Page 97 of Claiming What's Mine

The first time she called me dad, I stopped in my tracks as my heart swelled and tears sat behind my eyes. It was something I'd never forget.

Bliss was sitting at the table, her eyes squinting as she read the back of the cereal box. Letting out a short giggle as she spooned another bite into her mouth, her words were unmistakable. “Hey Dad,” she said, her eyes never looking up, the word seeming to roll off her tongue with ease. “Why did the student eat his homework?”

I remember I stopped in the middle of the room, almost wondering if I heard her right. Before that I was either Jay or Jayden. Once she had called me Papa Jay, and Blue laughed out loud. But not Dad, not once had I been Dad.

Neither of us wanted to push Bliss to do something she might not be comfortable with. Yes, I wanted her to call me dad, but that was only if she wanted to. She was a child, a child who was suddenly face to face with the man who gave her life.

We left it up to her, giving her the choice to call me what she wanted to.

I sat in this silence, peering at her with twinkles in my eyes and my heart about to explode. That word had finally come out on its own, she had chosen to use it.

And I felt privileged to be her father.

Bliss lifted her face to mine, still chewing as she asked me again. “Dad, why did the student eat his homework?”

Dad. She actually called me dad.

“I don't know, why?”

“Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake!” Blurting out the answer, her head fell back as she laughed hysterically.

After that moment, she never called me anything else, I was just dad. And I loved it.

“Alright, you want to do it?” I asked, leaning on the handle of the sledge hammer like a cane. “You want to try and use this?”

Bliss nodded yes as Blue walked in behind her, carrying a tray of coffee. “Be careful,” she called out, setting the coffee down on the counter. “That thing is bigger than you are.”

Holding out her hands, Bliss wriggled her fingers for the sledge hammer. “Please, please, let me do it. I'm ready, gimme gimme gimme.”

“Alright, alright, calm down.” Holding the sledge hammer just out of her reach, I looked down at her as she tried to grab it. “Are you sure you want to try this? It's not as easy as it looks.”

“Yes, yes, let me try.” Her fingers wiggled faster, moving back and forth swiftly.

“And you know where to hit?”

“Yesssss.” Drawing out the word, her eyes were gaping as she tried to jump and snatch the hammer. “I can do it, Dad.”

“Bliss, you're not doing anything unless you listen to your father. He'll tell you how and you'll do what he says. You can really hurt yourself ,or someone else, if you're not following directions.”

“I know, I'm listening to him, Mom.” Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “It's not rock science you know.”

“Rock science?”

“Yeah, rock science.”

Blue smirked, nodding her head in agreement. “You know you're right, it's not rock science.” Her lips turned paper thin as she flicked her eyes to mine. “I guess she's got this.”

“Alright,” I said, lowering the handle so she could take it. “All you need to remember is hit it hard, and don't miss the wall.”

Bliss grinned as her thin fingers wrapped the wooden handle. Taking it with two hands, she attempted to lift it off the floor, but wasn't able to get it past her hip. Her small muscles popped in her arms, her face contorted and crinkled as she dug deep for every ounce of strength she had.

“Argh!” she grunted out as she swung the hammer. The head struck the wall, creating a large crack, but no hole. “Oh come on!,” yelling, she set the hammer down and pointed at the wall. “I hit it so hard and it didn't break.” Dropping into a chair, she looked so disappointed.

“Don't worry, that happens. You can try again after, there are a lot of walls coming down.” Taking the hammer back, I leaned it against the wall and walked over to Blue. Wrapping her in a hug, I kissed her softly. “Hello, Lovely, thanks for the coffee.”

“It wasn't my idea, it was this one's.” Glancing down at her belly, she cupped the growing bump. “He decided he wanted a caramel mocha swirl, with two sugars and an extra shot of caramel.”

Blue was five months pregnant with our son, but we hadn't decided on a name yet. We knew his middle name would be Greg after her father, but his first name hadn't come to us yet.

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