"Thank you guys for coming! And Paul," Our eyes met "Thanks so much for the gifts, I, I mean we, really appreciate them"
There's that smile. That smile that made every woman in the locker room melt. That smile that got Paul anything we wanted from me. That smile that I fell in love with. That smile that was taken away from me.
"Steph!" I was snapped back out of my thoughts.
"Can you pass me Murphy's coat?"
I turned to grab the coat off the couch and turned back to hand it to Paul. He took the coat and leaned in and whispered in my ear "Thinking about me" he pulled back with a smile. It's like he could see right through me.
"So Miss Aurora, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?" he asked not taking his eyes off me.
"Well we have to get ready for dinner at Pa and Nana's"
"Oh is that so?" this time looking at her "Excited?"
"Well..." Just then my phone rang. I cringed when I saw the name on the screen. Chad.
"Aurora, Honey, It's...it's...your dad."
Surprisingly Aurora ran and grabbed the phone out of my hands and flipped it open
"Hi daddy" Aurora said as she stepped into the other room
"Wow that was better than I expected," I said with a slight smile on my face
"Well it's Christmas, You know maybe she's in the spirit"
"Yeah" this time I had a full smile until I heard crying
Aurora ran from the playroom with tears streaming down her face.
"Sweetheart what's wrong?"
She through my phone on the couch "Nothing, I never want to speak to him again. I HATE DADDY!" With that she ran up the stairs and I heard the door slam. I turned to Paul "Sorry I have to go and check on her" I headed toward the stairs before I felt a tug on my arm.
"Let me"
"Paul, No I couldn't ask you..." His finger stopped my lips from moving
"Let me" I nodded and he raced up the stairs.
"Stephanie is Rory okay?" Murphy asked as she climbed on the couch and sat on my lap
"I don't but I hope so sweetie"
"Aurora can I come in?"
"No! I don't want to talk to anybody" She said between tears, I could tell she had her face buried in a pillow by the way she sound
"Rory I just want to..." the door swung open
"Paul! Sorry I thought you were mommy"
"Why wouldn't you want to talk to your mom," I said closing the door and sitting on the end of the bed.
"Cause she just blames herself more and more and over and over again over for daddy and me crying makes it no better."
"Come here," I said gesturing her onto my lap "Tell me what happened?"
"We was on the phone and I was telling him everything I got today and he cut me off to tell me he had to go because his kids were about to open their gifts he just wanted to tell me Merry Christmas. It's like I wasn't even his daughter! Then I tell him I want to see him and he tells me well he would have to see when he's free because his daughter has this and plays in that and his son does this and does that. It's like he didn't even care about me and didn't want to see me." She began to cry again "Why does he hate me?"
I felt so bad. I felt like Aurora was one of my own, ever since she was born. I always visited her, talked to her, played with her, and most importantly loved her and still do all that.
"Rory look at me, your father doesn't hate you he's just, and don't tell your mother I said this, just an a**h*le. Your father made horrible mistakes and leaving his family for another one was the worst and he doesn't know how to deal with that so he hurts the people that love him."
"But he's only hurting me and mommy. Not that other lady and his other kids. He's not hurting...his other family." I heard the pain in her voice.
"I know Rory, but you can't allow him to hurt you. I know he's your father and you miss him, but right now he's being real stupid and you can't allow yourself to be stupid with him. The best way to make your father realize the mistake he's making is to be the smart, strong, and gorgeous young lady I know you can be. Your mother is a strong woman and she loves you with all her heart. The hurt that your feeling is the same that she's feeling. You want your father to realize his mistake by making yourself suffer, meanwhile your mom is suffering because she thinks she's failing as a parent."
"I don't want mommy to feel that way"
"Me either. Don't focus on your dad Rory because, even though it's bad to say, he's not focusing on you or your mom. Let your mom love you and let her in because while your dad is somewhere out there gone, your mom's right here waiting on you. Rory your dad shouldn't be the one to have to make you happy because he obviously doesn't want you to be. Don't cry over the stupid mistakes your father made. Live your life sweetie. Your beautiful and your smart, be beautiful and smart. Don't worry about him and if you need a 'pretend dad'.." I smiled and slapped her knee, "I'm here"
She smiled. She looked just like her mother. Those beautiful blue eyes, them long brunette locks, and that beautiful wide smile with them dimples. I remember when I first saw Stephanie smile her real smile, It lit up my whole world. She turned around on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck "I love you Paul"
"I love you too Rory" I held her for a minute until she pulled back.
"I wish you were my daddy Paul," then she wrapped her arms around my neck again and before I knew what I was saying, the words just came out of my mouth,
"I wish I was too Rory, I wish I was too"
Me and Murphy sat there talking about what I should where tonight when we heard footsteps. I turned around to see Aurora on Paul's back while he was rushing down the steps to her excitement. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, he let her down, and she ran over to where I was sitting and hugged me tight.
"I love you mommy! I love you so so so much"
"I love you too Aurora," I said looking at Paul with a strange look and he just shrugged and winked at me.
"Murphy, let's get going so Stephanie and Rory can get ready," Paul said pulling on his coat
"Wait daddy, I got to say goodbye," Murphy said while giving me a hug "Goodbye Stephanie love you and please send the picture to daddy phone so I can see what you wear tonight."
"I promise I will Murphy"
She gave Aurora a big hug and then Aurora ran over to Paul "Goodbye Paul and I love you so much," She placed a kiss on his cheek and could have sworn I saw him blush. Paul stood up straight looked at me and smiled
"Thanks for letting us stay Steph, even though we did kinda barge in on you," He chuckled "This was an excellent way to spend Christmas"
I smiled and blushed a little too, "Thanks for coming over and thanks for...well you know"
"That was no problem me and Rory have a understanding, right?"
Aurora smiled "Yes we do"
Just what did they talk about in that room.
Driving to my parents house me and Aurora sang along to Selena Gomez.
"Mommy, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure sweetie," I answered turning the music down "Whats up?"
"How long have you and Paul been friends for?"
"Let's see it's 2010, then that will be about 11 years"
"So you guys are good friends?"
"Yeah really, really good friends"
"Mommy did you and Paul use to go out?"
Where was this coming from and what was she getting into?
"Uuuuhhhh Yeah sweetie we did"
"Ok so since I'm 8 and you guys been friends for 11 years and you use to go out, why is he not my daddy?"
I could have crashed the car when she asked that. I never expected to have the conversation of Paul and I with my daughter, but I damn sure didn't expect to have the conversation of why he wasn't her dad.
"Uuuhhhh Because we broke up sweetheart and I met your father and then I had you"
"Why did you guys break up when you guys love each other?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well when me and Paul were talking he said over and over again how much he loved you and loved me and how beautiful we were, how strong we were, and how smart we were. I mean like come on he had to say all that for a reason"
I laughed, "Maybe he said that because he meant it sweetheart"
"Exactly! So he still loves you and the way you were smiling at him today you use to smile at daddy like that and you use to love daddy so that got to be the reason you smile at him like that."
"What brought this on sweetie? What made you want to talk about this?"
"Because Paul said he wishes he was my daddy"
"He did?" I was completely speechless
"Well I said it first then he said it"
"So you told Paul, you wished he was your dad and he told you he wished the same?"
"Uh huh! And I know he meant it to mommy. I wish you and Paul didn't break up mommy because he would be my daddy, Murphy would be my sister and you would smile like that all the time"
I couldn't help but smile while the tear fell from my eye.
"At least we have him in our life still mommy. I love Paul"
"I love him too," I silently whispered to myself
Another tear fell