All My Life

33| A walk down the memory lane.

Tony's pov.

I felt my hands tremble, my mind going haywire at the surrealness the situation held. I looked at the child held by the red-haired woman. My child. She gave me a small smile, an encouraging smile making me aware how my mask had slipped off, but, the bundle of sunshine in the woman's arms managed to occupy all my thoughts.

My child...

I hesitantly stepped towards the pair making the baby's big brown eyes visible for me and it took my breath away. A simple glance at the tiny human and I felt as if my entire world started rotating around him. The woman gestured at me to come closer, to hold the baby, but, the fear of hurting him made me freeze on my spot, unable to move a single inch further.

"Are you planning on standing there the whole time or you wanna hold him?" She raised her eyebrow at me and my eyes fall back upon the brown-eyed child, glued to him, taking in every single of his details.

He looks like me...

"What if I hurt him." The woman's brown eyes crinkled and a burst of laughter echoed around the hospital room. "You won't. Trust me." I gulped but agreed, nonetheless, trusting her more than myself. I stepped closer and she stretched her arms towards me. I felt the urge to turn around, but the baby's doe eyes kept me rooted on my spot. The desire to hold my child for once overcame my previous fear.

"Just, support his neck." She informed me and I nodded before she placed the child between my arms. My heart escalated at the thought of him crying, but, the small coo that left his mouth made my heart flutter and I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face, my eyes watering simultaneously.

He is beautiful...

I felt a warm feeling rush across my chest as he stared at me unblinkingly. The mere thought of someone hurting him in the slightest made my stomach churn unpleasantly. I'd never let that happen. I gently rocked him as his eyes drooped lower, his cheeks a rosy shade, the shade of a blooming rose. I'd save the world over and over for him if that's what it takes, give him the entire world if that's what he wishes.

Because he is my whole damn world...

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Peter's pov.

My eyes swept across the huge hall filled with rows and rows of people, mostly fathers. I felt loneliness creep into my bones as I watched my classmates chatter with their fathers. It made me feel as if I was an outsider, someone who wasn't invited. But, how is that possible when the invitation card of the program was still present in the very bag that hung across my shoulders. The same card that I hadn't bothered showing mom, knowing that wouldn't change anything.

My eyes fall upon Ned standing beside his father and I feel fascinated at the uncanny similarity between the two. Mom always said I looked like my father. Father, the word felt almost foreign. It felt as if it was a photo frame with no picture in it, existing but meaningless.

"Hey, Peter!" My head snapped to the short boy walking towards me, his father trailing behind him. "So, you are Peter. Ned talks a lot about you." I barely noticed the words, my brain busy comprehending the pair's reaction, trying to have a second-hand experience of something I could never have.

"Daaad!" Ned whines, an annoyed look covering his chubby face as he gave his father a stink eye making Mr Leeds laugh at his son. Is that how all fathers behave? Happy and funny. I guess some questions remain unanswered.

"Where's your dad?" Ned suddenly asked making my eyes widen, not knowing how to answer his question. "Mom said he's busy," I repeated my mother's words that she used every time I brought up anything concerning the whereabouts of my father.