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“Papa? Did you hear me?”
“Sorry, kiddo” He had to cough and clear his throat Blink his eyes a few ti like hell But it was just an itch, Matthijs thought forcefully, and nothing else He glanced at his daughter, now in the process of tucking herself in the bed “What was that you were asking?”
“Tell me a story Please?”
He gri he should’ve pretended he hadn’t heard anything instead “You’re only asking rumbled The brat kneas his least favorite fatherly duty, but just like her mother, it was also for that saht
“Papa, pleeeeeeeeease Please, please, please—”
He scowled “You think just because you’ve said please I’ to tell you a story?”
“Uh huh” And the ht after “Please, please, please Papa, please, please, please—”
“Alright, alright” Matthijs was torn between exasperation and pride, knowing that his daughter could have only inherited her cunning fro her up as he spoke, causing Tilda to giggle as he deposited her on the other side of the bed and had her bouncing against the mattress
Leaning against the headboard, he asked, “Any particular bedtime story you’d like me to ruin?”
In between giggles and twinkling dark eyes, she answered rather innocently, “Mama said one day she’d tell me how Grandpa went to heaven”
Fuck
“Do you know the story, Papa?”
“The question you should be asking is whether he really—”
“Matthijs” A warning threaded with helpless ahter turned to see the lovely Mrs de Graaf standing by the doorway, hands planted on her hips
“It’s possible he could’ve stopped by a McDonald’s first,” he drawled “That’s all I wanted to make clear”
“Uh huh”
“Ye of little faith,” he reed to bethe worst of me”
The words, however, only earned hi you doesn’t make me blind—” Her words ended in a shriek as Matthijs suddenly yanked her down and caused her to fall onto his lap
“Matthijs!” But her voice was breathless, and all the love in the world was shining in her eyes as she looked up at him
He kissed her on the nose, saying under his breath, “I love you”
Her expression softened, and she nuzzled up to him, a tactile response to his words I love you, too His chest eased, but there was still the slightest reluctance in hio and let her settle on the other side of the bed, their wide-eyed daughter sandwiched cozily between them