Love, accidentally

Chapter 36

E L E O N O R A

I found myself unable to avert my eyes from the girl in front of me. My head was spinning...I felt like I wanted to pass out and run at the same time. I was rooted to my ground, hands shaking in the girl's own.

Nothing...and I mean nothing would've prepared me for the next words.

"I found mommy, papà."

She said the words, pulling her gaze to him at the last word.

Papà?

He was her dad.

Somehow I remembered she was hiding from him before thinking...before giving myself a chance to think of the rest.

I pulled her to my side and finally looked at him...but not before I put a protective shield on my face...eyes...heart.

"Why is your daughter hiding from you, Tristan?" I asked, seeing him wince with a pain that a severely injured person would feel.

He looked fine though. So different...but fine.

"We're playing hide and seek, mamma." Her sweet voice stabbed at my heart once more.

It felt like my body was reacting to something it knew while I was watching without a single clue. My eyes stung...the shield I was so good at putting to portray indifference was a far shadow.

She had an Italian accent.

"Come here, Dani." He said, looking into my eyes with the same broken and bruised expression.

I've never seen such...sadness in his eyes.

She was leaving my side but I didn't let go of her, once again my body acting before me. At least this once I understood why.

"Are you safe with this man, honey?" I hunched down to be eye-level with her, involuntary tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

I could swear I heard a strangled choke from my left.

"Yeah," She nodded enthusiastically, "I lost the game though...He found me."

My head hung low and I let go of her hand. My own were shaking so bad right now I was vibrating.

It hit me then...with a wave so strong I had to bite my hand and turn to hide the choked scream from deep within.

She fucking had my eyes.

"Vera-"

"You're house, Tristan." I said and he, holding Dani, my daughter, the torn piece of me that was miraculously in front of my eyes and not dead like I had believed, died and somehow lived once more thinking she was, dipped his head once.

He turned and took a turn to the right with me following while hugging my arms.

I was slightly startled when he stopped in front of a house less that two minutes after. I stopped, lifting my head to look at Dani, figuring she was already looking at me with a light and carefree expression. Like she was satisfied. Happy? I hoped.