"Higher, Daddy!"
Laughing at his daughter's enthusiasm, Josh hoisted Cerys higher up into the air, watching as she spread her arms to 'fly' safe in her father's grasp. Anyone looking at them now would never have believed that a little over a year ago, their lives had been completely turned upside down. But they were back on track now, and it was evident from the way they played together that they couldn't have been stronger together than they were right now.
They didn't look that much alike, really. Where Josh was strongly built, with dark brown hair, Cerys was a delicate little creature, very proud of her sandy blonde locks. They shared their brown eyes, but that seemed to be it. She was the image of her mother, and for a long time, just looking at his vibrant, happy daughter had brought a pang to Josh's heart. Not any more, though. Now he looked at her, and he could imagine the funny, cheerful young woman she was going to be. Just like her mother had been when he'd met her. He couldn't wish for a better future for his little girl than that.
"Oh God, Cez, you're getting heavy," he groaned laughingly, dropping her down into his arms. "You're gonna be too big for that sort of thing soon."
The little girl pouted playfully, but snuggled into his shoulder, wrapping short little arms around his neck as he settled her more comfortably on his hip. "Where we goin', Daddy?"
Josh smiled at her, kissing the sandy-blonde head tucked against his neck. "We're going to look at a house," he told her, picking up his pace to something more like a decent walking speed now he didn't have a small child balanced precariously over his head. "Not like our little flat back at home, a proper house with a garden. And if you like it, and I like it, we can live there. How does that sound?"
"Can I have a dog, if we got a garden?"
Josh laughed, hugging her close for a moment. "If you like the house and everything goes well for Daddy's job, then yes, sweetheart, we'll get a dog," he promised her.
He'd been promising her a dog for months, always with conditions - like a house with a garden, and enough money for them both to look after it properly.She'd never once argued with the conditions, just got more and more impatient for him to fulfil those conditions so she could have her dog to play with. She didn't make friends very easily, and moving to a new place - especially a place so wholly strange to them both as this RhyDin place - wasn't going to make that any easier on her. So, yes, when everything fell into place, she would have her dog. Just like her mum had promised.
He hugged her a little tighter to him as that thought brought back the old memories. Of meeting the woman of his dreams, of falling in love and marrying her, providing a home for her, being blessed with a beautiful daughter. What he didn't care to remember he pushed aside. Today was a happy day, a new start sort of a day, and did not warrent being darkened with the sadness and anger of what had already been and gone.
She still asked, sometimes, where her mummy was. When Mummy was coming back. Those questions tore at his heart. How could he tell her that awful truth' But every time she asked, he was honest with her as much as he could be. Mummy's gone, he would tell her gently; she isn't going to come back, but wherever she is, she's thinking of her beautiful little Cerys and loving her everyday. And he would hold his heartbroken daughter as she sobbed, missing her mother with every fibre of her being.
Someday, that pain would go, that expectation of a return would fade into distant memory. But for now, all he could do was comfort his little one, and not add to her pain by showing his own. So he was a happy, loving, cheerful father, who was moving them both away from all the unhappy memories. They were going to settle here, where the creatures and beings from her storybooks were alive and living, and where they could make a fresh start.
In a house, with a garden. And a dog.
Laughing at his daughter's enthusiasm, Josh hoisted Cerys higher up into the air, watching as she spread her arms to 'fly' safe in her father's grasp. Anyone looking at them now would never have believed that a little over a year ago, their lives had been completely turned upside down. But they were back on track now, and it was evident from the way they played together that they couldn't have been stronger together than they were right now.
They didn't look that much alike, really. Where Josh was strongly built, with dark brown hair, Cerys was a delicate little creature, very proud of her sandy blonde locks. They shared their brown eyes, but that seemed to be it. She was the image of her mother, and for a long time, just looking at his vibrant, happy daughter had brought a pang to Josh's heart. Not any more, though. Now he looked at her, and he could imagine the funny, cheerful young woman she was going to be. Just like her mother had been when he'd met her. He couldn't wish for a better future for his little girl than that.
"Oh God, Cez, you're getting heavy," he groaned laughingly, dropping her down into his arms. "You're gonna be too big for that sort of thing soon."
The little girl pouted playfully, but snuggled into his shoulder, wrapping short little arms around his neck as he settled her more comfortably on his hip. "Where we goin', Daddy?"
Josh smiled at her, kissing the sandy-blonde head tucked against his neck. "We're going to look at a house," he told her, picking up his pace to something more like a decent walking speed now he didn't have a small child balanced precariously over his head. "Not like our little flat back at home, a proper house with a garden. And if you like it, and I like it, we can live there. How does that sound?"
"Can I have a dog, if we got a garden?"
Josh laughed, hugging her close for a moment. "If you like the house and everything goes well for Daddy's job, then yes, sweetheart, we'll get a dog," he promised her.
He'd been promising her a dog for months, always with conditions - like a house with a garden, and enough money for them both to look after it properly.She'd never once argued with the conditions, just got more and more impatient for him to fulfil those conditions so she could have her dog to play with. She didn't make friends very easily, and moving to a new place - especially a place so wholly strange to them both as this RhyDin place - wasn't going to make that any easier on her. So, yes, when everything fell into place, she would have her dog. Just like her mum had promised.
He hugged her a little tighter to him as that thought brought back the old memories. Of meeting the woman of his dreams, of falling in love and marrying her, providing a home for her, being blessed with a beautiful daughter. What he didn't care to remember he pushed aside. Today was a happy day, a new start sort of a day, and did not warrent being darkened with the sadness and anger of what had already been and gone.
She still asked, sometimes, where her mummy was. When Mummy was coming back. Those questions tore at his heart. How could he tell her that awful truth' But every time she asked, he was honest with her as much as he could be. Mummy's gone, he would tell her gently; she isn't going to come back, but wherever she is, she's thinking of her beautiful little Cerys and loving her everyday. And he would hold his heartbroken daughter as she sobbed, missing her mother with every fibre of her being.
Someday, that pain would go, that expectation of a return would fade into distant memory. But for now, all he could do was comfort his little one, and not add to her pain by showing his own. So he was a happy, loving, cheerful father, who was moving them both away from all the unhappy memories. They were going to settle here, where the creatures and beings from her storybooks were alive and living, and where they could make a fresh start.
In a house, with a garden. And a dog.