"Mom, can you tell me the surprise now?!"
Simone begged, jumping up and down.
Tori stirred the spaghetti they were eating, before walking away and grabbing Simone's hand.
"Come with me."
She took Simone to her room, sitting them both on her bed.
"So, you know that mommy loves you so much, and that I'd do anything for you, like anything."
She told her.
"I know mom, you tell me all the time."
She said impatiently.
"What's wrong?"
"Grandma told me that you've been crying every night, about dad?"
She asked.
Simone let out a light sigh, playing with her pink painted finger nails.
"Why didn't you come to me?"
Tori asked.
"Were you scared, that I was gonna be mad?"
She shook her head.
"No. I just wanted to know where he was. He's been gone for a really long time, and sometimes I just get sad."
She frowned.
Simone sniffled, a tear falling down her cheek.
"I just want to see him. But he's never here. And I just miss him. And all my friends have dads, but I don't know where mine is."
She cried.
Tori pulled her into a hug, hugging her as she sobbed into her arms.
"Oh my love, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
She told her, a tear falling from her eye.
"I didn't know that you felt like that."
She rocked her as her cries subsided.
They both sat on the bed in silence, enjoying each other's presence.
"It's okay, it's not your fault that he's on vacation."
She sat up.
"But, I was just wondering if I could write him a letter? So he could read it–"
"Simone–"
"Mom, please? Just one? It'll be really short–"
"Simone, just stop."
Tori shook her head, making Simone tear up again.
"I know you wanna talk to him. And I know it's hard. But I promise, I'll make it better, okay?"
She comforted.
"How?"
Simone asked.
"Well, I'm gonna tell you something, but I need you to promise me one thing."
She asked.
Simone nodded, waiting for her mom's surprise.
"Your dad...he is–he's gonna call, in a few minutes. And you're gonna talk to him for a little bit...on the phone."
She explained.
Simone's face lit up, as she hopped up to hug her mom, almost making her fall over.
"Really?! Really, really?!"
She jumped up and down.
"Yes baby, but listen."
She grabbed her little hands.
"It's only for a little while okay? And then you can talk to him again next week."
Simone nodded.
"Is that okay?"
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
She smiled, trying to calm herself down.
"Okay."
Tori smiled, grabbing Simone's hand, leading her out of the room and into the kitchen.
"Okay. He's gonna call in two minutes baby."
She told Simone as she sat at the stool.
Tori placed the phone in front of her, as she waited patiently.
"Hopefully."
Simone kicked her feet, her brown eyes glued to the phone as she waited for the call.
"Baby, do you wanna eat a little snack before? It might take him a little bit to call–"
Simone gasped as the phone rang out, answering it before her mom could even check to see who it was.
"Hello?"
She said into the phone, waiting for a response.
"Hi Simone."
He spoke.
She smiled widely.
"Hi daddy."
-
At first, Simone was basically starstruck at the idea of speaking to her so called 'father'
But after twenty minutes of the two talking about princesses, and dresses and food, Simone couldn't stop talking.
"And why is princess and the frog your favorite movie?"
Ryan asked into the phone.
Simone hummed.
"Because...I like princess Tiana, and she kissed a frog and in the end they lived happily every after."
She nodded.
"That's a pretty good reason babydoll."
Simone's smile was so big, it looked like it was glued onto her face.
"And in the princess and the frog, Tiana makes the best gumbo. I've never had a gumbo, but I wanna try it."
She smiled.
Ryan laughed through the phone, soaking up every last one of her words.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Simone sighed, picking her nails.
"Sure, gorgeous."
Simone hesitated.
"When...are you coming home?"
She wondered.
Ryan sucked in a big breath, hesitating his answer.
Tori glanced back at the phone on the counter, taking her eyes away from the pot on the stove.
"Soon my love. Soon."
Tori sighed at them, before wincing as she pulled her hand back, realizing that she was so distracted that she had let her finger almost hit the flame.
"Shit–"
She whispered, as the timer on her phone went off, making her turn it off quickly.
"Okay babydoll, time to say goodbye. You'll talk to him next Wednesday."
Tori told her, taking the food off the stove.
"But, Can I stay on the phone for just a few more minutes, just a few?"
She begged.
"Simone, no your dinner is ready. Hang up so you can eat and get ready for bed."
She plated her food.
"But mom–"
"Simone!"
She said sternly, looking at her in her eyes.
Simone sighed.
"I'll talk to you again soon."
She moped.
"That's okay, we can talk again another time, okay?"
Ryan told her.
"Yeah. I'll be waiting! Bye!"
Simone said into the phone.
"Bye Simone. Good bye Tori."
"Goodbye."
Tori said into the phone, before hanging up.
"Hey! I wanted to–"
"Simone, sit down for dinner. Say your grace."
Tori told her, placing their food in front of them.
Tori sat down in her seat, bowing her head, waiting for the prayer.
"Simone. Any day now."
Tori mumbled, looking up at her daughter.
"I wanted to talk to daddy."
She folded her arms.
"Simone,no. We're not doing this, eat your dinner."
Tori scolded her.
"But you're not listening!"
She sat up.
"Simone! Lose the attitude, and get ready to eat your dinner!"
She yelled.
"I'm not hungry!"
She yelled back, with an attitude.
"Fine, Simone I won't argue with you. You can either stop acting like a brat and eat, or go to your room, take ur bath and go to bed two hours early."
She gave her an ultimatum.
"Fine! I'm going to bed!"
She told her, hopping out of her seat before stomping to her room, closing the door.
Tori's mouth fell open just as she heard the sound of the bath water running.
Her and Simone never argued, never.
"Fine by me. Little miss attitude."
She mumbled, putting Simone's plate in the microwave before sitting back down to eat her own.
"And no pink bubbles in your bath!"
She smirked, taking a bite of her food.
Simone's door flew open, as her little feet stomped out.
"What!"
-
"What are you making right now?"
Simone asked, through the phone.
"Pasta, with red sauce and meatballs."
Ryan told her, looking down at his phone to check how much time they had left.
Only three more minutes.
It had been a month since they had started talking on the phone, and Tori still would not budge.
They would talk for thirty minutes and thirty minutes only, and then Simone would have to go eat her dinner.
"Simone–"
Wait! Can I tell you about what happened at karate? I'll be fast I promise."
She asked.
Ryan sighed, stirring the pasta.
"Sure."
"Okay. So, today I got my orange belt, which means I got moved up in class! So now I'm gonna be in a different class, which means I'm more advanced."
She said excitedly.
"That sounds great babydoll. Hopefully you can show me some of your moves when we meet up."
He encouraged.
"When are we gonna see each other?"
She asked, in a sad tone.
Ryan plated his food with a disappointed sigh.
"Soon Simone, I promise–"
"But you said soon last time. You say soon every time."
She whined.
"I know doll, but I'm working on it. Just trust me okay?"
He told her.
Simone sighed lazily.
"Okay."
She whined.
"Time to eat, say bye Simone."
Tori said in the background.
"I have to go. But I'll tell you more about my karate next week."
Simone whined.
"Okay, goodbye."
"Bye!"
She said.
Ryan sat down as he heard movement behind the phone, before Tori's voice came through.
"She'll call you next Wednesday same time, but it might have to be a little shorter. She has a karate tournament the morning after and I want her in bed early, okay?"
She told him.
"Yeah, Tori I got it. Can we talk?"
Ryan asked.
"We're talking right now Ryan. But I have to go, I have dishes to do–"
"It'll be quick, can you just listen?"
He asked.
She sighed loudly.
"Fine, what do you need?"
She asked.
"I was just wondering, if next time me and Simone talk. It could be a little more...intimate."
He asked.
"What do you mean?"
She asked puzzled.
"I wanna FaceTime, next time. I want Simone to see me and I want to see her."
He stated.
Tori went silent, as shuffling was heard behind the phone.
"Um...I don't know. I don't think that's the best idea–"
"Tori."
Ryan said disappointed.
"I'm asking for the simplest favor. I just want to see her."
"I know, but I don't really know how to work FaceTime and besides, my front camera is broken."
She hesitated.
"Tori, I know you're lying–"
"Anyways, I have to start getting Simone ready for bed. She'll call you next week, have a great night."
She said, hanging up before he could protest.
Ryan sighed, throwing his phone down on the counter, putting his head in his hands.
"What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do?"
He mumbled, thinking to himself.
He gasped, as a lightbulb went off in his head, grabbing his laptop before typing into his search bar.
-
"Okay Simone. Go get dressed for karate. I'll be in there in a second to tie your belt."
Tori said, letting go of her hand.
Simone put her backpack on the hook, running to her room to get dressed.
Tori pulled off her shoes, just as Simone let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Tori went into full mom mode, sprinting to her bedroom in seconds.
"What! What's wrong?! What!"
She asked, frantically standing in her room.
Simone stood in front of her bed, facing the opposite way.
She slowly turned her whole body, lifting up the pink device.
"I got an iPad! I got an iPad!"
She yelled, jumping up and down, with a smile.
Tori sighed in relief at Simone being okay, allowing her body to relax before her body went stiff again.
An iPad.
Ryan.
Of course he bought her an iPad.
Even though her front camera did work, she thought that her lie last night was pretty believable.
Guess not.
"Alright Simone calm down. Um...come on let's get you ready for karate. You're already late."
She sighed.
"And it's pink! It's pink!"
She yelled, hugging the device with a giggle.
"Lord, give me strength."
-
Edited**
Y'all I made a TikTok for my wattpad ;)
I haven't posted anything yet but my Instagram and TikTok are @melaninwritess