He calls me Angel

50. The icing on the cake

"I am her daddy. And mommy. I am everything she needs me to be, thank you very much."

Her words held a finality, staring Mia with a great intensity, before finally meeting Brandon's awaiting gaze. Time froze for her as she stared, before the warm hues in her eyes turned cold and stormy behind unshed tears.

"You look so much like him."

She didn't need to explain what she meant; the pain in her voice painted a gallery full of pictures. It was obvious to the people closest to this family, that some scars were deeper than others.

"Wait-"

In seconds, she picked Raine back in her arms, but instead of storming out like she first intended, she walked down the hallway and up the stairs; to her old room.

Her siblings stayed frozen in place, exchanging knowing looks, as more guests moved from the living room to the kitchen, their curiosity pulling them here.

Without missing a beat, I walked right after her, with two pieces of cake in my hands. I knew I was the last person she needed right now, but I was hoping cake could fix everything. Or at least pave the means for a better outcome.

"I brought some cake."

Picking my head through the door, I found her sitting on her old bed with Raine on her lap. She eyed the creamy goodness warily, biting on her bottom lip, as I placed the plates on the bedside table.

"They sent you too?" Her gaze was scrutinizing, as she chose to ignore my offering.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone is pestering me about the father. Mom, pops, even her doctors. Why don't they get the message?"

"Mommy?" the little girl whispered in her mom's ear, her two hands lost in Ariana's golden curls.

"It's fine, baby. I'm not sad, I'm sorry. Everything's fine now," she said to the child, voice soft and caring.

"I didn't come for that."

"Save it." She kept her tone low, but it was obvious from the way her eyes bored through me, that I wasn't welcome here.

"You want some?" she asked Raine, ignoring my presence, as she brought the plates closer to them. Raine was nodding furiously at the prospect of a sugar-spike, making her mother chuckle at the huge grin on her face.

From afar, she looked like an ice queen. But as I got closer, it was obvious she had the heart of a lioness. She was stubborn, but I was glad I didn't have to melt the ice around her; her daughter was doing the job all on her own.

It was astonishing how, in a matter of seconds, the little girl made her mommy the happiest, as she got cream around her mouth after the first spoonful. I knew I was trespassing her safevplace, but by the time I sat beside her on the bed, she morphed into a completely different person. Instead of the wary cat she resembled when I walked in, she now looked relaxed, content, as she mirrored her child's actions in scarfing down the cake.

Who knew, having a sweet tooth could be passed down through genes.

"I just wanted to talk," I started softly, earning a dramatic eyeroll from her. "Not about her father. About you."

"What?" She stared expectedly, eyes anticipating lies.

"I know we've just met, and you can take everything I say with a pinch of salt. But to me... It's obvious, you have been doing such an amazing job with her. I can't pretend to imagine how difficult it must be, balancing motherhood, with everything else you two have going on."