FIVE YEARS LATER
"Daddy, where are all my toys?" Tia whined beside me.
I straightened up, shoving a box labelled "KITCHEN" to one side with my foot, and glanced around. It was a Sunday afternoon in August, and Tia, Ryan and I had just moved into our new house.
Three bedrooms, one bathroom, kitchen and a living room, and at only £400 a month? It was perfect.
"Ah!" I recalled, crouching down beside Tia. Her hair stood up on end, and there was an adorable pout on her face."I think Ryan put them in your new bedroom. Why don't we go look?"
Her eyes lit up at the mention of her new room, and she was quick to grab my hand, and pull me up the stairs.
"Oi!" Ryan yelled from the kitchen. "I'm gunna order pizza. Any preference?"
"Same as usual for me!" I called back. "Tia'll have plain cheese, smallest option they do. Thanks, mate."
Tia's mood had improved greatly as she looked around her new room. It was smaller than Ryan and I's, but perfect for her. A single bed took up one corner of the room, and the yellow walls excited her. Paired with a small beside table, wardrobe and chest of drawers, there was enough space for Tia's toys and teddies.
Several boxes covered the floor, and I knelt down beside them. "Here we go," I told her, reading off the lid. "Tia's Toys."
With Tia's (over) enthusiastic help, we peeled off the brown sticky tape, and her treasure trove of baby dolls, teddies, farm animals and other assorted toys were uncovered.
While she was occupied, I took the time to open the other boxes. Her books were placed to one side, her dresses hung up in the wardrobe, the chest of drawers was filled with her pyjamas and socks, and I made her bed, putting sheet over mattress, and duvet over sheet.
"We'll need to get you a little book case of some sort, Tee," I said, more to myself than Tia.
"Okay, Daddy." She said.
I ruffled the red curls, and left her to play with her toys. I could hear her mumbling and laughing to herself as I went down to the kitchen.
"Alright?" Ryan asked, looking up from his phone.
"Tee's settled anyway. You order yet?"
Ryan had started unpacking the boxes for the kitchen, and already mugs, plates, bowls and other random cooking utensils were stored away. This house was beginning to feel more like our home. I grabbed two mugs, and boiled the kettle.
"Yeah," he narrowed his eyes at the app. "Says it's out for delivery."
I nodded.
Ryan was an old friend of mine, we had meet at university, and even though I had dropped out to raise Tia, we had still kept in contact. He was now a maths teacher up at the local secondary school, and he loved it. He really did. Those kids kept him on his toes. Me, on the other hand? Nah. Teenagers were not a species I want to interact with.
Hopefully Tia skips those moody phases.
I passed him a tea, and sat down at the table. There was still so much to unpack and rearrange, but it wouldn't take long. I still had to sort out my own room, but other than that, we were good. Living room didn't need much in it.
"You still okay to look after Tia tomorrow? They want me in work early." I asked.
Ryan nodded. "'Course. Might take her to the library, or somethin'. Maybe the park if it's nice."
"Cheers," I said. "She'd love that."
It was August, and while Ryan was on his Summer holidays, I still worked. My job was great, and I loved it, but it didn't pay enough for me to hire a childminder. Not that Tia would want a childminder anyway. She hated strangers. Plus Ryan was constantly telling me he didn't mind. He loved Tia, and he'd been helping us ever since —
Since Natalie.
My tea burned my throat as I gulped it down, but at least I could focus on the pain rather than my memories. It had been five years, and I still missed her.
A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts, and I was so grateful. Boxes of pizzas were exchanged, and I took them back to the kitchen. "Tia! Dinner!"
Ryan pulled out plates and glasses. Two beers were set on the table, with a Capri sun for Tia. She bounced down the stairs, dressed in her favourite dress up costume: Merida from Disney's Brave. With her wildly curly red hair, she certainly looked the part.
"Good girl," I said.
Tia clambered into her seat, and her small pizza was placed in front of her. Ryan and I cracked open our beers, and clanked them together.
"To our first night," I said, smiling as Tia held her Capri sun up, too.
"To our first night." Ryan repeated. Tia tucked into her pizza, and I praised God that she wasn't a fussy eater. What a nightmare that would have been if she was.
"Tia, guess what?"
Her eyes flicked over to mine, tomato sauce already covering her cheeks. "Wha'?"
"You're going to Nanny and Granda's on Saturday!" I said. A smile spread across her face, and she clapped her hands.
"For the whole day?" She couldn't contain her excitement.
"Yep! Even dinner time."
"When is Saturday?" She asked, her face screwing up as she thought.
"Six days," Ryan said, holding up six fingers.
"Is that a lot of days?" She held up six fingers like Ryan had, but the confusion was still apparent in her face.
"Yes, but it'll go quick because of how excited you are," I said. Tia nodded thoughtfully, then went back to her pizza.
My own pizza (ham and chicken) was beginning to get cold so I started as well. Tia, for most of the meal, kept quiet. She finished her pizza, and yawned. It had been a long day for us all, but especially Tia. She wasn't used to the stress of moving.
I glanced down at my phone. It was nearing eight o'clock. "Bedtime."
Tia straightened up, and shook her head. "No! 'M not tired."
Ryan chuckled, making Tia fold her arms and glare at him.
"Come on, Tia. If you're a good girl, I'll tell you a story," I bribed. That got rid of her glares, and she nodded eagerly.
"One of yours, daddy!" She begged.
"Go get your pyjamas on, and brush your teeth, and I'll be up soon."
"Night Tia." Ryan said, his arms out. Tia dove into his embrace.
"Night night!"
Then quick as a flash, Tia dashed off. Ryan laughed. I washed the rest of my food down with my beer, and got to my feet.
"So we'll be able to get to the cinema Saturday then?" Ryan asked.
I nodded. "Peter and Rosie couldn't have been happier when I asked them. They love having Tia over."
"Fuck, I can't wait for Endgame."
"I know."
I left Ryan to throw the boxes out, and went up to Tia's room. She was sat up in her bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin, and a wide smile on her face.
"Can't you see my teeth sparkling, daddy? All clean!" She said.
I tapped her on the nose. "Super clean. Good girl."
She squirmed excitedly. "Tell me the story 'bout the zoo, please?"
I sat down on the end of her bed, and stretched my legs out. "Alright. Lemme see...
Once upon a time, a young girl with bright red hair had an idea. This girl, who was called Tiana, loved animals of all sorts. And because she loved animals, she loved going to the Zoo to see them.
She rarely got to go to the Zoo because it was a far drive, but she got so excited when they got there. While her father paid the entry fee, Tia wandered off on her own. It was a quiet day, and it looked like it was going to rain, so the Zoo wasn't full of people.
When her father turned, he found Tiana was nowhere to be found. She had disappeared, and he grew worried. He went past the monkey enclosure, and the big elephants, but little Tiana was not there.
"I know!" He said. "She loves the lions and tigers, so she must be there."
He set off towards the Big Cats enclosure on the other side of the Zoo. The little girl, Tiana, pressed her hands against the glass, searching for her favourite animals. "Oh where are you?" She whined, stamping her foot.
"Are you looking for us?" Asked soft voice. Tiana looked around, but she was all alone.
"In here." Said the voice again. Tiana raised her head, and caught sight of a big tiger staring at her from the other side of the glass. She gasped.
"You're talking?" Tiana said, unable to believe her eyes and ears. The Great tiger bowed its giant head. It was nodding.
"Lyal is sleeping. That's why she does not speak, too." The tiger said.
"Lyal?"
"The lioness, of course!"
"And what is your name?" Tiana asked the tiger.
"Natalia, from the great rainforests of Asia."
"I'm Tiana," Said the young girl.
"A most regal name."
Tiana —'
I cut myself off, soft snores filling Tiana's room. Glancing down I caught sight of her sleeping form, and I stifled a laugh. She looked adorable.
"Goodnight, baby," I whispered, kissing her forehead, and rising to my feet. She turned over, mumbling 'Natalia' under her breath. My heart exploded with love, and I quickly made my way out of the room, closing the door behind me.
Downstairs, Ryan was setting up his Xbox in the living room. He glanced up as I came in.
"She nod off okay?" He asked.
"Out like a light before I could even finish the Zoo story." I chuckled.
"Moving takes it out of you, that's for sure." Ryan said, grabbing his headset.
"See you tomorrow, mate." I grabbed one of my boxes, "Gunna sort my room out."
Ryan gave me the thumbs up, and faced the TV. I, once again, went up the stairs, but this time flopped on my own bed.
I stared up at the white ceiling, mulling everything over. A photo frame was placed on my bedside table, a flushed Nat, her hair stuck to her forehead grinned back at me. In her arms she cradled a red haired baby, and past me was waving at the camera.
"I think we'll be happy here," I whispered, glancing back at the photo. Nat's smile promised me we would.
———————
and there's chapter two! you finally get to meet Tia, who I love so damn much!
the chapters are going to be laid out like individual episodes rather than following a set plot, so I hope everyone likes that. Natalie's death will be explained through the coming chapters.
PSA: this book will be quite short, maybe 10-12 chapters. if I finish it before the watty 2019 deadline I might submit it. we'll see.
— Hatter.