It Takes Someone Special to Be a Dad

Kate’s POV
“Kate!” I heard Evgeni call out from the front door.
“Come in!” I called back, “We are upstairs in the bathroom!”

I heard Evgeni’s large footsteps come up the stairs and down the hall before he appeared in the bathroom doorway, “hey,” he smiled.
“Hey,” I kept my attention on my son in the bathtub as I rinsed his soap drenched hair.
“Almost ready?”
“Once I have dressed him we can go,” I wrapped a towel around my son and carried him into his room.

I sat Asher on his bed and grabbed out some clothes and began getting him dressed, “is everything ok?” Evgeni sat on the bed next to Asher.
“Yeah it’s fine,” I shrugged.
“They will love you,” he put his hand on my shaking ones.
“It’s not me I am worried about, it’s Ash.”

Evgeni’s large hand grabbed my chin and made me look at him, seriousness all over his features, “They will love him.”
“Because they are just going to accept that I have a kid right? That’s what everyone does,” I got up and made myself busy finding some socks for Asher.
“I did,” he wrapped his strong arms around me.
“People always right me off because I am a single mother and because of that Asher is never given a chance.”
“It not matter what others think,” he soft lips came into contact with my temple and I was relaxed.

Evgeni’s parents had arrived for the playoffs and I was really worried about meeting them. I wasn’t sure how they were going to react to me having a son, I didn’t even know if Evgeni had told them I had a son. All I knew was I was freaking out about it.

I grabbed my jacket with Asher attached to my hip, “is he ok?” Evgeni stroked my sons little cheek.
“He still isn’t completely himself; I am going to take him to the doctor tomorrow.”

Evgeni grabbed Asher’s things from the car and I carried Ash inside. The nerves kicked back in as we approached the front steps and then I froze when he opened the door.
“Come on, stop worrying,” he grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.
“But…” I didn’t even get the chance to protest and tell him how this was a horrible idea.

I stood awkwardly in the foyer as Evgeni continued into the kitchen.
“You look beautiful, stop it,” he caught me fixing my hair in the little mirror by the door.

Evgeni’s POV
She was so tense and nervous about meeting my parents but Kate always told me, “if you’re not nervous about something then you don’t care enough,” so she must really care about it.

I came back from putting Asher’s thing in the dining room and set out to find my mother when I saw Kate still in the foyer with Asher on her hip trying to fix her hair.
“You look beautiful, stop it,” I told her as I pulled her hand away.

It was the truth though, she did look beautiful. Her long blonde hair resting on her shoulders, she wasn’t wearing any make up. She couldn’t stress to me enough how much she hated to wear makeup and dress fancy, but in my eyes she didn’t need it.
I put my hand on the small of her back and lead her into the lounge room where we found my father watching television. “Papa do you know where mama is?” my voice dragged him out of his trance.
“She is outside feeding Jeffery,” he stood up and approached us. “Hello Kate,” he gave her a hug.
“Hello,” she smiled back.
“Who this?” he questioned to the boy on her hip.
“My son Asher,” she made Ash wave his little hand at him making my dad laugh. Well at least he seemed to like her.

“Come on, we go find mama,” I grabbed Kate’s hand and dragged her outside.
“I thought you said they know about Asher?” she questioned me.
“I did, papa just being nice,” I shrugged.

My mother was sitting on the back step feeding Jeffery, “Mama this is Kate,” I gestured to my girlfriend next to me. She looked at us standing together before she stood up and went inside, “Let me wash my hands.”
Kate looked horrified at me, “just washing her hands,” I ushered her back inside.

“Hello,” my mama threw her arms around Kate.
“Hi,” Kate really was unsure about how to react to them but it was fine.
“This your son?” mum questioned Kate.
“Yes, this is Asher,” my mum did her usually fuss over kids before telling us to go into the lounge room and wait for dinner to be ready.

“Does she want some help?” Kate sat up looking at me.
“Maybe,” I thought it would be a good idea if she did help my mum but I let her make that choice.
“I will go see,” she got up leaving Asher curled up on the couch next to me.

“She is a nice girl,” Dad spoke up from the opposite couch.
“That’s what Sergei said,” I frowned at him.
“Well it is true, she is kind and very pretty.”
“I know that papa,” I rolled my eyes at him and continued watching the television.

“Dinner!” Kate called us into the dining room.
She set Asher up next to her on one side while I sat on her other side and my parents sat on the opposite side of the table.

“Eat your dinner,” I told Kate because she kept fussing over Asher and his food.
“It will be fine, I can heat it back up if it’s not hot enough,” she continued cutting up his food.
“Let me,” I got up and took the knife and fork from her and sat on the other side of Asher and made sure he ate without making a complete mess, “you eat.”
“G, I can do it,” she tried to protest.
“Eat,” I pointed to the plate in front of her not taking no for an answer.

“How old?” my mum questioned from the other side of the table looking at Kate.
“He just turned 3, he isn’t usually like this he isn’t feeling well,” she responded before taking another bite of food.

“Who his father?” my mother asked.
“Mama,” I bit not wanting her to go there.
“Evgeni it’s fine,” she seemed calm so I left it alone, “He left a long time ago, just didn’t work out.”
“I am sorry,” my mother apologized.
“It’s ok,” Kate looked up and smiled.
I got up from the seat with Asher’s now plate to wash them, “I will do that after, you eat,” Kate pointed to my plate with a shit stirring smile.
“Fine,” I left them in the sink and grabbed Asher’s favourite toy car putting it on his tray. I gave him a kiss on the top of his head and a tickle on the sides just to see him smile for the first time tonight.

It was still fairly early but Asher was getting tired so I helped Kate pack up his things and put them in my car before she said goodbye to my parents and I took her home.
“I like them,” she said with a smile.
“See, I tell you they love you,” I quickly looked at her with a smile before looking back at the road.
“Yeah but your mum doesn’t seem to like me having a son,” she frowned.
“She not wants me to be with someone who use me,” I shrugged.
“Well it’s clear between us that I am not using you. That’s why I wanted to do everything for Asher.”
“I know,” I gave her a kiss on the forehead as we stopped at a set of traffic lights.

When I got back my parents were both sitting on the couch in the lounge room waiting for me.
“Evgeni can we talk?” I heard my mother say.
“What about?” I knew exactly what she wanted to talk about but I was trying to stall.
“You know what?” she motioned for me to sit on the ottoman in front of them.
“Ok but nothing you say will change my mind.”
“I am not trying to make you change your mind, just think about it what we have to say.” I knew it wasn’t what both of them had to say, it was just what she had to say but I listened anyways because I knew how much they loved and cared for me, they just didn’t want anything bad to happen.

“I like her, but what are you two going to do about her son?”
“What?” I was so confused at what point she was trying to make.
“Her son, you both work, travel full time, what about her son?”
“You mean Asher,” I didn’t like people referring to him as her son, it was true but it made me feel out of the picture. “He comes with us on small trips and stays with a babysitter on long ones.” I really didn’t know how this concerned her but I let her talk.

“Are you going to be his father?”
“Yes I will be his father.”
“Why doesn’t he call you dad then?”
“Because we only just started talking about it,” I went to get up and leave before my father pulled me back down.

“Look Evgeni, we just don’t want you getting hurt. Kids are the reason a lot of relationships don’t work,” since when did my father care about this.
“We won’t papa. Everything is fine how it is and we don’t plan on changing it anytime soon.”
“Is she going to move in with you?” my mama spoke up again.
“I am going to move in with her,” I said simply.

Mother didn’t look completely satisfied but she gave in because she knew I wouldn’t have it any other way.