Daddy's Little Princess

It was two days since Francesca had awoke, the medication was working well and her skin was returning to normal colour and by tomorrow, the doctors said she could breathe without a ventilator.

Francesca seemed to be loving the attention, she loved the extra cuddles of her father and the visits from everyone, including Izzy, the lady that gave her the ice cream. Francesca wasn’t angry with the woman, she didn’t understand what had actually happened.

Francesca was also happy because she was given a new Barbie Doll set, including different sets of clothes, she was also allowed ice cream over the two days. Francesca was loving it, despite her sore throat and tiredness, she felt okay.

Oliver lived at the hospital, temporarily obviously. He refused to leave her side, excluding toilet breaks and going to collect food.

Isabella had turned up once for a visit and he immediately sent here way, refusing to even look at her. Eva and Oliver’s relationship was tense, which was understandable. Oliver didn’t understand why Eva comforted Isabella, not him.

Currently, Francesca and Oliver were playing snap with some playing cards which Jamie had found somewhere in his flat. Francesca had made up her own rules, by slapping her hand down on the cards, shouting “Snap!” whenever she felt like it. Oliver didn’t have the heart to correct her, so played along and pretended that he had lost, every single game of Snap.

Unsurprisingly, there was no call from Victoria not Thomas, and Oliver had text his father, informing him of the incident that had happened, that was yesterday.

“SNAP!” Francesca yells excitedly again, as she slapped her hands down and Oliver grinned as he saw the seven of clubs was under the ten of hearts in which Oliver had just put down. She was wrong, again but Oliver allowed it.

“Well done Princess,” he says and Francesca picked up the cards. She was dressed in her own pyjamas now, and Eva had even done her hair today, into a high pony tail, the curls springing out on the top of her head and a little blue bow wrapped around the hair bobble. Francesca loved it, Eva loved and Oliver took pictures.

“Again! Again!” Francesca orders, as she watches in awe as her father shuffles the cards, he does a easy trick with them but Francesca thought it was amazing and clapped her hands excitedly.

After playing another round, Francesca won. Oliver looked at the time, it was almost three.

“You hungry princess?” he asks, putting the cards away. Francesca nods eagerly.

“I’ll go see if I can get you something.” Oliver says, and luckily Eva walks in, giving a small smile to Oliver, who knew they had to talk things out soon otherwise Francesca would pick up that they were only talking in front of her and never on their own.

“Eva!” Francesca shrieks happily, holding her arms out. Eva hugs the little girl softly, and kisses her head.

“Hey sweetie, I brought some stories for you.” Eva says, and shows the book of the Princess and the Pea in her hand. Francesca grins.

“Read it! Read it!” she begs and Oliver smiles.

“Be polite Frankie…” he murmurs and Francesca gave her a father a look and turned her attention back to Eva.

“Please Eva?” she adds and Oliver smiles proudly. He kisses her head and gives a quick smile to Eva, before leaving the room to get some food.

He decided to head to the canteen and see what he could find. On his way back, managing to get some crisps, some chopped up fruit and a strawberry milkshake, he made his way back, only to be stopped by a hand. He followed the hand up and glared as Isabella looked at him.

“Oliver…” she pleads, and Oliver brushes her off, walking out of the canteen, he decided to go the long way, and chose an exit, and found the nearest stairs, they were completely empty. Isabella was running after him, and finally caught up.

“Oliver please, talk to me!” Isabella begs, Olivier stayed silently and made his way up the stairs, the sound of tapping feet echoed up the huge stairwell.

“I’m begging you! Please Ollie, just stop for two minutes and listen!” Isabella begged desperately. Oliver knew she wouldn’t give in and sighs, stopping at a platform that was about to go up to level 12.

“Isabella, I don’t want to talk to you!” Oliver snaps, and Isabella sighs.

“Please. Just hear me out, then you banish me forever.” Isabella persuades, Oliver rolls his eyes but stands tall, prepared for any pathetic excuse that Isabella had to offer.

“I know what I did was inexcusable, and you have no idea how shit I feel about it. I know I haven’t here, and I fucked up everything-” Isabella was in the middle of her speech when Oliver, uncaringly interrupted.

“Why did you leave Izzy?” he demands, a question that had haunted him for almost four years straight. It had always been the back of his mind.

“Oliver…” she faltered.

“Tell me Isabella, why did you leave me and your daughter?” he snaps, wanting the answer now more then ever.

“Ollie-” Isabella begins again.

“WHY!” Oliver demands, shouting.

“I couldn’t be a Mom!” Izzy suddenly shouts, the words bouncing off the walls. It was surprisingly how no one had heard her.

“Yes you could!” Oliver argues, misunderstanding what she meant.

“No! I couldn’t!” Isabella says desperately, tears brimming her eyes. She was sick of him not know the truth.

There was silence, before Oliver looked at Izzy again, silently pleading to tell him what was going on.

“You know when they took her away straight after she was born, because she was sick?” Izzy says, remembering the fateful day of Francesca’s birth and immediately after, she was taken away without so much a glance.

Oliver nods sadly. “She couldn’t breathe properly…” he adds, remembering the horrible memory. The tubes, Francesca’s crying, screaming. He didn’t sleep for days.

“What did you feel when they took her away?” Izzy asks simply, as if it was a normal question. Oliver stared her, confused but mostly irritated. He couldn’t figure her out anymore.

“I don’t see what this had got to do with-” argues Oliver.

“Oliver! Answer me…what did you feel when they took Francesca away!” snaps Izzy, interrupting, she needed to know this.

“I was scared, worried…I loved her Izzy, the first moment I saw her.” Oliver says quietly, meaning every word. He had loved his daughter the second he saw her, the second he cut the cord and Francesca became a separate person and she breathed all on her own.

“Ask me what I felt.” Izzy demands. She felt sick, sickened by her up coming answer.

Hesitantly, Olive repeats the question. “What did you feel Isabella?”

Isabella doesn’t answer straight away, then looked her ex boyfriend in the eye, sadness filled in her own blue eyes. Tears began to fall…

“Nothing. I felt nothing Oliver…” she says gravely, Oliver stared at his ex girlfriend in shock, in complete and utter, sickening shock. How could she not love her daughter?

“What! How?” Oliver snaps out, ignoring the look from a nurse that she walked past.

“I don’t know, but Ollie….I didn’t love our daughter when I saw her. I felt nothing, and that’s when I knew I couldn’t be a Mom. I could never be a Mom to Francesca.” Isabella explains quietly, wiping her eyes furiously. She felt ashamed of herself, but somewhat relieved.

“You’re her mother! You’re biologically programmed to love her!” Oliver shouts, coming closer to Isabella, Isabella backs away slowly.

“I don’t know, I just…I knew I couldn’t do it.” Isabella whispers.

“What and I could? I didn’t want to be a dad Isabella…not at 16. But I took my responsibility, I didn’t run away. We promised we do it together and you broke it, I’ll never trust you again, I’ll never allow you to care for Francesca again. You can go to the courts all you want, but they’ll see that I’m right. Even if you did love Francesca, you wouldn’t be a fit mother anyways. You almost killed her yesterday Isabella, and I told you that if she died, you’d regret it. I’m not taking chances again. Pack up your shit and leave, and for the sake me, for the sake of your daughter at least…don’t come back.” Oliver hand an arm either side of Isabella’s face, trapping her against the wall.

His were laced with venom, hatred in his eyes. He couldn’t stand her, not anymore. He didn’t need her anymore…

Isabella sniffed gently. “I am sorry.” she says sincerely. Oliver stepped away, glaring coldly.

“I know, but you’re not forgiven. You never intended sticking around did you?” Oliver asks suddenly.

Isabella stayed quiet, because it was true. She never planned to stay for good.

“Goodbye Isabella.” Oliver says simply, and backs away and carried on, jogging up the steps, leaving a stunned Isabella behind.

It felt good for Oliver to be the one leaving, instead of the one being left behind.