let her and she squealed and scared him when he smiled at her. She happily played with Sam and Poppy but she seemed wary of Lola and Mae. She was still a little shy around adults.
It was nice to hear them laughing together, especially Sam and Addy, whatever they were talking about it amused them no end and Poppy just laughed when they did. "She's so beautiful Alfie. More beautiful now she's here." Lola slid her hands around his neck from behind as they watched them.
"She is hey?"
"Sweet little girl. Momma did a good job."
"She did. I was kind of expecting…" he shrugged. "..I don't know, considering Jedda had all these issues that Addy would be a bit more messed up, you know. Everything I've seen, all the photos and people who knew them say she was a lovely dedicated Mom and Addy is so well cared for so I just don't get it."
"That's the nature of the beast isn't it?"
"I guess."
"I am so glad she is here. I can't wait to show her how much we love her."
The happy peace was never going to last long and suddenly Poppy screamed. She didn't have many words but 'No' was one of them. They could hear Sam yelling at her to stop touching his stuff. It wasn't unusual, Sam was always telling Poppy off now that she was able to get around easier and annoy him. God help them when Billy was at it too. Sam didn't like competition; he'd been King of the Castle for a while now and he didn't like sharing his crown. It would be interesting to see how he coped with Addy, although right now she was a little submissive and happy to sit back and watch what was going on.
Poppy was sitting in the middle of it all crying, Sam was annoyed and telling her what she'd done wrong and Addy was just watching them curiously. What Alfie did know was she was not around a lot of other children regularly although she did love playing with other kids. As soon as Alfie came in she looked at him and burst into tears. It appeared to overwhelm her, she was no doubt tired and the jetlag was catching up with them all and she'd had so many changes, met new people and was in a whole new space where she was yet to feel comfortable. Her only stability right now was Alfie and Iris.
She spent the rest of the afternoon on her Dad's lap and was happy when Iris fetched her echidna for her, she hugged it tightly and didn't really speak and Alfie struggled to keep her awake and eventually gave up and let her have an hour's sleep on his chest. "Look at you." Mae teased him. "Daddy."
"Sweet hey?" He rubbed circles on her back. "I get Riley and George so much better now."
"Three men and their babies."
"Just need to get Colton on the job, he'll feel left out."
"Hey…" Iris caught wind of it. "…he can continue to feel left out."
"It's making my ovaries scream?" Mae definitely was going to chat to George later on about her screaming ovaries. She saw the look on Iris's face and Mae apologised but she brushed it off. It was tough but Iris insisted that they had to do whatever they wanted to do for their own family and that she didn't want them to feel bad for them. They had each other and right now they were happy with that.
"Thank god I only have one ovary if two makes you all this crazy." She couldn't wait to see Colton though. The moment she landed she messaged him to say she was home, he sent back a very excited gif and a very sweet message about how much easier he was breathing now his Bug was back on his side of the world. It had been four very long weeks, for everyone. Being away from Colton after everything they'd been through lately had tested them but Iris realised, more than anything, Colton was where she wanted to be.
By the time Colton got home everyone else had left and Addy was playing happily by herself, the short sleep had refreshed her and she was talking on and off to Pops. Colton's sudden appearance had startled her and she shot up from where she was playing and clambered up next to her Dad. There were just far too many new people around for her liking.
"It's okay Addy, that's Colton." He waved at her; Iris had already told him to stay back a little until she was ready to talk to him. It wouldn't take her long. She had talked to Gus and Pops on the way home from the airport and by the time Lola and Mae left she was asking them when Sam and Poppy could come back and play because 'I like them'.
"Say hello." Addy waved and muttered 'hi' and that was it. She buried her head into his chest shyly.
Iris bounded in from the kitchen and literally jumped on him. "Finally."
Addy gasped and would have crawled inside her Dad if she could. "Colton loves our Bug." Alfie reassured her.
"They get wedding?"
"One day."
"I come too?"
"Of course, Addy." Iris laughed and winked at her. "You are my favourite girl." Addy liked that. She had got a little jealous when Iris scooped up Poppy for a kiss and cuddle and then did the same for Sam. By the time she held Billy Addy was over it. 'No, me.' She grabbed her arm. 'Me, turn. Please.' She begged and Iris melted. Addy had two people in her world, her Dad and Iris. She wasn't ready to share or let anyone else in just yet.
"Would you like a cuddle now?"
"Yes." Iris flopped down beside her and Addy scrambled from her Dad's lap into Iris's and loved her cuddle. Colton barely got a look in until after Addy had gone to bed. She did warm up to him and they all had dinner together and suddenly it all fell apart for Addy and she ended up sitting on Alfie's lap and not eating much except the fries. Pops bemoaned that her grandmother was never that good at eating, Polly was a bit of a nightmare at various stages but Alfie was a trash can. He went through a stage where if it didn't have fries on it, in it or around it he wasn't interested.
She did not settle well at all; Alfie was up with her for almost two hours. "I scared Alfie."
"What scares you? Daddy is right here."
"I like my house."
"That's good to hear, we are all here, Daddy, Bug, Pops and Colt and you have Ed. Now it's time to sleep. I'm staying right here and you know where my room is. Just call my name and I'll come and we will leave the light on." There was a small lamp on her chest of drawers which had a dimmable globe and it was turned down low and there was also a night light in the hall and Alfie would leave his door open. Lola had also got him a monitor so he could hear her if she woke and he was downstairs.
"Okay." Every time he tried to leave the room she cried. It was a big house; much bigger than the small apartment she was used too so he stayed until she was well and truly asleep. Even then he ended up with her in his bed a few hours later, he'd got used to that very quickly and he loved waking up with his little starfish. For a little girl she took up a lot of room and despite the size of the bed she had to have some part of her touching him at all times, a hand, a leg, a head. He'd had her head on his pillow and her body spread out vertically across the bed and if he tried to move her she'd wiggle her way back over within minutes.
Iris was almost giddy when she went to bed. "Hurry up." She pleaded when Colton took his sweet time in the bathroom. "Didn't you miss me?"
"Nope. I talked to you every day."
"Just talk? You are happy with that?" She hadn't even bothered with clothes; she had a robe on and that was it.
"Better than nothing."
"True, but Colt, baby…" she purred, lying back on the bed as she hurried him up. "…you don't need to say a word right now."
"Not one?"
"Nope."
"Ah my little wombat…" he tossed aside his towel, grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her towards him. "I missed you. Today has been painfully long." Like they always did, it was hot and heavy to start with, that's how they worked. The long sweet deep connection came later.
They heard Addy get up, 'Alfie, Alfie…" she screamed the house down having woken and being disorientated in a strange house. She had no idea where Alfie was and she just stood in the middle of her room clutching her echidna and screamed her Daddy's name. Iris could hear him talking to her and then it went quiet and she assumed he'd taken her into his bed.
"How's he doing?"
"Great, so great. Addy adores him already. She follows him around like a lost puppy but she hasn't called him Dad yet and I think he is waiting for that; he really wants to hear it. You can say to her, take this to Daddy or tell Daddy that dinner is ready and she will go find him but she calls him Alfie all the time."
"Why do they think that is?"
"Don't really know." Iris snuggled into Colton's side. "Maybe because he was introduced to her as Alfie, I hope she calls him Daddy soon. I hope I get to see it."
Colton kissed the top of her head as it wiggled under his chin while she was getting comfortable. "I hope so too, I'm so proud of you Baby. It was a good thing that you did, going with him but fuck I missed you and don't do it again."
"Alfie…" his eyes adjusted to the light. He felt like he'd only just got to sleep, every time Addy moved he woke up. "…I hungry."
He rolled out of bed and was up making breakfast for Addy before anyone else stirred. He had to make her porridge because she didn't like 'oatmeal.' So he put it in a new bowl, called it porridge and she hoed into it. It was no wonder she was starving, she'd hardly eaten since they got on the plane.
He drank his coffee as he watched her. Life had thrown him a few curveballs; this was another big one and he loved it.
"What should we do today?" Alfie was just happy she was eating, even if it was just porridge, although she did pick at a few blueberries while he was cooking it. They were still the only ones up; it was dark outside but he could hear the shower turn on upstairs and he was tipping it was Colton. He'd be up having shower before going into work, no doubt Iris would sleep for hours yet and Pops never got up early in Winter.
"That boy come play?"
"Sam?"
Addy nodded as she shoved another mouthful of her breakfast in. "He come?"
"Not today. Maybe Poppy might come and see you." Lola was working and Sam and Billy would be with Riley's sister today. Mae promised to bring Poppy over though, he couldn't keep Mae away if he tried.
"The girl?"
"Yes, Poppy. You had fun with Poppy yesterday."
"And the baby? I like the baby."
"I know you do. He won't be coming today" Alfie filled up his coffee cup just as Colton came down and he poured him a coffee as well. "Billy likes you too, he smiled at you. Today we are going to stay home with Pops and Bug okay?"
"You stay Alfie?"
"Yes, me too."
Addy seemed happy with that news and she was excited to see 'the girl' soon.
"Good Morning." Colton touched Addy lightly on the back and she smiled shyly. "Did you sleep well?"
Addy whispered, looking at her Dad. "Bug?"
"She's still asleep. Why don't you go wake her up, I am sure she'd love a cuddle." Colton offered and she waited for her Dad who nodded, Addy loved visiting Iris in bed. Alfie helped her down off the stool and she took off up the stairs. It was almost like Colton scared her and she couldn't wait to get away from him.
"How'd she go?"
"You didn't hear her?"
"No, we did. Iris almost pushed me out if bed and to go rescue her."
"It was ugly for a bit but once she was in my bed she was fine. I guess it's a big house, she lived in a little two bedroom apartment with Jedda and we had this little apartment so this is a big change for her, along with everything else." Alfie was learning on his feet. She had also regressed a little with her toileting and he did ask Lola what he should do. Lola told him to give her time, remind her often to go to the bathroom and go with her. It might be a week or so of pain for them but Addy would get there. "She had no idea where she was."
"I hope she settles down."
"Annoying?" Alfie was tired. He probably didn't take it like it was intended and was a little harsh in his response.
"No, we just don't like hearing her upset. It really upset Iris. I think she loves Addy more than me right now."
"Iris has been a legend. I couldn't have done this without her."
"It took her mind off things which is good, I think going with you helped her as well. She showed me the train you bought her and it means the world to her, thank you for including her in all this, it's what she needed."
"How do you put up with us?"
"Just love the Bug, the rest of you comes with it." He shrugged. "Not much I can do about it, and hey, you guys are alright but don't take her away again."
Addy stood nervously beside Iris and whispered her name. "Bug." Iris didn't stir, when she slept she slept like she was dead and she was jetlagged and her and Colton had a late night last night. Addy waited a few moments before she garnered the courage to touch her face. "Bug."
"Oh god, Addy." Iris gasp, causing Addy to jump and her bottom lip quivered. "Addy, sweetheart. It's okay." Iris reached out from under the covers and grabbed Addy's hand. "You gave me a fright. Are you here for your morning cuddle?"
Addy just nodded.
Iris lifted her quilt and let Addy climb in. "You are up early?"
"Alfie make porridge."
"Oh he's such a good Daddy. I'm so happy you had breakfast." Iris knew how worried Alfie was about her lack of appetite, he would have cooked whatever her heart desired at any hour if he thought she'd eat it. Addy snuggled in close, her cold little hands were a bit of a shock against Iris's warm chest. "Did you see Colton?"
"Yes. The Man."
Addy wiggled in tighter when Colt came up and he bought Iris a cup of coffee and some warm milk for Addy. "Well this is cute. You two look warm and toasty."
"She's much more snuggly than you."
"You wound me." Colton bent down and kissed Iris goodbye. "Have fun, look after Bug today, make sure she's a good girl." He didn't touch Addy but he did say goodbye to her and Iris loved that her little hand shot out and she waved. She was getting better with Colton but it was taking time. Being overwhelmed with a lot of people, Colton was just the last on the list and she had reached her limit by then.
Alfie left them for a while, he had a shower and talked to both Lola and Mae. They'd warned him they were going to call early to see how Addy's first night at home went. He made Adam's breakfast and started making a list of all the things he had to do. He enjoyed talking to his Pops about it, it made Adam feel useful and he loved helping his grandson navigate his way through one of the biggest upheavals in his life. He'd done it before and he'd do it again.
Iris bought her down eventually. "Where have you been?" Adam ruffled her hair. While she pulled away a little from Colton she seemed to really like Pops.
"In Bug bed."
"Was it warm?"
"I very cold." She touched his hand playfully. The house wasn't cold, Adam actually liked it a touch hotter than anyone else. Iris had teased her about her cold hands and they'd had fun trying to warm them up. "I cold."
"Oh they are chilly. Pops will warm you up Darlin'." He rubbed her hands between his. "Alfie put the fire on. Addy's cold." The house had central heating and wasn't cold but they also had a gas log fire in the lounge.
"It's like a furnace in here already."
"Alfred…."
Alfie threw up his hands, it was no use arguing with him. Addy followed him when he turned the gas fire on. She had seen it last night and thought it was pretty. "Alfie…" Addy watched him. "…I cold."
"I know Darlin'. How about we get your dressed into some warm clothes, that might help?" He had no idea if she was cold or just had a bee in her bonnet about how cold it was outside, he felt under her top and she certainly felt warm enough but Addy insisted she was cold. "You wait here in front of the heater, not too close and I will get you some clothes."
"Okay." She nodded and sat down where Alfie pointed and didn't move.
He dashed upstairs and rifled through her drawers. Lola and Mae had gone a little overboard but he managed to find some leggings, a long sleeved t-shirt and tunic dress, she loved wearing dresses. "I girl" she had told him when he tried to get her into some leggings and a t-shirt and jumper for the plane and she ended up wearing leggings and a dress all the way back to the US.
Alfie took her to the toilet and then got her dressed. He loved the way should would lean on him or hold onto him while he helped her. He brushed her hair and managed to get it into a slightly off-centre ponytail. It wasn't his strong suit and Addy barely sat still for long enough for him to make it look half way decent. It was a steep learning curve they were both on, of all the things he thought he'd have to do for Addy doing her hair didn't even cross his mind.
She was happy to play with her dolls in front of the fire for a while. Iris helped her dress and undress her dolls while Adam sat and watched them. He was enamoured with Addy and desperate for her to fit in.
Part of his learning curve was the fact that Addy went through clothes like no tomorrow, she was always changing and if something got wet she had to change her whole outfit, right down to her knickers. Alfie was doing some laundry, it amused him no end when he looked at the pile of clothes he was washing. Never in a million years did he expect to be washing little pink dresses, tiny underwear with unicorns on them and little socks that inevitably would go missing. One of her quirks was that she wouldn't wear the same pyjamas to bed two nights in a row, he had no idea why but Addy was adamant and Alfie decided it was easier to let her do what she wanted rather than upsetting her.
Adam came in and told him that Addy was upstairs and "I can hear her crying."
"Why?"
"I don't know Alfred."
He took the stairs two at a time. She had been very up and down so far today; jetlag was kicking their assess and Addy was struggling the most. Iris had gone out and that had worried Addy and she had got clingy and fretted a little bit. "Bug come back?" She held her Dad's hand and looked up at him sadly when she closed the door behind her. "Please Bug come back."
"Soon, she's just gone to the shops to buy some food for us."
"Oh.." her lip and quivered and she had a habit of covering her face with her hands when she cried. It was cute and heartbreaking all at once. "I miss her."
Alfie scooped her up. "It's okay Addy, Daddy is still here and Pops. Bug will be home soon."
"Bug get cold?"
"She's got a big coat and a hat. She'll be okay." After having a cuddle for a few minutes she happily started playing with her toys again and he made sure she was okay and left her to it. She had to get used to not having someone with her all the time, it would be easy to waste a whole day just sitting with her to keep her happy but that wouldn't help her in the long run. Eventually Alfie had to return to work, Bug would be going to work and they had chores and housework to do as well.
Now Alfie found her sitting on her bedroom floor in tears. "Addy Darlin', what's happened?" He gently pulled her hands away from her tear stained face and it broke his heart.
"I loosed Ed."
"Oh Darlin' he's in Daddy's room. We left him on my bed this morning."
"Oh, I loosed him." She was distraught and Alfie's heart broke. Having come into her room she checked her bed and Ed wasn't there and she lost the plot. She didn't know what to do or where to go so she sat on her floor and cried.
He helped her up to her feet and took her into his room where they found Ed. "Here you go." Alfie handed him to Addy and she hugged him close but the tears still came. "How about we make sure he stays on your bed in the mornings so we know where he is."
"No." she turned away to protect herself and Ed. She wasn't going to let her Daddy take him away. "He mine."
"Yes he is. You can cuddle him any time you want."
They bought him back downstairs with them and as soon as Alfie sat down Addy climbed into his lap, hugged Ed tightly with one arm, held Alfie's arm with the other as he wrapped both of his around her and closed her eyes and slowly drifted off the sleep.
Adam looked at them both. "So she went looking for Ed because she was tired?"
"I guess so."
"She's figuring out what makes her feel safe. She's a smart girl that one."
"You think?"
"Alfie, I raised four orphaned, desperately heartbroken children, I learnt pretty quickly what made each of you tick."
"Was it hard?"
"Hardest fucking thing I have ever done in my whole life. The one role I never wanted, I'd done my time raising kids and that was supposed to be fun for us and it wasn't because we were so broken ourselves but we had no choice. Like you have no choice." Adam lamented, it remained his biggest burden in life, bigger than the responsibility of raising his own children. "What I did learn though, is that you needed to feel safe and loved. No matter what happened, and you had some rough days but there was always safe arms to hold you and tell you how loved you were. Tell her that, all the time, every day, every morning and every night, show her how much you love her and that she is safe with you and she will be okay."
"Thanks Pops."
"I have faith in you Alfred. I raised you, your Mom and Dad raised you so I know you've got this in you. She's lucky she has you. Of all the men in the world that could be her Dad, her mother picked the right man." Adam stood up and leant down and kissed his grandson on the top of his head. "I love you Alfred. Thank you for bringing this joy into my life." He touched the sleeping girl softly so not to wake her. Adam couldn't be happier to see his grandson and great granddaughter, he never thought he'd get the chance.
It was a sweet moment for Alfie and came at a time when he was worrying about how he could help Addy settle into her new life. He worried about getting it right for her and what that looked like when everyday things changed. She'd had a bad day so far, she'd freaked out when Iris went out, she'd cried when she couldn't find Ed, she'd appeared scared of Colton and she had had a few accidents when she couldn't remember where the bathroom was. It was rough for Addy and Alfie felt the pressure. Adam's gentle encouragement and faith in him meant the world. The old man had guided him for so long, he wasn't going to let Addy down and he certainly would never let Adam down.