" mrs rice ?" The secretary of their sons school called .
"speaking" she says shortly , excusing herself from the meeting She was currently attending .
" we have Leo with us , it seems he's not been collected . Are yourself or your husband on the way ?" This statement struck a sense of surprise within her - Declan had promised he would collect the boy today .
" oh that's odd , my husband was planning to pick him up today . I'll head over now." She says , promptly hanging up and rushing to the school - hoping her boss would forgive her absence .
Soon enough her son was in the passenger seat as the pair of them rode home , he was awfully quiet - something rare when in the presence of a six year old .
" you okay little man ?" She asks , reaching across the car and stroking his head comfortingly .
" mummy , why doesn't daddy want to hang out with me any more ?"
The question broke her heart ; it was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes that since the birth of their baby girl , Delilah, Declan had drifted from his son .
The pair went from an adorable duo , to a somewhat neglectful relationship . His wife had prayed maybe Leo was too young or care free to grasp the absence of his father , but she'd clearly been mistaken .
"He does want to hang out with you baby , I promise . Daddy just gets very busy with work and training , but he loves you so much" she says softly .
The six year old merely returns to his silent daze , staring out of the window grumpily as the two of them finally arrive home .
" why don't we get you inside yeah ? It's a Friday , we can have a movie night !" She grins in hopes of cheering her son up .
He nods his head somewhat enthusiastically and follows the woman indoors. He clumsily runs up the stairs to change from his uniform , slamming his bedroom door a little harder than usual .
Coincidently , the front door whipped open at the same moment - revealing Declan holding their daughter tight to his chest .
" oh , hey darling . You're home early" he says , using his available hand to pull her in and place a kiss on her cheek .
" I got a call from Leo's school and had to leave work"
The man's face paled at the sound of his sons name , almost as if it was a reminder of what exactly he'd forgotten to do .
"Baby I'm sorry I -" he began pathetically but was soon interrupted by his wife .
"lilah needs a nap , I'll be back in a minute" she excuses herself and carry's their daughter upstairs .
Truthfully the baby wasn't in need of a nap for at least half an hour , but she knew she needed to remain level headed when approaching the topic of their son with Declan - and she was far from that .
" shh that's it baby girl , go to sleep" she soothed whilst leaning over the cot .
" mummy, Can we watch the movie now ?" Her sons voice sounded from the door
" of course darling , but first I need to speak to daddy so why don't you play with your Lego and have a think about what you might like to watch" she suggests , hoping he agrees.
" okay" he whisper shouts , not wanting to bother his younger sister who still lay in the crib.
Now that both of her children were accounted for , she could finally head downstairs to settle things with her husband .
What pained her most is that this conversation is not one that should ever need to be held . Declan was a good father - until he wasn't .
As soon as she was within sight , Declan began gushing to his wife . He knew he'd messed up bad this time .
" I'm so sorry okay ? It just slipped my mind because me and lilah were on a walk" he rambles.
" firstly , it's not me you owe an apology to . Secondly , your son should never slip your mind Declan." She firmly said .
" I know , trust me I do . I just wanted to spend some time with the baby"
" at your sons expense ? Dec , you and Leo used to be inseparable . Do you even have any idea how much your absence is effecting him ?" A pained expression crossed his face as the words left his loves lips . He'd let them down.
" do you want to know the truth ? I'm spending the most time with lilah because I'm scared she'll forget me." He breathed out .
" what are you on about ?" She asked bewildered .
" I leave a lot , and I hate it . International brake is coming up and if things go well I could be away for months ." He says , running a hand through his hair .
"I don't want her to forget who I am whilst I'm away , she's only a baby - it's possible" he finishes .
Silence loomed in the air after his confession . She had to admit it was a sweet motive , but there was still no excuse for what he'd unintentionally put their son through .
" so let me get this straight . You risked your relationship with your son so that you can make memories with your daughter ?"
" when you put it like that it sounds even worse . I never meant to upset Leo , I just wanted to be around Delilah some more before I leave ."
" okay , I understand . But Dec , he's distraught . He thinks you don't love him anymore"
" he thinks that ? Really ?" His voice trembles as sadness becomes evident on his face .
" just get up there and apologise . But first promise me you will treat them equally after this . Leo's still young too , he needs you around just as much"
Declan wasted no time in striding upstairs to apologise to his son . Sniffles and a tad of yelling could be heard from downstairs but she had faith they would work things out .
Twenty minutes later the two of them emerge back into the kitchen , with Leo wrapped around Declan's waist .
The little boys cheeks were tear stained but a smile was now prominent on his features , which reassured his mother greatly .
" we are going to watch cars , just us three" the little boy grinned at her as they settled in the lounge .
" that's right bud" Dec beams down at his pride and joy .
It was comforting to know that despite silly misjudgments along the way , Declan would always do anything for his little family . Parenting would never be easy - but at least he had a good partner to share life with .
___________________
I'm back !!! I hope you all enjoyed this one :)
This is a very long awaited request for the lovely
tsimikasisbae
