Never Should Have Let You Go

Replaced

They were so much like their mother.

Portugal couldn't help but notice it. 

Sure, they had the emerald eyes but there was more than that too. His nieces had inherited Carmen's cheerful personality, Diega had taken more of their mother's shape too, when they were children, he remembered them having her love of dancing, Ambre had taken her nose, and the similaires went on.

In the past, when he thought about his North American nieces, he always had to applaud his sister and France and England for their strength. As a parent.

As a father, he didn't think he would ever have the courage to do what they did. And even though they had that courage, it was followed by so much guilt afterwards.

Something in the three former empires had changed. 

He remembers his moments with his nieces, the girls had somehow had a habit of waking up early. Maybe it had been inherited from their empire parents. So during that time of being up, they would head into someone's room. Sometimes their relative was awake, other times they weren't. Either way, the girls were very affectionate and would just stay. Sometimes cuddle with the relative if they were awake, sometimes talk to them, or wait for them to wake up if they were asleep.

He slightly smiled, many nations thought he didn't really have any emotions. Dumbasses, he did. But only close people saw that side.

Deserved to see that side. 

One Christmas Eve, it was a two year old Isabella who came to him dragging a fairy tales book behind her. She looked up at him with her beautiful eyes and asked him to read it to her.

And how could he say no?

She did love fairy tales after all.

He had picked her up, set her on his lap and started to read a story. Soon, Maria had come and joined them and he had set her on his lap too. His own little girls Angola and Mozambique eventually joined with Diega and Ambre who were being carried by Mozambique. And then, more children joined in, didn't matter what side of North America's family they came from.. English, French, Spanish. 

He had read 5 stories that night.

And a year later, Isa came back to him with the same book, asked him to read and he did. And the colonies once again returned to hear the stories.

And the same thing the year after, only all four of his nieces came together to ask.

And just like that, it became a tradition. Heck, even he enjoyed it. Soon, Wales had joined in on the readings. Isa might have gotten her love of fairy tales and mythical creatures from him. 

He missed that tradition so much. It had felt so wrong not to do it and still did.

And there was one time he had woke up to Isa talking to air in his room. When asked, the toddler had said she had been talking to a woman who told her to call her 'abuela'. 

When he told her describe the woman, he had been speechless.

To make sure that his suspicion was right, he asked her the woman's name. And that when she said it.

Isabelle. 

His mama. 

Isabella went on to say that the woman said she was proud of him and Carmen for making changes.

And that's when he hugged his niece, and the of course, the girl didn't mind since she loved affection. 

He always knew the girls were special.