ShopDreamUp AI ArtDreamUp
Deviation Actions
Literature Text
CHAPTER 4: Bedtime Memory
~~~~~
That night when everyone passed out on the deck from partying or drinking too much, Aaron found his daughter sleeping against Maya, cuddled in her arms on the floor. He smiled, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her off to bed. When he placed her down on the sheets, she opened her eyes.
“Is that party over?” She asked is a soft tired tone.
He nodded. “Yeah, party’s over kiddo.”
“It was fun.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” He pulled back the sheets. “But it’s late and it’s time for bed.”
She rolled over and grumbled. “I’m a pirate. Pirates don’t have bedtimes.”
“Oh yes you do. You may be a pirate now, but you’re still my 10-year-old daughter. Now get into bed.”
She slumped under the sheets with her eyes closed and wearing an expression that showed she didn’t want to sleep yet. “Fine.”
He laughed. “Sorry, not until you’re older.” He pulled up the comforter to cover up to her neck and sat on the bed beside her.
She felt him staring at her and she opened her eyes to meet his. “I’ll fall asleep, I promise.”
He just smiled. “Do you know how proud I am of you for today?”
She giggled. “Yes. I’m glad to be a pirate like you now. We’re the same, daddy!”
“Yeah, but you know your mother wouldn’t have approved of this.”
She sat up, hugging her knees. “Did mom not want me to be a pirate?”
“Well, no. Not exactly.”
“But she liked you being a pirate.”
He chuckled. “True. She fell in love with a pirate and I could never understand why.”
“I think I know.”
“Oh you do? Why then?”
“Because you’re a great pirate and the best dad.”
He pinched her nose. “Thanks, sweetpea. You know, you have her recklessness and ambitious behavior.”
“I do?”
“Yeah. I see so much of her in you.”
“How come you don’t have a picture of mom?”
He stopped for a moment, his smile fading. “Well, I want a picture of your mom, but seeing her face would make me feel sad.”
“Why?”
“Well, I loved your mom very much. And when she... went away, I didn’t want to go through that pain again.”
“But you still love her right?”
“With all my heart.” He leaned in with their noses touching. “Just like I love you with all my heart. Now get to bed.”
She laid back down against the mattress, but she kept staring up at him. “Do you think mom would’ve liked me?”
His heart skipped a beat. “Why on Earth would you say something like that?”
“Well, you said she wouldn’t want me to be a pirate. Do you think she’d be ok if I became a pirate because I wanted to be like you?”
He smiled, touched by the sweetest words from a child’s lips. “Of course she would. She’d be proud of you no matter what you did.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now stop talking about it. You need to go to bed, it’s late.”
“But–“
“If you stay up, I’m going to wake you up at the crack of dawn and make you scrub the deck while you watch the sun come up.”
She quickly pulled the comforter over her head and shook it. “No no!! I’ll sleep!”
He laughed. “Good. Then sleep in and catch up on your sleep. No more late nights for you in a long while, ok?”
She pulled down the comforter just enough to reveal her eyes. “Ok boss.”
“That’s a good girl.” He got up and went to her door and turned off the lights. “Good-night, Jenka.”
“Night dad. I love you.”
He blew her a kiss. “Love you too, sweetpea.”
As soon as he closed the door and turned around he jumped back, finding Maya standing right behind him.
“She in bed?”
He nodded, holding his chest as he tried getting a normal pulse again. “Yeah, she’s in bed.”
“You’re a little jumpy there, captain. Everything alright?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She knelt her head. “Because Jenka brought up your wife again.”
He paused for a moment, finding the moment awkward. “Y-yeah. She’s just curious since she never knew her.”
“You know, she would’ve made a fine mother to her. You must be really proud.”
“Heh heh. I am. I just wish she could’ve been here, you know? To see her baby grow up.”
Maya hugged herself, as if she was cold. “You’re doing a fine job raising her by yourself, captain. She really idolizes you.”
“Heh. You’re one to talk. You know as Jenka grows up, she looks to you more and more everyday as a mother figure. Did you know that?”
“I-I did... she’s a very open child.”
“Just like her mother was.”
“Captain?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
He patted her shoulder and smiled. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Her death was not as horrible as you think.”
“But I–“
He shook his head. “I’m fine, Maya. Thank you for your concern. Jenka needs us and going on like this will teach her how to make it in this cold world. Just keep teaching her what you know.”
“I swear I’m not trying to take the place of her mother, captain. She just comes to me for comfort and advice sometimes.”
“Maya, stop. You’re just being a good friend and doing what you think is right. I know you’re not trying to replace her mother, but I’m glad someone’s acting like one for her.”
With that, he smiled and left to his quarters, leaving Maya in the hallway holding herself.
“Thank you, Captain...” She whispered.
~~~~~
That night when everyone passed out on the deck from partying or drinking too much, Aaron found his daughter sleeping against Maya, cuddled in her arms on the floor. He smiled, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her off to bed. When he placed her down on the sheets, she opened her eyes.
“Is that party over?” She asked is a soft tired tone.
He nodded. “Yeah, party’s over kiddo.”
“It was fun.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” He pulled back the sheets. “But it’s late and it’s time for bed.”
She rolled over and grumbled. “I’m a pirate. Pirates don’t have bedtimes.”
“Oh yes you do. You may be a pirate now, but you’re still my 10-year-old daughter. Now get into bed.”
She slumped under the sheets with her eyes closed and wearing an expression that showed she didn’t want to sleep yet. “Fine.”
He laughed. “Sorry, not until you’re older.” He pulled up the comforter to cover up to her neck and sat on the bed beside her.
She felt him staring at her and she opened her eyes to meet his. “I’ll fall asleep, I promise.”
He just smiled. “Do you know how proud I am of you for today?”
She giggled. “Yes. I’m glad to be a pirate like you now. We’re the same, daddy!”
“Yeah, but you know your mother wouldn’t have approved of this.”
She sat up, hugging her knees. “Did mom not want me to be a pirate?”
“Well, no. Not exactly.”
“But she liked you being a pirate.”
He chuckled. “True. She fell in love with a pirate and I could never understand why.”
“I think I know.”
“Oh you do? Why then?”
“Because you’re a great pirate and the best dad.”
He pinched her nose. “Thanks, sweetpea. You know, you have her recklessness and ambitious behavior.”
“I do?”
“Yeah. I see so much of her in you.”
“How come you don’t have a picture of mom?”
He stopped for a moment, his smile fading. “Well, I want a picture of your mom, but seeing her face would make me feel sad.”
“Why?”
“Well, I loved your mom very much. And when she... went away, I didn’t want to go through that pain again.”
“But you still love her right?”
“With all my heart.” He leaned in with their noses touching. “Just like I love you with all my heart. Now get to bed.”
She laid back down against the mattress, but she kept staring up at him. “Do you think mom would’ve liked me?”
His heart skipped a beat. “Why on Earth would you say something like that?”
“Well, you said she wouldn’t want me to be a pirate. Do you think she’d be ok if I became a pirate because I wanted to be like you?”
He smiled, touched by the sweetest words from a child’s lips. “Of course she would. She’d be proud of you no matter what you did.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now stop talking about it. You need to go to bed, it’s late.”
“But–“
“If you stay up, I’m going to wake you up at the crack of dawn and make you scrub the deck while you watch the sun come up.”
She quickly pulled the comforter over her head and shook it. “No no!! I’ll sleep!”
He laughed. “Good. Then sleep in and catch up on your sleep. No more late nights for you in a long while, ok?”
She pulled down the comforter just enough to reveal her eyes. “Ok boss.”
“That’s a good girl.” He got up and went to her door and turned off the lights. “Good-night, Jenka.”
“Night dad. I love you.”
He blew her a kiss. “Love you too, sweetpea.”
As soon as he closed the door and turned around he jumped back, finding Maya standing right behind him.
“She in bed?”
He nodded, holding his chest as he tried getting a normal pulse again. “Yeah, she’s in bed.”
“You’re a little jumpy there, captain. Everything alright?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She knelt her head. “Because Jenka brought up your wife again.”
He paused for a moment, finding the moment awkward. “Y-yeah. She’s just curious since she never knew her.”
“You know, she would’ve made a fine mother to her. You must be really proud.”
“Heh heh. I am. I just wish she could’ve been here, you know? To see her baby grow up.”
Maya hugged herself, as if she was cold. “You’re doing a fine job raising her by yourself, captain. She really idolizes you.”
“Heh. You’re one to talk. You know as Jenka grows up, she looks to you more and more everyday as a mother figure. Did you know that?”
“I-I did... she’s a very open child.”
“Just like her mother was.”
“Captain?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
He patted her shoulder and smiled. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Her death was not as horrible as you think.”
“But I–“
He shook his head. “I’m fine, Maya. Thank you for your concern. Jenka needs us and going on like this will teach her how to make it in this cold world. Just keep teaching her what you know.”
“I swear I’m not trying to take the place of her mother, captain. She just comes to me for comfort and advice sometimes.”
“Maya, stop. You’re just being a good friend and doing what you think is right. I know you’re not trying to replace her mother, but I’m glad someone’s acting like one for her.”
With that, he smiled and left to his quarters, leaving Maya in the hallway holding herself.
“Thank you, Captain...” She whispered.
Suggested Collections
Comments7
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Great stuff! ^_^ *continues reading*