we made it this far

  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Enaia Madden | + | Michael Clifford
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    Rosie Clifford
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    Cause after all this time
    Still don't know where we’re going
    But look how far we've come
    And as long as you're just as lost as I am
    I'll hold you in the morning
    Like we're the lucky ones
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    Aislin Paget | + | Luke Hemmings
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    =
    Katia Hemmings
    October 25th, 2018 at 07:25pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Biting her lip in amusement as she wiped around Rosie’s mouth, Enaia swore that in that moment, Rosie was the image of her father. Laughing as the toddler tried to pull away, Enaia shook her head. “Okay, okay, you’re done.” She promised, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s head with adoration. “I love you.”

    Katia tried to pull away stubbornly as Aislin went to wipe her face, giggling all the while, looking tiny in the seat she had chosen, next to Rosie. “Mama!”

    Luke inhaled deeply as he sat down in a small booth in the Cafe, stretching his arms above his head. “Man, it feels good to be back down under.” He told Michael, meaning every word. But still, being home brought back memories for Luke, especially of Aislin and the chance he missed out on of happiness with her.
    October 25th, 2018 at 07:30pm
  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Rosie whined, having been tugging at her mom's arm to try to get her to stop, a pout on her lips, though she perked up, grinning broadly when her mom announced she was done. "I love you, too, Mama!" she chimed happily, shifting several times in her seat, wanting to move around, finding it difficult to sit still for so long with all the energy that came with eating.

    Aislin grinned as she wiped Katia's face gently, letting out an amused laugh at her daughter's stubbornness. She'd definitely gotten it from her father, Aislin just knew it, and it left a warmth in her heart. Honestly, Katia was growing to be more and more like her father every day. "Okay, okay, all clean," she assured before she leaned to kiss Katia's forehead, "Alright, munchkin, sit still while Auntie Enaia and I go pay for everything, okay? We'll be back quicker than you can say crocodile." Shifting, she stood up, gathering their trash to go throw it away so she could go pay.

    Michael sat down and leaned back in his seat, relaxing with a small grin as he nodded. "It does. Feels like it's been forever since we were home," he admitted. And, the thought made him chew on his lip a bit. While he loved the life they had, he wished he still had Enaia by his side to enjoy it all with. Every single day, he found himself missing her the same or even more than he had the day he lost her. It still sucked, knowing that she wasn't a part of his life anymore, and he wished more than anything that he would have tried harder to fix it back then.
    October 25th, 2018 at 07:57pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    "Okay, Mama." Katia nodded, looking to her 'cousin' Rosie with a big smile.

    Enaia nodded to Aislin's words. "Rosie, you too. Sit here with Katia, okay?" She pressed another sweet kiss to Rosie's head. "We'll only be gone a second." She grabbed her purse, fixing up Rosie's hair bow before following Aislin to the cash register. "I swear," she spoke quietly. "Rosie gets more like Michael every day." She bit her lip, feeling her heart sink in her chest at the thought. Enaia had almost forgotten the sound of Michael's voice, and yet, she saw his smile every day in Rosie, and for that, Enaia was grateful.

    Climbing off her seat, Katia giggled happily, nearly tumbling over until she found her balance, wanting to explore, unable to sit still. Watching her Mom carefully at the register, Katia tugged Rosie's hand to get her to follow her. Looking around, Katia saw nothing of interest, but gasped as she saw a man sat by the window with painted nails, knowing that nail polish was something Aislin did for Katia sometimes.

    Luke nodded, resting his chin in his hand. "At least we have some time off to just relax." He suggested, hoping that, someway or another, he could use the time off from his busy schedule to find a way to get in touch with Aislin. The day they decided to separate was the worst day of Luke's life, and Luke had hated himself for letting Aislin go so easily. He wished, more than anything, that he'd fought harder to keep her, and he wished that he was wiser than what he should of been.
    October 25th, 2018 at 08:05pm
  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Aislin looked to Enaia when she heard her friend's words and she offered a weak smile in response. "I know what you mean," she assured quietly, sighing out quietly as she stared at the line ahead of them. "I swear, it's like having a literal mini Luke running around, except she's a tiny little girl rather than a giant." She shook her head with faint amusement. "It's adorable, but it also makes me miss him more."

    Rosie grinned to Katia, following her 'cousin' quickly, peering over to make sure her Mama hadn't noticed them. Holding a finger to her lips, she let out a not-so-subtle giggle and peered around, blinking when she noticed the two men. One caught her attention more, he had a hat on, and she found herself curious about the design. Her Mama always got her the prettiest bow, but seeing the hat on the man, she wondered if her Mama would ever get her one of them. Shifting, she thought before she quickly made her way over, tugging Katia with her, too curious to help it despite her Mama's countless warnings about strangers.

    Michael nodded slightly. "I think we'd deserve that," he said a little jokingly, offering a smile, though he doubted he'd waste any time with just relaxing. With the down time they had, he figured he could put it to use, look for Enaia, try to get back in contact with her, see how she was doing, see if the feelings were still there and maybe see if they could rekindle things between them. He figured the first step would probably be to see if any of their mutual friends were still in contact with her. Mentally, he made a note to do that when he got home. "Should I go order something for us?" Before he could get an answer, though, he blinked, seeing a girl tugging another over to the table, her gaze settled firmly on his hat. Arching an amused brow, he watched her. "Well, hello there," he greeted in a kind tone, "What are you two kiddos up to?"

    Rosie watched him, rolling back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Why are you wearing that and not a bow?" she asked with curiosity, pointing up at the hat. "Bows are cuter."

    Michael blinked with the question but laughed quietly. "Well, uh... That's a hard one," he told her, "I guess, they just don't look all that great in my hair." He grinned, amused with the random question.
    October 25th, 2018 at 08:32pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Enaia nodded in understanding, smiling sympathetically to Aislin's words. "She's a great kid, though." She spoke softly, referring to Katia. "She and Rosie have come so far, and you and me did it all by ourselves." She offered Aislin's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

    Luke followed Michael's gaze, blinking in surprise as he saw two toddlers, no older than three, approaching their table. The little blonde girl had her gaze fixed on him, and Luke's heart couldn't help but swell at the sight of her, with big doe eyes and a beautiful smile. "Hi there," Luke spoke softly, a fond smile coming to his face, turning slightly so he was facing the girls.

    Katia giggled as Rosie pulled her along, although she was happy that she was going to the man with the painted red nails - her Mom had told her again and again about approaching strangers, but Katia just couldn't ignore this, she'd never seen a boy with painted nails before. Watching as Rosie spoke first, Katia looked to Luke. "Why are your nails red?" She showed Luke her own nails, which her Mom had painted pink for her over the weekend. "I like pink more." She watched the man with curiosity, her blue eyes wide with wonder as she reached on her tip toes to hold onto the table. "They look nice."

    Luke laughed at the girl's question. "I guess red is just my colour." He told her with a gentle tone, wanting her to know that he wasn't dangerous in any way. "I like your pink nails though." He told her with a smile.

    Katia giggled. "Thank you. My name's Katia, what's yours?"

    Luke debated for a moment, but figured what could be the harm? He had a soft spot for children, and there was no harm being done. "I'm Luke."
    October 25th, 2018 at 08:45pm
  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Aislin offered a small smile in response. "Thanks," she murmured, nudging her friend gently. "You know Rosie's a great kid, too. They're so close and I love it." It reminded her of her own friendship with Enaia and even Luke and Michael's friendship. "Honestly, I don't know Katia and I would be if we didn't have you and Rosie in our lives."

    "Have you ever worn a bow, though?" Rosie asked with curiosity, peering up at the man, curious about him, but also interested in the conversation, finding the man amusing overall.

    Michael chuckled quietly, finding the girl and her questions to be adorable. "Uh, nope, never," he told her, shaking his head, though he was honestly sure that it wouldn't be too hard to convince him to try, because he didn't really mind the thought all that much; he'd just never thoughts about it.

    "Never ever?" Rosie asked, blinking several times as she watched him.

    Michael grinned but shook his head. "No, never, ever," he confirmed.

    "You should!" Rosie encouraged, pouting slightly in a way that Michael swore was almost familiar, but she soon perked up, grinning broadly. "I'm Rosie!"

    "Oh, yeah?" Michael asked with a smile. "Maybe I will. How can I turn down that idea?" Especially with how excited the girl got. A part of him didn't want to disappoint her, he didn't really like the idea of upsetting little kids in any way. "It's nice to meet you, Rosie. I'm Michael."

    Rosie's grin broadened. "It's nice to meet you, too, Michael!" she chimed happily.
    October 25th, 2018 at 09:15pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Enaia smiled. "You're going to make me cry." She told her best friend with a smile, stepping forward to pay as it was their turn in the line. "Rosie and I wouldn't be where we are today if it wasn't for Aunt Aislin and Katia." She told her honestly, accepting the change and turning around, her heart stopping when she saw Rosie and Katia weren't in their seats. "Aislin. The girls."

    "It's nice to meet you, Mister Luke." Katia giggled, studying Luke's nails carefully. "I think pink would look good on you!" She smiled up with a grin Luke swore he'd seen before, he just couldn't place where. "My Mama can paint your nails, she's real good." Katia nodded enthusiastically. "She likes painting my nails, see!" She showed Luke her nails again.

    Luke smiled fondly. "You should tell your Mama she does a great job." Luke spoke softly. Although looking at his own nails, Luke couldn't deny that he wouldn't mind trying pink out, just to say he did it. Looking to Katia again, Luke smiled, just taking a moment to study the toddler, who so easily captured his attention with her precious pout and sweet smile.

    Katia giggled at Luke's words, nodding. "She does!" Although when Katia saw Aislin, she grinned, seeing Luke and Michael's backs turned to her mother. "Mommy!" She called happily.
    October 25th, 2018 at 09:25pm
  • overcome.

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    "So, why do you like bows so much, kid?" Michael asked with curiosity, smiling as he watched the girl, surprised that the girl was still over here, bothering to continue the conversation. Most kids would have wandered off after getting the answers they wanted or they would have gotten distracted by now, but this little girl seemed so focused, her mind clearly set on the conversation.

    "Because my Mama picks out the best bows and makes my hair look cute!" Rosie cheered happily, grinning broadly as she watched him. "I'm sure she'd make your hair look cute with bows, too!"

    Michael blinked, surprised with her words, though they caused him to laugh. "Yeah, you think so?" he asked with curiosity, arching a brow as he watched the girl, wondering why she seemed so familiar to him. "Well, where is your Mama, then? Maybe I can ask her to put a bow in my hair."

    "Um..." Rosie backed up a bit to peer around, looking for her Mama before she grinned and pointed. "She's right there!" She raised her voice, then, and waved enthusiastically. "Mama! Over here! Come here, this man wants you to put a bow in his hair!"

    Aislin laughed quietly. "We're lucky to have you both," she promised with a small grin, amused, though she went ahead to pay for hers and Katia's meal, blinking when she heard Enaia's words. "What?" Looking over, her change forgotten, she felt her heart sinking, a panic settling in. "Where are they?" She looked around, panicking, until she heard Katia's voice and her heart eased when she heard her daughter, relief filling her when her daughter didn't sound scared, and her gaze went to her daughter, pausing when she saw her and Rosie talking to two men whose faces they couldn't see. "Katia, what are you doing over there?" she called carefully, concerned, "You were supposed to sit still."
    October 25th, 2018 at 09:38pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Katia ran to her Mama happily, wrapping her arms around her legs before taking her hand to pull her towards Luke. "We made friends!" Katia told her mother happily. "You can paint his nails pink, like mine!" Katia smiled at Luke. "This my Mama."

    Luke smiled at Katia's words, turning around to see her Mom, his heart almost stopping in his chest when he saw the face he'd been longing to see for over two years. Swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, Luke stared for a moment. "Aislin?" He asked, his voice almost breaking. Still, he looked between Katia and Aislin, his heart swelling. He studied Aislin for a long moment, his heart almost jumping out of his chest in excitement, although he didn't know quite what to say, it had been so long since he'd seen her last, and things weren't exactly on fantastic terms. "She's a cutie." He nodded to Katia, and he meant it, Luke already felt a sense of protectiveness over the toddler.

    Enaia sighed in relief as she saw Rosie. "Baby, what have I told you about talking to strangers? You were meant to sit still with Katia." She asked gently, picking her daughter up as she ran to greet her, tucking a stray piece of hair behind the toddlers ears. Kissing Rosie's temple, Enaia sighed, looking at her. "Who wants me to put a bow in his hair?" She asked with a small laugh. "I told you they were pretty."
    October 25th, 2018 at 09:46pm
  • overcome.

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    "Friends?" Aislin asked quietly as she watched her daughter, kneeling down after Katia tugged her over, cupping her face to examine her for a few moments. "You're not supposed to talk to strangers, it can end very, very bad, remember?" She ran her thumbs over her daughter's cheeks before pulling her close to kiss her forehead, only lifting her gaze when she heard Luke's voice, freezing. "Luke?" Oh, this could go very bad, she realized. As amazing as it was to see him, to hear his voice, she was worried about the questions that could come about Katia. "Thanks, she's, uh... Well, she can be a little monster sometimes." Just like Luke, she thought to herself, but she didn't dare say it aloud.

    "I just wanted to ask about his hat, Mama," Rosie told her Mom gently, making a playful face at all the affection she was receiving, not quite understanding where it was coming from but eager to accept it and soak it all up. "That man!" She pointed over to Michael, grinning broadly. "His name is Michael. He had a pretty hat, but I think a bow would look better and he said you could do it."

    Michael had prepared himself to explain to Rosie's Mom that he hadn't meant any ill will towards the girl, having only really been focused on the silly conversation between the pair, but, when he turned and spotted Enaia there, all words got caught in his throat and he found himself staring at her in shock. Seeing her was all he'd wanted for the past few years, he'd missed her face, her voice, he'd missed her, and seeing her there, he felt his heart swell and stop all at once. "Enaia, hey," he greeted eventually, chewing on his lip as he swallowed before he offered a small smile, wishing he could say everything to her that he'd been wanting to say to her for ages, wishing he could fix everything that had happened between them. "You've got a cute little kiddo there. I hope it's not too much of a problem that I talked to her, she was just being so adorable about bows and hats, it was hard not to talk to her."
    October 25th, 2018 at 10:23pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Katia giggled as her mother kissed her forehead, loving her mother's affection more than anything as she wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's neck to cuddle close to her. "He wants you to paint his nails!" She told Aislin happily, resting her head on her mother's shoulder happily.

    "She's not a monster at all." Luke promised, smiling at Katia. "She's beautiful. Like her Mama." Luke mentally facepalmed when he realised what he said, but still, there was no point in being awkward about it. "How've you been?" He asked gently, not wanting things to be awkward between them, but still, he watched her for the longest time, admiring the subtle changes - her hair had grown longer, she wore a brighter smile, and Luke realised just how stupid he was to let her go so easily. "Would you uh, like to sit down?" He asked.

    Katia gasped and nodded. "Mama, please?" She smiled widely.

    Enaia tightened her grip on Rosie. "He had a pretty hat?" She arched an eyebrow at her daughter, clearly amused. Still, hearing the voice she'd yearned to hear for so long, Enaia paused, swallowing her nerves as she studied Michael and how damn gorgeous he was, like he always had been. Taking her eyes from him after a long moment, Enaia smiled, keeping her composure for Rosie's sake. "Hi, Michael." And although Enaia's feelings were all still there, despite the distance and time that was forced between her and Michael, Enaia just... knew trouble would come from Michael meeting Rosie. "Don't worry about it." Enaia promised, giving her daughter a look. "She's a great kid, lots of charm." Like her Dad.
    October 25th, 2018 at 10:33pm
  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Aislin smiled slightly, holding Katia closer to herself, loving hearing her daughter's laugh, and she rubbed her back gently as she picked her up, holding her close to herself. "Well, I'm sure he doesn't really need me to paint his nails," she assured Katia gently, not wanting to disappoint her daughter, but not wanting to increase the risk of Luke putting the pieces together. She chewed on her lip, though, peering over at Luke. "I've, uh, I've been good. Busy, clearly." She smiled, holding Katia tighter to herself before she shifted, uncertain. "I'm not really sure that's a good idea. We have things to do." They didn't, but she was so worried about how all of this would turn out.

    "Yeah, see!" Rosie chimed happily, pointing at Michael's hat with a broad grin, "He'd look better with a bow, though."

    "Oh, ouch, kiddo," Michael said with a small grin, holding his hand over his heart in mock pain, though his attention fell back fully on Enaia as he took her in. Over the years, she'd definitely gotten even more beautiful, grown more into herself, it seemed. Seeing her with her daughter made his heart swell, because she clearly loved that little girl to death, and he just knew that she'd probably protect Rosie with her life. "Yeah, I noticed." He grinned slightly as he watched them. "She's really adorable. Like a mini you. She clearly gets her looks from her Mom." He chewed on his lip, unsure of whether that was a smart thing to say or not, but he refused to take it back, mostly enjoying the sight of the two together. "Do you... Would you want to sit down, join us, maybe?" His gaze fell back fully on Enaia, hopeful.

    Rosie perked up immediately looking to her mom, her eyes wide with the same hope that Michael's eyes held, and Michael noticed it, of course he did, but he wasn't sure what to think about it. "Can we, Mama? Pretty please?" she asked quickly, excitedly.
    October 25th, 2018 at 10:54pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Katia pouted at Aislin's words. "Mama, please." She begged.

    Luke watched as Katia pouted, his eyebrows furrowing together. He wondered, for a moment, if it was a good idea to ask. He didn't want to push Aislin away as soon as they'd found each other once more. Luke decided that if he was going to try and get a straight answer, he'd have to be smart about it. "How about a coffee?" He offered. "And a treat for the little beauty." He smiled, loving the sound of Katia's laugh already. Still, he cleared his throat. "Just for old time's sake?" And although Luke didn't doubt they were busy, Luke wanted to relish in the feeling of Aislin being near him, even if for a short while.

    Katia looked to her mother once more, giving her the puppy dog eyes that usually worked so well, and the sight tugged at Luke's heartstrings as he noticed how much like him Katia looked. "Mama, pleeeeeeeease." She begged once more, drawing out her please, wanting to stay near her new friend for a little longer.

    Enaia laughed as Rosie pointed at Michael's hat. "I dunno if your bow will fit his head." She told Rosie gently. "I think his hat suits him." She told Rosie, clearly proud of the girl she'd raised all by herself. Hearing Michael's words though, Enaia looked to Michael, wondering if he'd noticed the similarities between himself and his daughter yet. When Michael offered for them to stay, Enaia went to turn him down, quickly interrupted by Rosie's words. "Rosie, baby, I uh, I don't think it's... we have things to do." She told Rosie gently. But seeing Michael's look of hope, and Rosie's look of hope, Enaia was sure her heart was about to ignite into flames. Toying with her lower lip, Enaia sighed. "Do I get a choice with those eyes?"
    October 25th, 2018 at 11:06pm
  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Aislin chewed on her lip, growing nervous with Katia's pleading; she never was good at saying no to Katia, or to Luke, really. It was why she knew Katia got her stubbornness from Luke; Aislin didn't really have the heart to say no. Breathing out, she rubbed at her face but nodded slightly. "Okay, okay," she murmured before making a playful face at Katia, scrunching her nose playfully. "Anything for you." Her expression softened into a soft smile and she shifted a bit, trying to ignore the way the thought of being around Luke longer made her feel warm but anxious all at the same time, and she shifted to sit down, setting Katia on her lap gently.

    Rosie grinned broadly when she heard her mother agree and she gave a happy noise, hugging around Enaia's neck quickly. "Thank you, Mama!" she cheered happily, excited to be able to spend more time with Michael, having had fun talking to him so far, and she was still curious about him.

    Michael tried to hide his excitement when Enaia agreed, though he found himself still watching Rosie on occasion, curious about her. Something about the girl seemed a little too familiar, to him, and he wanted to know why, but he didn't want to push Enaia too much and he certainly didn't want to get on her bad side and push her away. After all the time that had passed since he last saw her, the only thing he wanted to do was to continue spending time with him. "I'm really glad to hear that," he told her with a small grin as he watched Enaia, taking her in, "So, uh... How have things been? How are you?" He arched a brow, curious, before he smiled, motioning to Rosie. "I mean, I've clearly missed a lot, since you've got a daughter now. How old is she? If you don't mind me asking."
    October 25th, 2018 at 11:24pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Katia beamed with joy as she got comfortable on Aislin's lap. Taking Luke's hand, Katia looked at Luke's nails, clearly obsessed with the red colour. "Mama, I want my nails like Luke's!" She told Aislin, looking up at her mother with the same cheeky grin Luke often wore, happy to be spending time with her new friend that liked to paint their nails, too.

    Luke laughed at Katia's declaration. "She's amazing." He told Aislin quietly. "How old is she?" Luke asked, letting Katia take his hand, already so natural with her. Although, when Aislin sat beside him, Luke studied her once more, amazed that she was here, beside him. "How's everything been?" He asked Aislin, relaxing back into his seat, feeling so natural with Aislin that he knew he could be himself. Still, he smiled, stroking a hand through the toddler's hair. "I must have missed so much for you to have a toddler." He told her with the same grin that Katia wore, and Luke so desparately wanted to ask the question that seemed to be stuck in his throat, but he knew he had to bide his time, and calculate things from Katia's age. "I've missed you a lot, you know." He told her honestly, knowing there was absolutely no point in lying - he never really could lie to Aislin anyway.

    Enaia laughed as Rosie squealed with delight, squeezing around her daughter with love. "You owe me." She told her daughter jokingly, moving to sit next to Michael, feeling her heart squeeze with anxiety and fondness, wanting nothing more than to stay here with him. Sitting Rosie on her lap so she was facing Michael, knowing that the two were curious about each other. Hearing Michael's questions, Enaia's heart clenched anxiously as Michael asked Rosie's age. "Things have been great." She nodded, tucking a stray strand of Rosie's hair behind her ear once more. "Busy, with this little munchkin to keep me on my toes." She tickled Rosie's sides gently. Knowing she had to answer honestly, Enaia toyed with her lower lip. "Rosie turned two on Christmas Day." She told him, quickly steering the conversation away from Rosie. "But how have things been with you, Michael?"
    October 25th, 2018 at 11:38pm
  • overcome.

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    Aislin blinked to Katia's words but she laughed. "What? You don't want the pink anymore?" she asked teasingly, though she couldn't help the way her heart swelled at seeing Katia toying with Luke's fingers and the fact that Luke was letting her without complaint. She blinked, though, to Luke's words, and she shifted a bit, trying not to appear as nervous as she felt. "She, uh... She's two. Her birthday was New Year's." Clearing her throat, though, she smiled. "Everything's been good. Busy and occasionally hectic, but good. I mean, how could it not be with this little monster?" She grinned, tickling Katia's sides gently before she kissed the side of Katia's head, holding her daughter closer to herself, trying to ignore the way her heart swelled at the sight of Luke and Katia's matching grins. For a moment, she ducked her head, unsure of what to say to him. "Yeah. I, uh... I missed you, too, Luke." She peered over at him, watching him for a moment before she smiled, trying to move past her anxiety. "But, enough about me. How have you been?"

    Rosie giggled quietly, grinning at her Mama. "I'll give you all the hugs in the world!" she chimed happily, "Will that be enough to pay what I owe?" There was such a happy glint in her eyes, the young girl happy to spend time with her mom and her new friend with the cute hat - which, she reached up to grab and inspect the moment they were sitting by Michael, causing him to laugh.

    Michael smiled, that same happy glint appearing in his eyes when Enaia sat beside him. He'd waited for so long to have her this close to him and here she was, right there beside him, and with a toddler that Michael honestly felt had a connection to him. It was hard to outright question it, though, as he didn't want to put Enaia in a hard place, or to make things awkward if his suspicion was right and she didn't want Rosie to know. But, then, with thinking about that, he wanted Rosie to know, if he happened to be right. "I'm really glad to hear that, Enaia," he told her gently as he watched her, though he grinned broadly. "Yeah, I bet. She seems like such an amazing kid, Enaia. You really did a good job with her." He paused for a moment, watching her. "Uh... Did you have help raising her?" Admittedly, it was his own way of trying to find out who Rosie's father was, but also to find out if Enaia had anybody important in her life. Hearing about Rosie's birthday, though, he paused, staring at Enaia for a long moment, his eyes widening again as he mentally calculated it. "Wait, Enaia, is she...?" And, as much as he wanted to outright ask, as much as he wanted to know, and as much as he already suspected it to be true, he wasn't sure how to ask that. "I've, uh... Things have been good. The band's gotten super popular, especially recently." He nodded slightly, his mind still focusing on the question he'd been trying to ask, and he hoped she understood what he meant.
    October 26th, 2018 at 12:08am
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Katia giggled. "Mama, I wanna be like my friend!" She told her mother with determination, always having been so independent, but so loving. Looking back to Luke though, Katia played with Luke's hand happily, beginning to settle, unable to understand the wave of relief that Luke brought over her, not even knowing the significance of Luke to her existence. Settling into Aislin's chest, Katia held Luke's hand tightly.

    Luke smiled warmly as Katia held his hand, gently squeezing her hand within his own, loving how small her hand was in comparison to his, and even without a confirmation if Katia was his or not, Luke already felt so compelled to get to know her, feeling the connection and relishing in it, never realising how much he wanted to be a father until this moment. Hearing Aislin's words, Luke paused for a moment, calculating the dates and looking to his ex-girlfriend with a smile, biting his lip anxiously. "Aislin, be honest... is she mine?" He asked quietly, wanting to know. Moving on from the question to avoid putting Aislin on the spot, Luke smiled as he watched Aislin interact with Katia, seeing how much love she held for their daughter. "I doubt you've missed me as much as I've missed you." He teased, still feeling like their conversations were second nature to him, and although he could listen to Aislin talk all day, hearing her shift away from the conversation, Luke respected her wishes and nodded. "I've been good." He nodded. "Busy, but happy to have some down time." He told her honestly with a light shrug of his shoulders. "Been around the world and nowhere really beats home, you know?" He moved his hand to gently brush Katia's hair from her face, his touch feather light, afraid of hurting the tiny toddler.

    Enaia laughed at Rosie's bargaining, kissing the top of her head. "You paid me too much, I'll have to give you some hugs back." She told Rosie, squeezing her gently. Smiling at the glint of happiness in Rosie's eyes, Enaia bit her lip happily as she took Michael's hat, secretly loving how natural their interactions seemed to be, like Rosie instinctively knew that Michael was her father. Turning to look at Michael as he spoke, Enaia saw the same glint of happiness and her heart almost stopped at the sight. Running a hand through her own hair, Enaia listened to Michael talk. "Thank you, Michael." She told him when he complimented her parenting. "Uh, no, no help. Apart from Aislin and Katia." She smiled. "She is amazing, Mikey. She's confident and happy and I can't believe she's mine." She told him honestly, knowing she could. Hearing Michael's question, when he trailed off, Enaia wanted the ground to swallow her up, knowing she had a huge inability to lie to Michael, and she knew Michael was beginning to put the pieces together - and with similarities between father and daughter, Enaia couldn't deny it. "Yeah, she is." She told him softly. "Rosie Clifford." She focused on the bow in Rosie's hair for the moment, too nervous to look at Michael. "I'm glad the band's going well, though." She offered him a weak smile, still not looking at him, afraid of his reaction and being let down, knowing that the band were gaining more momentum, the last thing Michael needed was a girlfriend and a toddler.
    October 26th, 2018 at 12:25am
  • overcome.

    overcome. (100)

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    Aislin offered a smile to Katia, shaking her head with amusement, her heart easing at seeing her daughter so content. "Of course you do," she said quietly, "I'll make sure to get some pretty res nail polish today, okay?" She smiled, watching Katia as she settled, running her fingers through Katia's hair gently when Katia settled against her chest before she focused on Luke, trying so hard not to get caught up in just how adorable he and Katia were when they were interacting together. She could see the wheels turning behind Luke's eyes, though, and that anxiety creeped back into her chest, because she was worried about how he would react with the answer he was looking for. Swallowing, she dropped her gaze back to Katia, finding it hard to look at him as she kept running her fingers through Katia's hair gently. "As if I was ever able to lie to you, anyways?" she asked quietly, trying to joke, trying to rid herself of the ache in her chest, and she cleared her throat, nodding slightly. "But... Yeah, Luke, she is." She hoped and prayed that Katia didn't understand the conversation, that she wouldn't understand the weight of it, worried about Luke's reaction, but also not wanting to break her little girl's heart if he reacted badly. "I, uh... I even gave her your last name. Katia Hemmings." She offered a weak smile, though, still not lifting her gaze. "I'm not doing the whole 'I missed you more' 'No, I missed you more' bit. That was ridiculous back with the 'You hang up first' stuff." Shaking her head slightly, she listened to him quietly. "That's good. I'm glad you've been good, Luke. I'm glad you're getting to live your dream, you deserve it."

    Rosie giggled with her Mama's squeeze and she grinned broadly up at her Mama. "I love your hugs, Mama," she hummed out happily, her grin broadening before she focused on playing with Michael's hat, though she found herself peering at Michael every now and then. "I think you should put a polka dot bow on him, Mama, it'd look really nice!"

    Michael grinned at Rosie as he listened to the kid, amused, and he leaned over, pretending to get a good look at her bow. "Oh, kiddo, I don't know. I think I like your bow more than I'd like a polka dot bow," he teased lightly, grinning with amusement when the girl lifted her hand to quickly grab his, mostly to keep him from taking her bow. Michael smiled, though, his heart swelling at the feeling of the little girl's hand taking his own and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, I'd never take that cute little bow from you. It definitely suits you more," he teased her lightly, grinning at her giggle, though Rosie didn't let go of his hand, so neither did he. Instead, he settled his gaze on Enaia when she spoke and he felt his heart resting a bit when she said that nobody outside Aislin and Katia had been a help. It meant that nobody had taken up his spot in her life. But he felt guilty, too, because it meant that she'd been raising Rosie all on her own. And, when she confirmed that Rosie was his, that guilt grew, but was outshone by the happiness that welled up in his chest. "Really?" he asked with shock, his grin returning, broadening, growing so big that he honestly thought his cheeks might start hurting eventually. "She's mine?" There was so much fondness in his voice, in his heart, and he just felt so happy, so excited, knowing that he had a daughter, having never really know how he would react to ever having a child until this moment. "Holy sh-" He stopped himself quickly, reaching to cover Rosie's ears, unable to really help it, despite Rosie whining and trying to pull his hands off, wanting to listen, and he mouthed 'Holy shit' to Enaia instead of saying it aloud anyways, his grin growing all the more. He laughed, though, as Rosie pulled his hands away and shot a look at him, causing him to make a playful face in return. He couldn't believe how happy he was with the news, with the knowledge, and he peered back at Enaia, watching her. "This is just the best news ever, Enaia." He wanted to talk louder, he wanted to clearly let her know how he felt about this, how happy he was, but he didn't want to startle Rosie, worried about scaring the girl - his little girl - in any way. He didn't even bother to continue talking about his band, too focused on the news that he had a daughter, a beautiful little girl whose laugh and smile were so infectious that he couldn't help but to grin each time he looked at her. "She's perfect, Enaia, she really is."
    October 26th, 2018 at 12:39pm
  • mikrokosmos.

    mikrokosmos. (100)

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    Katia smiled up at her Mama happily. "Thank you, Mama." She said happily, eager to recieve some new, pretty nail polish. "Can we do Luke's nails, too?" She asked, looking up at her Mama once more, wanting to spend more time with Luke, still holding onto Luke's hand.

    Hearing Aislin's confirmation that Katia was his set off fireworks in Luke's chest, and Luke nearly couldn't begin to describe the joy he felt, still holding Katia's hand happily. "Really?" He asked, feeling tears burn in his eyes, in the best way. "Holy f -" Stopping himself quickly, Luke cleared his throat and used his free hand to wipe his eyes, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "Holy fudge, Aislin, this is incredible. We have a little girl, and she's perfect." Luke laughed, although his voice was strained by tears. Suddenly though, a guilt fell upon Luke's chest, and he turned to Aislin seriously. "I'm so sorry for not being there." He told her honestly. "I - if I'd of known, Aislin, I swear to God, I would of tried to make things right." Although hearing Katia Hemmings made Luke's heart ignite happily, and he smiled again. "I have a daughter." He repeated happily. "Hey, I did miss you more." Luke teased, forgetting all about 5 Seconds of Summer, and although he listened to Aislin's words, Luke smiled down at Katia, clearly over the moon with her being his. "She's perfect, Aislin. I can't believe how lucky I am that our daughter is perfect."

    "I love your hugs too, Rosie." Enaia reassured, squeezing her daughter once more, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, watching as Rosie didn't let go of Michael's hand, her heart lifting when she saw Michael didn't let go, either. Watching the two interact, talk about hair bows, made Enaia laugh, shaking her head in amusement as she fixed up Rosie's lace bow. Hearing Michael's words though, Enaia nodded. "Really." Enaia smiled weakly, but when she heard the fondness in Michael's voice, Enaia felt a flood of warmth take over her. Lifting her head to look at Michael, Enaia saw his smile and bit her lip, although she laughed when Michael covered Rosie's ears, laughing even more when he mouthed holy shit. "I'm just glad you know now." She told him with a shrug, although still worried. It had just been herself and Rosie for so long, Enaia couldn't deny she was worried about letting Michael back in, but seeing how much Rosie adored him already was motive enough to try and form some kind of relationship again. "She really is, Michael - she gets more like you every single day." She looked to him then. "I see a lot of you in her, it's crazy."
    October 26th, 2018 at 01:01pm