“Mama?” Rassa’s voice was soft and curious as she looked up at her mother. She liked to watch her mother work the dough and turn it into pretty shapes and sometimes even pretty colors.
“Yes sweetheart?” Sina hummed, keeping most of her focus on the dough as she kneaded it on the flour covered counter.
“There’s a day just for mama’s right?”
Sisina felt herself smile. “Yes, that was earlier this year. I liked your card very much.”
“If there’s a day for mommies, is there a day for daddies too?” Little feet clad in green slippers kicked back and forth, as she watched.
Her mother frowned a little, turning to look at her youngest child. “Yes, of course.”
Rassa tilted her head to the side, looking curious. “When is it? I wanna make something for Daddy.”
“Well it’s...” Sisina trailed off, her brow furrowing for a moment. “It’s uh...” A look of dawning horror on her face. “Sh-” she started to swear before looking at her baby. “shhhhugar snaps.” It didn’t exactly hold the same “oomph” but there were a lot of sacrifices that were made in becoming a parent. Swearing like a sailor was one. Those beautiful green eyes were staring at her and she sighed. “I’m sorry sweetie, I forgot. It’s already passed.”
“Mama!” Rassa complained indignantly.
“I know, I know, I’m so sorry sweetheart. I just... I forgot I’m so sorry.” It wasn’t like she’d normally needed to remember the date. Most of her children’s biological fathers hadn’t been in their lives very much. But with Ro back... How could she have forgotten? Had he been gone when the actual date had gone by? Had she just utterly blanked it out?
“Well we gotta fix it!” The little girl stood up on the chair, stomping her foot. She huffed as her mother scooped her up and set her on the ground.
“Don’t do that, you might fall.” Sina scolded before running her hand over her hair, sending a nice white streak of flour through it. Her daughter was right though, this wasn’t something she could just let be. Ro’liath hadn’t actually said anything about it but that didn’t mean that it shouldn’t and couldn’t be fixed. All that had to be done was a little planning...
Four days later, everything was ready. All of the children were on board and even Clissa seemed to look forward to doing something for the strange man who she’d come to know as a father figure of sorts. Kyre had taken Ro’liath to the market under the pretenses (and actual necessity) of getting groceries for their home.
On the table there was a small cake, decorated pristinely with little flowers and border work (Kyre and Clissa’s work respectively). The neatness of the decorations clashed with the much clumsier lettering on the top of the cake. Rassa had been very, very adamant that she get to write “We love you Daddy” on the top. The letters were all over the place and varied in size, but at least Clissa had made sure she spelled it right. In order to keep the peace between sisters, Sisina had made sure to watch over the creation.
The cake was the center point and around it lay the dinner. Ro’liath had a love of spicy foods so Sina had been sure to incorporate that into a meat stew she’d been making since she’d been old enough to see over the stove top. There was fresh greens, fresh bread, everything that she could think of. Everything was laid out perfectly and the multitude of cats that had come to reside at Hearthflame Bakery had been shooed out to ensure it stayed that way.
When Ro’liath set foot through the doorway, he was met with a loud “Surprise!” from his family and Kyre stood by his side grinning. It wasn’t a moment later that Rassa ran over to throw her arms around his waist and hug him, practically bouncing with her excitement. Even Clissa gave him a hug. And Sisina simply smiled as she watched her little ones hug and, in Rassa’s case, chatter at their father. She could always apologize later. For now she was just happy to see her love smiling so brightly, even as tears ran down his cheeks.
40. “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?” Ro and Clissa
Clissadara had only watched the strange pair for a moment. A hulking death knight playing with a tiny little elven girl. If there was one thing she couldn’t dispute it was that Ro’liath made her little sister smile and squeak with joy whenever he was around.
She jumped when he found her later.
“So, did I enter an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me back there?” He asked, voice bright as it could be in his undeath and teasing.
Clissa fishmouthed, staring up at him and half indignant. “I-!” She started before snapping her mouth shut. He got her back by way of answer as she continued sweeping. “... You make her happy when you don’t have to. I like seeing her smile, that’s all.”
“Don’t you ever do that again!” Ro’s voice shook as much as his body as he held the little girl aloft. Rassa’s eyes were wide in surprise before they filled with tears and she started to cry.
Clissa and Kyre both rounded the corner at the same time, alarmed by the yelling. Ro’liath didn’t yell much, if ever that they could remember.
“Leave her alone!”
“What happened?”
The two older siblings’ voices ran together as they rushed over, Clissa holding her arms out for her little sister. She was the last hold out in her family, still so suspicious of the large death knight that visited so often. He brought such smiles to her family, such joy, but she believed that one day, he would leave and never return. After all, her own father had, why should he be any different? Add to the fact that Ro’liath was a death knight and she was still distrustful.
The large death knight looked torn as he held the child to him, trying to comfort both himself and Rassa. “She ran out into the street. If I hadn’t noticed, a horse would’ve trampled her.”
Kyre frowned, looking confused, but he believed his father. Ro’liath loved Rassa like she was just as much his own as Kyre was. Glancing at Clissa, he grasped one of her arms and lowered it. He hadn’t even tried to understand her suspicion of his biological father, hadn’t asked her about it. But he would now.
Sisina came out of the small bakery, eyes wide. “I heard yelling, what happened?”
