His Blue Moon Princess
His Sunshine Baby Chapter 94

"Daddy! Daddy, look!"

She runs to me, showing off her new drawing. This time, she used her new Disney stamps all over, and a lot of blue glitters. Way too much glitter... I'm starting to regret buying her so much glitter. I really need to learn to refrain myself when it comes to shopping with my daughter. I feel like my black leather couch and white rug both won't stay so neutral for long...

"It's pretty, baby star. Our daughter is an artist! Do you want to sell your drawings when you're a big girl? Or you can be an architect, and draw buildings and houses?"

"No, I want to bake cakes! I want to make cupcakes with lots of sparkles. I'll have one shop for pink cakes, one for blue cakes and one with... mh... Orange cakes!"

"Woah, orange cupcakes? Alright, my daughter will be a Patissière, then."

"A what, daddy? Pati... sha?"

I chuckle.

"A Patissière, baby. Like a baker, it's a chef who makes princess cakes."

She nods, all proud of herself, and comes to my knees, trying to peek at what I'm doing.

"Daddy, are you busy?" She asks, frowning at the numbers on my screen.

"Just catching up on some work. I'll finish later when you're in bed, okay? Are you hungry?"

"Mh... No, I'm okay!"

I smile. We had crepes again for breakfast, and I think my daughter is slowly getting addicted to my cuisine. We discuss her drawing a bit longer, and I close my laptop. Isaac's emails can wait, I guess. To my surprise, someone knocks at the door, and Estelle runs, curious.

It's her mom, who was waiting behind for me to open the door. Elena looks tired, in the same jeans as yesterday and wearing an oversized unisex T-shirt. Did she borrow it from Daniel?

"You can just come in next time, Elena," I say. "The digit code hasn't changed... Are you okay?"

She doesn't look okay. Her eyes are red, and I realize she probably cried. I know she went to bury her mentor with Daniel and his brother this morning... I can't imagine how tough it must have been for her.

She nods, ignoring me to look for Estelle with her eyes. To my surprise, she gets on her knees, taking her hand gently and talking to her very seriously while I close the door behind them.

"Baby star, mommy needs to tell you something."

"Are you okay, mommy? You look sad..." Says Estelle, looking worried.

"Yes baby, I'm very sad. Because Reagan left."

Estelle looks a bit confused for a second, glancing at me before looking at her mom again.

"...She left? Why? Where did she go?"

"She... She went to be with the Moon Goddess, Estelle. Aunty Reagan won't come back, baby."

I don't know how much of this can a four-year-old understand about death, but Estelle starts tearing up, biting her lip. She looks at me again, as if she was expecting me to say something, but when her mother and I both stay silent, she starts crying slowly. "...She won't come back?"

"No, baby star. But she is with the Moon Goddess, and with your puppy heart, okay? If you want to cry, you can cry, baby." "O...Okay..."

Estelle cries silently before her mom hugs her. Elena's grief is obvious too. I barely knew Reagan, but it breaks my heart to see both of them like this. I step away, I don't know what to do... I know how tense things are right now, but the worse thing is, I'm just happy they are both here.

After a few minutes, Elena comes back, followed by Estelle.

"...Can I have a coffee?" She asks, to my surprise.

"Of course. Baby, do you want a hot drink too?"

My daughter nods, wiping her tears clumsily.

"Can I get hot cocoa, daddy? With the pretty sprinkles?"

"Sure, baby."

I start preparing it, while Estelle proudly goes to show her latest drawings and new drawing tools to her mom. Thank Moon Goddess, Estelle and I went to buy some groceries this morning, as it appears taking care of a child requires a bit more things than I thought, including but not limited to hot cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, and hazelnut paste. Once the coffee and hot cocoa are ready for the two women of my life, I proudly hand it to them.

"Here you go, young Lady!"

"Thanks Daddy!"

"Estelle, baby, why don't you go and make another drawing to show your aunt Nora later? Mommy and dad need to talk."

"Okay! Wait here mommy, I'll do one with the princess stamp!"

She runs off to grab her pencils and get installed on the table, her messy blonde ponytail flying off behind her, while I prepare another coffee for myself. I really need to get better at styling her hair... After a few seconds of watching her, while I'm pouring my coffee, I realize Elena's eyes are on me.

"Nathaniel..."

"Yes?"

She puts her cup down, looking serious all of a sudden. Her amber eyes are a bit hesitant and shy, and she puts a strand of her hair behind her ear, her gesture when she's embarrassed.

"I... thought a bit about the situation. You're right on some things. I think Estelle should live with you, with her dad. She didn't get to know you from the day she was born, so you have a lot to catch up, and you're a great father so far, and... I want her to be able to." I almost drop my cup, completely taken by surprise. Really? I... I did hope Elena would give it some consideration, but to think she would change her mind so fast... Did Nora or Damian tell her something? I haven't heard from them since Elena slept at their place last night.

She continues, looking down at her coffee, not showing too much of her emotions.

"I never wanted for her to live away from you, to begin with. It was just... Too hard for me to come back."

"I know I'm partially to blame for that, and..."

"Shut up, Nate, let me talk first. I was in the wrong too. No matter how much grief I had against you or my pack, it was my own selfishness that kept Estelle from meeting you two years earlier. I should have come back when Nora woke up. I'm... sorry I didn't." I'm... speechless. I expected many things from Elena, but not anything that could seem like an apology. I don't know how to react. I don't feel like I deserve it, to begin with. I was the one that acted like a jerk, and didn't trust her. Why would she be the one sorry...? "I was given a lot to think about, after discussing with Nora, and... I realized it wouldn't be fair that you're the only one to apologize, when we're both in the wrong. I'm not saying I'm forgiving you, remember that. I'm just saying... I don't want us to lose any more time in fighting and bickering."

... Wow. I'm speechless. I never thought she... would come so far, so fast. I know I'm still far from being forgiveness, but I'm glad she's willing to give me a chance, even if it's for Estelle's sake. I can do with that.

"...you can talk, now," she says with a pout.

But I can't talk. I'm just smiling, like an i***t. A happy i***t. Elena growls.

"Say something!"

"I love you."

She immediately blushes, taken by surprise, and looks away.

"A...anything but that... You idiot."

I chuckle. Moon Goddess, she's almost as cute as our baby girl. I lean closer, taking a gulp from my cup of coffee. Elena sits back, crossing her arms and looking away, but I can tell she's still blushing a bit, embarrassed. I love this woman. "Then, does that mean you will agree to live here?" I ask.

"...Yes. Temporarily."

"That's fine by me. And the room next to Estelle's and across from mine is fully furnished and available. You can move in your stuff any time you want."

"Nathaniel, I don't have any stuff... I left my house in a bit of a hurry, remember? I only have this outfit, and a few T-shirts Daniel lent me, to be honest."

I doubt they are the right size... Nora and Elena may be related, but they don't have much in common, and Elena's body is curvier than her cousin's, and taller.

"I can lend you a couple of shirts, but you should order something."

"It will take days before it gets here!"

I smile and take my phone out. Giving a quick call to my building's concierge, I make sure enough outfits for an adult woman will be delivered today, with a couple of pairs of shoes, giving Elena's size and body build.

"Yes, M. Black, it will be delivered today before 6 pm. Do you have any preference of brand or color?"

"I'll leave it to you, Henry."

I hang up, before Elena's shocked expression.

"Your concierge does your shopping?" She asks, shocked.

"Rich people privilège. He gets some nice tips for such services."

"...I don't know if I should be shocked or annoyed."

"It's okay. You can thank Henry later."

Elena rolls her eyes and gets up, going to check the bedrooms. I follow a few steps behind. She stays speechless in front of Estelle's room, one of the walls half painted with blue and purple. It's a bit of a mess, actually. "What the heck happened here?" She asks, frowning.

"We started painting yesterday. It was funnier than I thought, actually."

"Mommy!"

Estelle, who heard us, runs to her mom's leg and shows her room, excited.

"Did you see, mommy? It's the same color as Elsa's castle! And when it's dry, we can put some stickers, too!"

"Elsa's castle...? Baby, are you going to redecorate all of daddy's apartment with a Disney theme?"

"I... I think we'll try to contain it to her bedroom for now," I whisper.

"Welcome to the nice world of a four-year-old," she whistles, amused.

I guess she had to go along with it long before me...

Elena turns around to check the other rooms, but as expected, she picks the one I mentioned, leaving her backpack on it. Then, she turns to Estelle.

"What were you going to do with Daddy today, baby star?"

"We will finish painting my room! And then, we can build the Princess Castle Daddy brought!"

"Daddy opened his wallet, huh?" Says Elena, sending me an annoyed look.

Stop buying her everything, I don't want my daughter to be too spoiled.

I'm just making up for four years... And she isn't spoiled. She is well-behaved and reasonable. Like her mom.

Mmh...

"Come on baby, let's go change before mommy gets really mad at me," I say to Estelle, taking her to the bathroom.

Actually, we picked 3 of my T-shirts, and spent most of the afternoon ruining it with paint. It was the most fun I had in years, thanks to them. We had to be careful because Elena's arm isn't fully healed, and though she won't admit it, I can tell it's painful for her. She's relieved when we finish painting that wall, and head to the living room to watch another Disney movie, to Estelle's demand. Elena actually picks her favorite, one with greek gods and a lot of new catchy songs for our daughter to learn. Thank Moon Goddess I subscribed to that new channel...

"Daddy..."

I hear a little whisper coming from the other side of the bar. I finish putting our plates in the dishwasher, and turn to her.

"What is it, baby? You wanted more veggies?"

She frowns. I did notice she wasn't fond of the carrots in the casserole.

"No... Daddy, mommy fell asleep..."

"Oh, okay, I'm coming baby. The movie is over?"

She nods, and walks back to the living room, with me following her. Indeed, Elena is profoundly sleeping on the couch, while the movie's closing credits are playing on the tv screen. I gesture for Estelle not to make any noise, and she smiles and covers her little mouth.

I pull a blanket on Elena, and take Estelle to bed. Because of the fresh paint in her room, she'll have to sleep with her mom tonight, but I don't think it bothers either of them.

"...Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Mommy will live here too, now?"

I chuckle. She's sure smart, for her age, isn't she?

"Yes, baby, I think so. I hope so, baby star. But it's mommy's choice, okay? So now, do you want me to read your book? Where did we stop last night?"

After reading a few pages of another Disney Princess story, Estelle is deep asleep, and I can silently leave the room. I clean the living room a bit, turning the TV off and putting Estelle's toys aside.

Suddenly, I hear some cry. On the couch next to me, Elena is frowning in her sleep, looking in pain. s**t, where are her meds? Can she take more? I kneel to her side, unsure what to do, panicked. It's surely her shoulder wound, she keeps moving in her sleep, looking for a better position... Is it too late to call Tonia for advice?

"..you got some alcohol?"

Damn it, she's awake.

"It's been disinfected already."

"Not for that, idiot..."

She sits up painfully, with my help, but she's sweating and frowning a lot.

"Elena no, not with your meds. I don't have any anyway."

"Nate, it's only been 5 years," she says with a groan. "I remember your minibar."

I shake my head.

"It's long gone. It's been destroyed, emptied and thrown out a while ago. You can ask Damian, he's the one who went havoc on it."

For a few seconds, she stays silent, and sighs.

"f**k, why did you have to go sober now..."

"Come on, I'll help you to the bed. Or do you want me to call Tonia? We can ask her if you can take anything else..."

"Help me to bed, then. Please," she sighs.

Gently, I take her to the bed, next to Estelle, who's still asleep. As soon as she sees her next to her, Elena smiles despite the pain.

"How did we make such a pretty baby..." She whispers.

"You tell me. You're the mom."

She smiles, caressing her blond hair. I sit on the side of the bed, watching them, unwilling to part. Elena's face betrays the pain she feels, but she won't complain. At one point, I realize she's clenching her teeth, to endure the pain.

Elena...

Shut up.

I sigh, and move to sit behind her, putting my arm under her head.

...What are you doing?

Bite me.

Excuse me?

Bite me, Elena. You'll hurt your teeth if you keep going. And you're too stubborn for me to call you a nurse, so bite me.

I can bite myself!

I heal faster, Elena. Stop being so stubborn, for once, okay? Even if it's for one hour, and I promise I'll go.

...Stay.

What?

You heard me. Just... stay. Please.

I don't know what to answer to that. But, to my surprise, she catches my hand and holds on to it, tightly. We stay like this for a long time, until I slowly lay behind her, with gentle movements. I can tell she's not sleeping, but she doesn't move, and rests her head on my arm, breathing slowly.