It turned out 'Mr Steve' knew how to bake. And he was good at it. After a month, Charlie began bringing home-baked goods.
The first time it was cookies. They tasted divine, and Charlie complained about Eddie eating them all. Not true. He only ate some. Chris stole a few, too, but he took the blame.
The second time it was jam tarts. Charlie was ecstatic because she got to pick the jam flavor. Which, of course, meant it was raspberry. Eddie hated raspberries, so Charlie got to eat all of them.
When she brought home brownies, Eddie fell in love. They were soft and chocolatey, the smell immediately making his mouth water. He had to resist moaning the moment the treat touched his tongue. The brownies didn't even last the night. Eddie felt a little guilty when he saw Charlie disappointed face the following morning.
Which is how he found himself looking at Mr Steve's recipe dubiously.
"Daddy?" Charlie joined him at the counter, stepping onto her stool so she could see what he was looking at. Her eyes went wide when she saw the title. "More brownies?"
"Well, since somebody was a greedy little piggy and ate all your brownies last night, I thought we could make some more?"
Charlie giggled, which he took to mean yes.
"Good. Now grab the eggs."
"Okay!"
She hopped down to grab the carton. As she did, Eddie got the sugar and flour. "Do we have any chocolate?"
"Hmm…" Charlie opened the drawers, shaking her head. "Nope. No chocolate."
"We better go get some."
"Can we get marshmallows too?"
"Maybe. If you behave."
"I will, promise." Charlie ran to grab her coat as Eddie hunted for his keys and wallet. By the time he found them, she was waiting patiently by the door, buttoned up and ready to go. He smiled and did up the final button, ruffling her hair, much to her distaste. "Daddy!"
"Come on then, babygirl."
The shop wasn't far from home, only a five-minute walk. Still, Eddie hated it ever since Charlie learned to walk. She liked to explore, keeping Eddie on his toes when she ran ahead. He supposed it was part of being a parent, always worrying about your kid. He wondered if it would ever stop, even when she was a grown woman. He couldn't imagine her that far ahead. She was his little girl and always would be.
"Daddy, look, puppies!"
"No, you can't have one!"
Charlie cheered up once she got her marshmallows. Eddie made a note to make sure she brushed extra hard that night.
When they got home, Eddie barely had time to take off his shoes before being dragged into the kitchen to make the brownies. He read the instructions out loud to her, helping her with the measurements, and soon enough, they had the perfect batter ready to go. He put the tray in the oven and set the timer, turning to look at Charlie, who was watching eagerly.
"Fifteen minutes."
"That's ages away."
"Do you wanna lick the bowl clean?"
"Yes!"
Eddie flipped through the rest of the recipe book as Charlie got covered in the batter. "We should thank Mr Steve for all these yummy ideas. What do you think?"
Charlie considered him as she licked her fingers clean. "How about a song?"
"You got any ideas?"
"Umm… he has a nice smile, sweet like sugar!"
"Uh-huh, hold that thought." Eddie grabbed some paper and began scribbling it down. "Keep going."
"I don't know. He's nice too."
Eddie wrote that down too. Sparks were igniting in his brain, a long-forgotten itch returning to the forefront. "What color are his eyes? His hair?"
"Both brown."
"Like brownies, huh?"
Charlie nodded, mouth full of brownie mix. "Sure. Can I go play until they're done?"
"Sure thing, babygirl. Wash your hands first." He stopped long enough to kiss her head before going back to writing.
It was only when the timer went off that Eddie realised how much time had passed. He stared at the oven in surprise, quickly grabbing a cloth to get the brownies out. He hadn't been so absorbed like that in years. Glancing at the page of writing, Eddie sighed and tried not to think about it.
Stupid delicious brownies.
As he cut them up, he called, "Feeding time at the zoo! Are there any monkeys who want a tasty treat?"
"I'm not a monkey!"
"So why do you look like one then?"
Charlie glared at him as she hopped up onto a chair to watch. "You're my daddy. If I'm a monkey, so are you."
"Fair enough." He smiled, turning to scoop her off the chair. Her squeals quickly turned to laughter when he started making whooping sounds, tickling her sides. "Come on, baby monkey, show me how loud you are!"
She screeched along with him, almost falling out of his arms at one point, but he managed to keep hold of her. He stopped after a few minutes, winded by her wiggling and carefully set her back on the chair. "Feeding time!"
"Yep. Give me a second, babygirl. You're getting big now. I can't swing you around like that anymore."
"You're old."
"That's rude." Charlie stuck her tongue out, doing a remarkable imitation of himself back in high school. She even did little devil horns, getting Eddie to roll his eyes. "Who taught you that?"
"You did."
"Well, I'm an idiot."
"No," she giggled. "You're my daddy."
"That too." Catching his breath, Eddie turned back to the brownies. "I finished the song. Want to read it over before we try these?"
As Charlie read the paper, Eddie became increasingly nervous. What if she didn't like it? It was the first thing he'd written in years. So yes, it was probably shit.
"I love it."
Eddie exhaled with relief, managing to smile at her. "Yeah?"
"Uh-huh. Mr Steve is like a brownie, soft and warm."
"I didn't write that!"
"You should add it!"
Eddie laughed and took the paper back, adding it in. "Better?"
"Yes."
He finished cutting the brownies, breaking a square away for Charlie. "Here you go. Does it live up to Mr Steve's?"
She hummed thoughtfully, chewing slowly. When she smiled, Eddie smiled back. "Almost. Something's missing."
"Really? I'm sure we added everything." Eddie rechecked the recipe but couldn't see anything. "Maybe Mr Steve cheated. You should ask him on Monday."
"I will."
Eddie tried a brownie, too, surprised at how good they tasted. Charlie was right, though. They weren't the same as Mr Steve's. He definitely cheated on his own recipe. He watched as Charlie folded up the song and put it carefully in an envelope. Tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth, she wrote in large, careful letters 'Mr Steeve'.
"You're not giving it to him," Eddie told her. "It's private."
He was very protective of his writing. Nobody had ever seen his notebook, not even Wayne. He was not about to let Charlie's schoolteacher see that paper.
"But-"
"No buts. It stays here."
She pouted but didn't push him. "Fine."
He hated that look. Sighing, he pulled on her jutting lip. "Come on, babygirl. Chris is taking us out for noodles. Better clean up this mess." He pinched her cheek, and she jumped down, rubbing the spot as she walked to the bathroom.
The noodle bar was one of their favorites. They went at least once a month. Eddie and Chris took turns paying, and thankfully, it was her turn. He'd spent more money than he'd thought that month, from going out to that club and making more food at home with Charlie, his budget was stretched.
He didn't want to rely on the royalties still trickling in. That money was being put away for Charlie when she was older. She was the reason he still received it, after all. Without her, he'd be dead.
So yes, a treat that he didn't have to pay for was most welcoming.
The fact it was all you-can-eat was the icing on the cake.
Eddie was ready for a nap by the time they got home. Charlie, however, was still full of energy, bounding off to her room to play as Eddie collapsed on the couch with a groan. Chris joined him a moment later, patting his full stomach, which made him groan louder.
"So dramatic. Shouldn't stuff yourself like a pig."
"It's all you can eat. I'll keep eating until I can't."
She smiled sadly. "At least Charlie won't grow up with a food complex."
Eddie held out his hand, and after a moment, Chris held it tightly. He barely remembered her mother, his aunt, but he didn't remember the scathing comments about Chris' weight constantly. She barely ate at all during their teens. Wayne almost had to beg her to eat whenever she visited the trailer. Even now, Chris still struggled to eat a large portion. She always finished before him and Charlie.
"You're a good dad."
"Surprisingly."
"Yeah," Chris laughed, shifting closer to rest her head on his shoulder. "Remember when you told us you were having a baby? Nobody believed you'd sort yourself out in time or stay clean."
"Nobody but you and Wayne."
"We should go visit him. It's been a while."
"I know. Charlie misses him. Shit, I miss him. Around Christmas, maybe when the term finishes."
"Sounds like a plan."
Eddie let go of her hand to hold out his pinky. She laughed and hooked hers around it, just like when they were kids. He'd never broken a promise to her. It was how he'd gained her trust back when he needed help. Only she and Wayne had believed, supported him and got him on his own two feet. When Charlie was born, they had been his rocks. Without them, he knew he wouldn't have made it so far or raised such an exceptional girl.
"What do you think she'll be like when she's older?" Eddie wondered aloud.
"Like you. Ambitious but vulnerable."
"Vulnerable?"
Chris shrugged, turning to give him such a sad look. "You gave too much, filled yourself back up with that… poison. And they let you. As long as you kept writing."
Eddie felt a chill invade his body, seeping down to his bones. She was right. Nobody had stopped him. Nobody had intervened. He'd kept writing songs, so they didn't care. It was too much in the end.
They heard a shriek of laughter from across the apartment, and the cold was gone. Eddie smiled.
His light in the dark - Charlie.
"Fuck the book, Chris. I don't need to write anymore."
"Fuck the book," she agreed softly.
The next morning, Eddie snuck in to say goodbye to Charlie whilst she was still sleeping. He brushed the curls back from her forehead, kissing her softly not to wake her.
She looked like an angel, breathing deep and even, her stuffed rabbit, Dio, tucked under her chin. When she was a baby, he used to sit by her crib and watch her sleep, terrified something would happen if he took his eyes off her. He still felt like that sometimes. Like now, leaving for work and knowing he wouldn't see her until the afternoon, terrified she'd be gone or hurt or worse. Being a parent was stressful.
Wayne didn't have it easy raising him. Eddie smiled absently as he continued brushing Charlie's curls. Someday he would have to thank Wayne properly for everything he'd done.
Realizing how melancholic he was being, Eddie chuckled quietly.
"See you later, babygirl," he whispered, kissing Charlie again before getting up to start the day.
The mornings were usually fairly quiet. He only opened up early to finish in time for Charlie after school. Not that she would be doing whole days until she moved up to elementary. Still, he wanted to be prepared and paying for after-school clubs wasn't something he could afford.
After the morning work rush, Chris arrived. She hopped onto the counter beside him and stole a twizzler from the open jar, ignoring his noise of protest.
"Did Charlie get there okay?"
"Yeah, she ran off like a rocket as soon as Mr Steve opened the door." Chris laughed softly, shaking her head. "You know, I'm starting to think she's got a little crush on him."
"Oh, she definitely does. Did you read that note we made?" Eddie's laughter tapered off when Chris' face paled. "What is it?"
"The note sat on the container of brownies. The one that said 'Mr Steeve' on the front?"
"Yeah?"
"I, um, maybe gave it to him?"
Eddie banged his knee on the counter as he spun around. "No, you didn't."
"Eddie…"
"Chris!" Eddie groaned, hiding his face in his arms. "He's gonna think I'm some love-sick creep! I literally compare him to fucking brownies! Oh, how am I supposed to go to a shitty parent's meeting now?" His embarrassment only grew when she started to laugh. "It's not funny!"
"How bad was it?"
Eddie refused to repeat the stupid song. It was bad enough that some guy he'd never met now had it. He wasn't about to give Chris ammunition too.
"Come on, Eds, I'm sure it's fine. Look, I can ask for it back later."
"Don't you dare!"
"He'll think Charlie wrote it anyway."
Eddie relaxed slightly, realizing she was right. It was a silly song about brownies. Steve had no way of knowing he'd written the damn thing and would probably think Charlie had done it. Well, it had been a joint effort, but he was quite happy to let her take all the credit.
"He said thank you for the brownies."
They had made so many that Charlie suggested giving some to Steve. Eddie had helped her pack some up to take for the morning.
"Just... Shut up." Eddie kept his face hidden so Chris couldn't see him blushing.
"It's a shame I can't drink anymore. I could do with one right now." Chris slapped his arm, not amused. He gasped and rubbed the spot. "I was joking!"
"Not funny."
"Fine. How about I go out and get laid instead?"
She instantly brightened, sitting up straighter. "You've got a date?"
"No. It's more of a… booty call? Well, I suppose I should ask him first. Have you seen my phone?"
"Ugh. You're disgusting."
Eddie ignored her.