"Why so early..." Drake asked as he looked at the time on his phone and sighed as he got up to answer the door, planning to chew out whoever was on the other side. He opened the door with a yawn and a look of confusion spread across his face when he saw the little girl with a small suitcase.
"Daddy!" She yelled happily, a big smile on her face, and Drake's mind raced trying to process what she had said before she handed him a letter, "Mommy said to give you this!"
"Alright..." Drake said as he took the letter from her, stepping out of the way so she could come inside, and his eyes widened as he read it.
'I'm sorry for how sudden this all is Drake, and I never wanted to hide her from you but there were reasons why I couldn't just tell you. I'll be there a few days after her and I promise I'll explain everything then. I love both of you dearly and I know you'll keep Rose safe. Love, Lilly.'
"Are you okay, Daddy?" She asked when she saw the serious look on his face and his expression softened as he nodded with a smile, "I'm sorry if I make you upset."
"It's not you, Rose. This is just a lot to take in." Drake told her as he kneeled in front of the couch, "Have you had anything to eat?"
"Not since I left Mommy's house." Rose told him as the smile returned and he patted her head before going into the kitchen, "Are you going to make breakfast?"
"Yeah. So, be a good girl and wait at the table, okay?" Drake said as he began to cook breakfast and he heard her little steps as she made her way to the table, "If you mom is Lilly then that should make you about six, right?"
"Yep! I'm six years old!" Rose told her happily as she watched him cook and he smiled when he heard her begin to hum to herself. He glanced at her as he skillfully worked the kitchen and knew he would be hard pressed to deny she was his just for her eyes and messy black hair alone. His crimson eyes were a rarity, even in his own family and the chances of Lilly being with somebody else with the exact same eyes as him in the time frame would be next to impossible.
"Here you go." Drake said as he set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her and sat down with his own across from her. She thanked him before quickly eating her and he couldn't help but watch her as he began to eat. She had better table etiquette than he did, but she definitely had his appetite and finished her food just as fast as he did.
"Daddy's cooking is really good!" Rose told him with a big smile as he picked up both of their plates and washed them in the sink, "A lot better than the cooks in Mommy's house!"
"Cooks?" Drake asked with a confused look as he placed the plates in the dish rack before thinking back to six years ago, "Oh yeah your mom did say something about her family having money. Is your mom's house big?"
"Yeah! It has a lot of rooms and a really big pool in the back!" Rose explained as she walked over to him, "Daddy's house is really nice too!"
"I'm glad you like it." He told her with a grin, but he couldn't figure out why she would send her here if they had that much money. He wasn't exactly hurting for cash himself, but he also wasn't expecting to suddenly have to take care of a child, and he was worried about letting his parents know about Rose as well.
"Daddy, do you miss Mommy?" Rose asked as he dried his hands off and Drake was taken by surprise by the sudden question, "She doesn't really talk about it, but I can tell she misses you a lot."
"I suppose I do, yeah. I haven't seen her in a really long time, and I do find myself thinking about her on occasion." Drake told her with a sigh as he turned on the TV for her and Rose watched him for a moment before turning to the TV. They both sat on the couch and Drake began to think back to when he and Lilly met. They had just bumped into each other on the way to class and everything spiraled from there. When she left without a word it took him a long time to refocus on his studies, but he never actually forgot about her and now her sudden departure makes more sense. She probably wasn't ready to be a mother and with both of them in school she must have left without really thinking about it.
"I'm happy I finally get to meet you, Daddy." Rose said in a quiet voice as she turned to look at him and he gave her a small grin as he gently put a hand on her head, "Grandpa used to tell me stories about you and you sounded super cool! Did you really beat up bad men for Mommy?!"
"I forgot about that, but yeah I guess I did." Drake told her with a chuckle, "A lot of guys used to want to be with your mom but she always turned them down. That time they didn't want to take no for an answer and I beat them up good."
"Would you beat up bad men for me?" She asked in a curious tone and he gave her a nod, "Mommy said that you'd beat up the bad men."
"The bad men?" Drake asked with a confused expression and realized that Lilly must have been keeping tabs on him, "Is that why your mom sent you here?"
"Yeah. She said nobody could beat you if you got serious." Rose explained as she flexed her little arms and Drake couldn't help but feel worried for Lilly's safety, "I hope Mommy will be okay."
"I'm sure she'll be fine. The letter said she'd be here soon so don't worry." Drake told her with a comforting smile but he still felt something nagging at him as they bith turned to the TV.