Fighting For What's Missing

60.

William
Four years later...

I going over my notes, completely minding my own business when Caesar jumps onto the table, scaring the living shit out of me. I curse her as I pick her up and drop her on the floor. She's been scaring me a lot lately but that's only because her mama-Agnes-hasn't been home lately, and she's just lonely.

Caesar turns to face me and sits down. "Meow*

"She'll be home in half an hour," I mutter.

*Meow!*

"What do you want from me? I'm not thrilled about her being out either." Great, now I'm talking to a cat. I roll my eyes and sink into my seat.

*MEOW!*

"Okay, come on," I get up. Caesar quickly takes a few steps back, startled by my sudden movements, then follows me outside. "But I don't see how this is going to help." Years of being this little creature's granddaddy and I still feel a little stupid talking to her. Agnes does it all the time, that's where I picked up the habit.

I pull up a chair and take a seat while Caesar settles down by my feet. I reach for the phone in my front pocket when Rob's car pulls up. I see Rob in the passager seat...What the actual hell? "Out!" I bark, running to the driver's side of the car.

Agnes, who's red as a tomato, locks the door and sinks in her seat.

I take a deep breath. "Is the car in park?"

She nods. Rob looks back and forth between Agnes and me, fighting a grin. I give him a look that promises a good black eye, and he frowns, pressing his back to the door.

I return my attention to my daughter. "Turn it off," I order. Agnes turns off the car, pulls out the keys, and hands them to Rob. "Open the door."

She shakes her head violently. "No. You're going to yell at me."

I yank at the door handle, and she flinches. They all flinch. "If you know I'm going to yell, then why the hell are you driving? You're only supposed to be driving in a parking lot! Not on the road!"

"Then how am I supposed to learn, daddy?" She pouts.

Bowing my head, I take a few forced deep breaths. "Agnes, get out. Everyone get out." I know they won't listen if I'm near the car, so I step back and walk back to the house. I hear the car doors open and shut behind me as I pick up Caesar and bring her inside. She fights me, she only fights me when Agnes is already and I keep them apart, but I don't care right now. I can't even feel her nails digging into my skin-I'm so pissed.

"Daddy?"

I look back to see Agnes and Gilly standing in the doorway, hand, and hand. Gilly is smiling hard. She's the only person that sees my rudeness as funny. Agnes told me Gilly was a lot like me, and at first, it worried me, I'm not the best at times and my past still haunts me. But when I saw them together as a couple, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Gilly loves Agnes almost as much as I do. Gilly's just like me but in the best ways.

Movement behind the girls catches my eye, and I see it's Rob. I can't help it, I burst out laughing, causing Caesar to finally break free of my hold. "Are you hiding behind the girls?" I laugh.

Rob rolls his eyes. "Shut up."

"Agnes and Gilly, go get cleaned up," I order. "We have to get started on dinner. You're going to be late."

"Love you, daddy," Agnes rushes out as she runs upstairs, dragging Gilly along.

"We're talking about this later!" I call after her.

"Okay!"

Rob cautiously steps inside.

"She's seventeen," I growl.

"She had a point though. How is she supposed to learn how to drive on the road when she's stuck in the parking lot?"

"I don't care. She's my daughter. It's what I say."

Agnes

"Are you sure you have everything?" Gilly asks, unpacking my bag.

"Hey!" I move to her side and yank my bag away from her. "You're doing that on purpose!" She manages to snatch a couple more of my clothing from my bag and-being cocky about our height difference-bangles them over my head, smiling hard. "That's not funny," I scowl at her.

"Yeah, sure," she coos sarcastically. I jump up, reaching for my shirt, but she tosses it into the air. I don't bother catching it, and for good reason too; Gilly tackles me to the bed.

"Gilly!" I shriek, fighting out of her hold. After a few moments of struggling, I manage to break free and climb on top of her, straddling her waist and holding her hands above her head. Now she's the one fighting. "I win," I smile at her. "I get to pay for our next date." She rolls her eyes, and I release her and sit back.

"Don't I get points for tackling you?" She asks.

"You tackle me every time, ask me every time and the answer is the same every time..."

"Still..." she sits up and tucks my hair behind my ear. "Doesn't hurt to ask." With her hand resting on my cheek, she leans in and-

"Agnes!" Daddy calls from down the hall. Gilly and I jump apart. I end up throwing myself off the bed and painfully landing on the floor. Gilly jumped back and slammed against the wall.

"Fuck," Gilly groans, rubbing the back of her head.

My bedroom door opens and daddy steps inside. "What the hell was that noise?"

I hold up two fingers. "I missed the bed." Daddy fights a smile as he helps me off the floor.

"Are you okay?" I nod, and he kisses my head. "There's someone downstairs waiting to see you-"

"Who?" I grasp at his arm.

"-go find out. Gilly you too."

I reach out, grab Gilly's hand as she climbs off the bed, and together we hurry out of the room and down the hall. We reach the bottom of the steps and I gasp when I see Paul, my nine-year-old cousin. Charlie started fostering him about three years ago, and despite coming from Paris and only speaking a few English words, Paul fit in with us. Charlie was even given a heads up about the language difference and learned a little French to help not only him to communicate with his son but for us too.

Paul lights up when he sees Gilly and me. I rush over and pick him up. He groans and squirms like a fish out of water as Gilly and I cover him with kisses. Paul is absolutely adorable with his big, light chocolate brown eyes and his red cheeks. It's impossible to not kiss him.

"Do I get some of that love?" Charlie says behind me. I put Paul down and give my uncle a big hug. "I miss you too, kid."

"Are you staying for dinner?" I ask him.

"Yeah."

"Great." I turn to Paul and Gilly. "Paul, let's play outside. Gill, go repack my bag you throw everywhere." She rolls eyes but nods and jogs upstairs.

The moment Gilly is out of sight, Paul makes a break for the backyard. He loves racing me. But I'm faster than him, and I beat him there.

"Baseball," he says in his thick French accent. "I want to play basketball." I saw that coming, it's his favorite. I nod. "Then roller stakes. I promise."

"Okay," I laugh.

When Paul first arrived in my life, I saw him as a little brother. And as a big sister, I took the responsibility to always doing whatever he wants. If he wants to play baseball for twenty-four hours straight or stay up watching old movies-he loves old movies-all night then so be it.