Sometimes, Simon hated that he was the one who always dropped Maeve off at nursery. But it was on the way to his work and it just worked better that he was the one who did drop off and pick up.
Unfortunately, the convenience never stopped the fact that everyone stared and whispered at him every time he walked through the door with his daughter bouncing at his side. It didn’t seem to matter to the other parents that Maeve always hugged and kissed her papa goodbye when he dropped her off and rattled on endlessly about what she did during the day and showed him whatever doodles or projects she had made when he picked her up. They always stared.
Part of Simon couldn’t blame them. He knew he towered over every father and mother there. He knew his muscular build was intimidating. He knew the black cloth mask he always wore to hide his scars was unsettling. He knew the fact that he never made conversation with any of the other parents made him seem odd. But that didn’t give them the right to stare.
He only ever addressed the stares and comments once when a lady he’d noticed had started dropping off a little boy a week or so ago said something that made his blood boil.
“That poor lass. Must be terrified to go home with a man like that every day. She cries every time he drops her off and picks her up.”
She’d said it while staring straight at him as he grabbed Maeve’s backpack from her cubby. She’d fussed and cried every time he’d dropped her off and picked her up the past week, that much was true. But only because Johnny was away in Yorkshire on a demolition’s job with his company. Maeve missed her Da and was upset when everyday Simon told her when he picked her up that, “No, bug, Da’s not home yet.”
Simon could only assume this woman had seen Maeve in a bad mood for the past week and come to that very incorrect assumption.
The woman looked at him and had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed.
“She’s only upset because my husband’s been away for work. Misses ‘im. Best not to assume things about strangers, yeah?”
Simon took Maeve’s hand and led her outside as the woman was still trying to stutter out a response. Maeve innocently looked up at him and asked through her fading sniffles what the lady had wanted.
“She was just concerned as to why you’re upset, bug.”
“I just want Da to come home,” Maeve sniffled.
Simon picked her up and placed her on his hip, giving her head a quick kiss.
“I know ya do. I miss Da too.”
Simon silently dared the woman to make a comment like that in front of his child ever again.
