so long - t.s.h [sequel to pinky promises]

[one]

Tom sighed happily as he left the bedroom with his two favorite people, and made his way to answer the front door. He wasn't exactly appropriately dressed, but he figured it'd be a quick interaction, and he just wanted to get back to his girls. They didn't have any plans, so they'd probably eat breakfast and watch movies together and play all day, and honestly, it sounded perfect to Tom. Everything was finally starting to fall into place. His little family was everything he'd ever wanted.

Rubbing his eyes and letting out a yawn, Tom unlocked the door and pulled it open. Standing outside, on his front step was a woman in a long coat with shoulder-length dark brown hair and a pair of glasses perched on her nose. Tom was sure he was seeing things, and he rubbed his eyes one last time, pushing his hair out of his face. No, here she was, causing his entire world to come crumbling down before she'd even said anything. He could see in her face a few of the features Maggie possessed, the same ones that reminded him of her every day, though he wished they didn't. She was here, after disappearing off the face of the earth four years ago, leaving him and their daughter behind.

"Tom, I—" she started to speak, only to be cut off.

"Tom?" your voice called from down the hallway, "Who is it?"

"What are you doing here?" his voice came out harsher than he had intended, cutting her off, but he didn't really mind. And he couldn't help that the question was also laced with a bit of shock and confusion.

As much as he wanted to turn around, to say something, to close the door in the woman's face, he felt frozen. Frozen in shock, in fear, in sadness, in disappointment. And so, before he got a chance to respond to you, you appeared behind him in the doorway, Maggie clinging to your torso. Your jaw dropped as you stared at the woman standing in front of you, "Amber?"

"Oh. Y/N. You're here," Amber's voice was clipped, obviously irritated with the sight of you. She caught sight of the little girl in your arms, Maggie's head resting against your shoulder, "Is... is that...?"

You immediately turned slightly in an attempt to shift Maggie out of view, feeling protective of her. Holding her up with one arm, your other wrapped around her, resting against her back as you held her close to you. You were afraid that if you let Maggie go, Amber would snatch her up. She still hadn't said why she was here, but you were certain it wasn't going to be anything good.

"What are you doing here, Amber?" Tom asked again, not wanting to put up with any bullshit.

"I was hoping we could talk..."

Scoffing, Tom shook his head, "After four years? What the hell is there to talk about? No, I'm not doing this. You need to leave."

Tom started to close the door, not wanting to deal with whatever Amber had come to say, only to be stopped by her saying something he wouldn't have expected, "Wait! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Tom." Pausing for a second, Tom exchanged a glance with you and nodded towards the kitchen, and you simply nodded in reply, carrying Maggie out of the room. Neither of you wanted the four-year-old to have to hear all of this, especially when it was about her, even though she didn't understand. Opening the door again, Tom sighed waiting for Amber to continue. "Leaving was a mistake, and I'm sorry. I just... just want to be a part of Margaret's life."

"It's a little too late for that, don't you think?"

-

In the kitchen, you set Maggie down in a chair at the table, trying not to think about what Amber and Tom might be talking about, trying not to wonder why she was here. Taking a deep breath, you took a moment to collect yourself and then gave Maggie a smile, "What do you want for breakfast, love bug?"