Epilogue
Valentine smiled as the little girl walking beside him grabbed his hand. It had been a long couple of weeks. Once Elodie's mother was arrested Valentine was able to file for temporary custody. It earned him some strange looks from his officers, and even members of the court. However, he didn't care. He knew he was doing the right thing.
Not only could he not even bear the thought of being away from her, but he knew that she wanted to stay with him as well. And, the only way to make that happen was to legally file for custody. He sighed, it was all over now. They were a family.
The only thing that he was dreading was the trial. Elodie was going to be called to testify. There was no way around it. The judge had made that perfectly clear. Right now though, Valentine pushed that away from his mind and just focused on the moment.
There was nothing that could separate them now, no matter how hard it might be. They would get through the trial-together, and then go on with their lives. He would try to help her heal as best he could. That night, as he tucked her into her bed she grabbed the hem of his shirt before he walked away.
"Wait, daddy."
It was like a punch to the gut. She'd never called him that before. Her speech was still very limited, and she continued to be somewhat timid. Hearing her say daddy stopped him in his tracks.
"What is it, darling?" he asked before clearing the lump in his throat.
"Love you."
Her eyes drooped slightly as she nestled further into the blankets.
"I love you, too."
And he did. He hadn't loved a lot of things in his life, that was true, but her he loved with all of his heart.