3pm
"Hi sweetheart" Henry smiled at Emilia as he popped his head in to the living room before going to the kitchen to find Rose.
"Hi" Henry said bluntly to Rose. "Hi" she smiled weakly. "Where's Charlie?" She asked. "In the living room with Emmy. You can go and see Jack now if you want" he replied. "Henry, why are you being so blunt and harsh about this?!" Rose finally asked. "Because you lied about where you were going! You said you were going for a walk, not to see Emilia's dad, and your ex! You didn't tell me that the man at the end of our driveway was Jack! You didn't even have the decency to tell Emilia!" Henry snapped. "I didn't tell you because I had to get my own head around it! It's not everyday your assumed dead ex and the father of your child shows up! And I didn't tell Emilia because how do you tell a 7 year old that actually, her Dad is alive, but he's just not ready to be a parent… oh well, I guess you'd know, seen as you're the one who told her" she glared at him and closed the kitchen door so the kids wouldn't be able to hear. "If he isn't ready to step up and be her Dad now, then he shouldn't have the privilege to do so in the future, and we'll be moving her to a different school. It's far too unfair to expect her to go to school everyday, where he's her teacher, when he won't be who she wants… and before you say this is because I don't want to be her Dad, don't bother. I love that girl just as much as I love Charlie and Alfie. She is my daughter and has been since the day I met her, and that's why I'm doing everything I can to stop her having her heartbroken" he replied. Rose didn't respond and instead pursed her lips together in frustration. "I'll be back later. Alfie is upstairs asleep" she said before walking out.
—
3.30pm
School
Rose waited at the back of the playground as she watched Jack help the children find their parents before he headed back in to his classroom.
Jack was sat at his desk scribbling away as he heard Rose knock on the door. He looked up and gestured for her to come in.
"Hey" he smiled at her. "Hi…" she replied awkwardly. "Is Emilia OK? I was worried when I noticed she wasn't in" he asked concerned. "She knows" Rose said, getting to the point. "What?" Jack replied "how?" "She overheard me and Henry talking about her Dad, then Henry gave me no choice but to tell her" Rose sighed gently. "Bastard" Jack muttered with a frown. "It's not like that. After she overheard, he told me not to insult her intelligence by lying to her… and he's right, she deserves to know" Rose said, suddenly defensive of Henry. "I know you're not ready to be her Dad, and that's OK" she nodded "but we're going to move Emilia to a different school, it wouldn't be fair on either of you to have to see each other everyday. I can't put her through that" she shook her head. Jack just sat for a moment, staring at Rose. "I want to see her…" he said. "If you're just saying that because of Henry, then don't, Jack. If you want to see her then you have to be serious. She's my little girl, I won't have anyone break her heart" Rose sighed. "I won't" he shook his head "do you trust me?" He asked, just as he had on the Titanic. She nodded "I trust you" she smiled a little. "When can I see her?" He asked. "When do you finish?" She asked. "I can finish anytime" he smiled gently. "OK… erm… well I need to go home to feed Alfie. I'll ask Henry if he's OK to put the boys to bed tonight, then we could meet you at the diner in town around 6?" She suggested. "Sounds good…" Jack nodded nervously "I'll see you later" Rose smiled gently as she stood up and left.
—
Charlie was upstairs playing in his bedroom as Alfie lay asleep in his rocker on the floor. Emilia was sat in the corner of the sofa as Henry sat a few feet away from her, going through a file for work.
"Henry?" Emilia broke the silence. "Yes?" Henry look at her with a smile. "You know because Jack is my Dad?" She asked, getting a nod in response. "Does that mean you won't be like my Dad anymore?" She frowned. Henry sighed quietly, heart broken that she even had to ask that. "Come here" he said as he held his arm out, watching as she shuffled over to him and leant in to his side. "Absolutely nothing will stop me from being like your Dad. I love you Emilia, and that will never change. You're my little girl, alright?" He looked down at her, getting a small nod in response as he kissed the top of her head. "And if you ever need to talk about any of this, you can always talk to me or your Mum. I never want you to think you can't come to me if you need me, OK?" He asked. "OK" Emilia nodded again. "Good" he whispered before hearing the front door shut before Rose walked in to the living room.
"Hey" she said awkwardly to Henry. "Hi" he replied. "Hi darling" Rose smiled at Emilia. "Hi" she said as she sat up properly. "Have her and Charlie had dinner?" Rose asked Henry. "No, I wasn't sure if you'd want any" he said as he stood up. "Should we talk in the kitchen?" He raised an eyebrow as he left the room, Rose following behind him.
"Well?" He asked whilst shutting the door to the kitchen. "He wants to see her. I'm going to take her to the diner tonight so they can talk, if you'll put the boys to bed?" She asked. "Depends… is he being serious? Or is he just trying to impress you?" He replied. "This isn't about me, and it isn't about you. It's about Emilia. He's being serious, I know him well enough to know that" she replied. "Well he wasn't so sure yesterday" Henry said harshly. "Put yourself in his shoes, Henry. You come back to your hometown for the first time in years. You find out that your ex partner is alive, and married with 2 other children, and not only that, but her eldest - a 7 year old - that you've been teaching for a month, is actually your daughter. How would you feel? He wasn't being selfish when he said he wasn't sure he was ready to be her Dad, it was the opposite. He said it was because she seemed happy, with us… me and you. He was being selfless, Henry" Rose raised an eyebrow, but Henry didn't reply, and instead leant across the worktop, noticing Rose staring at him. After a few moments, he sighed. "I hadn't thought of it like that… I hadn't thought what a huge shock it would be for him. I just didn't want him to hurt Emmy" he said, getting a small smile back from Rose "I know… and I love you for that. I love how protective you are of her, but if she can give him a chance, I think it's only fair that you do too" she said as she walked towards him. "I'm sorry" he sighed a little as he wrapped his arms around Rose and pulled her in to a hug, kissing the top of her head. "Go ask her if she wants to go" he said after a few moments when they parted the hug. Rose nodded and stroked his cheek. "I love you" she said. "I love you too" he nodded as he watched her leave the room.