Happy Reading Everyone!
Comment below, let us know what your thoughts are.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE A/N AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER.
Chapter 19
Tris' pov
Chuck E Cheese, games and pizza
I turn into an empty parking spot, placing the car in park and turning off the engine. I sit back in my seat taking a deep calming breath. I feel my cheeks warm, I silently pray they cool off before we enter.
Last night Tobias and I agreed that we would meet after school at Chuck E Cheese. I'm still not a hundred percent sure about this. Bringing Emily into this, without really knowing his intentions. It would be cruel for him to come into her life and then disappear just as fast. But I also know she deserves to at least meet her father.
I still don't know how to feel about what we spoke about yesterday. I'm still torn on how many lies he had to tell me in order to cover the truth. I feel like a fool, believing every word that comes out of his mouth. Will he lie to Emily, cover up the truth so that it makes him feel better. The thought boils my blood again, forcing me to take another deep breath. I really don't want to go into this with all my guns blazing. What good would that do?
"Can we go in now Mommy?" Em asks, jumping in her seat with excitement. She looks around the car at all the other kids all excited and just about racing into the building with their parents in tow.
"Yes, baby girl…" I say, grabbing my purse from the passenger seat and getting out of the car. I walk over to the other side of the car just as Emily is opening her door and climbing out. I take her hand, as we begin to make our way to the entrance.
"This is going to be fun!" She yells out, her smile reaching from ear to ear. I love moments like this, moments where she is so happy and excited. I stop us short outside the doors, kneeling down before her, my smile never falters as I speak to her.
"You remember what Mommy told you earlier?" I ask as I continue, reminding her of our earlier conversation. She nods as I continue on, "We are going to be meeting a very old friend of mine. And we are going to remember to be nice to him and remember our manners."
"Yes, Mommy. I'll be good." She says. I give her one final hug before standing back up and opening the door for her. We stand patiently in the line to get in, as the hostess checks and stamps our hands. I look around first for Tobias. My eyes find him easily, as he finds us. He stands up, waving at us to join him in a very crowded place. I smile, waving back as Emily and I both walk towards him. The familiar feeling that I would get when I was just a teenager returns, and floats around my stomach. I take a deep calming breath, exhaling slowly as we approach him. We stop just at arm's length.
"Hi," Tobias says, smiling first at me and then back down at our daughter. "Are you girls ready to have some fun?" He asks, with a sparkle in his gorgeous eyes that I haven't seen in so long.
" Yup!" Emily shouts out.
"Well good. I am too."
"Emily, this is my friend… That I told you about," I stutter. Part of me wants to burst out the truth. The truth that this is your father, but the other part of me… Wants to shelter her from the truth. To protect her heart from getting too close to Tobias and possibly have to say goodbye to him sooner rather than later.
"All my friends call me Four." Tobias chimes in, he takes one knee so he is eye level with her.
"Four." Emily giggles. I bite my own tongue to keep from laughing. Remembering the time that Christina questioned his name, when they first met. He didn't appreciate it. In fact he made it well known just how he felt about her making fun of him. As he stepped in her face and just about spit out at her. They definitely didn't get off to a good start, those two.
"Yeah. Well, one, two and three were taken." He says, smiling up at me. I chuckle remembering that was the same line Christina threw in his face when she joked about his name. My how the tables have turned.
"You're funny." Emily comments, her smile growing wider with every second.
"I am?" He asks, as Emily nods her head. "Well, let's see if I can play games just as well. What should we do first?" Tobias asks, straightening up and reaching for her hand. She easily takes his hand without giving me a second look.
Just a few minutes. That's all it took for Emily to give her trust and faith to Tobias.
"Coming Mommy?" Tobias asks, looking over his shoulder at me. Just like Emily, I don't hesitate to join them both.
We spend the next hour laughing and playing random games throughout the arcade. Emily falls for the game with a hammer that comes down on whatever pops up through the holes. She giggles each time she misses and laughs even harder when she hits her target. Tobias stands behind her the whole time, cheering her on. I can't help but stand back, watching them together. So many years, so much time has been wasted and lost and yet here they are… It's as if no time has been really lost. As if they were the father, daughter duo they should have always been.
We take a break when the pizza arrives at our table. I smile when I see one large cheese and one large pepperoni. Like Tobias, Emily has had the same love for pepperoni. I, on the other hand, prefer ham and pineapple or just cheese.
I think of the billion times Tobias and I argued on the whole pineapple on a pizza thing. Tobias always said it was the most disturbing thing ever. Emily shares that same opinion as he does, including her love for pepperoni. She just about hopes in her seat, as she picks at the round meaty goodness and pops it into her mouth before she takes another bite of her crust. Tobias is fascinated by her, as he takes notice of every move that she makes.
"Your eyes…They look like mine." Emily says, her head tilted slightly towards the right like she is examining every inch of his eyes. She smiles, just as she goes back to her pizza. Not noticing the proud smile that Tobias gives me when she isn't looking. It doesn't take long for all the pizza to be devoured. Tobias and Emily go back at it, choosing the game that axes at the targets again. I choose to stay seated at the booth, giving the two of them room to get to know each other.
Tobias is so careful and gentle with Emily. His eyes are bright with happiness and his smile never falters. Emily loves being the center of attention with Tobias, as she smiles showing off whatever skills she can. With every second that passes I watch as Tobias' affection for Emily grows. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he is falling in love with her just like I did the moment I felt her growing inside of me.
I'm not surprised when I see Emily glance over at me, her eyes heavy with sleep as she tries to fight off the sleepiness that she feels. Without another word, I watch as she drags her little feet towards me with Tobias looking confused while following her. Her little arms reach up for me as I don't hesitate to take her into my lap. Tobias takes his rightful seat across from us, as he watches our daughter place her little head on my shoulder and makes herself comfortable.
"I tired her out!" Tobias whispers.
"That you did," I agree.
"You did good, Tris. She's a great kid." Tobias compliments me,
"Well I can't take all of the credit… We have great friends," I remind him. It's something that I have come to appreciate since I found out that I was pregnant. I don't think anyone else would have stood by me, the way they did. Christina and Zeke, especially.
"So Emily, huh?" Tobias says, lightly. "Figures you would name her after your favorite author." I feel my cheeks heat up quickly, touched that he remembered that.
"It seemed like the best fit," I say, honestly. I remember looking down at her little, beautiful face for the first time in my arms. I knew, right then and there, she was Emily. It couldn't be anything else.
So Marcus… he sent you money?" Tobias asks. I'm stunned by the question at first, not sure if he is accusing me of something. I figure the best thing to do is be completely honest…
"He demanded a DNA test when she was born. Zeke and I both tried everything with him, to get to you. We even tried a few rounds with Amar. Nothing worked," I explained. But he shuts me down. Not needing any more explanation.
"Tris, you don't need to explain. I'm glad you got at least that… I just wish I was there and not just…" He says, his words trailing off. I nod, remembering the countless nights that I wished the same thing.
"Where have you been, Tobias?" I ask. Up until now the part of me being too upset with him has won out enough not to ask him. But now, I can't stop myself from asking.
"Nowhere special." He answers simply.
"With women that could offer you more than me, I bet," I say, letting that part of his letter that hurt me the most show.
"Don't think for a minute I have ever been interested in any other girl that wasn't you."'
I walk behind Tobias as he carries Emily to the car. I watch as he carefully takes each step so he doesn't jostle Emily too much. He rubs her little back, shushing her each time she moans slightly. I hurry to open the back door for Tobias to put her in. I'm impressed as I watch how easily he maneuvers her into her seat and buckles her up. He places a gentle kiss on her forehead and straightens up. He closes the door so softly to not wake her.
Without another word Tobias walks me over to my side of the car. Opening the door for me, he presses his lips together as if contemplating on his next move. My heart thumps harder than it has in years. I glance down at his lips, remembering how they used to feel against mine. I know without a shadow of a doubt, he can't kiss me. If he does, I fear I might never be able to stop.
Thankfully, he leans in slowly as his lips gently press against my forehead instead. I close my eyes, savoring the moment.
"Goodnight, Tris." He says softly. His forehead pressed against mine as he spoke. It was something he has done a million times before. Something I didn't know I would miss so badly until this moment.
"Goodnight, Tobias," I whisper, as I slip into my car, allowing him to close the door behind me. It takes all of me to continue to move forward and not look back.
A/N IMPORTANT MESSAGE: PLEASE READ
Taking some time off
I have been contemplating with FDFobsessed about my situation…
Earlier this month my father had surgery and underwent a full knee replacement. Thankfully all went well. However, he has been staying with me and my family since he needs a lot of help and isn't cleared to drive on his own either.
It's been really tough having my kids home (summer break) and caring for my father. It's been overwhelming at times. It hasn't left me much time for anything else. For those that follow my store on ebay or tiktok (Creationsbytrini) know that I have had a rough time keeping up with things.
My father is getting a little better each day, but we still have at least two more weeks with him. With that being said…. FDFobsessed and I have decided to take a small break, relieving the pressure off of my shoulders.
We will be back on Tuesday, July 4th with Chapter 20.
As of right now, our usual holiday treats will still be on track.
Thank you all for your understanding.
Revised by: FDFobsessed
Like always, Happy Reading Everyone, be safe and stay healthy,
Trini
