On the Court #Wattys2015

CH 23: A 'Yes' Would Suffice

She shook her head, pinching her lips together.

"What if I tickled you?" Toni teased, making Rory's little toothed smile show. "No, mommy," she giggled.

"Let's go get your clothes on, okay? Then we'll get your brother and Darren and the others and head to Disney."

"Mommy," Rory whispered, leaning closer to Toni as if she had a big secret. "Is Darren...is he my daddy now?"

Toni was nearly floored. "Um..." She bit at her lip trying to form an understandable sentence. "He can be your daddy here on earth. Only if you want him too."

"He doesn't look like it," she frowned. 

"That doesn't mean anything, Aurora" Toni nearly snapped.

Keep your cool, girl. She's only four.

"Darren loves you very much and would love to be your daddy."

"But my real daddy is still my daddy, right?"

"Of course, he's just somewhere else now."

Rory nodded, "Okay."

"Good, now go get dressed, baby."

***

"Okay let's take another break."

Luna groaned, "That's the fifth one this hour, T."

"Shut up," Toni bit out.

"No one told you to walk your pregnant self around this park."

Darren couldn't help but laugh, receiving a death glare from Toni. "Ms. Toni," Leo sweetly said, standing in front of Toni as she sat on a nearby bench. "Yeah?"

 "Is there a boy in there?" 

She lightly smiled, "We don't know yet. It's gonna be a surprise."

"I hope it's a boy." He wearily glanced at Rory, "Girls are weird."

"Hey!" the little girl shrieked, "It's my birthday, leave me alone!"

Sassy little thing she was.

***

"I'm proud of you," Darren murmured into her ear. With his arm slung around her shoulders and his nose nuzzled in her hair, she shivered.

"For what? Not complaining for the past two hours?" she lightly laughed, trying to mask the pain emitting from her sore feet.

"That too," he smiled, "but mainly for putting up with me."

"You're proud of me for sticking around you? You're not that bad."

"I guess," he chuckled.

It was night and they were all just strolling around the over-crowded park. It was hard keeping track of the little ones so Joseph clung to his mom's hand while Leo was on his dad's shoulders.

Rory was tired of walking and grabbed at Darren's shirt. She wanted to be up high like Leo. Darren didn't seem to notice the little girls intentions.

"Daddy, I wanna be up high too! Daddy!"

Darren glanced down at Rory and gaped. Daddy.

"Yeah, Rory?" he nearly whispering, not able to choke out anything sensible.

"I wanna be like Leo!"

"Of course, Rors." He picked her up, turned her and plopped her down so her legs were on his shoulders. He playfully nipped at her thigh and enjoyed the sound of her little giggle. He didn't hear it often these days.