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fatandnerdy30) wrote2020-06-18 10:21 pm
fatandnerdy30) wrote2020-06-18 10:21 pm
Entry tags:
The Little Princess Chapter 7
Her world came to a sudden stop and she was so glad. Even though she had felt the man's hand on her to keep her from being tossed around too much, she was still nauseous from the rapid up and down movements. But everything did seem quiet now. Gone were the voices and sounds of people moving around, replaced with the giant's heavy breathing. The fabric around her moved as he took a deep breath. What was he going to do now? He had her alone, and that was the scariest thought for her because there was no one to hear them.
Suddenly the pocket shifted and light spilled over her for a brief moment before massive fingers came down at her. Hannah trembled at the sight of them coming closer and closer. They were so large, she couldn't even compare them to tree trunks since she'd never seen a tree that thick. She could see every swirl of the fingerprints on each one. In her studying of them, Hannah didn't realize they'd come close enough to touch, and when one did she let out a scream, causing them to pause.
Of course, Remondin was expecting something like this, but it didn't mean it hurt any less. He removed his hand and moved toward the bed, keeping a protective grip over her. He stopped at the nightstand and tried again. again she screamed. He wanted to give her time, as long as she needed, but he needed to see her, this time up close and personal. He steeled himself and thrust his hand carefully back into his pocket, feeling around until he felt her tiny body and closed his fist around her, lifting her out.
Hannah couldn't move in the tight grip, but her body trembled. The giant's skin felt like warm leather, his callouses rubbing against her bare skin. She could feel every muscle twitch and every beat of his heart, which seemed to be a little quick. Was he nervous? Hannah wanted to laugh at that. What did he have to be nervous about? He wasn't the one in the life-threatening position. If he got annoyed with her whimpering all he had to do was clench his fist a little tighter and his problem would be solved. She shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts.
Her stomach dropped again, and she heard the man give a small groan, the sound of the bedsprings informing her he'd sat down. It felt like an eternity before she stopped moving, and in the next second, she wished she hadn't. The grip around her loosened and the fingers began to uncurl and Hannah herself curled into a tight ball, her arms covering her head, whimpers of fear coming from her throat. She didn't need to look at him to know he was staring at her. She could feel the hairs on her neck stand up from the intense gaze.
Remondin stared at the balled-up girl in his palm, his heart breaking at the sight of her fear. He had to do something to calm her. So lifting a finger, he moved it to touch her back, but she let out a whimpering cry and shifted away. He tried again, but this time when she moved he followed until she had to give up or fall off his hand, his other hand coming up just in case. He stroked her back lightly, or at least what he hoped was gentle. He couldn't think of anything to say to the girl for a few minutes, he just rubbed her back until he felt her shaking lessen, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He went to speak when he heard her voice, this time she spoke in a halted voice, and the words cut into his soul. "Don't hurt me," was all she said.
Hurt her? He would never hurt her, how could he? Even if his first presumption was right and she was another man's offspring, she was still Michelle's child. And he would never dream of hurting her child.
"I'm sorry if I scared you before." When he spoke the girl nearly jumped out of her skin and began shaking again. He continued. "I was angry and confused. Seeing you from a distance, you looked just like Michelle. And that coupled with the news of what had happened..I thought I had her back."
He rubbed her back with his finger more. She was so small. Remondin could feel every bone in her body, even her racing heart. Her curled body fit in the palm of his hand with room to spare. "You need not be afraid, little one. I am not angry at you and will not hurt you."
When the man spoke, his voice rumbled through Hannah's body, sounding so deep. It seemed as though he were trying to calm her down, but his voice sounded sad. That didn't change the fact that she was terrified of the man, even if he was speaking so softly. After a few moments of silence though, she gathered her courage, the finger still stroking her back softly and let her arms fall away from her face to look up.
Eyes the same color as hers bore into her, only his gaze was so much larger. Hannah was far from his face, but she could see him clearly, could see the sincerity and regret shining in the aqua-green eyes. Hannah tried to get her body to move, but she couldn't make her body listen to her. Instead she spoke. "P-please," she whimpered. "Please don't hurt me. I-I-I didn't know I was coming here." Her voice wavered, but she didn't miss the hurt in his eyes.
"Be calm. I will not hurt you, child. I am going to move you, do not scream."
Suddenly Hannah was lifted and she gasped, closing her eyes until she stopped. When she opened them again she found his face so close to her now. He was so large and imposing, she could see every detail in his face, his eyes squinting at her as she shook in his palm.
When he got her close to his face, Remondin squinted a bit to try and see her face, pleased when she looked directly at him. But, his heart stopped. Once again he was drawn into her eyes, but her face was what did him in. She looked so much like Michelle, her fair hair falling over her shoulders, but also he saw himself staring back at him. The perfect mesh of both of them.
Tears came to Remondin's eyes at that. "So it's true," he whispered, cursing himself when she jumped and whimpered. "I'm sorry...it's just, you look so much like Michelle...I'm sorry, your mother. You have her hair, only hers was straight, not wavy like yours and it was the same color. Please forgive me for my actions earlier. I know a simple 'I'm sorry' would never make up for the way I treated you...but, and I can see it now, you are my child." He had to smile, this time tears coming to his eyes, burning until they fell and he took a shaky breath. "How could I not feel protective of you?" He wanted so much to hold her close, wishing she was his size to feel her arms wrap around him. Remondin hoped she would call him father one day soon, the words he'd always longed to hear from a child, especially a child he had with Michelle.
Hearing the man's declaration made Hannah's heart stutter. She knew who this man was thanks to the picture her mother left, but to hear him say the words? For years she'd wanted nothing more than to have her mother back, but instead the fates had given the father she'd yearned to meet to her. But, this man had left her mother, forcing her to pine after him, knowing they would never see one another again. Yes she was scared, but she was also angry, but the sight of his large tears rolling down his face made her think again.
After a moment of the man's staring she finally uncurled herself, confident in the notion that he wouldn't hurt her. She sat up slowly, keeping an eye on him as she settled herself Indian-style in his palm, her arms wrapped around her waist. "What are you?" she blurted out, her face reddening the moment she said it. True she was curious as to who her father was, and yes what, but she hadn't even thought the words for a moment before they came out. Would he be angry and shout like before? She shivered and squeezed her eyes shut, ready for something. But, what came next wasn't it.
To say Remondin was shocked was putting it lightly. The first words out of the girl's mouth hadn't been what he expected, and after a moment he had to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he tried not to shake her too much. After a moment he took a breath and shook his head. "You mean to tell me your mother never told you?" His merriment faded the moment she shook her head, her body tense. Damn, he'd scared her again.
The man instantly felt even more ashamed of the way he'd behaved. He had assumed she knew the way she spoke to him in Susan's home, and was afraid because of the way he'd grabbed her. He never expected this. He wiped his eyes, blinking a bit. "I can never apologize enough for what I did to you. I had assumed your mother would have explained why I had to leave when I did, about everything I had told her." He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, not missing her jump. He had to think about every action now. He thought she would be prepared, but now that he thought about it, it scared him. He must look like a monster to her. "If I had known about you, I would have fought to stay with your mother, or at least tried harder to bring her with me." He shifted on the bed, now being extra careful. He took a deep breath. "To answer your question, I am Velestrian."
Hannah didn't know what to say to that. She would have been fine if he'd told her he was human, but instead he confused her even more with some weird name. How often did you find out your father was a giant, and from a different....planet? Dimension? "And where am I?" she asked slowly, still trying to wrap her head around things.
"That question is a little harder to answer. Let me see if I can explain this well enough. We are in a different realm, a shadow if you will, of your earth. Our existences are nearly side by side with one another, but we are light-years away from each other. But, this realm is one of many, and its name is Velestra. There are many similarities but also differences from earth."
To say Hannah was confused was taking it lightly. Light-years? A different realm? Sure she had always thought it was possible, and had gotten into a lot of arguments with her science teachers about it, but to think it was actually real? Why didn't her mother tell her? Was she trying to protect Hannah? And if so, from what?
"So...I'm in a different realm...and you're my father." She was trying to turn everything over in her mind. "I don't know why mom never told me about any of this." She probably never thought she would ever have to leave Hannah without the truth.
Remondin nodded with each sentence when he noticed her looking around a bit uncomfortably. She probably wanted to be put down, but where would he put her? "Do not be afraid," he told her and moved his hand toward the nightstand next to his bed and tilted his hand to allow her to step off.
And she did all too gladly. Hannah scrambled off his palm onto the hard surface, nearly falling in her hurry. She forced herself not to look around at any of the objects around her, a harsh reminder of where she was and what her position was. But, when she looked at her father, she was reminded harshly. Sitting in his palm he seemed less threatening, but at this position he loomed above her, staring down at her with a mix of emotions on his face.
Remondin couldn't believe how small she looked compared to his lamp. She barely went up half its height, her shoulders barely above the switch at the bottom, the light illuminating her body with shadow and light, her hair almost silver. It was then something came to him, a question he couldn't believe he'd forgotten. "What is your name?"
Hannah wasn't expecting him to speak and jumped. "H-Hannah...my name is Hannah."
The man's eyes went wide for a second and he felt like he was going to cry again. "That's the name we picked out....if we ever had a girl," he whispered. "I told your mother I liked that name once, and she fell in love with it." He had to chuckle. "My mother will love it."
Hannah watched in astonishment this behemoth of a man become overwhelmed with emotion and had to think. He looked human, acted human, but yet he obviously wasn't. Or maybe he was, but just a different branch? It was all too much to wrap her head around.
"I just have a question. How did you know who I am?" Remondin was confused about that and wanted to know.
"I...I recognized you from a picture," she said lowly, peeking up from under her lashes to see if the man heard her, flinching when his eyes were pinned to her. "Mom had a picture of the two of you at a fair. She told me it was the day before you left, which was also her birthday. You took her to a fair as a present." She and her mother had gone to a fair once or twice, but they were usually too expensive for a single parent, and were a rare treat.
"She kept it?" Her father's voice broke into her thoughts, his tone awed. "I remember that day. She was so sad, but she tried hiding it behind a smile, but I could always see through her. It started raining when we were caught in that picture. A photographer her been taking random shots, and he'd capture us running from the rain under a banner and asked us to pose. It was the happiest I'd seen Michelle all day.
"And that was the last day I ever saw her. I still remember the sun was just rising and she was asleep in bed, her hair fanning out over the pillow. She looked like an angel. I had the hardest time leaving her at that moment, but I had to."
Hannah listened to him intently, taking a step closer, feeling his grief. He looked so sad, but she still had to know one thing. "Why did you leave?"
Remondin hung his head and sighed, the breeze ruffling the girl's hair a bit. "I had gotten notice from my sister, your aunt Susan, that our father had become gravely ill. I had to rush back, but by the time I'd gotten back it was almost too late. He died the next day and I was expected to take over his duties. Which were vast." It then hit him. If Michelle had never told her about what he was, then did she tell Hannah about her lineage? He studied her closely for a moment. It was possible, but he doubted it. He remembered Michelle's reaction when he told her he was royalty, the next in line for the throne. She was confused and also scared of the responsibility that it would cause for her if she chose to go with him.
"Why didn't you come back?" Hannah asked, desperate to know. "We were all alone." Her voice cracked a bit and she held back her tears. "When I lost mom I thought my life was over. I spent over three years in a foster home, watching other kids come and go, all taken by their families. And I always wondered, why not me? It wasn't fair."
Again he wished Hannah were his size so he could hold her close and comfort her, but he did the next best thing. Moving slowly, Remondin cupped his hands under her, not missing her gasp when she fell into his palms and he brought her to his chest. It might have been too early for it but he didn't care. He wanted to hold his child. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I wish I could have come back, I do. But there are rules here that couldn't be broken, and I above all people have to respect those rules. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when I should have been. If there had been any way I could have known...I would have been back no matter what and brought you here." There was no way he could tell her everything, at least not at that moment. He would tell her, but it would have to be slowly and he would have to make some arrangements first.
Hannah let out a yelp when she was lifted up, her stomach dropping when he lifted her up. His hands were humongous to her and the next moment all she saw was the white of his shirt as she was pressed against it. Instantly she was surrounded by what smelled like aftershave and some kind of cologne. It was exactly how she imagines all father smelled, especially hers. The tears came back and this time she did nothing to stop them. Hannah buried her face in his shirt, her hands gripping the material tightly. When he spoke, his voice sounded so deep it rumbled through her whole body. She sobbed into his shirt, unable to contain it. He had basically told her he wanted her, he just didn't know she was alive.
All at once she cried out her pain and loneliness from the past three years. It didn't matter that she'd been scared for her life just a little while ago. He was her father, her only parent now and she needed that comfort. Sob after sob convulsed her body. She felt the man's finger back to rubbing her back, his voice coming out in soothing noises. She had felt the pain of not being wanted for so long, but that changed in an instant. She had a father.
Remondin felt each sob and it pained his heart to hear Hannah cry like that. He dared to tighten his hold after a moment, shushing her softly, rubbing her back. For all the times he hadn't been there to comfort her when she was scared or hurt, he tried to make up for in those moments. It started sinking in slowly.
He was a father.
Suddenly the pocket shifted and light spilled over her for a brief moment before massive fingers came down at her. Hannah trembled at the sight of them coming closer and closer. They were so large, she couldn't even compare them to tree trunks since she'd never seen a tree that thick. She could see every swirl of the fingerprints on each one. In her studying of them, Hannah didn't realize they'd come close enough to touch, and when one did she let out a scream, causing them to pause.
Of course, Remondin was expecting something like this, but it didn't mean it hurt any less. He removed his hand and moved toward the bed, keeping a protective grip over her. He stopped at the nightstand and tried again. again she screamed. He wanted to give her time, as long as she needed, but he needed to see her, this time up close and personal. He steeled himself and thrust his hand carefully back into his pocket, feeling around until he felt her tiny body and closed his fist around her, lifting her out.
Hannah couldn't move in the tight grip, but her body trembled. The giant's skin felt like warm leather, his callouses rubbing against her bare skin. She could feel every muscle twitch and every beat of his heart, which seemed to be a little quick. Was he nervous? Hannah wanted to laugh at that. What did he have to be nervous about? He wasn't the one in the life-threatening position. If he got annoyed with her whimpering all he had to do was clench his fist a little tighter and his problem would be solved. She shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts.
Her stomach dropped again, and she heard the man give a small groan, the sound of the bedsprings informing her he'd sat down. It felt like an eternity before she stopped moving, and in the next second, she wished she hadn't. The grip around her loosened and the fingers began to uncurl and Hannah herself curled into a tight ball, her arms covering her head, whimpers of fear coming from her throat. She didn't need to look at him to know he was staring at her. She could feel the hairs on her neck stand up from the intense gaze.
Remondin stared at the balled-up girl in his palm, his heart breaking at the sight of her fear. He had to do something to calm her. So lifting a finger, he moved it to touch her back, but she let out a whimpering cry and shifted away. He tried again, but this time when she moved he followed until she had to give up or fall off his hand, his other hand coming up just in case. He stroked her back lightly, or at least what he hoped was gentle. He couldn't think of anything to say to the girl for a few minutes, he just rubbed her back until he felt her shaking lessen, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He went to speak when he heard her voice, this time she spoke in a halted voice, and the words cut into his soul. "Don't hurt me," was all she said.
Hurt her? He would never hurt her, how could he? Even if his first presumption was right and she was another man's offspring, she was still Michelle's child. And he would never dream of hurting her child.
"I'm sorry if I scared you before." When he spoke the girl nearly jumped out of her skin and began shaking again. He continued. "I was angry and confused. Seeing you from a distance, you looked just like Michelle. And that coupled with the news of what had happened..I thought I had her back."
He rubbed her back with his finger more. She was so small. Remondin could feel every bone in her body, even her racing heart. Her curled body fit in the palm of his hand with room to spare. "You need not be afraid, little one. I am not angry at you and will not hurt you."
When the man spoke, his voice rumbled through Hannah's body, sounding so deep. It seemed as though he were trying to calm her down, but his voice sounded sad. That didn't change the fact that she was terrified of the man, even if he was speaking so softly. After a few moments of silence though, she gathered her courage, the finger still stroking her back softly and let her arms fall away from her face to look up.
Eyes the same color as hers bore into her, only his gaze was so much larger. Hannah was far from his face, but she could see him clearly, could see the sincerity and regret shining in the aqua-green eyes. Hannah tried to get her body to move, but she couldn't make her body listen to her. Instead she spoke. "P-please," she whimpered. "Please don't hurt me. I-I-I didn't know I was coming here." Her voice wavered, but she didn't miss the hurt in his eyes.
"Be calm. I will not hurt you, child. I am going to move you, do not scream."
Suddenly Hannah was lifted and she gasped, closing her eyes until she stopped. When she opened them again she found his face so close to her now. He was so large and imposing, she could see every detail in his face, his eyes squinting at her as she shook in his palm.
When he got her close to his face, Remondin squinted a bit to try and see her face, pleased when she looked directly at him. But, his heart stopped. Once again he was drawn into her eyes, but her face was what did him in. She looked so much like Michelle, her fair hair falling over her shoulders, but also he saw himself staring back at him. The perfect mesh of both of them.
Tears came to Remondin's eyes at that. "So it's true," he whispered, cursing himself when she jumped and whimpered. "I'm sorry...it's just, you look so much like Michelle...I'm sorry, your mother. You have her hair, only hers was straight, not wavy like yours and it was the same color. Please forgive me for my actions earlier. I know a simple 'I'm sorry' would never make up for the way I treated you...but, and I can see it now, you are my child." He had to smile, this time tears coming to his eyes, burning until they fell and he took a shaky breath. "How could I not feel protective of you?" He wanted so much to hold her close, wishing she was his size to feel her arms wrap around him. Remondin hoped she would call him father one day soon, the words he'd always longed to hear from a child, especially a child he had with Michelle.
Hearing the man's declaration made Hannah's heart stutter. She knew who this man was thanks to the picture her mother left, but to hear him say the words? For years she'd wanted nothing more than to have her mother back, but instead the fates had given the father she'd yearned to meet to her. But, this man had left her mother, forcing her to pine after him, knowing they would never see one another again. Yes she was scared, but she was also angry, but the sight of his large tears rolling down his face made her think again.
After a moment of the man's staring she finally uncurled herself, confident in the notion that he wouldn't hurt her. She sat up slowly, keeping an eye on him as she settled herself Indian-style in his palm, her arms wrapped around her waist. "What are you?" she blurted out, her face reddening the moment she said it. True she was curious as to who her father was, and yes what, but she hadn't even thought the words for a moment before they came out. Would he be angry and shout like before? She shivered and squeezed her eyes shut, ready for something. But, what came next wasn't it.
To say Remondin was shocked was putting it lightly. The first words out of the girl's mouth hadn't been what he expected, and after a moment he had to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he tried not to shake her too much. After a moment he took a breath and shook his head. "You mean to tell me your mother never told you?" His merriment faded the moment she shook her head, her body tense. Damn, he'd scared her again.
The man instantly felt even more ashamed of the way he'd behaved. He had assumed she knew the way she spoke to him in Susan's home, and was afraid because of the way he'd grabbed her. He never expected this. He wiped his eyes, blinking a bit. "I can never apologize enough for what I did to you. I had assumed your mother would have explained why I had to leave when I did, about everything I had told her." He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, not missing her jump. He had to think about every action now. He thought she would be prepared, but now that he thought about it, it scared him. He must look like a monster to her. "If I had known about you, I would have fought to stay with your mother, or at least tried harder to bring her with me." He shifted on the bed, now being extra careful. He took a deep breath. "To answer your question, I am Velestrian."
Hannah didn't know what to say to that. She would have been fine if he'd told her he was human, but instead he confused her even more with some weird name. How often did you find out your father was a giant, and from a different....planet? Dimension? "And where am I?" she asked slowly, still trying to wrap her head around things.
"That question is a little harder to answer. Let me see if I can explain this well enough. We are in a different realm, a shadow if you will, of your earth. Our existences are nearly side by side with one another, but we are light-years away from each other. But, this realm is one of many, and its name is Velestra. There are many similarities but also differences from earth."
To say Hannah was confused was taking it lightly. Light-years? A different realm? Sure she had always thought it was possible, and had gotten into a lot of arguments with her science teachers about it, but to think it was actually real? Why didn't her mother tell her? Was she trying to protect Hannah? And if so, from what?
"So...I'm in a different realm...and you're my father." She was trying to turn everything over in her mind. "I don't know why mom never told me about any of this." She probably never thought she would ever have to leave Hannah without the truth.
Remondin nodded with each sentence when he noticed her looking around a bit uncomfortably. She probably wanted to be put down, but where would he put her? "Do not be afraid," he told her and moved his hand toward the nightstand next to his bed and tilted his hand to allow her to step off.
And she did all too gladly. Hannah scrambled off his palm onto the hard surface, nearly falling in her hurry. She forced herself not to look around at any of the objects around her, a harsh reminder of where she was and what her position was. But, when she looked at her father, she was reminded harshly. Sitting in his palm he seemed less threatening, but at this position he loomed above her, staring down at her with a mix of emotions on his face.
Remondin couldn't believe how small she looked compared to his lamp. She barely went up half its height, her shoulders barely above the switch at the bottom, the light illuminating her body with shadow and light, her hair almost silver. It was then something came to him, a question he couldn't believe he'd forgotten. "What is your name?"
Hannah wasn't expecting him to speak and jumped. "H-Hannah...my name is Hannah."
The man's eyes went wide for a second and he felt like he was going to cry again. "That's the name we picked out....if we ever had a girl," he whispered. "I told your mother I liked that name once, and she fell in love with it." He had to chuckle. "My mother will love it."
Hannah watched in astonishment this behemoth of a man become overwhelmed with emotion and had to think. He looked human, acted human, but yet he obviously wasn't. Or maybe he was, but just a different branch? It was all too much to wrap her head around.
"I just have a question. How did you know who I am?" Remondin was confused about that and wanted to know.
"I...I recognized you from a picture," she said lowly, peeking up from under her lashes to see if the man heard her, flinching when his eyes were pinned to her. "Mom had a picture of the two of you at a fair. She told me it was the day before you left, which was also her birthday. You took her to a fair as a present." She and her mother had gone to a fair once or twice, but they were usually too expensive for a single parent, and were a rare treat.
"She kept it?" Her father's voice broke into her thoughts, his tone awed. "I remember that day. She was so sad, but she tried hiding it behind a smile, but I could always see through her. It started raining when we were caught in that picture. A photographer her been taking random shots, and he'd capture us running from the rain under a banner and asked us to pose. It was the happiest I'd seen Michelle all day.
"And that was the last day I ever saw her. I still remember the sun was just rising and she was asleep in bed, her hair fanning out over the pillow. She looked like an angel. I had the hardest time leaving her at that moment, but I had to."
Hannah listened to him intently, taking a step closer, feeling his grief. He looked so sad, but she still had to know one thing. "Why did you leave?"
Remondin hung his head and sighed, the breeze ruffling the girl's hair a bit. "I had gotten notice from my sister, your aunt Susan, that our father had become gravely ill. I had to rush back, but by the time I'd gotten back it was almost too late. He died the next day and I was expected to take over his duties. Which were vast." It then hit him. If Michelle had never told her about what he was, then did she tell Hannah about her lineage? He studied her closely for a moment. It was possible, but he doubted it. He remembered Michelle's reaction when he told her he was royalty, the next in line for the throne. She was confused and also scared of the responsibility that it would cause for her if she chose to go with him.
"Why didn't you come back?" Hannah asked, desperate to know. "We were all alone." Her voice cracked a bit and she held back her tears. "When I lost mom I thought my life was over. I spent over three years in a foster home, watching other kids come and go, all taken by their families. And I always wondered, why not me? It wasn't fair."
Again he wished Hannah were his size so he could hold her close and comfort her, but he did the next best thing. Moving slowly, Remondin cupped his hands under her, not missing her gasp when she fell into his palms and he brought her to his chest. It might have been too early for it but he didn't care. He wanted to hold his child. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I wish I could have come back, I do. But there are rules here that couldn't be broken, and I above all people have to respect those rules. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when I should have been. If there had been any way I could have known...I would have been back no matter what and brought you here." There was no way he could tell her everything, at least not at that moment. He would tell her, but it would have to be slowly and he would have to make some arrangements first.
Hannah let out a yelp when she was lifted up, her stomach dropping when he lifted her up. His hands were humongous to her and the next moment all she saw was the white of his shirt as she was pressed against it. Instantly she was surrounded by what smelled like aftershave and some kind of cologne. It was exactly how she imagines all father smelled, especially hers. The tears came back and this time she did nothing to stop them. Hannah buried her face in his shirt, her hands gripping the material tightly. When he spoke, his voice sounded so deep it rumbled through her whole body. She sobbed into his shirt, unable to contain it. He had basically told her he wanted her, he just didn't know she was alive.
All at once she cried out her pain and loneliness from the past three years. It didn't matter that she'd been scared for her life just a little while ago. He was her father, her only parent now and she needed that comfort. Sob after sob convulsed her body. She felt the man's finger back to rubbing her back, his voice coming out in soothing noises. She had felt the pain of not being wanted for so long, but that changed in an instant. She had a father.
Remondin felt each sob and it pained his heart to hear Hannah cry like that. He dared to tighten his hold after a moment, shushing her softly, rubbing her back. For all the times he hadn't been there to comfort her when she was scared or hurt, he tried to make up for in those moments. It started sinking in slowly.
He was a father.