8 BRAND: A Day Closer to Losing Her

"Baby. Look at me." I plead and gently lift her chin up. "Please. I'm sorry. Whatever I did wrong, I'm sorry. Let's be friends again, ok? I miss you so much." I lean down and kiss her lips. "I love you, sweetheart. Come back to me."

Kissing lips is a practice that came naturally between us. A genuine thank you is equal to a kiss. A sorry is one kiss. A congratulations call for a kiss. We communicate every special emotion we have through that brief brush of our lips and we both love it.

Heather suddenly burst into a loud cry. Shocked, I suddenly jump away. She never makes a sound when she cries or laughs. This is her first time to be wailing really loud. And the pain I feel doubles. Shit! She'll be the death of me.

"Baby, what's going on?" I say and brush her hair, her shoulders and her cheeks, not really knowing what to do to stop her from crying.

"I don't want to be a burden to you, dad. I'm really sorry." Heather wipes her nose with her sleeve, unable to use her still injured hands.

"Baby, you'll never be a burden to me." I tell her, kissing her tears away before sipping her lips just so she stops making that awful crying noise.

Ok, maybe that last kiss was beyond the norm. I fucking stick the tip of my tongue inside her mouth without intending to. I draw away and press my mouth on her forehead and pause. I think we're both shocked at my audacity because Heather also stops crying. Shit!

I pull away and look her in the eyes. "You will never be a burden to me. Got it?"

As if still in trance, Heather just nods her head. My words for her are true. She can't be a burden to me. In fact, I think I actually miss those times when she's clinging to me when she's still a kid. I like her dependency on me, like I hold the moon for her.

As Heather matures, she's also slowly growing shy around me. She no longer sits on my lap on our single couch nor sleep with me on the same bed every night. When she turns fifteen, I get us a new house with three bedrooms. Our living room has a lot of chairs and more space for us which means distance between us. Every day she grows up is also a day closer to losing her.

The fact that Heather will one day leaves me squeezes my heart painfully. I know I can't keep her with me forever. Hell, she's never been mine to begin with. I'm just her ward and I'm bound to set her free by the time she turns eighteen which had been last year.

When I ask where she wants to go to college, Heather chose to stay and study at the near community college. I don't tell her otherwise because of personal motive. Because I honestly don't want her leaving me. At least I did let her choose. I think that's just enough.

I carefully carry her up into my bedroom, place her on my bed before returning downstairs to take her wheelchair. I also haul a few things from the car I manage to bring in the hospital and just leave them in the living room. I'll clean up later once I have Heather settle down.

"Why did you bring me here?" Heather asks with a frown.

"Until you can't get up on your own, you'll sleep with me."

"I don't want to sleep in your bed." She says rather coldly which has me taken aback.

"What is wrong with my bed?" I ask and take a glance at my bed. "Mine is bigger than yours. I don't want to sleep on the couch anymore, sweetheart." I add because I hate the pain on my back during those times I wake up in the hospital on an odd angle from sleeping on a stool.

"Can you just install something like an intercom so I can call out for you from my bedroom?" Heather suggests, still frowning on my bed as if it disgusts her.

"I'm not counting on that, baby. Besides I want a close monitor on you. So please. Please, sweetheart, we're both tired. Can we please not argue anymore. It's just a bed. We've shared a bed before back when you're still small. And I know." I hold up my hand when she's about to protest, probably telling me she's no longer a kid anymore. "I know you're grown up now. But our situation doesn't call for decency. You're sleeping in my bed. Period."

I help her settle on my bed, arrange pillows around her to make her comfortable. Once satisfied, I kiss her lips again, doing that thing with my tongue in her mouth once more. I hear her gasps but she doesn't say anything as I kiss her forehead next.

"Rest, baby." I say before leaving the room to prepare our first meal at home after almost a month being away.