Haven Harbour: Beyond the Sea • a.i. • (Sequel to Haven Harbour)

Chapter 114

Ashton's PoV:

"Ender!" I called out.

I had chased after him after he had run off but now I couldn't find him.

"Ender!" I yelled again as I walked around the outside area. I turned a corner and called out his name again before I heard what sounded like his crying and I whipped around to see his small body behind some large equipment boxes.

"End." I jogged towards him and moved to sit down next to him before pulling him into my arms.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed into them.

"Hey it's okay." I rubbed his back.

He let out another cry and my heart broke for him.

"I'm not mad at you, I'm not mad at you." I assured him.

"You're not?" He sniffled.

"No bud, I'm not mad. I'm a little surprised, but I'm not mad." I said. "But I think we need to talk about this, if that's okay with you?"

He nodded.

"Ender I know we've had a few talks about my role in your life and yours in mine, but if you calling me dad is something you want to do then I need you to let me know."

"I don't know." He sniffled. "It just slipped out."

"I know, but you obviously said it for a reason.
End just a few days ago you said I was the only dad you had left, and I didn't take that lightly. You know how important you are to me and you know that I want to be that father figure in your life, and I hope you want me to be, but if you're going to start calling me dad I need a little heads up."

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Do you think Carter would be mad at me?"

"I think she wants you to do whatever makes you happy, Ender."

"Do you think my dad dad would be mad at me if I called someone else dad?" He asked and I figured out what he was really upset about.

"Ender," I sighed as I gathered my thoughts, "Your dad loved you very much, and you know that, and even though he may not be here anymore, he will always be your dad, but now you're older and you've come to a place in life where other people have maybe taken up those same roles that he had but that's okay. Your dad would want you to have someone to do those things for him. No parent wants their kid to grow up with out them but there's things in life that we can't control."

"He would want you to do all of the things that a dad should do for me." Ender said and I smiled.

"I like to think so. I mean I hope he would approve of me."

"I think he would." Ender looked up at me with a smile.

"You think he would?" I laughed and he nodded.

"You remind me of him." He put his head back on my chest.

"I do?"

"Yeah. You're funny like him."

"Oh yeah?" I chuckled.