Seeing you again

Chapter 21

Matt's POV
Today is Saturday. It's one of these days that I get to sit back, relax and spend the day with my daughter, except she isn't here right now, she's at her "real" father's place.

I'm not mad about it. Really! I'm not......much.

Okay so maybe I'm a little upset that Fran made plans to be at her dad's, she's just been spending a lot of time there, she tries to make me go with her to make me feel included a lot of the time, but I feel like she's kind of slipping away from my fingers, maybe I'm just not used to sharing her.

I just miss her, is that so wrong?

And because I miss her I call her, when she doesn't pick up, I take a deep breath and try to call....her dad.

I really don't want to do that.

Don't get me wrong, Zachary is a nice guy, a great guy even. I just feel a bit awkward talking to him. But I want to check up on my girl so I suck it up and call his phone number.

He picks up after the third ring.

"Hello?" I hear at the other end of the line.

I clear my throat and start speaking.

"Uh hey Zachy!". Zachy?!? the fuck did I just say?!?

I was met with silence, silence was all I heard for a good 10 seconds.

Can the ground open up and swallow me please?

"Matt?" I finally hear Zachy- I mean ZACHARY say at the other end of the line. Why the hell am I so nervous talking with him? I was fine the last time at dinner, well that was until- anyways.

I clear my throat once again. "Yeah yeah" I say chuckling awkwardly, God this is so embarrassing. "It's me".

"Oh" he says, I hear some shuffling in the background, like he's moving around some papers. "What can I do for you?"

"Um yeah I was just checking in, seeing how Francisca was doing?" I say but it comes out as a question.

Before he could respond I added "She wasn't answering her phone". To clarify why I was calling him.

I hear a small laugh at the end of the line coming from Zachary and from some reason it makes me a bit more nervous. "She's upstairs with Dan in his room I think, she is probably occupied with something and didn't hear you call". He says.

I nod even though he can't really see me.

I clear my throat...again and say "yeah right, that makes sense".

I hear chuckling at the end of the line and then Zach starts talking, "say, what don't you come over? we're going to have launch in about two hours or so."

My eyes widen in surprise "really? I don't know about that, I wouldn't want to impose on.." i trail off.

I wouldn't want to impose on your family time.

"You wouldn't be imposing at all, you're family". He says. As though he could read my thoughts.

And that, what he just said, made me feel all warm inside. I could've never imagined that I would feel like that because of my late wife's ex husband.

Zachary's POV

I hang up the phone after speaking with Matthew.

He's a good man, a bit weird at times but I can see how much he loves my daughter, and how much she loves him.

I suppose to some extent, I'm glad that if Francisca had to be away from me, that she was with someone like Matthew.

I sigh.