Father Figure
Twenty-One
Sidney's Point of View
--
I groaned into my fluffy pillow as the shrill sound of my phone sounded beside my bed. I eventually reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Your son had a bad dream and wanted me to call you," Nathalie's sad voice answered.
I sat up straight right away. "Put him on the phone. I'll talk to him," I quickly told her.
There was a rustle before Beau's upset voice sounded. "Daddy?" This tears in his voice broke my heart.
"Hey, bud. What's wrong?" I asked.
"I dreamed you didn't love us or Mommy anymore so you left us and you didn't talk to us anymore and that you made Mommy cry." I could heard him begin crying after he finished. I ran my hand over my face, wishing so badly I could be there to hug him and make him feel better.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm still here. I'm not leaving. Ever. And I will always love you. All three of your guys. You are my sons and because of that I'm always going to be here for you and love you. No matter what happens. You never have to worry about me leaving you guys."
I swallowed hard, trying to chose my words carefully. "And your mom and I have always been really good friends. I will always care about her and I would never do anything to make her cry. Okay?"
"Okay," he sniffed.
"Do you feel better?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah," he answered.
I smiled to myself. "Okay. Good," I told him.
"I love you, Daddy."
Those four words stopped my train of thought. I felt my heart swell in the way I'd never felt before. "I love you, too, Beau," I mumbled.
"Bye," he mumbled sleepily.
"Bye," I repeated back.
I stared at my phone after we hung up. The background was a picture of me and all the boys at the ice rink from earlier in the day.
With only having known them for a few days, they were already imprinted into my heart. I couldn't imagine leaving them now. It pained me to think anyone could ever dream of it.
They were each so different in their own ways. Gab was by all means the rougher one of the group. He preferred the tough activities; jumping around in the mud, hitting his brothers into the boards, and anything else. His heart was good, though. It was obvious he was a mama's boy. All of them were except maybe Beau.
Beau had taken to me like a duck to water. I'd caught him copying my actions to a T when we were together. I truly felt like a father in his life. He'd even insisted that I relace his skates so they laced like mine did. It melted my heart each time he gave me that bright eyed smile.
And Kristopher. By all means, he was more of a lady's man. The moment Vero stepped into the store we were getting dinner at, he was by her side. His adoration for the woman was adorable. He was soft spoken most of the time, but every now and then he would speak exactly what was on his mind.
And then there was Nathalie.
Oh, Nathalie. Six years of going through this alone. I couldn't imagine it. She'd always been stronger than most, though. She held up under pressure and kept pushing through.
She'd done a good job with her sons. My sons. Our sons. They couldn't be more perfect. She'd raised them with manners and it was obvious they were disciplined rather than allowed to run wild. And she'd given them more than most single mothers her age could provide for one child. Deep down, I'd always known she'd be a good mother. It was in her nature.
If I had to chose anyone to raise my kids, I don't think I could have picked someone better.
I turned the light on my phone off before putting it back on my night stand. I shifted around until I was comfortable once more, but my mind didn't leave the thought of her.
Six years had done well for her. She'd always been pretty, but now she was drop dead gorgeous in a way most people overlooked. Her bright red hair added a spice that a lot of women couldn't pull of. The freckles dotting her pale skin were like little land marks telling me where I had kissed that night. And those curves... Those would be the death of a man.
Her sweet side had never left, too. In the time we'd spent catching up, that became obvious. She was still just as polite and sweet as she'd been before.
Whatever went through that bastard's head that made him decide to call off their engagement would surely haunt him. He'd had the chance to make her all his and he walked away. And not even in a kind, courteous manner. He'd cheated on her. He had fucking cheated on her.
I shook my head. I needed to sleep. I couldn't stay up any longer thinking about my old best friend. The team was leaving for a road trip tomorrow and I needed to be at the top of my game. So, with a sigh I forced myself to relax into my warm bed again.
--
I groaned into my fluffy pillow as the shrill sound of my phone sounded beside my bed. I eventually reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Your son had a bad dream and wanted me to call you," Nathalie's sad voice answered.
I sat up straight right away. "Put him on the phone. I'll talk to him," I quickly told her.
There was a rustle before Beau's upset voice sounded. "Daddy?" This tears in his voice broke my heart.
"Hey, bud. What's wrong?" I asked.
"I dreamed you didn't love us or Mommy anymore so you left us and you didn't talk to us anymore and that you made Mommy cry." I could heard him begin crying after he finished. I ran my hand over my face, wishing so badly I could be there to hug him and make him feel better.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm still here. I'm not leaving. Ever. And I will always love you. All three of your guys. You are my sons and because of that I'm always going to be here for you and love you. No matter what happens. You never have to worry about me leaving you guys."
I swallowed hard, trying to chose my words carefully. "And your mom and I have always been really good friends. I will always care about her and I would never do anything to make her cry. Okay?"
"Okay," he sniffed.
"Do you feel better?" I asked slowly.
"Yeah," he answered.
I smiled to myself. "Okay. Good," I told him.
"I love you, Daddy."
Those four words stopped my train of thought. I felt my heart swell in the way I'd never felt before. "I love you, too, Beau," I mumbled.
"Bye," he mumbled sleepily.
"Bye," I repeated back.
I stared at my phone after we hung up. The background was a picture of me and all the boys at the ice rink from earlier in the day.
With only having known them for a few days, they were already imprinted into my heart. I couldn't imagine leaving them now. It pained me to think anyone could ever dream of it.
They were each so different in their own ways. Gab was by all means the rougher one of the group. He preferred the tough activities; jumping around in the mud, hitting his brothers into the boards, and anything else. His heart was good, though. It was obvious he was a mama's boy. All of them were except maybe Beau.
Beau had taken to me like a duck to water. I'd caught him copying my actions to a T when we were together. I truly felt like a father in his life. He'd even insisted that I relace his skates so they laced like mine did. It melted my heart each time he gave me that bright eyed smile.
And Kristopher. By all means, he was more of a lady's man. The moment Vero stepped into the store we were getting dinner at, he was by her side. His adoration for the woman was adorable. He was soft spoken most of the time, but every now and then he would speak exactly what was on his mind.
And then there was Nathalie.
Oh, Nathalie. Six years of going through this alone. I couldn't imagine it. She'd always been stronger than most, though. She held up under pressure and kept pushing through.
She'd done a good job with her sons. My sons. Our sons. They couldn't be more perfect. She'd raised them with manners and it was obvious they were disciplined rather than allowed to run wild. And she'd given them more than most single mothers her age could provide for one child. Deep down, I'd always known she'd be a good mother. It was in her nature.
If I had to chose anyone to raise my kids, I don't think I could have picked someone better.
I turned the light on my phone off before putting it back on my night stand. I shifted around until I was comfortable once more, but my mind didn't leave the thought of her.
Six years had done well for her. She'd always been pretty, but now she was drop dead gorgeous in a way most people overlooked. Her bright red hair added a spice that a lot of women couldn't pull of. The freckles dotting her pale skin were like little land marks telling me where I had kissed that night. And those curves... Those would be the death of a man.
Her sweet side had never left, too. In the time we'd spent catching up, that became obvious. She was still just as polite and sweet as she'd been before.
Whatever went through that bastard's head that made him decide to call off their engagement would surely haunt him. He'd had the chance to make her all his and he walked away. And not even in a kind, courteous manner. He'd cheated on her. He had fucking cheated on her.
I shook my head. I needed to sleep. I couldn't stay up any longer thinking about my old best friend. The team was leaving for a road trip tomorrow and I needed to be at the top of my game. So, with a sigh I forced myself to relax into my warm bed again.