- Hop... In Goren's voice vibrated worry. Be careful...
Good God...
Why was her daddy always so worried.
She was very careful when she climbed that tree.
And after a while, she was getting to know him.
In addition...
From the top of the tree...
Hop could see everything...
And she loved it.
At times...
She thought she was a pirate...
Speaking of pirate...
Hop put her big brown eyes on her father who was looking at her worried.
Despite the scar that crossed the whole left side of his face...
Her father, even with his scar, was a very handsome man.
And if by misfortune...
Someone looked at his father the wrong way, or whispered in someone else's ear, talking about his father...
Hop would put the person straight back in his place.
No one was allowed to say anything bad about his dad.
Even his classmates, loved his dad.
So why always her low masses, when she held his hand, walking down the street with him.
Grown-ups could be stupid, and mean.
Hop reached the top of the tree, looked straight ahead, and her eyes were drawn to a small blonde figure, wearing a police uniform, walking towards them.
- Mom... I'm here...
At her daughter's cry, Eames looked up, and her heart stopped.
My God...
Hop had started his stunts again.
Didn't she know it was dangerous.
And what was her father doing...
Eames was sure he had given in to his daughter again.
It was unbearable.
She was going to have a stroke one day.
She brought her hand to her forehead and slapped it.
At her mother's gesture, Hop knew she had better get down from the tree.
Mom was going to get angry again.
Quickly...
We had to get down.
- Daddy... I'm coming down...
At the hurried voice of his daughter, Goren understood that Eames must not be far.
Because otherwise...
Hop would not have come down so quickly.
He placed himself under the tree, right where Hop was coming down, ready to catch her in case she fell.
It was better to be careful...
And catch her in case.
Hop stepped over the branches, but missed one, slipped, and fell.
She closed her eyes, and felt two strong arms catching her, preventing her from touching the ground, and from hurting herself.
- Good God... Hop.
At Goren's relieved and reproachful voice, Hop opened her brown eyes wide, fell in front of her father's face.
She posted a big smile on her lips.
- Thank you daddy...
She wrapped her arms around his neck, raised her face to his, brought her lips close to his scar, brushed it.
- Hup...
At Eames's cry, Goren and Hop turned their faces toward an Eames who was running toward them, her cheeks pink.
- And you... Eames approached them, and pointed her accusing finger at Goren. You can't stop him...
Stop Hop from climbing the trees...
Eames knew very well...
That even if he forbade him to do so...
Hop would do the opposite...
And disobeyed him.
And as usual...
It was still him who suffered the wrath of Eames...
All because of his daughter's stunts.
It was not his fault that Hop did not listen to anything he said.
And that she did whatever she wanted with him.
- Daddy said no.
At her words, Eames' anger vanished.
She should have known that her daughter was doing what she always did...
Turning her father in donkey.
Doing what she wanted...
And disobeying him.
Strange...
Hop never acted like that with her.
There was no doubt about it...
Hop was not Goren's daughter for nothing.
She was behaving exactly like her father at the time of their partnership...
And she was the only one who knew how to manage it.
On the one hand...
It taught Goren a lesson.
Now he knew what it felt like to take care of someone like him.
Hop patted Goren's arm, letting him know that she wanted to get off.
Gently, he put Hop on the ground, and she walked slowly toward her mother, hands behind her back, not daring to look at her.
When she reached Eames, Hop reached for her sleeve, pulled it gently, and raised her big brown eyes shining with mischief towards her mother, a little mischievous smile on his lips.
My God...
The expressions on his face so expressive, her big brown eyes, her baby face, her curls, everything about Hop was Goren, except the color of her hair, which she had inherited from her, and which was golden.
Hop was the miniature portrait of her father.
With gentleness, Eames brought his hand to his daughter's curls golden, ruffled them with tenderness.
- Why don't you stop your nonsense...
Her nonsense...
But it wasn't nonsense.
Hop loved to climb trees, to be on top, and to see everyone.
She loved that.
People looked like tiny insects.
And she could analyze every detail.
- Good for this time... It's okay.
Hop posted a big smile on her lips, lighting up her whole face.
Hop had won again.
Just like every time.
Good God...
Despite what Alex might say, she was still giving in to her daughter.
She was trying yet to be strict though...
But it was just an illusion.
Hop took her mother's hand in hers, intertwined her little fingers with his, and pulled her, forced her to her follow, guided her towards Goren.
Arrived at the height of his father, Hop took his father's hand in his other hand, gently squeezing his long fingers in his own.
- Let's go for a walk...
At his words, Goren and Eames looked at each other, and a smile spread across their lips.
- Yes… Let's go, my dear...
Goren gently squeezed Hop's little fingers in his, letting her know that they could go there.
Goren knew that thanks to Eames' efforts, his patience, and his love, he had begun to accept himself little by little.
But that Hop's birth was the turning point.
When he held his daughter for the first time in his arms, instead of screaming or crying, he has had right a magnificent smile, and of chirping.
And Goren had finally become aware...
What does it matter how others look at him...
As long as Eames and Hop were by his side...
Nothing else mattered.
Yes...
And all this...
He owed it all to this little blonde woman...
Who had been patient with him.
And who had founded a little family with him.
- Thanks Alex...
Good God...
Goren wasn't going to start with his thanks again.
She shook her head in denial.
It wasn't grace to her...
That he had finally managed to accept her face.
But it was mostly because of the little girl who was by their side.
Hop had helped her father a lot.
Mais la plus grande partie...
He owed it to himself.
It was because of his work on himself...
And that he had managed to gradually heal his wounds.
And Eames was proud of him.
Of this man who was his companion, best friend, spouse, and father of his little girl.
