Little Gaskarth

Part 10

"Hey Char, come here food ready." I called from the kitchen but did not hear a response or the pitter patter of her feet on the hard wood. I walked out and looked around.

"Charlie?" I called again, I heard faint giggled. I smirked knowing exactly what was happening.

"Charlotte? Where are you?" I grinned walking broadly around the den.

"Hm I wonder where she went. Is she behind the couch? Hm no not there. Is she under the table? Huh not there. Is she in the coat closet? Nope. I wonder where she could be. Charlie!" I exaggerated, hearing more and more giggled from behind the floor length curtains, my mother hung those when I moved in seems to come in handy now, I smiled.

"Darn I guess I'll just have to eat all this pizza alone then..." I shrugged aloud, dramatically sighing.

"I want pizza..." I heard softly, I quietly laughed to myself.

"Wait maybe... maybe she's in the curtains," I called walking to each window slowly, starting at one farthest from her, and looking behind them. Until I got to hers. I slowly creeped up but before I could act she jumps out giggling.

"Boo!" She yelled, I pretended to be scared. But maybe she scared me... a little. I laughed at Charlie, god maybe this will be better than I thought. Life with another person but a person who's clean. Clean as in her soul, her mind, her world. She hasn't been tainted my the world as adults would know it.

"Come one kiddo, lets go eat pizza!" I cheered, she nodded and followed me into the kitchen.

"What do ya wanna drink love?" I asked with a smile, she thought.

"Juice? Water?" I further asked, more simpler of a question than broad open ended ones.

"Juice please," She smiled. I nodded and grabbed her a juice box, placing it on the table. Then sitting across from her and passing a piece onto her plate. I grabbed one for myself quickly starting to eat it, Char just watched. As if she didn't know what to do.

"Do you like pizza? Is there something wrong?" I asked concerned I had messed up our first dinner as a family. She shook her head no and looked down.

"Mommy and I don't eat together..." she mumbled shyly, I looked at her. How do you not eat with your daughter? Who was Mary?

"Well you don't need to worry about that darling, we can eat dinner together. We can eat and talk, it's my house not Mommy's." I assured, she nodded affirmatively and slowly started eating little bites of pizza. We lightly talked about colors, they really interested her. She wanted to know all their names, I should get her crayons, I smiled.

After she ate one slice and I had three we moved back to the den. Char was up drinking the remained of her juice box as I sat on the couch and put on some nighttime rerun of a kids show.

"He Char, smile," I snapped a picture of her with my phone, she giggled. Charlotte then sat next to me on the couch and slowly became more cuddly which I took as her getting tired. But I knew she needed a bath, and to get ready for bed.

"Kiddo, lets go get ready for bed..." I suggest, she nodded and yawned. I picked her up and carried her up stairs to her bathroom.

"I'm gonna grab a towel," I said as walking to the closet in the hall, grabbing a blue towel, and returning to the bathroom. I turned on the water and waited for it to get warm then plugging the tub. I turned around and looked at Char.

"I don't know how to un-do the thingies Alex..." she sighed trying to unclip the overall clasps with no avail. I smiled waving her closer and helping her get ready for her bath. As I pulled her top over her head I saw two parallel bruises over her shoulders, my guess from the restraints in her car seat when the crash happened. She didn't seem fazed by them anyway. I turned around to see the bathtub a little more filled than I'd like it.