look after you ( andrew bazzi )

XI

  andrew paced in front of his daughters room, the man trying to get the courage to go in and wake her up for school. he knew he hurt her feelings the night before and he felt so bad for doing so. the man didn't even know why he got so angry in the first place.

  andrew took a deep breathe before putting his hand on the door handle only for rosalia to open it before him, the child already fully ready.

  "rosalia, princess."

  the child gave him a straight face, walking around him and towards the kitchen. rosalia was just like allison in many ways, the child's talent at holding grudges one of them.

  "is uncle nate taking me to school today?"

  andrew looked at his daughter, wanting to go back to the night before and take back what happened. "uh, no— i was going to take you."

  rosalia sent the man another straight face, leaving the kitchen and going back to her room to grab her book bag.

  the two didn't speak for the entire car ride, andrew sneaking glances at her through the mirror. the child kept her glance on the scenery outside the window. she could feel her father's stare on her, but she was mad at him. she understood it was wrong of her to go through his things, but some of the pictures and memories in the box were hers too.

"do you have to walk me in today?"

andrew looked in the mirror, his feelings being hurt by the child's words. "not if you don't want me too."

"i don't want you too."

the man nodded, trying to hide the disappointment he felt. "okay."

andrew sat in a chair in the studio, his friends sitting along side him. the man couldn't stop thinking about how he could make it up to his daughter, but he was stuck. when rosalia was upset with someone, she kept the grudge for awhile and it didn't go away with just a toy like most kids. she was so different and that's what made coming up with a way to make her forgive him harder.

"yo, drew, you good?" sammy asked, hitting the man on his arm.

"yeah, i was just thinki—" andrew was cut off by his phone ringing, the man taking a deep breathe when he saw the schools number. "i'll be back."

andrew answered the phone, mentally preparing himself for whatever he was about to hear from this phone call.

"hello?"

"hey, andrew— um, i was just calling to make sure you were picking up rosalia after school?" adelines soft voice came through the phone.

andrew furrowed his eyebrows. "yeah. what happened?"

"oh, nothing. i just— i wanted to talk to you about rosalia. this is so random, i should've just waited. i'm sorry if i'm botherin—"

"it's okay, adeline." andrew grinned at the rambling woman. "i'll be there this afternoon."

"okay— i'll see you then?"

"of course. goodbye, adeline."

"goodbye, andrew." the phone call ended, adeline feeling her face redden immensely.

andrew walked through the doors of the classroom, seeing rosalia sitting in the back of the classroom with her head down. he frowned at the child, not noticing adeline who had walked up to him.

"she's been like that all day."

andrew moved his gaze from his daughter to the woman. "i hurt her feelings last night. she's mad at me."