He lead them to the stairs and said, “We’ll make it ten times better than it was and a thousand times better than it is now.”
“Yeah? Can I help?”
He held still on top of the stairs as he stared in awe at his daughter. He hadn’t even thought about the possibility of working side by side on their home.
He hugged her close, his voice trembling as he said, “You’ve just made me the happiest dad in the world, Fluff.”
Frankie looked up at him with a sad smile. “I’m happy, too. I hope Mommy—“
“I’m also happy, sweetie,” Tara said while joining them on the stairs.
Tara’s smile seemed genuine, and hope fluttered in Owen’s chest that buying this house had indeed been a good decision.
“Do you want to see your room?” he asked Frankie.
“I have a room? Yes!!” Frankie’s hand squeezed his as she jumped up and down on her spot.
Owen laughed so hard that it felt like a weight lifted off his chest. He tried to decipher Tara’s facial expression, and hoped she cried out of happiness.
He lead the way to the second room on the left and held still before the closed bedroom door. “Are you ready?”
Frankie held out her hand for her mother to take. He felt instantly proud of his little girl that she purposely involved her mother in this moment.
“Now I’m ready,” Frankie said after her mother enclosed her hand around hers.
Owen’s gaze found Tara’s over the top of Frankie’s head. She had done a good job in raising their daughter. Even though he probably would never forgive her for what she’d done, he couldn’t deny that Frankie was brought up right. She was attentive and sweet like her mother and inquisitive and forward like her father.
“Pleaaase, open up the door already!”
Tara and Owen shared a laugh before he opened the door.
Frankie’s room was the first room he started on after buying this house. The only thing he knew at that time was that Frankie was a five-year-old girl. As he glanced inside the room, he felt uneasy at all the flashy pink elements.
After spending twenty-four hours with his daughter, he feared that Frankie was anything but the pink frills type of girl. She’d asked if she could help him build their home just minutes ago. His girl was bold and adventurous. Shit. She would definitely hate the girly pink princess bed and the unicorn shaped closet.
Frankie let go of his hand but held on to Tara’s hand. They stepped closer to the bed and held still in front of the hideous headrest shaped as a diamond crown.
Owen scratched the back of his head. “It’s okay if it’s not your style, Fluff. I can make something else for you…”
Tara must have read the panic in his voice as she said with watery eyes, “It’s absolutely gorgeous, Owen.”
“Yeah?”
Frankie finally turned around with tears in her eyes.
“Ah, shit,” he said before he went on his knees in front of his daughter.
“Come, here…”
Frankie jumped into his arms and hiccupped against his chest.
He kissed the top of her hair. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. We can make it just the way you want it. We’ll do it together.”
Frankie shook her head.
“Ah, come on… It would be fun. What would you like? Maybe a jungle theme?”
Frankie pulled her head back, scrunching up her nose.