A Dad is a Son's First Hero and a Daughter's First Love

Kate's POV
"Mummy," Asher came downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Yeah bud, you hungry?" I asked he sat up on the stool.
"No thanks," he sighed resting his chin on the counter top and began fiddling with a pen.
"How are you feeling?" I put my hand on his back.
"I don't know," shrugged sitting up.
"It's ok to be confused, it's a big deal, don't rush anything," I wrapped my arms around him.

"Mummy," he mumbled quietly.
"Yeah?"
"Can I talk to him?"
"Who?" I pulled away and cupped his little face.
"Jack, I want know," he looked so sad and lost.
"Want to know what?" I ran my hand through his blonde hair.
"Why he not want me."
"Oh Ash," I pulled him back in for another hug hoping it would make him feel better, "It's hard to explain..."
"I understand when older," he muttered pulling away and went to sit at the table.

I wished I could make this all better, maybe go back and not let him out of my sight so he wouldn't have heard the reporter. I don't know but I would have done something.

"I am going now," Evgeni walked in with a huge smile on his face.
"Ok," he grabbed me and dipped me down making me laugh as he kissed my neck, "Evgeni stop."
"Practicing for wedding," he stole a kiss before seating me back on my feet.

Had he forgotten what happened last night? Did he not remember how our son cried all night? What had gotten into him?

"Evgeni why you acting like this?" I frowned as he picked up Luka and blew on his neck making our little man giggle.
"Mama say give him what he wants, not want me as dad, he not have."

I had no idea why he would want to do that until it clicked, "oh like some reverse psychology thing, you don't know what you have until it's gone."
"Yes."
"Just be careful," I noticed Asher sitting on the arm of the sofa chair looking annoyed.

Evgeni's POV
I rushed home from practice not really wanting to be away from Asher in hope that maybe he had changed his mind but when I walked in the door there was no happy child to be seen.
"Where is he?" I questioned Kate as she sat on the floor with the twins.
"In his room playing. He's got this whole new idea that he wants to be an only child with me and Jack," she looked disgusted at the idea as I sat down next to her.
"That's dumb," I scoffed not being able to imagine Kate and Asher with Jack, he wasn't for them.
"Don't worry, I am not going to leave you for anything," she lent over and kissed my lips reassuringly.

I watched him all afternoon. I could see how much he wanted to talk to me and join in on the games we were all playing, but he wouldn't, he was too proud.

"Mummy I am hungry," he stood in the middle of the dining room as we all were seated around the table for dinner.
"I told you dinner was ready," she wasn't going to give in to him.
"It's not fair!" he began to cry, "I not have a daddy and everyone else does," he stormed off.
"I can't do this ignoring anymore," Kate got up and chased after him.

Kate's POV
"Asher," I peered through the door to see him curled up in his bed with the teddy Evgeni gave him all that time ago.

"You know daddy gave you that," I pointed to the bear in his arms.
"Ash I don't have a daddy either, at least not my biological one." I sat down next to him in his bed.
"Where he go?" He gravitated to my side.
"He left when I was about your age. You know real dad's aren't always what people make them out to be. But my step dad the man I call dad, the same person that Evgeni is to you, he is my real dad as far as I know. I don't care for my biological father much. He had his chance and he didn't want it, just like Jack."

He looked down at his hands as he twiddled his thumbs. I could see the clogs turning over in his head as he thought.

"Why did he go? Why you not with dad?"
"You mean Jack. Evgeni is your dad there is no question about it," I wasn't going to let some stupid comment by some stupid report ruin my family.
"And I am not with Jack because he wasn't ready to be a father when I was pregnant with you, like when the twins where in my belly."
"Why wasn't he ready to be dad? Why was Evgeni ready?" he flopped back into the pillows with a sigh.
"I don't know why he wasn't. I wish I knew but I don't, but I do know one thing."
"What?" a shine of hope covered his face.
"I know it's that you don't have to be blood, biological, whatever you want to call it, you don't have to be it too be family. My family is made up of people that aren't biological family, Uncle Sid, Auntie Vero. Most of daddy's family is his teammates they all love each other like brothers, like you and Luka. But Jack told me on your 3rd birthday he wanted one thing."
"What?"
"He wants Evgeni to be your daddy, he knows how much you and Daddy love each other and he wants us to be with him because he knows we will be safe and cared for." I knew that's how it was a few years ago, I didn't know if that's how he felt about it now but I didn't care about Jack, he was the one who left and he didn't deserve my son's attention.

Evgeni's POV
"Daddy?" Asher tugged on my shirt as I cleaned Luka up after he demolished a banana for dinner.
"Yeah?" I turned my attention to him for the first time in what felt like forever.

He looked down at his hands and mumbled something to himself.

"What?" I knelt down in front of him so he couldn't look away from me. That's when I noticed they were tear stained and his little lip was quivering, "come here," I wrapped my arms around him as he began to sob harder.
"I am sorry," he cried into my chest.
"It's ok bud, it's ok," I ran my hand through his hair.
"I am scared."
"Of what?" I made him look at me.
"That you not want me because I am not your real son," he tried to wipe the tears away but they kept flowing.
"No, Ash, No," I pulled him back into my arms, "I love you like I love twins, like own son. Always special place in my heart for you," I kissed his forehead.
"I am sorry," he mumbled again.
"It's ok, I love you bud."
"я тебя люблю папу"