look after you ( andrew bazzi )

III

andrew pulled the covers up to the child's chin, leaving a kiss on her forehead before turning and walking out the room. nate was sitting on the couch, a blunt sitting between his lips. he took it out of his mouth, looking towards andrew.

  "is she okay?" nate spoke quietly. he was worried about the child he'd grown to love in the last five years. they were close and had spent almost everyday together for the last year while andrew worked before she started school.

  "she's upset. god, i fucking hate allison." andrew let out a sarcastic laugh. "rose started crying because she missed her mom and i—" he ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated matter. "i don't know how to make her feel better about the situation. one of the people who's supposed to love her unconditionally left her without a warning and without a goodbye."

  nate nodded his head, "i can't even begin to imagine how it feels, but at least she's talking to you about it now. remember when allison first left and rose wouldn't talk to anyone for like two weeks and then even after that she never spoke a word of allison. at least now, you'll be able to help her move on."

  "if i knew allison would've backed out of raising rosalia, i would've never even allowed her into her life. my baby doesn't deserve to have to feel that way and i'd do anything to take away her pain."

  the next morning, rosalia barely spoke and it was causing andrew to worry. she was starting to act like she did when her mother had first left.

  "are you okay, princess?" he asked softly causing the child's head to perk up.

  no words left her mouth, the girl just nodding her head.

  "i'm here if you want to talk about anything, rose. i love you."

  "i know, daddy." she mumbled before jumping down from the stool and making her way back to her room to grab her book bag.

  andrew felt his heart break when she didn't say she loved him back. he felt horrible for making her go somewhere she didn't want to go but he had no choice.

  a few minutes passed and the two were in the car on the way to the school. rosalia sat in the back seat, looking out the window. andrew stole glances at her every few moments to make sure she was okay.

   when they pulled into the school, he watched her grab her locket around her neck tightly and fumble with the hem of her shirt.

  "come on, princess."

  andrew got out of the car, opening rosalia's door as well. the child didn't say anything as they walked into the school, her hand hanging loosely in his own. when the two reached the classroom, rosalia pulled her hand out of andrews and looked up at him.

"daddy?" she said.

"yeah?"

"i won't do anything to get in trouble today."

andrew bent down, getting eye leveled with the child. "thank you, princess. i promise as soon as you get out of here, we'll get ice cream or whatever you want to do, okay? i just need you to be strong for me, baby."

"we can even go see uncle j?"

"we can make a trip to see him and uncle g." andrew smiled at his daughter.

rosalia threw herself into her dads arms, almost pushing him off his feet. the two stayed like that for a few moments before he heard her soft voice in his ear.

"thank you for not leaving me, daddy."

andrew felt his heart break and tears brim his eyes. "i could never."

the little girl pulled away from her father, leaving a kiss on his cheek. "i love you."

"i love you too, princess."

rosalia made her way into the classroom, walking up to adeline and giving her a hand shake before putting her book bag away. adeline had watched the twos moment from inside the classroom. she felt her heart warm at the way andrew cared for his child.

when she saw rosalia go to the empty side of the classroom and put her head down, she made her way over to the child, bending down to eye level with the girl.

"rosalia?" she softly spoke.

rosalia perked her head up at the voice, adeline seeing a tear fall from the child's eye.

"what's wrong, baby?" the women asked, her voice laced in concern.

"i miss my daddy." her voice broke.

adeline gave the child a sad smile, "i know you do, but he'll be back before you know it. i can tell you don't really like the other kids so how would you like it if i got a few coloring books and you could sit here and color for a while? you do like to color, right?"

rosalia sent the teacher a nod. "uncle nate used to make me color when he was busy and had other things to do. sometimes he'd even color with me and daddy would even join sometimes when he got off work."

"why don't you come pick a few out and grab you some crayons?" adeline put her hand on the child's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze before standing up and walking towards where the coloring books and crayons were, rosalia following behind quietly.

authors note:
this was such an awkward ending, but
the chapter was getting too long sorry :/