Don Ferna (BWWM)

PROLOGUE

How did you find this book?

~~~

Tobias was sure he got the address correctly. The private house would have been nearly impossible to locate if not for the information his father had given him.

What he was unsure of however was the small scenario in front of him.

"Why are you all alone?" He asked the little crying girl curled up on the pavement.

She narrowed her eyes at him, apprehensive but answered. "My mummy left me. She said daddy chased her away."

Home issues. He guessed. Was the man he was searching for her father?

The girl still remained in her little ball form sniffling and shivering with her knees to her chest. She did not look older than ten and his heart broke as he watched her cry like that.

"Did he chase you away too?" He said sitting next to her as her sniffles reduced.

"What? No." The girl peeped from her little ball and he caught a glimpse of her large brown eyes. "I was looking for my mummy."

"Oh." He blinked. He didn't know how to help from there.

He had wondered what she would be doing so late at night. Was her father not worried?

"It's getting late, let me take you home and we will look for her tomorrow?" He suggested in the nicest tone possible and she reluctantly nodded and stood up.

"Thank you." She muttered, avoiding eye contact.

They never found her mother.

~~~

"What are you doing?" He asked softly with his eyes closed. He could feel grains dropping on his feet.

"You finally woke up." The now twelve-year-old replied. "I'm building a house."

He peeked at the pile of white sand concealing his left foot and closed his eyes again. Anything that keeps you entertained, I guess.

"I think we should take some home!" She suddenly exclaimed, scampering around in search of a container.

"Why would we want to do that, Eniola?"

She narrowed her eyes at him before picking up a handful, "Give me your hands"

Tobias opened his mouth in protest but shut it right back. He knew better than to argue with her.

"Here you go."

"Gracias." He hesitantly put his hands out to her and watched as she dropped lumps of wet dirt into them.

~~~

"Tobi!" The wild-haired birthday girl waved wildly to him. Tobias was talking to a very pretty lady behind the cameraman. "I want you in the picture with me!" She yelled and he laughed and excused himself.

"Ah, of course." He immediately approached the birthday table, kneeling to match her height.

She was always a bit too short for her age and it made the boys at school mean to her but he'd convinced her she would grow taller. He had seen pictures of her mother and her dad was barely above 5'5... She wasn't getting much taller than that.

"This is the best birthday ever, Tobi." She said pulling him by his neck into the puffy shoulder pads of her princess ball gown she insisted on getting and that her dad had reluctantly paid for.

Everyone had thought it was too much but Tobi wanted her to get what made her happy and the dress made her very happy.

"Happy birthday, Eniola." He answered pulling away from her just in time to hear the camera click.

~~~

"Let's go to prom together, Tobias." He heard her say as he engrossed himself in his office work.

Her father might have been nice to him when he was in college but now, it seemed like the senator was making him work for the years of rent he had built up staying at their house. At least he paid well.

Faint squeaks emitted from the tired office chair as she spun in it, completely bored.

He glanced at her from above the spreadsheet on his computer before turning it off.

She would always freak out if he gave her divided attention even though it meant procrastinating work that literally paid his rent.

Rolling his eyes at the cigarette between her teeth, he said, "Prom? Don't you think I'm too old for that, Princess?"

"Well, you're only 23. You're not too old and besides, the boys in my grade are stupid and some of them don't like 'black' girls. They said I wasn't pretty for them." She tried to say it freely but Tobias could easily sense the emotion that laced the last sentence.

It was odd that such a glaring lie would affect her.

"Did they say that?" He asked seriously, dropping every trace of humor previously present in his voice.

He thought it would be better if he had Mateo pay them a little visit.

"They did." she nodded for a second then resumed spinning on the chair.

"What are their names?" He asked and she told him.

It was no use arguing with him, they had gone through it a thousand times. She was used to having him as a bodyguard and he enjoyed protecting her and intimidating people.

"So, would you go with me?"

He drummed his pen on the table, mentally planning to clear his schedule for that day.

"What color would your dress be? I want to have a matching tie."

~~~

"What do you mean by 'leaving', Tobias?" She almost yelled. She hadn't had him all her life only for him to just vanish because he felt 'it was the right thing to do'.

"I have to and you do not need me anymore. You are an adult now. And I trust your judgement now, Princess" He said double checking his clothes and documents.

He was quickly running out of time.

"I just turned 18, Tobi! I still need you." She said sadly as she watched him tuck a framed picture of her first visit to the beach and the jar of sand she gifted him in his suitcase. "Don't fucking leave me now, Tobias."

She winced hearing her own voice crack. She didn't mean to sound so desperate.

"I'm sorry, Eni-"

"But I am your princess." She felt the first teardrop wet her cheek and flung herself at his tall frame. "Don't leave me. Please, don't leave. I really don't have anyone else." She begged him, sobbing into his chest as she felt his hands tense around her waist.

She had nobody left.

A rarely present father was just as useless as her unavailable mother. He was all she had.

"I have to but Eniola, I will back. I promise." He said as he pulled away to look her in the eyes to show he meant it.

"So I can't change your mind, huh?" She asked, her eyes teary while his were dull as usual. It would seem like he did not care but she knew he did. "You promise?"

"I promise."

What fun were promises if they were left unbroken?