The Mafia, His Troublemaker, and Their Daughter

Chapter 2: Her Daughter

Ivy’s P.O.V.

All the way, along the way, there are differences between the two sound alike phrases, just like how people's lives could look so the same but you never know the deepest pain if you don't dive into their lives. You can't just get in someone else's life if you are shallow enough, you need to be strong and firm in making decisions that can make you beat the life struggles that have been always hindering you to do better--achieve more.

I was preparing our breakfast when I heard the steps of my daughter. She probably just woke up. I looked in her direction and when she saw me looking at her, she immediately smiled.

“Good morning mommy,” she greeted me and come near me to give me a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning love, how was your sleep?” I asked her as she walked towards the dining chair.

“It was so fine mom, I didn’t have any nightmares,” she as she giggled, I can’t control myself but smile. She was just seated in the dining chair while waiting for me to finish preparing our breakfast.

“Mommy will you send me to school today?” she suddenly asked while scratching her eyes.

“Yes, love, mommy-grandma is at the hospital today to take care of daddy-grandpa, until weekends so I’ll be the one to fetch and drop you at your school,” I answered while getting plates from the shelves and putting them on the dining table.

“Really?” My daughter’s eyes widened and I smiled at her.

“Of course love.”

“I thought you are, busy mom?”

“I can handle my schedule love, you don’t have to worry about mommy.”

“Okay.”

We both eat our breakfast while chitchatting. We took a shower. And I drove her all the way to her school and drop her there.

“Aw, you are really a big baby,” I told her daughter as I fixed her uniform, I never imagined she’ll be this pretty when she grew up, her eyes really resemble her dad’s eyes, even her nose, and lips, she only got the color of my hair, so unfair. My daughter just smiled at me so I pinched her cheek

“Hm, thank you for dropping me by mommy, take care of your work.”

“I will. Study well, hmm?”

“Yes mommy, bye,” my daughter waved to me and run around their school, probably looking for her friend Liana.

I just all the way to my working area. It was such a happy Thursday, I guess?

In the middle of me working and checking papers I suddenly receive a call.

“Yes?”

“What? My daughter? What happened to her?”

“Fever! Oh my gosh! Don’t worry nurse I am on my way.”

Worriedly I drove my car all the way to the hospital. Once I arrived there the scene of her and her father is what I have seen. Oh my gosh! What is he doing here? I am literally sweating even this room was fully air-conditioned, I need to calm down. So I breathed before clearing my throat to get their attention.

“Hi mommy!” my daughter greeted me and Liam looks at me too, seems like he was stunned to see me too.

“Hi love, how are you?” I asked her.

“I am fine now mommy, don’t worry mister Liam, accompanied me here,” she said as she smiled at me.

“Uhm, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He suddenly became silent, but I don’t care about him, after all, he is still a walking angel in disguise. I focused on checking and talking to my daughter asking her what happened and everything. The nurse went inside to check on Ciara.

“Mr. & Mrs.—”

“We’re not,” I cut her off.

“Ow, sorry ma’am, but are you the mother?”

“Yes.”

“Okay sorry, she’s fine now ma’am maybe tomorrow you can go home already, just ask Dra later,” she said and excused herself.

“You heard that?” I asked my daughter and she nodded.

“Ivy…” Liam called me so I look back at him.

“Uhm…nothing, never mind.”

We suddenly became silent while my daughter is eating fruits, he might buy those for her. Hmm, maybe I should pay him, but I don’t have cash today, maybe tomorrow.

“Mommy you know what mister Liam accompanied me here because I suddenly had a fever,” Ciara explained for the second time.

“I am sorry love, I didn’t check on you a while ago, sorry,” I apologized to her, I feel so sorry and ashamed I didn’t even notice that she has a fever.

“It’s okay mommy, I have no fever already, and I am full, thank you to mister Liam,” Liam smiled at her when she said that, while I got so awkward about him and my daughter’s interaction. Luckily Ciara changed to another topic then she told me that she feels sleepy.

“I didn’t know that you married a man who’s away from both of you,” Liam told me while I was peeling the apple, his question suddenly made me confused, like how on earth, and where on earth did he get those pieces of information?

“Uhm, yeah,” I just answered shortly, afraid that I could spill the reality.

“Congratulations, I hope he is taking care of her,” he added as he looks at Ciara

“Of course, he loves Ciara, anyways how did you end up here?” I asked him again, I am just curious why is he here in New York, do they have a target here, that’s why he’s here. We are already sitting on the sofa since Ciara is now peacefully sleeping.

“Uhm, she bumped at me while she was running around the school, and when I sent her to the school’s clinic the nurse told me that she had a fever, she then added that she needs to be hospitalized, she will be left alone here so I initiated to stay with her,” Liam explained and I nodded.

“Thanks, and sorry for the trouble,” I told him and he just smiled at me.

“Always been, just for you,” huh? What was that, is he flirting with me?

Liam stayed until the next day, he told me that he wants to see Ciara feeling well, before leaving. That was just a simple gesture of him, a simple kindness of him makes me weak, f**k he just touched my heart. ‘Only if you really wanted her in your life.’ I told myself as I watch them talk and laugh with each other, they look so cute, I feel like I want to capture the moment, so I did.

“Good job Ciara, you take your medicines and vitamins!” the doctor complimented Ciara and she giggled.

“Well, mister Liam gave me those,” she answered and giggled again.

“Doc, how was she?” I asked her when she is already done checking Ciara.

“She’s fine now Ivy, don’t worry, later today or early tomorrow you can get home,” The doctor answered me.

“Thanks, doc.”

“By the way, did he already know?” the doctor asks me and I shook my head.

“Hm, be careful Ivy, fate might play on you, and you might get hurt,” she warned me, f**k, she is not helping. She just left me overthinking things. what if Liam will know the truth? What will happen to me and Ciara? Will he use his power to get her from me, no way! f**k! I won’t let him get my child!

When I opened the door, I saw Ciara giggling with Liam, Damn she’s so happy. I took out my phone again and captured the moment. I only see my daughter laugh like that again, she is genuinely happy. I am guilty. But I won’t risk our lives. Never!

“Uh, Liam, the doctor said we can go home tomorrow morning.”

“Really? That’s great, Ciara is such a good kid,” he answered “Good job!” as he looks at Ciara.

“I guess I need to go now, I still have work, so it’s a goodbye, for now, Ciara?” Liam asks Ciara softly. Damn, he sounds as if he was an angel!

“Thanks, mister Liam,” Ciara answered giggling.

“Thank you, Liam,” I told him awkwardly.

When Liam finally leaves, I saw how Ciara’s moods changes, from happy to sad, from a giggling child to a bookworm.

“Love?” I tried to get her attention.

“Mommy…”

“You look so happy a while ago, why so?”

“Mommy I’m sorry I know mister Liam is a stranger but I always feel safe with him, that’s why I love playing with him, and he told me, mommy, he will leave New York now,” she with a sad face.

“So?”

“Mommy, aren’t you mad at me?”

“No, of course not, anyways I saw how happy you are a while ago.”

“Uhm, mommy I am shy to tell you but, I am longing for a father, it’s been seven years,”

“Sorry,” I apologized, I am so guilty right now, seems like I was never been a good mom to her, and she still longed for a father. I think I failed, as her mom.

“I will find a daddy for you, I will talk to him, I promise,” f**k that hurts, how can I talk to him again, especially about her, when he doesn’t want a daughter?

“Really mommy?” her eyes were so bright I can sense how excited she is.

“Of course! For you,” It will be hard, but I will try.

For my daughter, my pride will be set aside.

I spent the next few days juggling my responsibilities – work, caring for Ciara, and the promise I had made to her. Every spare moment was devoted to researching and considering potential candidates who could fill the role of a father figure in her life. It wasn't a task I took lightly. After all, I needed to ensure that anyone I introduced to Ciara was trustworthy and genuinely cared for her.

During that time, Liam's unexpected presence continued to linger in my thoughts. His kindness and concern for Ciara had caught me off guard. While our history was complex and our paths had diverged drastically, I couldn't deny the impact he had on my daughter. And even on me.

Late one evening, after putting Ciara to bed, I found myself scrolling through the photos on my phone. There were candid shots of Ciara laughing, her joy evident in every frame. And then there was the photo I had taken of her and Liam together in the hospital room – a moment of connection that had warmed my heart.

I hesitated for a moment, my finger hovering over the screen. With a deep breath, I sent him the photo, along with a short message: "Thank you for being there for Ciara."

Almost immediately, his response came through: "She's a special kid. She deserves all the happiness in the world."

The simplicity of his words struck a chord within me. It was a reminder that, despite our past, our shared priority was Ciara's well-being. Our conversations continued over the following days, focusing mainly on Ciara and her recovery. It was a delicate dance – trying to maintain a connection while keeping the walls around my heart intact.

As Ciara's health improved and we finally returned home, I found myself facing the reality of my promise to her. The prospect of bringing someone new into our lives was both daunting and exhilarating. I began to consider friends, acquaintances, and even some of the parents from Ciara's school. Each potential candidate was scrutinized not just for their compatibility with me, but also for their potential to form a meaningful bond with my daughter.

One evening, as Ciara was engrossed in her favorite book, I received a message from Liam. "How's Ciara doing? Is she back to her usual self?"

I smiled as I typed my response. "She's getting there. Thanks to her personal superhero."

"Tell her that her superhero says hi."

I turned to Ciara, her eyes glued to the pages of her book. "Hey, love, guess who says hi?"

"Who?" she looked up, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"Mister Liam."

Her face lit up with a smile. "Hi, mister Liam!"

As the days turned into weeks, my efforts to find a suitable father figure for Ciara intensified. Alongside that, my interactions with Liam grew more frequent. We began to share snippets of our daily lives – stories, jokes, and even some of our worries. It was an unexpected camaraderie, one that brought a sense of comfort I hadn't anticipated.

One evening, as Ciara was playing in her room, I found myself engrossed in a conversation with Liam. Our topics ranged from Ciara's love for art to our shared memories from years ago. It was during one of those moments that he asked a question that caught me off guard.

"Ivy, do you ever think about what could have been?"

I stared at his message, my heart pounding. It was a question I had wrestled with for years – a question I had buried deep within myself.

"I used to," I replied honestly. "But life had its own plans, and we had to move forward."

His response was quick, his words carrying a weight that echoed my own feelings. "Yeah, life has a way of surprising us."

As I looked at the screen, my mind raced through the years that had passed. The choices I had made, the challenges I had faced, and the promise I had made to my daughter. And in that moment, I realized that the path I had taken – no matter how different from what I had once imagined – had led me to where I was meant to be.

For Ciara's sake, for my own sake, and for the unpredictable journey that lay ahead, I was determined to embrace each step with an open heart and an unwavering commitment to creating the best life possible.

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