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Nik tried to remember some of the fairy tales from his childhood. He lowered his voice and tried to sound powerful, but not threatening. “I won’t let you run off with the princess, brave knight. She has been promised to me. I challenge you to a duel. Winner gets to keep the princess.” Nik held his breath as he waited to see what Ava would do. Had he said the right thing?
Ava cocked her head as if trying to decide whether his offer was a trick. The movement made her ponytail swing, and her nose wrinkled adorably as she thought.
“Oh, you must save me from this terrible wizard,” Jules begged Ava.
“I will,” Ava promised. “Wizard, get ready!” Suddenly, she charged at him, tackling him around the legs, the force almost knocking him over.
With a groan, he fell over onto the nearby sofa, his wand clattering to the floor. “You attacked without warning! You gave me no chance to prepare.”
Ava grinned at him and picked up his wand. “If you were really magic, you could have stopped me. Now I can free the princess.” She returned to Jules and finished tugging the ropes off her wrists. “The evil queen will never hurt you again,” she said solemnly.
Ava’s easy acceptance of his participation in her game thrilled him. It was a positive start to their time together today.
Jules pulled Ava into a hug. “Thank you for saving me, brave knight. However can I repay you?”
“One cookie, please.”
Nik hid a smile. Ava had the making of a born negotiator.
Jules laughed and hugged her again. “A cookie sounds like an excellent reward. Maybe while we watch a movie?”
Ava nodded. “Can I pick the movie?”
“Sure, but before you do, I want to introduce you to someone.” Jules tugged Ava over to where Nik sat on the sofa. Nik was trying to pull himself together, hiding just how much being with her and Ava was affecting him. This moment had shown him what their life could be like, and he wanted it, but he didn’t want to scare Jules with the intensity of his feelings.
“Ava, honey, this is Nik. He’s a friend of mine from a long time ago. He’s also your daddy.” Jules was trying to look relaxed, but the lines around her eyes and mouth and the tension in her shoulders told Nik just how hard this was for her. Jules wanted this meeting to go well too.
Ava’s eyes grew wide, and she looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. “I have a daddy? You told me he went away before I was born.”
Nik nodded slowly. He desperately wanted to hug the little girl standing next to him, but he held back, not sure how she was handling this news. It broke his heart to think she believed he hadn’t wanted her. She was so young, but she would have known she was different from some of her friends, not having a father. He would do everything possible to make her understand he would never abandon her, that she could always count on him.
“Your mom told you the truth. I did go away, because I didn’t know about you. I came back as soon as I found out. I’m very happy to meet you, Ava.”
Ava was biting her lip, looking up at him. “Can I call you Daddy?”
A shiver went up his spine, sparking a joy he’d never experienced before. “If you want to.”
Ava’s nod was tentative. “I think so. Will you stay and watch a movie with us? And have cookies?”
“I’d like that.” Nik’s heart beat faster as Ava jumped up on the couch beside him. She settled near him, close enough that he could smell the scent of her baby shampoo but not quite touching him. It was more than enough for him for now. He tried to focus as Ava began talking about which Disney movie they should watch.
“I’ll go get us some snacks; then we can watch the movie,” Jules said, her voice thick with emotion. Nik barely noticed as she left the basement, wrapped up in Ava’s every word.
* * *
“I’ll be backto see you tomorrow after I finish work,” Nik promised Ava.
“M’kay. See you tomorrow, Daddy.”
Jules stood in the doorway to Ava’s bedroom, her chest tight as she watched Nik kiss Ava’s forehead. She had already said good night, then stepped back to allow Nik a small bit of privacy to say his own goodbyes to Ava. The new stuffed unicorn sat on the bed beside her, almost as big as she was. Ava had adored the gifts Nik had bought her. The entire day had gone better than Jules could have dreamed, and she was happy about that. She was. She just couldn’t shake the sense that something was going to go wrong.
Jules led him down the hall towards the living room, trying to figure out what to do next. She was exhausted, but they should really talk about how the day had gone. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Jules blurted out. “We should talk.”
Nik touched her shoulder, as softly as a butterfly wing, but it set off electric shocks all through her body. She turned to look up at him.
“I would love coffee, but we’ve all had a long day, and I still have some work to get done tonight. I’m going to head back to the hotel.”
She should be relieved, but there was still a small pang of disappointment at his refusal. Before she could respond, Nik had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.
