With the added factor of co parenting and practically being neighbours, as the weeks went by, FP and Alice had grown much closer and developed a deeper respect and understanding for each other.
Things between them were far different from back when they were high school. They were more mature and grown up now, and despite going separate ways, they still had an undying love for each other. Whether this love was romantic or solely platonic didn't matter, they were part of each other's lives now, forever. That what the bond of a child did to people.
They were currently sat in her living room, going through photo albums that Alice had stored up and packed. She figured it would be nice for him see photos of Charlie growing up.
"And this is from his first birthday party." Alice informed him with a wide smile, reflecting back on the joyous occasion of her beautiful baby boy turning one.
He looked down at the photo in pride. A baby Charlie was sat on Alice's lap, cake smeared all over his happy face as Alice laughed down at the tot. He looked cute as a button. It filled FP with pride and pleasure as he looked through the images, capturing everything from Charlie crawling to his first steps. He truly had always been a happy child, but as much as the photos in front of him filled him with joy, they also reminded him of how much he had missed out on.
"He's such a good and happy kid. You did a good job with him." FP praised, glaring back at a photo of Charles as a newborn while Alice cradled him in her arms. Despite looking entirely sleep deprived in the image, FP thought it was truly beautiful either way.
Alive grinned softly, taking out another photo of Charlie as a toddler playing with one of his interactive toys and staring down at it. "Thanks. I appreciate that, given the circumstances." She quietly reveals, referring to doing it all alone from his birth.
His forehead puckered as his chestnut eyes flashed with a hint of despair, Alice noticing it almost instantly.
"What's wrong?" She wonders softly, placing a hand on his limply clutched fist, forcing him to soften up a little.
"It's nothing don't worry about it." He nonchalantly shrugs, shaking the hurt off and continuing to shift through the photos.
"FP, you can tell me."
"I just, wish I could've been there for it all, you know?" He sadly confesses before focusing his attention back to the photos. "I don't wanna dwell on the past though, or what could've been." He assured her.
She nodded sympathetically, still feeling a hint of guilt as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I hear ya."
"I've already missed out on enough, and I know you probably blame yourself but don't, you were only doing what you thought was best." He explained, assuring her that her forgiven her and let it all go. "I just want to focus on the present."
She smiled in agreement, taking her hand softly stroking his busy knuckles as he continued to go through the photos, admiring them all and gleaming at Charlie growing up through the years before his eyes land in upon a striking photo of him and Alice from a few years ago, before Charlie was born.
"You kept this?" He rhetorically questions with a beaming smile as he admires the photo of the two of them sat by his porch, her sat in between his legs as he had his arms wrapped around her in a tight and comforting embrace. Those were truly the best days for them, everything was beyond perfect. Even though they came from troubling families, broken homes and poverty, it didn't matter to them, because they had each other, and that was all they needed.
"Of course I did." She stated happily, chuckling softly as she leaned in and got a better look at the photo. "We're grown up now, leading our own lives and all, but sometimes I just want to reminisce on the good days, you know?"
He nods as his lips curl into a soft smile. "Yeah, I do." He adds, thinking back to the simpler times he had with her, where they were all loved up and truly happy. He'd give anything to get it back.
"Why don't you, pick up Charlie today?" She kindly suggests, hoping it would get him to smile. "Maybe take him to Pops afterwards? It will give you a better chance to get to know him better, have some quality father and son time."
"Yeah, I'd like that."
•••
FP cruised through the diner with Charlie on his shoulders after picking him up from daycare. The tot had been ecstatic upon seeing his father turn up rather than his mother like usual, immediately running into his arms when he came through the door. He'd grown an attachment to him already in the coming weeks, much to Alice and especially FP's pleasure. It meant he had to be doing something right.
"Alright buddy, lets put you down." He lifted the young boy off his shoulder and carefully placed him onto the floor.
As he did, Charlie gazed up at his father in awe and wide grin on his face, his sapphire blues acquired from his mother glaring back at FP. That smile, that bright and glowing smile that resembled his mother's truly made FP melt, and he loved seeing it. Not a day would go by where it didn't cross his mind and he'd do whatever it took to keep that smile on his sons face.
"Well look who we have here!" Pop chirped as he walked out from the kitchen, his eyes instantly landing on FP before noticing a little head below him.
"Hello Pop!" Charlie happily waved, showing off that ever so cute smile. FP lifted him in his arms before approaching the counter.
"How ya doin' Pop?" FP greeted before placing Charlie to sit up onto the counter.
"And what would my favourite customer like?" Pop asked happily as he glared at a grinning Charlie.
"I thought I was your favourite customer." FP said in a faux gasp. Pop chuckled before turning back to the excited four year old.
"Choccy milkshake please!" Charlie answered with his little hand raised.
"Coming right up!" Pop responded.
FP lifted him off the counter and told him to sit by in the nearest booth. He turned back around to find Pop giving him a proud grin.
"What?" FP chuckled curiously.
"It's just, really touching seeing you two spend time together. It's almost like you were never apart."
FP nodded in agreement, turning his head around to look back at Charlie who had now pulled out his colouring book and started scribbling. "I never want him to feel like I'm a stranger. I've already missed four years, and I never wanna miss another moment."
Pop pursed his lips out as he nodded his head in understanding. "He's a good kid, you got lucky."
"I sure did." FP responded nonchalantly before walking over to the booth and sitting by Charlie's side. He just quietly observed him for a minute.
"Daddy?" Charlie interrupted the silence as he spoke, pulling his father out of his thoughts.
"Yeah buddy?"
"Are you gonna stay forever now?" He innocently questioned, looking up at his father as curiosity donned his cute little face, waiting for an answer.
"Of course I'm gonna stick around forever." He assures the tot. "And you know why?"
Charlie calmly shakes his head unsure of why.
"Because I love you, and your Mommy, to the moon and back." He enthusiastically reveals, surprising himself in the process. Not by the statement itself but saying it out loud, and especially in o Charlie. It took him a while to realise and accept, but he still loved Alice, very much and that had never changed, not one bit.
He had thought of her every single day since they split up and while he was stationed out too. He'd sit calmly in his bunker or tent, wherever he was at the time, and every possible thought pertaining to her would cross his mind. From whether she graduated from high school, finally escaped her vile mother, got accepted into college, found a great man and settled down.
And now that he was back, and the final goal hadn't been achieved yet, it had to be a sign, a sign that the very man she was supposed to be with was him, and he was going to take full advantage of her single status. He knew in his heart they belonged together, always have and always will.
