My Girls| a.i.

one

I lift the heavy mug to my lips, the sweet taste of the chocolate flooding my taste buds as I take a sip of the hot drink. I place it carefully back onto the table, my eyes going back to the book held securely in my hands, my mind once again immersing in the story as the background noise of the small café fades away.

"Are these seats taken?" A rich accented voice cuts through the scene playing in my head, my body startling slightly causing my book to slip out of my hands. I immediately feel the heat rush to my cheeks, my body ducking under the table to grab the novel.

"I'm so sorry." The man apologizes, my eyes glancing up to find the source of the voice. "I didn't mean to bother you, it's just that there are only single seats left." He explains sheepishly, his hazel eyes glancing around the room before coming back to mine, his hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, it's okay, go ahead." I say softly, sending a soft smile towards the boy. I start wonder why he needs two seats until I hear the small voice from behind him.

"Daddy- cookie now?" His gaze immediately turns to the small child clinging to his leg, the small golden curls atop the little girl's head held back by a small pink bow clipped to the thin strands. He nods as he lifts her into his arms, settling her into the booth part of the table before sliding in next to her, placing a plate and two cups onto the table.

"I'm Ashton and this is Maisie," He tells me, the little girl sending me a shy smile that takes after the bright grin lighting up her father's cheeks. I smile back, waving at Maisie, making a pink blush rise in her cheeks, her head burrowing into her father's side while she glances at me from beneath her lashes.

"I'm Elsie." I supply, blushing lightly at Maisie's shriek of, "like Frozen daddy!" "Not quite," I say with a laugh, her tiny shoulders shrugging while she happily takes another bite of her cookie.

"Thank you for letting us sit here. I promise we won't bother you." he says earnestly, his eyes connecting with mine.

"It's no problem, honestly." I reassure as his long fingers unwrap a straw, pushing it into the small plastic cup before lifting it off the table and towards his daughter's mouth, helping her to hold it while she takes a sip.

"Slow down Mais, you're gonna wanna save some chocolate milk to go with your cookie," He reminds her softly, his tone light and full of laughter as she swallows her sip, smiling up at him with remnants of the milk staining the skin around her lips. He chuckles as he breaks a piece of the snowman cookie off to hand her, her little fingers grasping onto the sweet treat and bringing it to her lips happily.

"How old is she?" I ask Ashton, his face pleasantly surprised as he turns his attention towards me. "If you don't mind me asking," I add in hurriedly, heat flushing my cheeks as I glance down towards my lap.

"I don't mind at all, it's just that usually people don't even bother to try to talk to me after seeing Maisie, they just kinda blow me off," He tells me, the smile dimming on his lips as he reveals the words. He glances up at me after he speaks, his expression a mixture of hope and sadness from things unknown to me. "It's not the best feeling," he admits, his tone making my heart ache slightly, the pain behind those words drawing me to Ashton, making me want to get to know and help this man sitting across from me.

"I'm sorry," I tell him softly, his head lifting as he shakes his head slightly.

"S'not your fault." He replies, pushing the sad look off his face as he sends his daughter a smile, brushing the stray crumbs from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. "She's two and a half," He adds on, changing the subject as he answers my previous question.

"She's beautiful," I murmur, his face softening at the words. "You're gonna have to keep a close eye on her when she grows up," I say teasingly, "You're gonna have people knocking on your door to take her out." I finish with a laugh as he lets out a groan.

"I am not looking forward to that day, let me tell you." He replies with a laugh, her sweet giggles filling the air as she sees the smile on her daddy's face. "Don't wanna see my little bug grow up." He continues, ruffling the curls on her head as she shoves the last piece of cookie into her mouth.

'Here that Mais, you're not allowed to grow up," He says sternly, pouting his lips as he wags a finger in her face, the fake grumpiness dissolving from his cheeks when her little fingers wrap around his, pulling his hand down into her lap as giggles slide effortlessly past her lips.

"Silly daddy," She tells him, his lips finding her forehead for a sweet kiss as she starts to play with his fingers. "He silly," she tells me, my lips curving into a smile at the innocent joy laced throughout her features.

"He is, isn't he?" I ask, her golden curls bouncing slightly as she nods earnestly.

"Hey- I'm right here, you little goof," Ashton whines, pouting his bottom lip out as he looks between us. "No pout!" She warns him, pinching his bottom lip between her fingers and pushing it back against his teeth, his hazel eyes widening as he looks towards me for help.

"Don't look at me, you gotta listen to the princess," I say with a laugh, Maisie's hands pulling away from her father's mouth as she turns her attention towards me. Her bright green eyes widen as she points to her daddy, her sparkly blue fingernail polish contrasting to the black shirt on Ashton's chest.

"Daddy a princess?" She questions confusedly, her little eyebrows drawing together as a small crease forms on her forehead. And that's when Ashton loses it, his head falling to his chest as his shoulders shake in laughter, the edges of his blonde curls falling onto his forehead as the loud giggles fall past his lips.

"No, sweetheart, I think Elsie was talking about you," He finally gets out, her pink lips rounding into an "O" shape as she looks towards me with a smile.

"I be princess, you be queen." She decides, my teeth biting down onto my bottom lip as heat floods into my cheeks, my head dipping down towards the ground as an unfamiliar warmth floods my chest.

"I would like that," I reply with a shy smile, Maisie's pink lips mirroring mine as she turns towards her daddy.

"Daddy be your king," She finishes, his honey colored irises glancing up to catch mine as her lisp filled speech fades out.

"I think that'd be up to Elsie, bug," He supplies, his eyes locked on mine as he speaks to his daughter, her mossy green eyes open wide as her tiny bottom lip pops out into a pout, little dimples mirroring her daddy's caving into her cheeks.

"Pwease?" She asks sweetly, a slight groan falling out of my lips in response as my head nods.

"How could I say no to a cute face like yours?" I ask in response, her face lighting up as she giggles.

"I know right! I've been told the dimples are virtually irresistible." Ashton says with a grin, his cheekiness eliciting a laugh from my throat, the previously mentioned dimples making an appearance as he smiles at me.

"Cheeky." I murmur, his only response being a laugh but the gorgeous sound is cut off by a phone ringing, a curse falling out of Ashton's lips as his wide eyes look up to mine, his eyes panicky as they lock onto mine.

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A/N: Hey my darlings! I really hope you like this first part because I have many more written up already and I'm so excited to share them with you. I am so in love with the characters already and can't seem to stop writing it! Send me feedback and ideas if you want, please.

I love you all so so much.
- Eryn xx