#papers fic

Chris missed the entire birth of his second child, the event being unknown to him as his phone had died early on during his night out with old friends. Baby Penny was over twelve hours old when Chris finally received the news of his newborn child. A baby girl. News that brought the man to tears; he loved being a girl dad. 

But that was just over a month ago, baby Penny was quickly approaching seven weeks old. And Chris had spent every waking moment with both his young daughters. Summer was rolling in and Olivia had just finished her last week at school in London. It was two weeks until you packed up and once again moved your little family of four back to the USA. You’d made an agreement with Chris that your London apartment wasn’t to be sold and would instead be used by your family on your regularly planned visits. This luckily meant for you that there wasn’t much packing that needed to be done, only the essentials you’d need when you returned to your family home. You’d forever be grateful that you didn’t need to pack up the whole apartment with two little ones in tow. 

Penelope Evans was your perfect little secret for the first 5 weeks of her life, allowing yourself time to settle in being a parent of two. Being cooped up in your apartment from the day Penny was brought home from the hospital, both Chris and your parents taking it in turns to do the school run for Olivia. Of course, the rumour that Baby Evans was born spread when you weren’t spotted in public for weeks, but you were in your perfect newborn bubble. But you wanted to be present for Olivia’s last days in British school, so you made the effort to leave the house and walk the youngster to school every morning and watch her skip alongside her baby sister's buggy. 

It was 9pm, the evenings being the main time you got some silence in the little London apartment. Chris was perched on your shared bed, scrolling through his phone and replying to emails. You were sat on the carpeted floor, one leg outstretched and gently rocking the moses basket with your foot while you packed some of your newborn's clothes into one of the few suitcases dotted around the room. Both your daughters fast asleep in their respective beds. 

Your phone vibrated on the carpet next to you, ignoring it as you expected it to be Chris sending you something he’d seen on Instagram. You hummed quietly to yourself as you carefully folded clothes and placed them inside the case, your foot still gently rocking the moses basket. It wasn’t until your phone vibrated another two times that you curiously peeked down at the screen; your eyebrows furrowed as you noticed multiple Facebook messages from an old friend of yours that you’d not spoken to in years. 

I’m so sorry but I thought you should see this. One of the messages read, follow by a Sent a Photo and a link. You tilted your head in curiosity as you opened the messages, the link and screenshotted news article headline referencing the birth of your child and Chris’s whereabouts at the time. 

It wasn’t until you read further into the article that silence fell over the room, your humming coming to a sudden halt and your foot stopped pressing against the bassinet. Evans night out during birth of second child. Underneath the headline a picture of the alleged ‘Sarah’ from the previous cheating rumours that almost ruined your marriage a year ago. Chris had his arm wrapped around her shoulder as they sat in a booth in the corner of what seemed like a club, both leaning in closely and talking quietly amongst themselves. 

Recent discoveries show that Evans’ second child, a baby girl, was born on Sunday 9th June in the early hours of the morning. During this time Evans’ was in Boston on a night out with friends celebrating his approaching birthday, understood to also be his child’s due date. Evans has two children with his British wife. Rumours spread last summer of acts of infidelity within the marriage, however this did not seem to break the couple as they reunited and introduced their second child. 

Updates as they come. The article stated. 

You were speechless at the article, unsure how to process it as you placed your phone back on the carpet and focused back onto packing the suitcase in front of you. Was that even Chris in the photo? It was slightly blurry, and of course the club was dark. But you could pick Chris out of a crowd in an instant, and that certainly looked like the woman from previous photos. 

“You okay?” Chris questioned, peeking over his phone to look down at you. 

“Mhm.” You mumbled in response, a sigh leaving your lips as you picked up one of your favourite newborn onesies. Penny had grown out of it at this point, but you wouldn’t dispose of it; the onesie was Penelope’s first outfit, her coming home outfit. The same onesie that Olivia wore home when she returned from hospital. The neutral onesie with little Winnie The Pooh drawings printed across it. It almost made you cry at the thought of the perfect little family you once had, and could have continued to have. 

You closed your eyes and brought the onesie to your nose, taking a deep breath as you took in the scent of the laundry detergent you often used on your children's clothes, the milky honey scent filling your nostrils comforted you. 

Your phone vibrated next to you again, you’d turned on notifications for updates to the article. You were unsure if you wanted to return to read the update, a knot formed in your stomach and you began to fill sick. You laid the onesie on your lap as you reached again for your phone, following your gut feeling and reopening the article. 

UPDATE 

Recent investigations show the woman believed to be Sarah Jenkins, a 35-year-old from Atlanta. This is the second time she has publicly been spotted with actor Chris Evans. Sarah, who is public on most social media accounts, has a one-year-old child with an unknown father. Sources believe that Evans could be the father of the child. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Chris questioned, worry filling his face as he moved to sit next to you on the floor as he watched your face completely drain of all colour. 

“I’m going to be sick.” You mumbled, quickly pushing yourself to your feet and away from Chris. You almost tripped over the suitcase and other items scattered across the floor as you made a beeline for the bathroom, dropping to your knees as you leaned over the porcelain toilet and threw up the contents of your stomach. 

“Hey. It’s okay.” Chris followed you, kneeling down to hold your hair out your face and rub your back. 

“Get away from me!” You almost shouted, tears beginning to fill your eyes as you withdraw from any contact from the man. “How could you?!” You cried. 

“What?!” Chris questioned; his brows furrowed as he stared at you in shock. 

Oh boy was he a good actor. 

“Don’t you dare fucking lie to me again!” You bit back with gritted teeth. “How could you do that to me?! How could you do that to our poor innocent Olivia?!” The sadness fell over your eyes, the tears falling down your cheeks at the thought of your two precious girls who got hurt in the process. How as you going to explain this to them? How was you going to tell Olivia that her daddy was the reason the family fell apart? 

“How could you?!” You repeated again, a sob getting caught in your throat. “How could you cheat?! How could you have a child with another woman and simply act like its nothing?!” A loud wail tumbled from your lips as you pulled yourself back to the toilet and vomited some more. 

“I’m sorry.” Chris accepted defeat. That was all the conformation you needed. He should have known that after some time the news would come out. 

“You’re sorry?!” You looked at him in complete shock, bringing the back of your hand up to wipe at your mouth. “You think that's going to take all this away?” You truly were stunned that he was acting like this wasn’t as large a crime as it was. 

“His name is Theodore. Theo.” He mumbled, pushing himself to his feet as the tears started to fill in his eyes. The realisation was beginning to hit of what he’d done. How much he’d hurt his wife, and would shortly hurt his two precious daughters too. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” 

“You didn’t mean for this to happen?!” Your voice raised in complete disbelief at his words. “You didn’t mean to spend time with another woman? Didn’t mean to fall into bed with her? Didn’t mean to have a child with her? Didn’t mean to continue seeing her, even when the child wasn’t present. You lied to me! You lied and then played me into thinking everything was okay, we had another child!” You screamed, it was all beginning to boil over and push you to the edge. 

Multiple instances flashed through your mind; like Christmas, Chris had no work on the lead up to Christmas, but yet he couldn’t be in London until the twenty third of December. He claimed he had commitments to his family. He missed the birth of your child for a night out on his birthday, yet the only photo you’ve seen from the night is the previously posted photo with ‘Sarah’. He missed out on time with yourself, and your growing family, major events like the birth of his second, well technically third, child. You weren’t as big a priority as it was made out to be. 

A loud screaming cry came from your bedroom, your almost two-month-old child awakening due to the loud noises flowing through the apartment. 

“Get out.” You bit through gritted teeth, pushing yourself to your feet as you prioritised getting to your small baby girl crying out in need. You cradled her in your arms, cuddling her close as you tried to compose yourself, holding the little baby so tight as you rocked her back and forth but her crying wouldn’t stop. 

“Get away from me.” You almost growled at Chris as he approached you in the bedroom, your hold becoming more protective of your sweet innocent child. 

“Please, let me explain.” Chris tried to speak over the sound of the screaming baby which you continued to rock. 

“Explain what, Chris?!” You turned to look at him, tears streaming down your face which matched the face of the distraught newborn. “There is nothing to explain.” You were starting to get overwhelmed with the situation, the screaming of the baby, the cheating man stood in front of you trying to talk his way out of his sins. 

“Mummy?” A little voice spoke from the door. “Daddy?” The small child stood at the door, her fists rubbing at her tired eyes and chubby cheeks. “Is Penny okay? Mummy, are you okay?” she questioned, unsure what all the noise was about. Her tired eyes adjusted as she looked between you and her father, the upset visible on both your faces as well as her newborn sister. 

“Penny’s okay, princess.” Chris spoke up, turning to speak properly to his eldest daughter. He couldn’t comment on how you felt, and he didn’t want to lie to his daughter again. “Mummys got her. Let's get you back to bed.” He hummed, leading the little girl out of the room as he tried to compose himself. In that moment, you had to admit you was grateful for Chris stepping up for his eldest child. 

A few moments passed until you heard Olivia’s bedroom door closing, you’d managed to compose yourself to a certain extent but also calm Penelope down enough that she’d fallen back to sleep and was once again nestled in her basket. 

“I want you gone. You can collect your things during the week, my parents will be here to deal with it. You won’t see the girls. We’re not coming back to Boston.” You rambled out the words that you’d been planning in your head. 

“Babe, please!” He tried to beg, stepping closer to where you were perched on the edge of the bed and looking down at the newborn in her basket. 

“Don’t call me babe. You won’t see the girls until a plan has been made. You’ll leave tonight.” You sighed, defeated.

“My solicitor will be in contact to get the papers signed.”

thank you again for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!!

“Mama! Daddy!” You heard the small voice of your daughter call through the adjoining door as the handle rattled. You dashed over to the door and gently opened it, swinging your daughter up into your arms and stepping back into the room she shared with Scott.

“Shhh! Daddy’s still sleeping.” You told the young girl, sitting her on the edge of her bed. “Where’s Uncle Scott?” You questioned, glancing around the room.

“Bathroom!” The little girl looked up at you with a small smile. “Can we wake daddy up and go to Disney?” You laughed a little at her question.

“Why don’t you stay here and I’ll go wake daddy up? And then once everyone’s ready we’ll go get breakfast and then head to the park.” You confirmed, checking the time and realising it was only eight in the morning. “Put the TV on, there should be plenty of movies on there.” You told the girl as you switched the television onto movies and gave her the remote to allow her to take her pick of the selection of Disney movies.

“Morning Scott.” You called through the bathroom door, letting him know you were awake before retreating back through the adjoining door to find Chris sat up in bed. “About time.” You grumbled, closing the door behind you.

“Good morning to you, too.” He mumbled sleepily, rubbing his tired eyes. “How’s your head? I’ve got painkillers if you need any.” His gaze never left you.

“Are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room?” You emptied your bag out onto the bed as you grabbed your things you needed.

“What?” Chris questioned; his eyebrows furrowed.

“We fucked!” Your voice came out high pitched, over-emphasising on what happened. “That should not have happened!” You stormed into the bathroom with your things, slamming the door behind you as you retreated into the shower to fix yourself up for the day ahead.

“You know it was you who wanted it, right? You basically refused to let me say no.” Chris looked up from his position on the bed as he pulled his shoes on.

“Please, just shut up. It shouldn’t have happened.” You mumbled, filling your backpack with the essentials for the day. “We were both drunk and it shouldn’t have happened. It doesn’t change anything.” You pulled your bag onto your shoulders before opening the adjoining door and stepping into the other room where Scott was helping Olivia put her shoes on.

“All good to go?” Scott questioned as you stepped into the room, his eyebrows raised as if he was trying to read the situation between you and Chris.

“Yeah, all good. Wanna go get some breakfast, Liv?” You questioned, holding your hand out to your daughter and leading her out the room.

“What happened, Chris?” You heard Scott ask as they both stepped out and joined you in the hallway.

“Let's not talk about it.” Chris mumbled in reply, the tension thick in the air as you all made your way to breakfast.

The few days in Disney passed rather quick, and you’d soon returned back to London and carried on with life as usual. You’d held back from signing your part of the divorce papers after what happened while you were vacationing in Florida, although there was a lot of tension after a lot of thought it felt like things were somewhat going in the right direction and you’d agreed with Chris to take things slow and work on your relationship one step at a time, which included twice weekly marriage counselling via video call.

Your marriage was hard to explain to people, it confused a lot of people when they’d found out that you were actually married but your husband and father of your child lived over three thousand miles away. It took a few months but you’d gone as far as wearing your wedding ring again, the classic platinum diamond ring placed back on your finger alongside your simple engagement ring.

Everything felt normal, apart from the distance, and in a strange way you felt you had your husband back.

The next big step was whether you’d commit to moving back to Boston or not.

It was three months since you’d returned from spending a short period of time in Boston. Christmas was fast approaching, meaning it was only a matter of days before Chris would be joining you and Olivia for your first Christmas in London.

You’d spent two weeks of December extremely ill, finding yourself spending a lot of time cuddled up with the toilet and requiring lots of assistance from your parents when it came to childcare. It wasn’t until one of your work colleagues mentioned the pattern in your sickness that you began to worry. The mention of morning sickness made you feel nauseous, the idea of being pregnant with your somewhat-distant husband was not something you thought you’d even have to consider.

It wasn’t until the twenty second of December, the day before Chris was due to arrive, that you decided that the best course of action would be a pregnancy test. Things started to add up in your mind, leaving you certain you were pregnant.

The multiple pregnancy tests only confirmed your suspicion – by summer of the following year Olivia was due to be a big sister to Baby Evans number 2.

The thought of telling your husband made you fearful, it’s not as if you were in the worst situation anymore but you also weren’t in the best situation either. You weren’t sure how bringing a baby into that situation would work, but you’d do all you could to ensure the situation planned out.

“Wake up! Wake up!” Your little girl squealed, bounding into your bedroom. You groaned as she jumped onto your bed to shake you awake, glancing over at the clock on your bedside which red 5:47 in the morning.

“It’s too early, Liv. Go back to sleep.” You sighed, pulling your daughter in for a cuddle and tucking her under the duvet next to you. She let out a whine in protest.

“But Santas been!” She huffed out in annoyance, doing everything she could to squirm out your grip and make her way to her father who was fast asleep in his makeshift bed on the floor. Since you only had a small two-bedroom apartment Chris had agreed to sleep on the couch, not pushing the boundaries of your ‘new’ relationship just yet. But Olivia had refused to let her father sleep on the couch on Christmas Eve, demanding he sleep elsewhere otherwise ‘Santa wouldn’t come and visit’ her, so he’d made a bed out of extra blankets and pillows on your bedroom floor.

“Daddy! Wake up!” The five-year-old demanded, gently shaking Chris to awaken him. “Santas been, daddy!” She shouted as soon as his eyes were open. A soft yawn left your lips as you forced yourself out your bed, sliding your slippers and robe on.

“Come on then, missy. We’re up now.” Another yawn slipped from your lips as your daughter darted from the bedroom towards the small living room area, which you’d spent the evening with Chris laying out an array of presents which you’d been hiding away for what seemed like months.

“Can I open them?!” She squealed in delight as she picked up one of the presents and gave it a gentle shake.

“I hope that wasn’t fragile, you may have broken it.” You teased your daughter with a soft laugh. “Well firstly, you need to wait for daddy who’s going to make me a lovely hot cup of tea before we open any presents.” You spoke the last part of the statement loud enough for Chris to hear in the bedroom.

You heard the man chuckle as he left the bedroom, pressing a kiss to the top of your head and mumbling a soft ‘merry Christmas, baby’ before heading to the kitchen to make your tea. You don’t know whether it was the pregnancy hormones or not, but Chris left you blushing with a warm smile on your face.

It wasn’t long before you were curled up on the small couch in the living room, a blanket laid loosely over your lap and a cup of tea in your hands as your five-year old and husband sat on the floor playing with the new toys that ‘Santa’ had delivered.

“Hey Chris, can you get that present out from under the tree?” You pointed towards the small little gift that sat just below one of the branches.

“What is it?” Chris questioned, not remembering placing a present that small under the tree just a few hours ago.

“It’s from me!” Olivia beamed at her father, watching him retrieve the gift from under the tree. You couldn’t help but laugh at how oblivious your husband was, a small smile gracing your lips.

“Open it, daddy!” Your little girl grinned at the man as he began to rip the paper away.

“Oh wow, that’s so cool! Thanks, Liv.” Chris pressed a kiss to the top of his daughters head as he unwrapped the new wallet that was engraved with the words ‘To the best daddy, love your babies.’ He read the wording out loud, his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at you. “I think they’ve messed up the personalisation.” He whispered, his confusion very evident.

You glanced from your husband back to the place where the present lay just under the tree a few minutes ago, your eyes flitting between the two spots.

Chris eventually followed your gaze, looking down to the decoration that hang on the tree right above the spot where the present previously lay. The realisation quickly set in and the shock was evident on Chris’s face as he took in the new Christmas decoration that hang on the tree with its dainty writing and a baby scan, reading:

Baby Evans. Due Summer.

part 6 (finale) - coming soon

At 18 months old, Olivia was becoming more and more adventurous every day. Parenthood had seemed to be a breeze, it’s like you’d been blessed with the calmest toddler. Olivia had taken to every milestone a lot easier than you’d expected; she walked before she crawled and she’d spoken a couple of words before she even turned one. But the easiest process was getting the small toddler to eat, she happily tried any food offered to her and very rarely didn’t like anything.

The small family gathering gave Chris an excuse to light the barbeque which had remained untouched since you’d moved in two years prior. Scott and Chris manned the barbeque as everyone else hung around the garden, playing with the children and taking a dip in the pool. You disappeared into the kitchen as the food was being served, getting the last of the cold food out of the fridge to place on the outside table. You grabbed the bowl of potato salad and some of the condiments from the fridge before turning to head back into the garden.

“You need to come see this!” Carly called to you as you stepped out onto the patio, you raised an eyebrow as you emptied your hands onto the garden table.

“What is it?” You questioned, glancing over at Chris who was sat on a lounger with his back to you. Lisa was stood next to him, laughing. As you stepped closer you noticed Olivia sat on his lap, his knees propped up behind her. You sat down in the empty seat next to Chris, a small laugh falling from your lips as you watched Olivia’s eyes follow the burger Chris had on a paper plate, as he moved it up to his lips to take a bite.

“Can she have some?” Chris questioned as he glanced to you.

“Hey. She’s your daughter too, you don’t need to ask me.” A loud laugh leaving your lips as you watched Olivia lean forward, place her hands on the burger and attempt to take a bite. “Or maybe she’s just going to try it without your permission instead.”

“Look at the little bite!” Chris tried not to laugh, holding the burger out to show you the teeth marks in the top bun.

“More!” Olivia giggled, glancing between both her parents as she held her hands out for the burger. Chris took a large bite of the burger before holding it out again to the toddler. You watched the toddler take as big a bite as she could, some of the filling falling out onto her lap as she giggled.

“That sounds like his car pulling up now.” You mumbled, your hands still running gently over the protruding baby bump. “Shall we go meet him at the door, like we always do?” You always spoke to your baby as if she was already born and in your arms.

Most of your pregnancy consisted of conversations with yourself, being encouraged by your midwife under the concept that your baby could hear you and it would help form a bond. You felt crazy at first, like if anyone heard you they’d think you were crazy for talking to yourself. But it was comforting when Chris wasn’t around, knowing that although your baby couldn’t reply, you knew she could hear you.

“Sweetheart, I’m home.” His voice called out from the front door. You stepped away from the counter where you were finishing prepping your dinner, turning to watch your husband enter the kitchen and lay his phone and wallet on the counter. You held your arms out for a hug, the same routine for whenever Chris had been away or at work.

“Hi baby.” You greeted him, smiling softly as he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you in for a gentle kiss, followed by a tight hug before stepping back to admire you.

“How are you both? You been a good girl for your mama?” Chris questioned, laughing softly at his own question as he leant down to run his fingers over your clothed skin and pressed a gentle kiss to your baby bump.  

“She’s been quite restless today, think she missed you as much as I did.” You sighed softly, running your fingers through the man's hair as he continued to press multiple kisses to your bump.

“I missed you too, princess.” He cooed to the baby bump as he felt a gentle kick where his hands held you. “Oh, is that right? You missed daddy that much?” He spoke to your bump, his hands continuing to run over the clothed skin.

“Yes! We went to the park today, and took Dodger for a walk. Uncle Scott got here this afternoon and took me for ice cream.” She grinned at you, showing a gappy smile.

“Hey! You’ve lost a tooth!” You laughed, shaking your head at your little girl. “I hope you’re going to put that under your pillow tonight, then the tooth fairy will visit.” You reminded her, she nodded eagerly in reply.

“Daddy has wrapped it up and we’re going to make sure it’s put under the pillow.” She confirmed, still grinning to show you the gap in her front teeth.

“So, what else have you been up to?” You questioned; your heart ached at the thought of missing so much with your daughter. She continued to explain everything they’d been up to; the adventures with Dodger, the museum trips and even the mini daddy-daughter dates that they went on together. It truly melted your heart at the thought of Olivia finally getting some quality time with her father.

“Daddy said that you’re coming a few days before we need to be back home.” She watched you with tired eyes, the excitement of the day beginning to wear of. “Daddy said we can go to Disney with Uncle Scott when you get here next week.”

The weeks had flown by without Olivia around, you worked every hour of the day that you possibly could to make time pass quicker. If you weren’t working then you were spending time with some co-workers, finally getting to go out for drinks on Friday nights or evening meals with the friends you’d made over the few months you’d been back in London.

“Oh really?” You tried not to act too surprised, biting at your lip. You knew this was Chris’ way to spend time with you and try to get you to talk to him properly. “Okay, sweetheart. We’ll see.” You gave a small smile, tilting your head slightly at the sound of Scott approaching.

“Hey.” Scott greeted you with a warm smile, leaning over the couch to wave. “I’m going to steal your child, she’s adorable.” He laughed, playfully tickling the small girl.

“Hands off, you can’t keep her.” You laughed, shaking your head at your brother-in-law.

“But I will steal her right now, your dad said it’s time for a bath and then bed.” He told the small girl, in which you nodded in reply.

“No problem. I need to speak to him anyways, if I can.” You spoke more to Scott than you did to your five-year-old. Scott nodded in reply.

“I’ll go get him, then take little miss with me.” He stepped away from the camera. “I’ll see you soon, miss ya!” He called to you before leaving the room to find Chris.

“Now, you be a good girl for your dad. Like you always are.” You spoke softly to your daughter. “And before you know it, I’ll be there with you.” You blew her a kiss, bid your farewells and ‘I love you’s before you were left staring Chris down through the camera.

“Hey...” He greeted; a warm smile took over his features, the smile you fell in love with all those years ago.

“Have you signed the papers yet?” You questioned, a blank look on your face as you stared at him.

“I was hoping we could talk about those.” He sighed, his warm blue eyes staring you down.

“What is there to talk about? We separated months ago. Why keep hanging on?” You were trying to stay strong, ignoring the aching in your chest.

You’d always love this man. But things were different. Things had changed.

“Sweetheart, please.” A quiet huff left his lips, his eyes never straying from you.

“Do not call me that.” Agitation began to show on your face, your teeth gritting as you tried to keep the conversation civil knowing that at any moment your daughter could overhear the conversation. “I need those papers signed by time I get there next week.” You demanded, a moment of silence falling over the two of you before you hastily ended the call.

The following week passed slowly, all communication from the other side of the Atlantic seemed to have slowed. No phone calls were shared between you and your five-year-old, although it was completely unexpected you just hoped she was having a good time with her family. Every evening it felt like you were checking your phone, expecting to see a message from Chris saying Olivia wanted to call. You even checked your emails frequently in hopes that an email from your lawyer would appear stating that Chris had finally signed the papers; everything just seemed too quiet, and passing too slow for your liking.

It was the night before you were due to fly out, you were leaving early in the morning so were packing the last few things you’d need. Much to your distaste you were to be staying with Chris for the few days you were to be in Boston, and although part of you was excited to be able to see the Evans clan; an even larger part of you didn’t want to be in Chris’ presence for that long.

Your phone pinged as you climbed into bed that night at around eight (an early night to aid the early morning flight), glancing at the screen you noticed the email from Chris; your boarding pass for the flight in the morning, and a message to say they’d be there to collect you when you land.

You forced yourself out of bed, the only thing encouraging you being the thought of seeing your daughter in a few hours time. The only thought that crossed your mind as you dragged yourself through the airport and onto the plane that morning was your little girls smile when she sees you, the fuel you needed to board that plane and cross back over to the place you never wanted to have to step foot in again.

As you curled up in your seat on the plane, your head resting against the window it didn’t take you long to fall asleep as the plane moved along the runway; the exhaustion taking over your body.

“Hey Chris, are you home this weekend or are you filming?” You questioned your husband, humming quietly to yourself as you stood in the kitchen making hot cocoa for your family movie night. Olivia had requested that you all watch The Little Mermaid together, knowing it was one of her father's favourite movies.

“Flying out to Atlanta for some filming on Friday night, I’ll be back Sunday evening.” He confirmed, helping you add the marshmallows into the hot cocoa’s before carrying them into the living room where your daughter was waiting with the movie ready to play. You sighed at his statement, heading into the living room to curl up with your family and watch the movie; but your mind was somewhere else, a lack of attention being paid to the singing mermaid on the screen.

“Are you okay?” Chris questioned as you both climbed into bed that night, he shuffled closer to you and wrapped his arm around your waist. He pulled you into his chest and pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder, you simply nodded in reply. A small ‘goodnight’ was mumbled before you fell asleep.

The following few days passed quickly, being wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks of entertaining your five-year-old who was still coming down from the hype of the large party that was thrown for her birthday the week before.

Chris was due to leave a few hours later, you were helping him pack the last few things he needed into his bag. You’d barely spoken a word to him the last few days, and you could both feel the tension that was growing thick between you.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He questioned as you zipped up the large bag for the weekend, nodding in reply. “But you’re not... are you?” He raised an eyebrow as you didn’t reply, freezing in your spot at the bottom of the bed.

“It’s nothing.” You mumbled, moving back into action and placing his bag by the bedroom door. “Shit! For fucks sake, Dodger!” You grumbled, almost falling over the dog who just looked up at you with those big puppy eyes. “Sorry, didn’t mean it bubba.” You whispered to the pup as you leant down to give him a fuss.

“Talk to me.” Chris demanded, sitting on the edge of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Is there something you need to tell me?” You questioned, glancing over at Chris quizzically.

“No? Why?”

“No reason. Just that you’re a liar.” You grumbled, locking eyes with your husband. You reached for your phone on the dresser. “Does the name Sarah mean anything to you?” You scoffed at the furrow of his eyebrows, a flicker of realisation appearing on his face.

“I bet the name means a hell of a lot to you, huh? Can’t spend time with your own daughter or wife but you can spend time with some random homewrecker?” You tried to keep your voice low, as not to wake your daughter. “Where did you meet her, huh? Is that why you’re away this weekend? There’s no movie, is there?” All the questions tumbled from your mouth, so many questions that needed an answer.

“I don’t know who or what you’re talking about.” He stated in a dead-pan manner.

“How can you do that to me? To your daughter? And then just sit there and act like you’re completely innocent!” Your voice rose slightly, your eyes closing as you took a deep breath; trying to calm yourself for your daughter's sake.

“I don’t even know whoever this Sarah is!” He replied sternly, as if he was trying to encourage himself that that was the truth.

“Don’t lie to me. Do not sit there and lie to me!” You whimpered, taking another deep breath to try and keep yourself composed. Trying to keep yourself from showing how much this was truly hurting you. “When were you going to tell me?” You choked out, your words starting to get caught in your throat as you stared down the man who was meant to be your forever.

“Sweetheart, please. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He showed no emotion, the act of pretending continuing. An annoyed growl left your lips as he continued to deny the situation.

“So, what's this then, huh?” You quickly unlocked your phone, the anger becoming more prominent compared to the devastation that wreaked havoc on your mind. You tapped at the device before turning it to show the man your evidence. “So, who’s this Sarah coming forward to tell me how bad she feels because she was under the impression we weren’t together anymore?” Your eyebrows raised, shaking your head at the man in disbelief as he simply stared at the device.

“This has happened so many times, so many people have made these fake claims before!” He defended himself, a sigh falling from his lips as he watched you. “Who are you going to believe? Some random person of the internet, or your husband?”

“I trust the person with the evidence.” You sneered at the man in front of you, swiping slightly on the device in your hand to show him the pictures that had also been sent; a selfie of them having ice cream in what looks like a park, a picture of Chris ice skating, a picture of Chris sat in a field admiring the view – a view which was similar to a picture that Chris had sent you when he went camping ‘alone’. “Oh, theres more.” You continued to scroll quickly down the messages sent by ‘Sarah’, flashing Chris a quick glimpse of the numerous pictures she’d shared with you. The tears began to roll down your cheeks as he stared at the device, completely speechless; he had no words.

“How could you?” You whimpered, letting the emotions flood your body as you began to sob. That was when you heard movement in the hallway and then a gentle knock at your slightly ajar bedroom door.

“Mama, I had a nightma-” The little voice from the doorway spoke up before she caught glimpse of the tears on your face. You had to give it to her; the little girl was smart, sometimes you had to question where she got her brains. You quickly wiped at your eyes and took a deep, shaky breath before turning to meet the eyes of Olivia.

“Okay, sweetie. I’m just coming.” You tried to collect yourself, watching her vanish back down the hallway of your family home. “I want you out.” You whispered to Chris, locking your eyes back on him. “Leave. Go wherever you need to go. We’ll be gone by the end of the weekend.” You told your husband, throwing your phone down on the bed beside him and leaving him with the evidence of what he’s done.

You woke up with a start, glancing around the near empty plane as you tried to shake the nightmare of what happened from your brain; that was the last time you were in that house, the last time you were even in the country before you fled with your daughter to get away from the cheat you’d married.

You’d still not sat down with Chris and talked the whole situation out; the only communication was regarding your shared daughter. In fact, you’d discussed the situation more with his own mother than you had with him. You knew Lisa wanted you to sit down and try to discuss what happened, maybe even get couple's therapy – she was disappointed in the possibility that her son would have ever treated anyone that way, let alone the woman she knew he loved. A part of you knew that Lisa sided with her son that nothing ever happened; but a part of you wanted to believe the evidence that was ingrained in your mind and in your messages.

You tried to shake off the dream, asking for a glass of wine to try and help you relax for the remaining hour of the flight. You never managed to sleep on flights, let alone for nearly the whole flight. By the time the plane landed into Boston you’d managed to finish four glasses of wine to help clear your mind and prepare you for the following few days.

You’d been met at the airport by an overexcited five-year-old, rambling away about what she’d been up to in the presence of her father; the longest amount of time she’d ever actually managed to spend with just him. From the moment you met with your family you didn’t acknowledge the man, only paying attention to your little human.

When you arrived back at the house, the house that was once your family home, you faltered. You stepped out of Chris’ car and stared ahead at the house, the house that was once your family home, in truth you didn’t want to be there; you’d rather stay in a hotel and just avoid ever stepping foot into the house again. You watched your daughter disappear into the house, Chris following with your luggage in tow, but your feet stay firmly planted at the bottom of the driveway.

“Hey...” Scott called, stepping out the house and grinning at the sight of you. “I’ve missed you!” He called, padding across the garden to swing you up into his arms in a tight bear hug, completely knocking you out of the trance you were in.

“Scott!” You laughed, wrapping your arms tightly around the man. “Missed you too.” You offered him a warm smile. “I’m so glad you’re here.” You sighed, knowing he’d be the one to help break some of the tension over the next few days.

“Well, are you coming in? Or are you staying out here?” He questioned with raised eyebrows, taking your hand and tugging you towards the house. You initially resisted, but soon gave in with a deep breath and headed back into the house that was once your family home.

The day seemed to drag, spending most of the time in Olivia’s bedroom playing dolls with her. You weren’t comfortable in the house; you weren’t comfortable around Chris – that much was clear. You’d still not said a word to him, and part of you wished you’d drunk more on the plane and then maybe you’d be able to confront him after not seeing him for months.

You found yourself having a barbecue that evening, just a couple of burgers and hot dogs to keep everyone satisfied. Most of the evening was spent watching Chris and Scott mess around while cooking, while you were cuddled on a bench with your daughter who kept reminding you of how much she missed you. Once Olivia was in bed was when the heavier drinks came out, Scott and Chris began drinking whisky and even some shots of tequila but you continued to watch on, sitting curled up with a blanket over your legs and a glass of wine in hand.

After you’d finished the bottle of wine on your own, you settled on a glass of whisky, trying to get some form of liquid courage to speak to your soon to be ex-husband.

“Have you signed the papers yet?” You brought up, glancing from the glass in your hand to the two men in front of you and paying particular attention to Chris. His eyes widened as he realised you was talking to him, shaking his head at your question.

“Why can’t we just enjoy a few days together?” Chris groaned, glancing to his brother with an apologetic look.

“Because, Chris. You decided against that when you decided to cheat on me!” Your voice raised slightly, Scott was taken aback by your tone – he'd never seen you so angry or upset.

“You know I never cheated, right?” Chris scoffed, downing the rest of his whisky before forcing himself to his feet and heading inside.

You and Scott shared a look before he sighed in reply, looking at you sympathetically.

“I think you both need to talk.” He stated, following his brother inside to check on him.

“Shit! I forgot that was today.” You shouted over your shoulder, dashing back to the guest room you’d claimed as yours for the few days. You quickly separated some of your clothes and shoved them into your backpack, not that you needed much considering you were only away for two nights.

You ensured you had everything before you retreated back to the kitchen, dumping your bag in the hallway as you went.

“Oh... there you are.” You sighed, glancing at Chris who was packing a few snacks for Olivia into her backpack. It warmed your heart to watch the man make his daughters sandwiches, her favourite filling of ham and cheese. You almost had to laugh as he cut the sandwiches into Mickey Mouse heads.

“I’ve signed the papers if that’s what you’re about to ask.” His voice was cheerless; nothing like you’d expect just hours before you were due to arrive at one of his favourite places; Walt Disney World.

“Wait- what?” You blinked in surprise, your mouth falling open as you were left speechless.

“Well, as you said... separated months ago, why keep holding on?” He turned to look at you, he looked tired... his normally bright eyes were dull; dark even. You didn’t know what to say, you were simply in shock that he’d just so simply agreed to sign the papers – you didn’t think it was going to be that easy.

“Okay...” You let out a shaky breath, part of you was glad he’d finally signed the papers... but another part of you wanted to question the previous night. You both stopped and just gazed at each other, both your facial features seemed to be void of any expression.

“Are we ready to go?” Scott broke the silence, your daughter clinging to his back with a giant grin on her face.

“Disney World, mama!” She squealed at you, her laughter softening the tension in the room.

“Gonna go see Mickey Mouse?” You tried to up your energy, pushing all other thoughts to the back of your mind.

“Mickey Mouse!” The young girl screamed, making Scott wince in pain.

“Ouch! My ears.” He grumbled, a small smile on his lips.

“Let’s go then!” Chris’s mood seemed to change around his overexcited daughter, and you was truly grateful that, although the situation, you could both try and make this as normal as possible for your daughter; whatever this new normal was.

Scott carried the small girl out to the car, you following close behind with your bag in hand, leaving Chris to ensure everything was in the car before locking up.

“Have you guys talked yet?” Scott questioned as he set your daughter into her car seat, helping her get comfortable before strapping her in. You shrugged in reply, glancing over to make sure Chris was still in the house.

“I wouldn’t exactly say we’ve talked.” You once again shrugged, climbing into the back of the car to sit beside your daughter. “But he’s signed the papers.”  

“He what?” You could sense the surprise in Scott’s tone, he almost seemed as surprised as you were.

“I know...” You sighed, silence falling over you both as Chris joined you both in the car.

The ride to the airport was quiet, the only sound being the soft tunes from the radio and the occasional rambling from Olivia about everything she wanted to do when they finally arrived in Disney. Even the plane ride felt like it took hours longer than it actually did, and although you were sat on your own across the aisle from your family your gaze never left Olivia and Chris as they rambled on about Disney together, Olivia’s soft giggles filling your ears as she ate the lunch Chris had prepared for her.

It was the early afternoon when you’d finally made it to Disney World and checked in at the on-site hotel. You were under strict instruction from your daughter that you desperately needed to get to the parks so she could meet as many characters as possible. You’d settled on going to Hollywood Studios, knowing there wasn’t many rides to queue for but plenty of characters for your daughter to meet.

Scott agreed to hang behind to take the luggage to the rooms (you’d gotten two joined rooms, allowing for everyone to have their own place to sleep rather than anyone having to share) and ensure everything was okay, telling you he’d catch up with you in the park. You knew this was also a ploy to encourage you and Chris to talk; not that you really could with the five year old attached to your hip.

“Look mama! There’s Buzz and Woody!” She squealed, pointing over to the queue to meet the characters. She reached for your hand and tugged on it excitedly.

“Wanna meet them, princess?” Chris questioned, but you both knew the answer as you already headed to join the queue.

“Duh!” The girl shouted, skipping along in between you and Chris. You joined the queue, a few families ahead of you.

“Hey Chris?” You questioned, watching your daughter babble away to the small children in the queue ahead of you. You kept your gaze focused on your daughter, occasionally looking to Chris.

“Yeah?” His eyes never left you, as if he was committing this moment to memory. After all, this would be the final time you’d be on a family trip to Disney World.

Your special place; The place you’d met. The destination of your first date. The place he officially asked you to be his girlfriend. The place he’d proposed. The location of your wedding day. The place you’d told him you were expecting your first child together.

“I never got to thank you.” You whispered, a small but forced smile on your lips.

“For what?” He furrowed his eyebrows, his gaze shifting to watch your daughter as the queued moved slightly forward.

“For carrying on as normal with Olivia. Whatever this new normal is.” You sighed. “You didn’t have to sign the papers, you know? I mean… you didn’t have to if you wanted to talk about it first.”

“What’s there to talk about? You won’t let me get a word in, anyways.” You could hear the bitterness in his tone. “You know I loved you, right? I mean, I still do. I’ll always love you. I wouldn’t do whatever you think I’ve done.” He began to ramble, unsure where he was going with his point.  

You took a deep breath, glancing up at the man who watched your daughter adoringly. The little girl was the spitting image of yourself, she’d inherited a lot from yourself and it became more obvious everyday.

“Maybe we should actually sit down and talk about this?” You felt like you was holding your breath as you waited for his answer.

“It’s too late now. I’ve signed the papers.” His gaze shifted from your daughter, finally settling back on you.

“Well, I mean… my lawyer hasn’t filed the papers yet. Doesn’t even know you’ve signed.” You shrugged, you were anxiously fiddling with your fingers as you glanced up at the man. “I also haven’t signed mine yet.” The words came out a whisper, barely audible.

“You- what?” The disbelief took over the mans face as he registered your words, his eyebrows furrowed. He had quite clearly expected you to have signed the papers weeks ago.

“Hey guys!” Scott called, joining you in the queue.

“Uncle Scott!” Your daughter squealed, throwing herself at her favourite uncle. “We’re going to meet Buzz and Woody!”

You were grateful for Scott appearing, breaking the tension between you and Chris. You didn’t miss the look of confusion, even maybe a hint of hurt, on Chris’s face.

Scott glanced between the two of you, your daughter attached to his back once again.

“Everything okay?” He raised an eyebrow, in which you nodded your head in reply but Chris shook his in return. A silence fell over you all, knowing the conversation couldn’t continue with Olivia around.

You shortly got to the front of the queue, allowing your daughter to get her autographs and pictures; even Chris wanted pictures with his daughter and the characters.

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Scott questioned as you both stood to the side and watched the pair pose with the characters. You nodded, but followed it shortly by a shrug.

“I think me and Chris need to talk. Without little ears around.” You glanced from Scott towards your daughter. “Is it possible tonight if you can have Olivia for a little while? Even if it’s later when she’s in bed.” He quickly nodded, he’d been one of the few encouraging you to talk from the moment this all began.

“Of course. You two go to the bar or something. If I get tired I’ll just share the room with Olivia. I’m sure you two can manage sleeping in the same room again, I mean it’s not like you’d be sharing any beds.” He raised an eyebrow with a chuckle. You nodded a little.

“Something tells me we won’t be talking for long. I don’t think he’s too impressed. You’ll probably still be awake by time we’re done.” You shrugged. “I know there’s a lot to talk about,  but I think he’s given up.” You sighed. “Maybe it’s for the best.”

“I think he’s given up because he’s not quite sure what he did. I don’t believe Chris would cheat on anyone… let alone you.” He shrugged.

“I have all the proof, Scott. Did he not tell you that part?” You almost scoffed at Scott’s statement.  

Maybe this whole time Chris had even hid it from his family, maybe you weren’t in the wrong like they all seemed to believe.

“Oh, hey sweetheart.” Chris’ face lit up the phone screen as Olivia eagerly waved at the phone screen. “How was school?” He questioned, offering your daughter a warm smile.

“It was fun, daddy.” She spoke into the phone, telling him of her day and wandering from the kitchen to go sit on the couch in the living room of your small two-bedroom apartment. You continued to clean up from your dinner since the time was nearing seven in the evening, almost your daughter's bedtime. Once the kitchen was clean, and a bath was run, it had been about fifteen minutes of allowing your daughter and her father to share all their news for the day, not that it was very late in the day for Chris, you entered the living room to try and coax Olivia away from the phone.

“Liv, come on. Time for a bath and then bed. I’m sure your dads got plenty of things he needs to get done today.” You told your daughter, a loud whine falling from her lips as she sulked.

“I miss you!” Olivia called down the phone to her dad, a pout tugging at her lips. “Can’t wait to come stay with you and Dodger for the summer holidays!” A large grin tugged at her lips as she remembered the planned summer trip.

“One week left at school, and then I’ll be flying over to come get you.” Chris told his daughter, offering her a grin. “And then we’ll go on plenty of adventures, and I’m sure Uncle Scott mentioned something about a trip to Disney World.” You grimaced at the sound of your daughter's loud squeal that filled the room.

“Yep, only if mama gets to keep her hearing though.” You mumbled. “And only if you behave, Olivia.” You spoke up, reminding your daughter. “You need to say bye now, and head for a bath.” Your arms were crossed over your chest, glancing down at the phone from behind the couch. You gave Chris a stern look.

“I agree with your ma, Liv. I can smell you from here.” He teased, playfully bringing his hand up to pinch his nose. Liv giggled at his statement, shaking her head.

“No, you can’t!” She screwed her nose up at her dad. “But okay.” She sighed, pushing herself to her feet. “See you soon, daddy. I love you!” She called, waving and blowing him a kiss. She barely let him reply before she dumped the phone in your hand and made a dash for the bubble bath awaiting her.

“You know you can come too, right?” Chris’ voice knocked you from your trance, watching your daughters figure disappear into the bathroom.

“That’s not how we work anymore.” You told him pointedly, offering him a sullen look. You heard a mumble of your name, and a deep sigh from Chris’ end.

“But it could be, if you’d just let it.” A pained expression taking over his features. “I know we didn’t end on great terms. But we have a child together, and I barely got to see her as it was. And now even less.”

“Then you should have tried harder. Goodbye Chris.” You hung up on him, anger beginning to boil inside you.

“Mama?” The small voice snapped you out of your trance.

“Coming, baby!” You called back, taking a few deep breaths before making your way into the bathroom to aid your little girl.

Your precious little girl.

“Mama, why aren’t you coming to see Daddy and Dodger?” The little girl asked as she perched on her bed beside the suitcase that you were packing for her.

Both you and Chris had tried to explain the situation as simply as possible to the little girl, explaining to her that “Mommy and daddy love you so very much. But things are going to change a little.” And by a little, you meant a lot – you were to move back to England where your family were and take Olivia with you, whereas Chris would be staying in Boston or wherever else his work would require him to be.

“I’ve got work, baby. You get to spend six weeks with daddy, and uncle Scott, and grandma, and Dodger…” you carried on listing all of Chris’ family she was probably going to end up seeing on her trip. “You get to spend six weeks with daddy, and enjoy the sunshine we undoubtedly won’t get here.” A soft laugh fell from your lips as her lips pulled into a pout.

“But I’ll miss you.” She huffed, you reached out to brush a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

“And I’ll miss you too. I know this has all been a big change for you, sweetheart. These last few months have been hard for all of us.” You remind her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling back and continuing to pack her clothes into the large suitcase – not that she needed much as she had a lot at Chris’ house. “But I promise, you’ll have such a great time.”

“So, why can’t daddy stay with us instead?” She questioned; curiosity lit her eyes.

“Look, sweetheart. I’ll speak to daddy about it, okay?” Another sigh left your lips, she’d forget this conversation had happened by the morning. Then the evening would consist of enduring Chris’ presence for a maximum of twenty minutes before six weeks on your own.

“Olivia, daddy should be here soon. Please make sure you’ve got everything you want to take with you.” You called to her, frantically making sure everything she needed was in her suitcase. You didn’t want to admit it, but you wanted everything to be in place to avoid spending too much time with your ex-husband, well soon-to-be ex-husband.

“All packed, mama.” She placed her backpack by the large suitcase in front of the apartment door, offering you a wide smile.

“Have you got your teddy? I don’t want a call to say you’ve forgotten him. I know what you’re like, you can’t sleep without him.” You raised an eyebrow, giving your daughter a stern look as you checked her backpack for the stuffed toy. It was a fluffy stuffed dog, one very much like Chris’ dog Dodger. Chris had found it in a store not long after you’d discovered you were expecting Olivia, and now she couldn’t go anywhere without it.

“I’ve got it, mama.” Her smile faltered as she shuffled closer and threw her arms around your waist, a whimper sliding from her lips.

“That’s my good girl.” You ran your fingers through her soft brunette hair, gently twirling the ends of a strand around your fingers. “You make sure you’re good for your dad, hm?” She nodded in reply, her grip on your waist never faltering even when a ring sounded from the apartment interphone system signalling Chris’ arrival. The ring sounded through the apartment again as you pried Olivia’s hands off you to allow Chris entry to the building, within a few minutes a knock sounded at the door and Liv dragged herself to answer it.

“Hi daddy.” She spoke quietly, a small smile on her face; definitely not her usual excitement.

“Hi, sweetheart.” He greeted her, squatting down to give her a gentle hug. “All packed and ready to go?” He questioned as he stood up straight, Olivia nodding in reply.

“Hey…” Chris offered in your direction; you simply gave a tight-lipped smile before turning to your daughter.

“You be good, princess.” You crouched down to her level to give her a tight hug, gently squeezing her as you pressed multiple kisses to her face. “If you want to speak to me, then just ask your dad and we’ll call. Okay?” She nodded in reply, trying not to make eye contact with you.

“I’ll miss you, mommy.” She whispered, her eyes becoming teary. You squeezed her harder, this was the first summer this agreement had come into place and it was hard on all of you.

“I’ll miss you so, so much.” You whispered in her ear, before pressing multiple kisses to her forehead. “But you’re going to have so much fun. I can’t wait to see all the pictures, and hear all about it.” You offered her a warm, comforting smile, although you were breaking down inside. “Have you got your camera?” You questioned, referring to the small digital camera that your parents had bought for her on her birthday last month. She nodded in reply, barely able to say a word.

“Come on then, Liv. Dodger will be waiting for our plane to land.” Chris tried to encourage the girl to want to leave with him, but he knew deep down this was going to be a hard few weeks – for her, and for yourself.

You’d never spent this long apart.

“Off you go, sweetheart. Can’t miss that plane.” You laughed softly, smooshing her little chubby cheeks playfully. “Go have fun, you can tell mommy all about it when I speak to you.” One last kiss to her cheeks before you were grabbing her backpack and helping her put it on. She attempted to grab the heavy suitcase and tug that out into the apartment hallway but soon gave up.

“We’ll see you in six weeks then, yeah? Your flights already booked to come out to get her.” He offered you a warm smile, in return you gave a cold, hard glare.

“Before you go, Chris.” You took a moment to go to the kitchen, grabbing a manila folder off the counter and holding it out to him. “The sooner you sign these, the better.” You stated, going to the door to give Olivia one final kiss and a goodbye.

“I-” He started, looking between you and the folder of papers.

“Not another word, Chris.” You mumbled to him as he too stepped out into the hallway, bringing Olivia’s suitcase with him.

“Bye baby. See you soon. I love you so much.” You called to your daughter, waving at her as she pressed the button to the elevator. Chris faltered before sighing and following after his daughter, knowing exactly what it was in the folder you wanted him to sign.

Divorce papers.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6 - finale

drabbles

daddy-daughter duo | based on this tiktok