MoonKnight One Shots/Preferences

Little Roses

"Adeline?" I called, seeing her face perk up from her position on the floor. Her sweet, full cheeked face was beaming his happiness and she held a book open in her lap, kicking her feet in excitement. Her wild, dark curls were hanging down past her shoulders, still in a hairstyle that I put it in earlier.

"Hi, Mamma! I'm reading dis one..." She pointed to the open page in front of her, her favorite book of them all. A version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, but full with colorful pictures.

I smiled, walking into her bedroom and crouching on the fuzzy rug on the ground. "Oh yeah? That's our favorite to read together!" I kissed her forehead as she wrapped her short arms around my neck.

She giggled and returned back to her spot on the rug. "Look, Mamma!" She exclaimed, pointing at one of the pictures and scrunching her nose in contentment.

"Sweetheart, there's someone here to meet you." I chided, and she looked to me with a confused expression.

"Who, Mamma?"

I glanced toward the door and ushered Marc in, who had been waiting in the hallway before entering. Adeline stared at him curiously as he also crouched to the rug, crossing his feet beneath him.

"This is Marc, baby. He is a very nice man and momma loves him very much. I wanted him to meet you." I explained, observing her eyes and the way she scrutinized him.

"Hello, Adeline. I'm Marc." He nervously introduced himself. It was then that he removed his other hand from behind his back. It was a miniature bouquet of little roses, as if it was made exactly for her delicate hands.

Adeline stood to her feet and toddled to him, stopping a short distance from him. He carefully held the flowers out, afraid that he'd scare her. That was one of his fears that he told me as we planned this night a week earlier.

She reached out and took the flowers from his hands, smelling the red blooms and grinning. Then, she took a few more steps and wrapped her small arms around his neck, giggling as she hugged him in gratitude.

Marc glanced at me, completely shocked and out of his depth. I motioned to him to hug her back, to which he complied. He gently patted her back, grinning as he realized that she didn't cry because of him.

Seeing them together filled my heart completely, and I had to wipe stray tears from my eyes as I watched them interact. Adeline toddled back to me, displaying her flowers before me. "They're beautiful, Addie!" I exclaimed.

A timer from the kitchen interrupted the moment and I stood to my feet, having to abandon them to take the tray out of the oven.

Marc glanced at me with fear, afraid that I was leaving him with nothing to help him connect with Adeline.

"Baby, why don't you read your book to Marc? I'll be right back." I assured, kissing Marc's cheek as I exited the room.

Swiftly, I returned to the kitchen and donned oven mitts to prepare to take the hot pan out of the scorching heat of the oven. I removed the dish and placed it on a rack on the counter, then turning the power to the stove off, rendering it out of service for the night.

Once satisfied that dinner was ready to be prepared, I dished the foot into dinner platters to arrange them neatly on the dining table. I placed Marc at the end of the table, with Adeline on his right, and me across from her.