AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her blue eyes blink open. She stares at her grandpa, confused.
“Come talk to your daddy,” my dad repeats, helping her sit up.
Alessa rubs her eyes with the back of her hand. She glances at the screen and her face instantly lights up as she sees me. “Daddy!”
A warm smile spreads across my face as I look at her, a tiny and adorable bundle of joy. "Hey there, little one." I say, using the endearing nickname that my dad always calls her. "I heard you had a rough night. Are you feeling better now?" My heart swells with love, and I can't help but feel grateful to be on the call and talk with her in this moment.
She pouts. The sad puppy look in her eyes makes me want to give everything up and go running to her. “You didn’t come home. You promised you’d come home.”
“I didn’t say I was going to come home last night, baby.” Sadness ripples through me because I know how sad she’ll be when I tell her I won’t be coming home today either. Not even tomorrow or the day after.
“Will you come home today?” she asks.
I want to give her some sort of hope. Instead, I say, “Daddy will be away for a while, baby. He’s got work to do.”
She takes the phone from her grandpa and rests her back on the headboard. “Are you going to save the world again, Daddy?”
Shit.
I blink away the tears welling in my eyes and bob my head. “Yes, Daddy’s going to save the world. I’m sorry I can’t come home today.”
Tears brim in her eyes, but my brave little girl doesn’t cry. She sticks up her pinky finger. “Promise you’ll be back soon.”
I stick up mine. “I promise.”
I have to come back. I can’t die out there when I have her waiting for me.
She puts on a loving smile. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, baby. Now give Grandpa the phone.”
She returns the phone to my dad.
“Hey, son.” He steps out of her room so she doesn’t hear our conversation. “Be safe out there. We’ll be waiting for you.”
I know they will. “But just in case, look after Alessa for me.”
“We got her, son. We got her.”
The fear in my old man’s eyes completely shatters me. It’s a struggle to keep it together. I don’t call my mom before my missions. She’s too emotional and always bursts into sobs. My brother, on the other hand, always tries to stop me from leaving. “Tell Mom I love her, and tell Spencer not to touch my cruiser. I’ll kill him if he does.”
“I’ll tell your Mom. Spencer doesn’t listen so I doubt telling him will do much.”
We both chuckle.
I whip my head to the window when someone knocks on it. Nathan signals for me to get out of the car.
“I gotta go, Dad.” I hang up, take out my car keys, and climb out of the car. “Hey, man.”
Nathan’s already in his full Navy working uniform. He takes a step back, planting his hands on his hips as I open the door and slide out of the car.
“What’s up?”
He tsks, his cheeks bright red. I immediately recognize the mischievous look in his eyes. “Man, I was having a morning round when the text came in. I’m fucking pissed.”
Right. Nathan is that guy that would go home with a new girl every night. I’m that guy too. Was, until I met Anya. I worried that no girl would ever make me feel the way she did.
“Good for you.” I lock the car door and we both start strolling toward the tall, highly guarded, camouflaged building looming ahead of us.
