The adventures of Evan and Tia.

Moving Day.

FIVE YEARS LATER

"Daddy, where are all my toys?" Tia whined beside me.

I straightened up, shoving a box labelled "KITCHEN" to one side with my foot, and glanced around. It was a Sunday afternoon in August, and Tia, Ryan and I had just moved into our new house.

Three bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen and a living room, and at only £400 a month? It was perfect.

"Ah!" I recalled, crouching down beside Tia. Her hair stood up on end, and there was an adorable pout on her face."I think Ryan put them in your new bedroom. Why don't we go look?"

Her eyes lit up at the mention of her new room, and she was quick to grab my hand, and pull me up the stairs.

"Oi!" Ryan yelled from the kitchen. "I'm gunna order pizza. Any preference?"

"Same as usual for me!" I called back. "Tia'll have plain cheese, smallest option they do. Thanks, mate."

Tia's mood had improved greatly as she looked around her new room. It was smaller than Ryan and I's, but perfect for her. A single bed took up one corner of the room, and the yellow walls excited her. Paired with a small beside table, wardrobe and chest of drawers, there was enough space for Tia's toys and teddies.

Several boxes covered the floor, and I knelt down beside them. "Here we go," I told her, reading off the lid. "Tia's Toys."

With Tia's (over) enthusiastic help, we peeled off the brown sticky tape, and her treasure trove of baby dolls, teddies, farm animals and other assorted toys were uncovered.

While she was occupied, I took the time to open the other boxes. Her books were placed to one side, her dresses hung up in the wardrobe, the chest of drawers was filled with her pyjamas and socks, and I made her bed, putting sheet over mattress, and duvet over sheet.

"We'll need to get you a little book case of some sort, Tee," I said, more to myself than Tia.

"Okay, Daddy." She said.

I ruffled the red curls, and left her to play with her toys. I could hear her mumbling and laughing to herself as I went down to the kitchen.

"Alright?" Ryan asked, looking up from his phone.

"Tee's settled anyway. You order yet?"

Ryan had started unpacking the boxes for the kitchen, and already mugs, plates, bowls and other random cooking utensils were stored away. This house was beginning to feel more like our home. I grabbed two mugs, and boiled the kettle.

"Yeah," he narrowed his eyes at the app. "Says it's out for delivery."

I nodded.

Ryan was an old friend of mine, we had meet at university, and even though I had dropped out to raise Tia, we had still kept in contact. He was now a maths teacher up at the local secondary school, and he loved it. He really did. Those kids kept him on his toes. Me, on the other hand? Nah. Teenagers were not a species I want to interact with.

Hopefully Tia skips those moody phases.

I passed him a tea, and sat down at the table. There was still so much to unpack and rearrange, but it wouldn't take long. I still had to sort out my own room, but other than that, we were good. Living room didn't need much in it.

"You still okay to look after Tia tomorrow? They want me in work early." I asked.

Ryan nodded. "'Course. Might take her to the library, or somethin'. Maybe the park if it's nice."

"Cheers," I said. "She'd love that."

It was August, and while Ryan was on his Summer holidays, I still worked. My job was great, and I loved it, but it didn't pay enough for me to hire a childminder. Not that Tia would want a childminder anyway. She hated strangers. Plus Ryan was constantly telling me he didn't mind. He loved Tia, and he'd been helping us ever since —