Next Door Daddy

by Ford, Mia

  “Hello, Alicia,” Zoe says with a smile. “You gave us a real scare last night.”

  Alicia stares. Her eyes are slowly filling with tears. Then, with a sob, she throws herself forward, forcing Zoe to also step forward and catch her.

  “Zoe!” Alicia cries, wrapping her arms tightly around Zoe’s waist. “I missed you!”

  Zoe smiles fondly. “I missed you too, Alicia.”

  I watch, with a small smile, as Alicia cries on Zoe, who is quietly patting her hair and allowing her to get it all out. I make two cups of coffee and, when Alicia begins to calm, I make a bowl of sugary cereal, too; I usually only allow this cereal on special occasions, but I suppose Zoe’s return to us is special enough.

  “I’m going to come and be your nanny again, Alicia,” Zoe says when my daughter has calmed, beaming. “You don’t have to put up with your dad anymore.”

  “Hey,” I say, exasperated. “I make a great nanny.”

  “Did you cook?” Zoe asks, raising an eyebrow.

  I scowl. Zoe knows very well that I can’t cook anything at all. I sniff, ignoring the fact that Alicia and I lived off cheap Chinese the last few days; I had gotten a taste of it at our picnic, and it was my take-out of choice while looking for something to feed Alicia and I without Zoe.

  Alicia giggles. A sun is breaking over her expression, chasing away the gloom that had settled there since Monday. I’m relieved to see her looking so cheerful again; it’s been a long time since I saw Alicia so upset. The last time was before Zoe came.

  “Does that mean we can go to the carnival?” she asks excitedly.

  “Of course,” I say before Zoe can, knowing that she’ll probably look to me to answer anyway. “All three of us will go together, how does that sound?”

  Alicia looks almost giddy with happiness at that. I smile, happy to see her so excited, and Zoe laughs.

  “It doesn’t come for another week or so,” Zoe warns Alicia. “So we need to be patient until then.”

  “But we can start making plans,” I add, grinning. “I’ll leave Jason to mind the office for me; he’s getting good at it by now, much to his exasperation.”

  “Jason?” Zoe asks curiously.

  “Daddy’s sec-a-re-tary,” Alicia says importantly, pronouncing the word carefully; I doubt she even knows what a secretary is, it’s just something she’s heard me say before.

  “He helps me out in the office when I have to look for another nanny,” I explain. “He’s been sending me work all week, though he doesn’t seem too impressed to have been left in charge. I can’t imagine why.”

  “You have an international, billion-dollar company, which you run all on your own,” Zoe points out. “I’d be more worried if he wanted to run it.”

  I grin. “He’ll be happy to hear that I’m going to be back to work next week. But he’ll probably press me for answers when I get back; he’s a huge gossip.” He grimaces. “Then he’ll laugh at me.”

  “You could just not tell him anything,” Zoe points out.

  “I’d like to see you try,” I mutter.

  Zoe laughs. “Anyway, Alicia? Would you like to come over to my house for a little while after breakfast?”

  “Yeah!” Alicia cheers, beaming toothily.

  I’m so very curious about what she wants to show me. But Alicia is now chatting Zoe’s ear off, wanting to tell her everything about three days Zoe missed. I shake my head and smile.

  But my heart feels like it’s going to burst. I’m so happy that I can’t even put it into words. Alicia is smiling and Zoe is back with us.

  Everything is perfect.

  * * *

  I follow Zoe into her house, intensely curious about why Zoe has brought us here, and why she isn’t meeting my eyes.

  “Would you like to draw, Alicia?” she asks. “I have some crayons for you to use.”

  Alicia cheers, and allows Zoe to sit her at the dining table with some paper and crayons. Then she clears her throat.

  “Through here,” she says, nodding to the spare room. She looks oddly nervous. “I’ve… There’s a painting I started, and I think you should see it.”

  So far, Zoe has refused to show me any of her paintings. I follow her into the room, and stop when I see it. It’s only a sketch so far, but I can already see how beautiful it will be.

  Yet there’s something oddly compelling about it, too.

  I step up to the painting. It’s not colored yet, other than streaks of paint that tell me what each flower is meant to be. I run my finger over the sketched rose and look at Zoe, bewildered.

  “What…?” I ask.

  “I…had some inspiration after you fired me,” Zoe says, clearing her throat.

  “But, what do they mean?” I ask, lost.

  Zoe laughs, some of her embarrassment disappearing.

  “A rose,” she says, almost touching the flower. “Beautiful and pure and love. It’s…it’s Rose.”

  Rose…my dearly departed wife, Rose. I look at the painting with new eyes, suddenly realizing what Zoe is doing.

  “The sunflower,” Zoe continues, determinedly not looking at me. “Beautiful and bright, turning its face toward the sun as it slowly unfolds its bud, blooming in the right light. For…”

  “Alicia,” I finish, my eyes burning. I turn to the last flower. “And this one?”

  “A red poppy,” Zoe says quietly. “In flower language…it speaks of passion, but also of sacrifice and remembrance.”

  I trail my fingers over that flower. I understand exactly why Zoe chose to represent me in this flower.

  To anyone who looks at this painting, it is simply three beautiful flowers twining around one another, forever connected.

  “Is there room for another?” I ask quietly.

  I don’t need to ask. There’s a blank spot on the canvas, right between the poppy and the sunflower. It’s the perfect position.

  “What would you put there?” Zoe challenges, raising an eyebrow.

  I smile. “Easy. A daffodil.”

  Zoe’s forehead creases in her confusion.

  “Why a daffodil?” she asks, frowning.

  “A daffodil represents new beginnings,” I say, smiling warmly at her. “I think that suits you.”

  Zoe blushes and I reach out to cup her cheek so I can kiss her softly.

  “You heard what Alicia said,” I say quietly. “This is your family now, too. You should be there with us. No matter what happens in the future.”

  “And if we break up?” Zoe asks, and I know she’s playing on my earlier fears, wanting to know what I will say now. I can’t blame her for wanting to know, and I kiss her again, not sure how to comfort her in this.

  “Then it happens,” I say simply. “And we’ll figure out a way around it, somehow. But, for now, I’m just happy exploring this with you.” I grin. “Besides, Alicia is never going to let me fire you again, so you should probably be prepared for the long run with us.”

  Zoe chuckles. “I can handle that.” She pauses. “Though, speaking of family...mine are going to want to meet you when I tell them. And my best friend, Katherine… Have I mentioned her?”

  “In passing,” I say, casting my mind back.

  “She and I are like sisters,” Zoe says with a fond smile. “But, yeah, you’re going to have to do some pretty fast talking when I meet you; she’s more than ready to string you up by your dick.”

  I stare at her, horrified. “Why?”

  “Well, I needed someone to talk to while you were being an idiot,” Zoe says with a shrug.

  “Wait, but…” I don’t know what to say to this.

  “Don’t worry too much, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Zoe says, waving a dismissive hand, though there’s an amused twinkle in her eyes. “For the most part. She’ll calm down eventually.”

  “This isn’t helping,” I inform her, deadpan. “You know what, introduce me over the phone, and I’ll meet her when I’m sure she’s gotten rid of all her homicidal urges.”

  Zoe
giggles and shakes her head.

  “We’ll work something out,” she says, nudging me with her shoulder. “Together.”

  I smile at that and wrap an arm around her shoulders. Behind us, Alicia is drawing happily. Two of my three favorite people in the world are here with me, in this house, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

  I don’t know what the future will bring. But I’m not lying, now, when I say I don’t care. All I can focus on, right now, is the present.

  The rest of it can wait until Zoe and I are ready to deal with it.

  Together.

  Epilogue

  Zoe

  Three years later

  “ZOEY!”

  I jump, almost losing my grip on the baking tray that I have just taken out of the oven, at the sound of the loud shout. The small, calico cat that has been curling around my ankles, drawn to the smell of food, leaps away in surprise.

  I adjust my grip and put the tray down carefully on the table just as a blonde eight-year-old comes bursting into the kitchen, clad in a neat blue skirt and a button-up white shirt. I smile at the school uniform and at the perky ponytail that her hair bobs in, laughing at the traces of dirt on the clothes; Alicia has never been one to shy away from tumbling around the ground while she plays.

  “Hello, Alicia,” I say with a smile, leaning down to pick up the cat; after much deliberation with Alicia, when I bought her a year ago, we named her Sophie. “Did you have a good day?”

  “Yeah!” Alicia says, dumping her bag on the table. “I have homework!”

  “What sort of homework?” I ask curiously, taking my oven mitts off. Sophie purrs, not at all concerned about being juggled around as I do so. “Do you need help with it?”

  “No way!” Alicia says instantly, glaring at me. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?”

  I blink, stumped.

  “I am dressed,” I say, gesturing to myself.

  “No, why aren’t you dressed for tonight?” Alicia demands. “Where’s your special dress?”

  I laugh, understanding what she’s talking about. “I don’t need to get dressed yet, Zoe; your father and I aren’t going anywhere for hours. He’s still at work.”

  Alicia deflates. “But I wanted to see it…”

  I smile. Seth and I have planned a dinner for tonight. It isn’t often that we get to go out on dates with just the two of us, especially since doing so requires organizing Alicia for the night, as well, but it’s always special when we do get the chance.

  Today, though, Alicia seems more excited for the event than I am. I eye her curiously, raising an eyebrow.

  “Because you helped me choose the dress?” I guess.

  “It’s pretty!” Alicia agrees. “And I want to see Grandma and Grandpa!” Her eyes light up. “If you get ready soon, I can go soon!”

  “It doesn’t work that way, Alicia,” I say, shaking my head. “We’re not going until your father gets home, anyway.”

  “Oh,” Alicia sighs. She turns pleading eyes on me. “Can you put it on anyway?”

  I look at the time. It’s four o’clock in the afternoon, now. Our reservation is for seven, and Seth will be home between five-thirty and six. It’s probably a good time to at least start getting ready.

  “Will you keep an eye on these cookies for me?” I ask her. “I thought your grandparents might like some.”

  “Can I have one?” Alicia asks eagerly.

  “Not yet, they’re too hot,” I say with a smile. “But, yes, you can when they’ve cooled down. Now, are you going to do your homework while I have a shower?”

  “Yes…” Alicia groans, opening her bag.

  Alicia’s homework only consists of a list of spelling words and, on occasion, a mathematics sheet. Normally she enjoys doing her homework but, tonight, her mind is too full of excitement for it.

  I laugh and deposit Sophie on the table. The cat looks up at me, unimpressed, but she is distracted by Alicia scratching her ear soon enough. I go up to the master bedroom and look around, navigating around my easel in order to open my drawer. As I rummage around for some clean underwear, I think about the changes that have happened in my life over the last three years.

  Contrary to Seth’s early, dire predictions, he and I work perfectly together as a couple. We’ve had an argument here and there, and we quickly found the things that irritate us the most about each other (Seth, apparently, gets frustrated when I allow paint to dry on my clothes, and I discovered, to my horror, that he’s the type of person who leaves smelly socks on the bathroom floor), but, three years later, we’re still going strong. Nearly a year ago, Seth asked me to move in with him, so we sold my house and renovated one of his- our spare bedrooms into a studio for me.

  I retrieve my clothes and shut the drawer. As I look up, I see the canvas that is hanging on the wall. Four beautiful flowers curl together; a rose, a sunflower, a poppy and daffodil. It was the first painting I had completed in some time, but I simply hadn’t been able to bring myself to sell it. I instead gave it to Seth, and he wasted no time in hanging it in his bedroom.

  That painting allowed the floodgates to open. The next painting I completed, I took to the local art store, and they displayed it for less than two weeks before someone decided to buy it. I don’t make a lot of money off my paintings, but it’s nice to know that I’m finally doing what I love.

  It doesn’t take me long to shower and, standing in front of the mirror in only my underwear, I wrap a towel around my hair as I survey my makeup. Seth told me that the place he is taking me to is quite fancy, which means I need to dress up.

  By the time I finish doing my makeup, nearly forty-five minutes have passed. I stick my head out the door of the bedroom.

  “All good, Alicia?” I call.

  “Are you in the dress yet?” Alicia asks eagerly, appearing at the door of her bedroom.

  “Five more minutes,” I smile, and retreat back into the room.

  The dress in question was actually picked out by Alicia. She had begged me to take her with me when I went shopping for it, and she fell in love with a long, purple dress with a flowing skirt and a v-neckline. The material is soft, with a sheer material over the top that sparks in the light and floats, fairy-like around me. I make sure the spaghetti straps are in place and then step out of the room.

  “It’s on,” I call.

  Alicia darts out of the room. Her eyes widen at the sight of me, and I smile at the appreciation on her face. Before either of us can say anything, however, a low whistle sounds. I turn around to see Seth at the top of the stairs, his eyes locked on me.

  “Beautiful,” he murmurs.

  “Seth,” I say, blushing slightly at the praise. “You’re early.”

  “I got out as early as I could,” Seth smiles. “I’m glad I did. You look stunning, Zoe.”

  “Now, shoes!” Alicia demands.

  “No way,” I say instantly. “My feet won’t forgive me if I put heels on a full two hours before we need to be there. I’ll wait until we’re leaving.”

  Alicia pouts and I laugh, ruffling her hair. She scowls at me and retreats to her room in a huff.

  “I swear, she seems more excited about tonight than either of us do,” I tell Seth.

  He just smiles at me. “She loves visiting her grandparents.”

  I eye him suspiciously. There’s something secretive in his smile. I’ve felt, for some time now, that he’s been keeping something from me, though I’ve been content to wait until he is ready to tell me.

  “I’m just going to have a shower and get dressed,” Seth says, loosening his tie. He drops a quick kiss on my lips as he passes me.

  “We’ve got plenty of time,” I say, shaking my suspicions away.

  He grins at me and disappears into the room. I sigh happily and go downstairs, wondering if the cookies are ready to be packed away yet.

  I really do have the perfect life, now.

  * * *

  Alicia waved us away with a jaunty wave when we dropped her at Se
th’s parents, and then Matt took us into town. Despite my pestering, Seth refuses to tell me where, exactly, we’re going.

  “You’ll see,” he just says.

  Eventually, I give up and make a point of conversing with Matt, ignoring Seth for the rest of the journey. Seth just grins at me, not concerned at all.

  Then, finally, we arrive, and my jaw drops.

  “The Meritage?” I ask when I find my voice as Matt rounds the nose of the car to open my door. “Are you serious?”

  “Didn’t you say you wanted to come here?” Seth asks, amused.

  “Yeah, but…” I exhale gustily. “I’m glad you made me dress up!”

  The Meritage Restaurant is not one of those places that I would have gone to before I got together with Seth. Sitting on the wharf, with a beautiful view of the harbor and the city, it’s fine dining at its best. I almost feel a little uncomfortable as we step onto the plush carpet and walk through the gilded doors, taking in the ambiance of the restaurant with its perfectly white table clothes and soft music playing overhead.

  I’m so busy looking around that I barely pay attention to Seth greeting the host at the front of house until I realize that we’re being led to a small table against a wall. Seth pulls my chair out for me and then sits across from me.

  “This is amazing, Seth,” I breathe, unable to stop taking everything in.

  “I’m glad,” Seth says with a soft smile. “I wanted to take you somewhere special tonight.”

  I smile at him. “It would have been special even if you took me for a picnic, just because we’re together.”

  A waitress appears, then, and hands us menus. I look over the various options as Seth asks for a bottle of wine. My stomach is rumbling, but I don’t know what to choose.

  “I’ll give you a moment to look over the menu,” the waitress says with a smile.

  “Thank you,” I tell her. I shake my head at Seth. “This all looks too fancy to me. I’m happy with just steak.”

  “We can get that,” Seth laughs, pointing out one of the items on the menu. “It’s whatever you want, Zoe. And if we still have room after dinner, there’s dessert, too.”