Blood Roots

04. The potatoes

Three years later

Eyes fixed on the T.V. screen, Jay bit his lower lip, when the male protagonist was about to kiss the female one.

'Almost there. Just a few inches. Oh, just do it already!', Jay whisper-yelled, getting annoyed by the characters, who were taking an eternity to kiss each other.

"Yes, go kiss her-", Jay started but got cut off by a loud thunder sound, booming across the sky, followed by the pitter-patter of the raindrops. Seems like, it started raining again.

Jay sighed as he shook his head but his ears perked up on hearing a soft whimper. He frowned as he looked towards his right, just to see his sleeping daughter, curled up in a ball. She whimpered again as her three and a half-year-old body started trembling due to fear when the thunder sound resonated again.

Not a moment later, she woke up abruptly due to another loud thunder. A sob escaped her lips after hearing the loud sound as she fisted her hand to rub her eyes.

"Dada...", She mumbled as a soft sob escaped her lips, wanting to go to her dad.

Jay immediately shifted closer to her as he sat near her with his legs crossed. He softly picked the crying toddler and placed her in his lap, before hugging her gently.

"It's okay, baby bread. Dada is here. No need to be scared.", He spoke softly as he rubbed her tiny back, which was trembling due to the cold and fear.

Ae-Cha hugged him tightly, finally finding the person she trusted and loved the most. According to her, he could do anything and he would always protect her. He was her super-dad after all.

"Dada....Ae-Cha scared.... Rain scary...", She softly mumbled using her limited vocabulary and broken grammar as she tried to explain that she was scared of the thunder.

"It's okay, baby. Dada is here. Just go back to sleep." Jay spoke softly, patting her head.

"No... Me sleep on dada...", Ae-Cha spoke in a soft voice as she hugged him tighter, not wanting to let him go.

"Baby wants to sleep with me? Okay then, Lemme switch off the T.V., hm?", Jay asked Ae-Cha, who nodded her head before burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Jay stood up with her in his arms as he held her with one arm and unplugged the T.V. with the other hand.

He sat down on the bed again before switching the lamp's light off and laying down. He pulled the duvet over both of them before turning to the side and hugging his daughter tightly, giving her his warmth so that she doesn't feel cold.

"Ae-Cha, are you still feeling cold, baby?", Jay asked her softly.

" 'ittle bit.", Ae-Cha replied as her body was still trembling, on hearing the thunder sound again.