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Roan
“Cassidy! Slow down, sweet cheeks, you’re going to—oomph.” Somehow, I managed not to fall backward onto my ass when my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter came running and threw herself into my arms. “Hello, to you, too,” I wheezed, trying to catch my breath.
“Hi, Daddy!” she squealed as her little arms squeezed me tight. “Guess what?”
“What?” I settled her on my hip as I rose to my feet and walked to the baby jumper on the other side of the family room. My nine-month-old, Daisy, was bouncing to her heart's content. She clapped and smiled at me, showing off her single tooth.
“I got a new pack-pack for school!” Cassidy announced, her chest puffing up with pride.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” I murmured to Daisy, then bent over to place a kiss on her fuzzy head. “A pack-pack, huh?” I asked, turning my attention back to Cassidy, who was squirming with excitement. “You don’t start school for a few months yet, sweet cheeks.” And it was coming up way too soon for me. I quickly understood why parents had such a hard time when their kids started preschool. They stopped being babies and became little kids who would grow up too fast.
I’d always assumed I’d get married one day and have kids, but it had seemed far in the future. I was at the height of my career as a kicker for the New York Nighthawks. At thirty-two, I probably seemed ancient in this sport to most people, but traditionally, kickers had a much longer career in professional football.
Even when my cousin, Carrie, asked me to be the guardian for her daughters should something happen to her, it never crossed my mind that I would actually end up a single father. We hadn’t been all that close, but we’d stayed in touch, and I saw her at some holiday gatherings at my parents' house. Especially since they both still lived in my hometown in Upstate New York. We were really the only family Carrie had left. According to my mom, her ex-husband’s family was nothing but trouble. And her ex was the worst—an addict, a drunk, and a conman.
My sisters were only eighteen at the time, so I was the most logical choice, and it hadn’t hurt that I was loaded. I’d agreed, assuming it was just a formality and nothing would come of it. But five months later, I received a call from my cousin’s lawyer informing me that she’d passed away. Apparently, she’d been battling breast cancer and hadn’t told anyone.
Suddenly, I was faced with either breaking my promise—which would make me no better than her ex—or becoming a parent overnight. I chose the latter. I was terrified, but the moment the case worker showed up on my doorstep, and I looked into the pretty hazel eyes of those little girls, they had me wrapped around their tiny fingers. I knew instantly they were my daughters.
It was a tough adjustment, but my twin sisters were amazing. As soon as they graduated high school, they moved into the guesthouse of the home I bought out on Long Island to share the job of nanny—between college classes. One of the main reasons I’d chosen this place was because of the guesthouse. It gave them their own space, but they were only a minute away if the girls needed them.
My girls and I had been together for three months, and every day, I loved them more and was so grateful to be their dad. I made sure we talked about their mom so they wouldn’t forget her. At some point, Cassidy seemed to realize that we didn’t talk about her father and asked me if I was her daddy. I tried to explain the situation, but I wasn’t sure if she really understood. And it didn’t matter because then she asked if I would be her daddy. I wasn’t too proud to admit that I got choked up and nodded. Then I nearly let a few tears slip out when she hugged me and said, “I love you, Daddy.”
“It’s not really for school,” Iris said with a laugh, bringing me back to the present. My sister stood from the couch, and I chuckled when I saw that she was covered in stickers. “She’s too big for a diaper bag, so I got a backpack for all the stuff we haul around, especially to play dates.”
“Smart,” I replied. “Auntie Iris sure looks pretty, Cassidy,” I whispered to her conspiratorially. “Did you do that?”
“Yes!” she shouted and clapped again. “So pretty!”
“Nice job, sweet cheeks.” I winked and gave her another hug before setting her on her feet. “Want to help me with dinner?”
Rose, my other sister, strolled into the room and opened her arms wide as she crouched down. “Run hug!” she bellowed. Cassidy screamed with delight and took off, then she collided with her aunt, and they both went tumbling backward in a heap of giggling limbs.
“Rose and I are headed to the school for a freshman thing.” Both girls had applied for and been accepted into an early admission program, so they’d started classes a few weeks ago. “Are you sure you’ll be okay tonight?” Iris regarded me doubtfully, and I frowned.
“Hey,” I grumbled. “I’m their dad. I can take care of my girls.” In fact, since preseason training hadn’t started yet, I was around most of the time. They were just busting my chops as annoying little sisters like to do.
“We’ll see,” Rose snickered from behind me.
I rolled my eyes and waved at them as I picked up Daisy. “Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Iris gaped at me. “That’s not fair. You don’t do anything…ever. You’re like a monk.”
“Monks don’t have kids,” I stated.Thin argument, Ellis. Paper thin.
“Whatever,” she huffed. Then they both flitted around to kiss all of our cheeks and say goodbye.
After making dinner, we played hard in the backyard until it began to get dark. I gave both girls a bath, then we snuggled up on my bed and read stories while Daisy had another bottle. When bedtime came, Cassidy protested as I carried her to her room, but the minute I laid her on her bed, she was out. Daisy had fallen asleep as well, so I put her in her crib in the next room.
Armed with both monitors, I grabbed a shower and crawled into bed where I collapsed in an exhausted heap. Team workouts had nothing on chasing and playing with two energetic munchkins.
The ringing of my cell phone woke me the next morning, and I pried one eye open to look at the time. “Shit,” I muttered when I saw it was after seven and the house was silent. Either a miracle had happened and Cassidy was still asleep, or she was roaming the house by herself. It was too quiet for that to mean anything except trouble.
My phone continued to ring, and I picked it up as I climbed out of bed. “Hello?” After answering, I padded silently into the hall and down a few doors to peek into Cassidy’s room. I sighed in relief when I saw she was still asleep but was even more annoyed at Thom.
“Roan? Are you there?”
