Touching the Heart of Ace

"The incident helps us with the case, that is a positive."

I pushed open the door to Robbie's home office and they froze.

"I do not fucking guard her life day and night for you to play her like a fiddle."

"Sir, we..."

"Not one word." I hissed. "Not one fucking word." The forefinger I was pointing, shook with anger.

"What were you thinking? That you could use her? That you could break her tiny heart? Pull one more stunt like that, you will cease to exist. You think, you can win this case and take shit load of money and be Kings? Ever wondered how your life would be if you do not have an identity anymore. Ever wondered the name you had all your life ceased to have a meaning. Ever wondered how to prove that you are not the person, your social security number claimed you to be? I can do that, you know. I can make you someone else overnight. How about a game? After all, you are the mighty attorneys. Let us see how you can beat your own system. I promise if you hurt my child again, you will never have a life to get back to."

I would fucking demolish them.

My baby girl! She stopped breathing and they had the audacity to say it helped the case. They made her cry.

I would rot my brain to crush their fucking pathetic sad excuses of human lives.

My baby's tiny eyes were squeezed shut and her whole body was frozen like a log.

My child!

Mine!

"Angel, it was..."

"Don't! Robert Brantley, you could fuck that bitch sideways for the rest your life, I would not bat an eye. If my Little Baby's breaths are the cost of getting you in my life, you are not worth it. Do you think I sacrificed everything in my life to be with you? You are wrong. It was for her. It 'is' for her. Do you understand?"

He nodded frantically. "Yes, Angel. I will never have it any other way. You are the only one for me but I will make sure our baby would not be dragged in the middle. I promise."

"You better stick to it Robert, because if there is one more time, you will never see me or her ever again. She will learn to live without you, might even forget about you. No father should let his child fight his own battles, that too as filthy and pathetic as this one." I wanted to wash away the after taste of my own words.

He gasped. "Baby, please do not talk like that. I have nothing to do with this." He was stuttering.

I laughed. "You believe that? You have nothing to do with this! You married that fucking bitch, you started this fuck fest and my kid is the one to pay the price? She is the only good thing that came out of your never ending stupidity."

He nodded, completely agreeing with me.

Good!

I had meant every word I had said.

I stared at every moron in the room. They had the audacity to hurt my baby. I was planning to dig up every fucking dirt they swept under the rugs of their 'names'. The hate I had for them was intensifying tremendously.

"It is my fault." The whiplash made my eyes sting. Simon was staring back at me. He could shove the guilt in his eyes, up his ass.

"They were going to bring up your relationship with Brantley. Our case is strong but if they were to prove the father was also having an affair behind the back of the mother... there could be an issue to have sole custody."

My heart dropped to my stomach. I could not imagine Lia in the hands of that monster.

"I noticed how detached your child was from the mother. I thought it would be better to throw the bone at that rabid dogs than waiting for them to bite us first. We could lose if they had very disturbing questions, so I was hoping on the detachment to show up under 'our' selected questions. I neither knew or considered that the kid would be absolutely terrified of her. If you are going to annihilate anyone for this incident, it should be me." He swallowed. "Your husband only knew... just like you, in the court."

Simon had tears at end of his speech. "It was not my intention to put her through, hers... your worst nightmare. I just...just... Hurt me, not them. They did not know."

I was feeling empty, I felt the adrenaline leaving my body making me slightly dizzy.

"Stop calling that monster a mother and he is not my husband."

"Davey..." A small voice was heard from the other side of the door.

I wiped my face fast and quickly sniffled trying to keep the rest of the stinging tears in my eyes.

"Coming, Princess."

I did not bother to look at anyone and went to my sweet child. I picked her up and showered her with kisses making her giggle.

"Tickoles." She shrieked.

I thanked every deity known to me, for her laughs. She squished my face between her adorably small hands. Her face was even more cute with that angry frown. "Davey, cwying?"

"Only a bit, baby, Davey is being silly." I kissed her again. "Want to go to beach?"

"Okey." Oh, her voice! That adorable baby bird squeak.

We sat on the bench and watched the waves. There were some people on the public part of the beach but she was not interested. So, we sat in silence with her on my lap.

"Davey..." Her voice was broken. Was she crying?

Why was she crying?

"What is wrong Princess?" Was she hurt? Was she having trouble breathing? I should call Robbie. I rubbed her tiny body trying to comfort her. Robbie must be in the office.

"Aangee, Davey?" I froze; what should I tell her? She would know if I lied. I did not want to lie. I was her best friend. I told her that best friends did not lie to each other.

"Yes, baby girl, I am angry."

??Ahh...ahh... Davey aangee baby???

"What?!!!" Where did she get that idea from? Oh my god!

"Hwate Lillil Bae naw?"

I turned her body facing me.

"Dwwooonn hwatee, Davey... Dwooon hwateee bebee... Lia goo Davey... DAVEY!!! ...Dwonnnnn DAVEY. LIA GWOO."

What in the name of ever loving Jesus!

I hugged her and squeezed her body to mine as she hugged me with her tiny arms.

"Baby, baby, my baby... Look at me!!!" I kissed her hair and tried to catch her eyes but she was busy climbing up my body. The kicks of her knees into my stomach did not match the pain in my heart now.

"Baby, Davey can never hate you. I love you. I love you so much. Yes, baby girl, I am angry but not at you. Never at you. Do you hear me?"

"Huuh?" She looked up. The tears in her lashes were making me sad, but the hope in her eyes, broke my heart. How could she think that there was a chance of my hating her!!!

My baby girl. My Little Lia. My Sunshine.

"I love you so so much... I always love you so much... I am not angry at you. Never doubt my love okay? Because I love you always. I love you."

"Oh." She blinked away her tears and smiled with that gap between her front teeth and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Baby girl?" I rubbed her back and gently rocked side to side.

Dear God! How could she even think that I could 'hate' her? Did she not know that she was my absolute reason of my happiness? That our life used to be so dark and grey before she came into Robbie and I's life. Did she not know that her dad used to be so self-centred, angry and frustrated all the times before she came into his life with her adorable dimpled smile.

"Whaaa, Davey?" She smiled. Did I dream of her crying? If there were not residual wetness on her cheeks, I would have thought I was insane.

Look at her now, all smiles and cuddly.

are

"Uh huuuh."

could be there to help you, Baby Love. Daddy goes to gym for you, do you

"Daddy jim?"

stuff. Jason does too." I punched the air to make her

punched air, mimicking me; then giggled silly.

"What, sweetheart?"

It took everything in me not to

was so understanding to Lia's predicament. They had a

the smile I gave her. So

heart attack when Lia asked her if she was Judy Hopps; one of her favourite fictional character from Zootopia. I quickly apologized to the Judge and exclaimed to Lia that she could not assume

my day because... yes, the name

my face but even my Lia had 'you-are-stupid' face

Judy was enough of a surprising coincidence and what were the chances that this intimidating hard-core African-American lady would

I was not needed in their conversation, except for being

than ten

and her are

Good girl, Lia.

Davey takes to her

a real honour to do

Davey feeds her milk, ice-cream,

at that. Should I cut in and say that I feed her nutritious food too? But I

Daddy is silly.

objection. Robbie

up a bit but she answered

Lia told Judge Judy Hopps that Janice scared her because Janice shouted at Daddy. Her tiny lips trembled

of course, came running, swooped Lia up before kissing

and handed Lia, 'Crocky', a crocodile plushy, for being the most intelligent and smart girl Judge had ever come across. She had promised Lia that 'Crocky' would save her from bad people and

Momster, more like.

not want to be glared at... again by

because the toy was cute with its open mouth with sharp teeth. It could be a

Like Judge Judy Hopps.

wind tried to play with my baby. I pecked her cheek once more as she continued to ramble about all her toys,

tea party?" She squealed

Where the heck

Hate!

My Lia.

jumped out of my lap and ran to her daddy, punching the air. He was walking towards

comeee dishyooo dishyooo in...in... sleepy. Daddy

girl up and took a deep

Her confused frown was adorable. "I was not there to help you in

him in bored tone

every day

all

were raising

spoiled rotten and hurt other people, she could be

not sleep. I spent the nights staring at my kid as she slept clutched on my night

to move from the beach house the next day because life was unpredictable like that. That added more to my stress and it was affecting all of our

"Ready?"

to answer as I picked up

the toy truck which was too big for

are going out with Daddy, remember, Princess? We have to help Daddy with this thing

"Ahree?"

I pecked her cute,

pointed to the car that pulled up

absolute obsession over

to partake in any conversation with him. I was still angry. It wasn't even a

beating rapidly again and my hands

She was here...

"I love you so much, Lia." She giggled happily before doing circus moves in my hand. So I tucked my lips under her chin and blew a loud raspberry, making

the small of my back and

Gabe and Jason along with another three people who I did not know. They were all getting individual cars similar to

evade the

to her aching mommy heart who had not seen her daughter for so long. We had to leave our beach house because of that and honestly I had no idea where we were. Robbie took us here

taken the issue of her public stunts to the judge. Especially after there were posters and

found in the bloody muddy fucked-up love life with Robbie and of course the very

not hearing her annoyed cries during

holding her hand. They used to be whole lot chubbier before and the nails were not this big. They used to be like small grains of rice and look at them now. I rubbed her fingers in wonder;

the said hands with reverence and

DAVEY!!!" She exclaimed and

her shoes happy and that was why they were glowing. She had a squeaky one before and loved it too much, that she refused to remove even after dinner

a

protect from the all the evil that lurked behind darkness and had lovely face during daytime. My hawk eyes followed her every move when

were in home but if we were out, he went from cuddly dad to a terrifying giant in a blink. But I loved that. Lia needed every protection she

fact that he used to be a thief... I did not hold it against him and he was welcome in our home... but would I leave Lia only in his care? I was not that good of a man

beats of my heart,

"Baby, we are here..."

Huh?

Oh.

ignored them. I had far more important things to

"Ahree now, Davey?"

are

"Oh."

from the car seat to my chest, savouring the strawberry smell of her hair and milky smell of her

strength and power to keep my Little Lia the way she is

into my eyes for unknown reasons... again and Robbie started rubbing my back all the way from my nape

to him but I could not help but lean into his

the other end of the corridor and I gave them none of my attention. I kept a firm hand on the back of my baby's head, so she would not see any of

gave us a brief description of today's proceedings. The court had assigned a child psychologist, who was going to brief us

'better' parent was. If the psychologist found if any of them was not up to her standards, then my kid was going to be put up

I bit my

and that had put the officers in trouble. Finally, they decided it would be best if she sat on my lap but if I hinder the procedure, all the bets were off

the psychologist did not make any sense to me but she

where we were sitting and my kid was

to me that the previous questions were to ease up her mind and the psychologist was trying to take

not succeed though. Lia started to squirm

"Davey, look."

"Yes, baby, toys."

"Lia's?"

Little Baby, they are

"Oh."

take other people's stuff without permission. She would if she was used to the person but the psychologist was a

can play with them,

"Weally?"

play if you share them

her forehead. "Go, then." She was chewing on her thumb and then hid her face in my chest. "Oh, what is wrong? Go ahead. She is fine with your

slithered down my lap before yanking my hand to follow her. I stood up but I did not think the psychologist wanted me there. I was in the

the toys but she only hid behind my