Categories > Original > Drama > Title Pending
Curious bright hazel eyes stared up into Chad's almost identical pair, catching him by surprise. She was a perfect mix between him and Rebecca though the most obvious physical feature that was similar between Chad and Gemma were the eyes.
They stayed glued to the spot, staring at each other until the woman moved to crouch down beside the little girl.
"Gemma, honey, I want you to meet someone..."
Chad gulped slightly as he watched the eight year old, taking in her every little detail from her reddish colored hair to the dolls in her hands to the fluffy Barbie slippers she was wearing over her feet. He slowly forced himself to breathe again, noticing that Becca was watching him. The man stepped forward hesitantly and crouched down beside them.
"Hi," he said slowly, giving her a small smile but not sure what else to say. Chad didn't know how much her mother had told her or how much of it she'd be able to understand at this age. He held out the teddy bear to her. "I bought this for you."
The girl smiled slightly and took it from him, hugging it to her chest tightly. Rebecca watched them for a few more seconds before speaking again.
"This is your dad, sweetie."
Gemma's face instantly lit up and she grinned, taking the few steps it took to get to Chad at a run. She hugged him tightly, her head resting slightly against his chest.
"I knew you'd come, Daddy! I knew it!" she said with obvious excitement, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt.
Chad hadn't been expecting such a warm greeting. He had figured Gemma would hate him for not being there for her and her mom. Maybe Becca had explained more then he'd given her credit for. The man hesitated before hugging her back, his eyes glancing towards the woman before looking down at Gemma's scalp. Rebecca quietly got up and left the room, leaving the door open so that she would be able to hear what was going on. Gemma stepped back after a while and gave him a very serious look, holding his hand.
"Mommy says it wasn't your fault so I'm not mad at you for not ever having met me," she said incredible seriousness for an eight-year old.
Chad wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, watching Gemma give him a gravely serious and mature look for a second before he responded.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there even if it wasn't my fault... but I'm going to be here for you and your mommy from now on, okay?"
The girl grinned againt and gave him another hug though this one was shorter.
"Okay!" Gemma said, suddenly bursting with energy and talking very fast. "Do I have a little brother or sister? Do you have a brother or sister? Do you live in New York? Do you like it here? What's your favorite color? Do you have pets? Where do you live?"
Chad blinked at the sudden bombardment of questions and tried his best to keep up. "No, Yes; a brother, Yes, Yes, Red, No, and I live halfway across town."
"Really?"
Chad nodded and smiled slightly.
"Can I come visit you?"
He grinned at her. "If it's okay with your mom."
Gemma shrieked in excitement then grabbed his hand, giving him a tour of her room and introducing him to all her stuffed animals and dolls.
After about an hour, Gemma had fallen asleep while listening to Chad tell her about his current life with a little sugar coating added to it. She didn't need to know all the gritty details after all. He picked her up gently and carried her to her bed, taking her slippers off before tucking her in. Chad brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ears and watched her for a second, sitting on the edge of her bed, before he got up to leave.
"Daddy?"
He turned to look at Gemma again. "Yes, sweety?"
"Will you come back soon?"
Chad smiled slightly. "Of course. I'll come visit again as soon as I can."
Gemma smiled then rolled over to go back to sleep. Chad turned and walked to her door, turning off the light. A night light with a light sensor flickered on, casting a soft, yellow glow about the room. The man turned to look at his daughter one more time before he closed the door and walked out to the living room, hearing the TV talking.
They stayed glued to the spot, staring at each other until the woman moved to crouch down beside the little girl.
"Gemma, honey, I want you to meet someone..."
Chad gulped slightly as he watched the eight year old, taking in her every little detail from her reddish colored hair to the dolls in her hands to the fluffy Barbie slippers she was wearing over her feet. He slowly forced himself to breathe again, noticing that Becca was watching him. The man stepped forward hesitantly and crouched down beside them.
"Hi," he said slowly, giving her a small smile but not sure what else to say. Chad didn't know how much her mother had told her or how much of it she'd be able to understand at this age. He held out the teddy bear to her. "I bought this for you."
The girl smiled slightly and took it from him, hugging it to her chest tightly. Rebecca watched them for a few more seconds before speaking again.
"This is your dad, sweetie."
Gemma's face instantly lit up and she grinned, taking the few steps it took to get to Chad at a run. She hugged him tightly, her head resting slightly against his chest.
"I knew you'd come, Daddy! I knew it!" she said with obvious excitement, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt.
Chad hadn't been expecting such a warm greeting. He had figured Gemma would hate him for not being there for her and her mom. Maybe Becca had explained more then he'd given her credit for. The man hesitated before hugging her back, his eyes glancing towards the woman before looking down at Gemma's scalp. Rebecca quietly got up and left the room, leaving the door open so that she would be able to hear what was going on. Gemma stepped back after a while and gave him a very serious look, holding his hand.
"Mommy says it wasn't your fault so I'm not mad at you for not ever having met me," she said incredible seriousness for an eight-year old.
Chad wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, watching Gemma give him a gravely serious and mature look for a second before he responded.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there even if it wasn't my fault... but I'm going to be here for you and your mommy from now on, okay?"
The girl grinned againt and gave him another hug though this one was shorter.
"Okay!" Gemma said, suddenly bursting with energy and talking very fast. "Do I have a little brother or sister? Do you have a brother or sister? Do you live in New York? Do you like it here? What's your favorite color? Do you have pets? Where do you live?"
Chad blinked at the sudden bombardment of questions and tried his best to keep up. "No, Yes; a brother, Yes, Yes, Red, No, and I live halfway across town."
"Really?"
Chad nodded and smiled slightly.
"Can I come visit you?"
He grinned at her. "If it's okay with your mom."
Gemma shrieked in excitement then grabbed his hand, giving him a tour of her room and introducing him to all her stuffed animals and dolls.
After about an hour, Gemma had fallen asleep while listening to Chad tell her about his current life with a little sugar coating added to it. She didn't need to know all the gritty details after all. He picked her up gently and carried her to her bed, taking her slippers off before tucking her in. Chad brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ears and watched her for a second, sitting on the edge of her bed, before he got up to leave.
"Daddy?"
He turned to look at Gemma again. "Yes, sweety?"
"Will you come back soon?"
Chad smiled slightly. "Of course. I'll come visit again as soon as I can."
Gemma smiled then rolled over to go back to sleep. Chad turned and walked to her door, turning off the light. A night light with a light sensor flickered on, casting a soft, yellow glow about the room. The man turned to look at his daughter one more time before he closed the door and walked out to the living room, hearing the TV talking.
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