GUYS, I GOT MY OWN BOOK IN REAL LIFE!

It's called: LGBTQ Short Stories

I have like my own ISBN number and everything, I'm so freaking excited right now, I can't!

Go check it out, please :D

ISBN (I apparently got two idk):

978-3-7108-0873-9

3710808731

I'm not sure which one is the right one but you should find it there, just try both in case.

Pov y/n

TW: feeling guilty for divorce

I immediately open my arms for Rose, in which she seeks comfort. Sobs start to shake her body and she buries her head in my shoulder.

My arms wrap around her and I rub her back up and down while swaying us a little.

I give her all the time she needs to cry and place kisses on her hair while whispering soothing words into her ear. When her body stops shaking and she takes her head out of the crock of my neck, I hand her a tissue and she blows her nose before wiping away the tears with her sleepshirt. I cup her face gently and stroke her cheeks. Her eyes are red and puffy and it hurts me to see her this way.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I offer, leaving the choice to her. She sniffles a little but nods before grabbing Mr. Mouve and hugging him.

"I think it's my fault." She whispers and looks down to her octopus before looking back up at me.

I wipe away a last tear before letting my hands sink down into my lap.

"What do you think is your fault, sweetie?" I ask in a soft voice, not sure what exactly she is talking about.

"That Mommy and Dad split up." Rose mumbles and a new tear runs down her cheek.

My heart breaks at her words and I reach out one hand that she takes. I rub my thumb over her knuckles, trying to comfort her a little bit.

"That is not true, honey. Your Mom and Dad split up because it didn't work between them." I try to explain.

It is not 100% true but I don't need to tell a 6-year-old that her father cheated on her mother, besides it's not my place to tell her that.

Rose looks at me, her eyes sad and she shakes her head.

"It didn't work out because of me." She whispers, her voice breaking in the middle of the sentence. I tug a strain of hair behind her ear.

"What makes you think that?" I carefully ask to get to the bottom of this.

"This morning, when Dad called, I heard Mommy talk to him over the phone. She was really mad at him and told him that this is one of the reasons it didn't work and that he shouldn't treat me like this. He's supposed to be reliable because otherwise it doesn't only hurt me but also makes it more complicated when she has things to do." Rose tells me and plays with one tentacle of Mr. Mouve. I think about her words and what to respond to that.

"And because of that you think you're the reason your parents split up?" I ask to make sure I understood it right. Rose nods and presses her lips together.

"It must have been hard and overwhelming to hear that and think about it the whole day, hm?" I ask softly, deciding to first calm her down before we talk further about this. Rose nods.

"But you made today fun and I forgot about it almost the whole day." Rose tells me and I am happy to hear that I was able to distract her from that thought.

"You know, it is okay to feel what you feel. Sometimes things we overhear or notice hurt us or make us sad or angry and that is absolutely normal and okay. I appreciate it so much that you talk to me about this and I will always be here if you need me to talk." I tell her and Rose's eyes look up to meet mine.

"It is not bad that it makes me sad?" She asks and I shake my head.

"No, it is not. Of course, feeling sad and hurt is not nice but it doesn't make you a bad person. Everyone has feelings and it is important to talk about them so they don't bottle up inside you." I explain and Rose slowly nods along at my words.

"I don't want to be the reason why they split up." Rose mumbles and I feel my heart get heavy again at her sad tone.

"You are not the reason they split up, sweetheart. Sometimes it doesn't work out between parents and they split up. None of this is because of you. They both love you a lot. And I can't speak for your Dad but your Mom loves you with all her heart and would do anything for you. She was just mad at your father because she doesn't like it when he disappoints you, she wants to protect you from feeling sad, you know?" I explain further, hoping to take the thought of it all being Rose's fault away from her because it isn't.

"Are you sure she wasn't mad at me?" Rose asks, doubt in her voice and I open my arms for her to cuddle into.

"Yes, I am very sure. It isn't your fault that your Dad couldn't pick you up or that your Mom's schedule is busy. She still loves you just as much as before and nothing can change that." I assure Rose and she slowly nods, taking in my words.

"You really think so?" She asks, a bit of hope swaying in her voice.

"I know so." I say and bop her nose, making her smile a little.

"Okay." She agrees with my words and leans a little more into me.

"Do you think my Dad loves me too?" She asks after a bit of silence and looks up at me. I breathe in and look down at her.

"I am sure he does." I say.

Since I don't know that guy, I can't actually know but I am pretty sure he loves his daughter, even though he might not show it very well. Speaking for Scarlett was easier because I know that she loves her daughter more than anything in the world but I don't know about her ex-husband.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like it." Rose states quietly and I wrap my arms a little tighter around her, trying to give her comfort.

"A lot of times he doesn't even have time for me on the weekends. And when I'm there, he often still has work to do. It's not like he doesn't spend any time with me, it's just not a lot and when he does, he is tired from work. Sometimes he takes me on trips though, those are fun because he doesn't have to work on them. But that's rare." Rose tells me while playing with Mr. Mouve.

I feel this anger towards her father rise up again because I hate seeing Rose sad because of this. It really seems to hurt her, which I totally understand, I just wish I could do something to help her.

"Yeah, I understand that that makes it hard to believe but I am still sure he loves you. After all, you are his daughter and such a wonderful person to be around. He'd be crazy if he wouldn't love you." I assure her, making Rose smile up at me. My words seem to ease her and I'm glad I can give her some comfort.

"Then his new girlfriend is crazy." Rose decides, making me frown a little.

Not because she calls her dad's new girlfriend crazy but because of the definition we just put on that word.

"She's crazy because you feel like she doesn't love you?" I ask carefully, not wanting to upset Rose with my question. She nods and shifts in my lap to look at me.

"I don't think she likes me. She never draws or plays with me and sometimes she rolls her eyes at me when I'm goofing around." Rose explains her reason.

I slowly nod, fighting the urge to want to punch that woman. It's one thing to not want to play with your boyfriend's daughter but it's a different thing to roll your eyes at a child who is just being itself, especially in their company.

"I'm sorry she makes you feel this way, Rose." I say, since there is not a lot more I can say to that matter.

I can't contact Rose's father to tell him to talk to his girlfriend about this because I'm not involved in this family. Maybe Scarlett could talk to him.

Rose shrugs her shoulders, not seeming bothered a lot by that anymore.

"I think it just makes me sad because she is now my family and my mother." Rose says and looks at Mr. Mouve.

I raise my eyes at that statement.

Did I miss something?

"She is your mother?" I ask a little confused. Rose looks back up at me.

"She is my Dad's girlfriend and so was Mommy, so she is my mother now, right?" She asks back, looking at me for answers. I understand her conclusion now and tilt my head from one side to the other.

"Well, in my opinion she is only your mother if you want her to be. Your Mom and Dad are your parents, yes but everyone else isn't automatically your new mother or father if you don't want them to be, you know?" I try to explain my view on this matter.

Rose looks a little confused before she thinks about it.

"So, just because she is my Dad's new girlfriend, I don't have to see her as my Mom as well?" Rose asks and I nod.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. You see, there are people who are your family because you are related to them and there are also people who aren't related to you but can still be your family." I explain and she thinks about my words.

"Like Aunt Lizzie? She isn't related to me but still my aunt." Rose gives an example and I nod in agreement.

"Exactly, like your Aunt Lizzie." I confirm and Rose taps her chin in thought.

"So, if I don't want my Dad's girlfriend to be my Mom, she doesn't have to be?" Rose concludes and I nod again.

"Yes. If she doesn't feel like a mother to you, then she isn't. And if she does one day, then she is." I say and Rose nods before getting lost in her thoughts.

I let her think about our conversation and start to gently comb my fingers through her hair.

"Does that also mean I can decide who I see as my Mom?" Rose asks further and I hum in agreement.

"That's what it means."

She squints her eyes a little in thought and leans back a little, her arms around my neck to keep her from falling off. Her eyes look at me as she thinks about something. My hand continues to play with her hair which she seems to enjoy.

"Does that also mean that you could be my Mom?" Rose asks and I almost freeze in my movements but try not to show her my surprise.

"Yes, I would say so. If you see me as your mother or a mother-like figure, then I could be." I agree, my heart beating fast at her thoughts.

My heart fills with love and happiness for this little girl just at the thought that she might see me like something motherlike.

Rose hums in thought but smiles widely at me. I return that smile and I'm sure mine's just as wide as hers. She didn't finally say if she sees me like that but the fact that she asked me is enough to make my heart soar.

"Would you even want to me my Mom?" Rose suddenly asks and doubt hides in her eyes.

I wrap my second arm around her as well and pull her a little closer, so I can place a kiss on her hairline.

"It would be my honor to be your Mom. But there is no pressure on you to see me as one if you don't feel like it or aren't ready, okay?" I make sure and Rose nods and leans closer to give me a kiss on the cheek before hugging me tightly.

That's it, my heart is officially melted.

I hug her back, enjoying her hug and that she seems to feel better. The thought of being her mother is on my mind but I try to push it back. No matter how much I would love to be her mother, it is all up to her and I won't push or pressure her into anything.

After our hug, Rose grins at me and gets comfortable next to me. I switch off the light and when she asks me to tell her a good night story, I agree. Even though it is made up and a little chaotic, Rose enjoys my story about a princess who was captured by a dragon.

"When the prince heard of that, he decided to go look for the princess to rescue her." I say but Rose scrunches her eyebrows.

"Why can't it be a princess who rescues her? And can they fight together against the dragon?" Rose asks and my smile widens as I nod and brush over her hair.

"When the princess heard of that, she decided to go look for the captured princess to rescue her." I rephrase my sentence and Rose seems satisfied, so I continue.

As the story comes to an end, she snuggles further into me and soon I hear her even breathing, knowing she fell asleep. I smile and close my eyes as well, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning isn't as calm as my usual ones, which is probably due to the fact that I have a child next to me that wakes up with surprisingly much energy.

I feel the matrass move a lot next to me and open my eyes to see Rose jumping up and down on her side of the bed.

A smile tugs on my lips at the sight.

When she notices that I'm awake, she stops to jump and drops to her knees before plopping down onto me. I make a small noise when her bodyweight presses on mine so suddenly but chuckle as she spreads her limbs while looking up at the ceiling.

My fingers slowly walk over her arms to her sides and I start to tickle her, earning laughter from her.

Rose squirms around a lot, trying to escape my fingers but I don't let her. Her laughter is so pure and makes my heart fill with happiness.

I stop so she can catch her breath and she turns around and sits up on me.

"Can we make pancakes for breakfast?" She asks and I smile up at her before I bop her nose.

"Of course. Will you help me make them?" I ask back and she nods eagerly.

We get up and while I get dressed in my closet, she goes down to the bathroom. I start to mix the batter while Rose is getting ready. She comes skipping back in just as I'm done with the batter.

"Can you do my hair?" She asks and holds up a hairbrush and hair ties.

"Of course. Lets do that in the bathroom, okay?" I suggest and Rose nods, walking to the bathroom before me.

"What do you want?" I ask her and start to gently brush her hair. Rose thinks about it for a few moments.

"Can you do two braids?" She asks and looks at me through the mirror. I nod and salute, making her giggle.

"Coming right up." I say and start to part her hair into two sections.

Braiding doesn't take long and when I'm done, Rose looks into the mirror, satisfied with my work.

We go back to the kitchen, where I let her help me with the pancakes. It gets a bit messy but nothing I can't handle and we have fun, so that's all that matters right now.

While we eat the pancakes, we plan our day until Scarlett comes to pick Rose up.

Rose wants to go on a ferry to look at the statue of liberty because she learned about it in school this week. I agree and suggest to take a walk along the beach after that, maybe building a sandcastle. She agrees excitedly and tells me that I'm lucky because her mom packed a few sand toys as well.

After breakfast, I open my laptop to book us a ferry and since we have a bit time before we need to head out, I draw the fish I promised Rose yesterday.

She watches while I do so and tells me a bit about her week at school and what other things she learned.

I hum and nod along to show her I'm listening.

When I'm done with drawing, she takes the finished picture into her hands and looks at it with contentment.

We pack the sand toys into a backpack along with some water and put on our shoes. Rose is excited to ride the subway because she ever rarely does with her mom.

I'm a tiny bit nervous to lose her but she stays close to me and when we get in or out, she lets me take her hand, which makes me feel calmer.

After a bit of a longer way, we arrive at the ferry station and get on. Rose runs up to the front seats to have the best view and I sit down next to her, enjoying the nice weather and fresh air. It takes a bit of time until we take off and during that time, Rose tells me everything she knows about the statue of liberty.

I'm impressed how much she remembers and smile at her excitement.

The ferry is slow but we don't mind. Rose looks around before getting off her chair to go to the railing of the ship to have a better view.

I follow her to keep an eye on her and assist if she needs anything. Her eyes are glued to the water in front of us and I look there as well, trying to see some fish but I'm not surprised to not see some.

I place my arms on the railing beside Rose to secure her a little more, afraid she might trip or something and either fall into the water or get hurt.

"Did you ever watch Titanic?" I ask, following a random impulse. The little girl tilts her head to look up at me and shakes her head.

"But I know what it's about. Mommy says it's a little too long for me to watch and we can watch it when I'm older." Rose tells me and I nod as I listen to her.

"So you probably don't know that scene where they stand at the railing of the ship?" I ask. I'm not even sure why I'm asking about this but it just came to my mind.

"With the woman and the man?" Rose asks and I agree.

"I think I know that." She says after a few seconds and when she gets what I'm indicating, she grins and holds out her arms to the side.

First slowly because she ship still sways a bit but I quickly wrap my arms around her to hold her secure and then Rose stretches her arms fully away from her, looking in front of us.

"This feels so cool!" Rose tells me and giggles.

I chuckle at her excited tone and keep my arms around her and we stay like this for a while until we get close enough to the statue of liberty so Rose can see it.

She runs to the side of the ship that's closer and I follow her. We watch it go by while the tourists around us chatter about what they read on different flyers.

When it's further away again, Rose pulls me back to the railing but it's full, so we stay on the side.

"Can we send Mommy a picture?" Rose asks excitedly and I agree with a soft smile.

"A selfie?" I offer but Rose shakes her head.

"No, one where we play titanic." She says and I chuckle a little.

"Alright, we just have to find someone who can take a picture of us then." I say and look around.

A young couple seems right and I approach them. They agree instantly and Rose grins when she steps to the side of the railing. I wrap my arms around her and she stretches hers away. We look into the distance and in my peripheral sight I can see the woman taking pictures.

"How about one where she can see us?" I ask Rose and she agrees now.

So, I crouch down next to Rose, putting one arm around her, resting my hand on her tummy. We smile widely into the phone and the woman takes a few pictures before handing me my phone. Rose and I sit down again and while Rose enjoys the sight, I text Scarlett the picture of me and Rose playing titanic with the caption 'Jack and Rose who?'.

The joke may be dumb but it makes me grin to myself and I also send Scar the picture of me and Rose beaming into the camera.

After the ferry ride, we walk around a bit until we reach the beach and Rose searches for the perfect spot to build a sand castle.

We are occupied quite a while and do a little snack break where we eat the granola bars I packed. The castle looks great and Rose and I high-five before making our way back to the subway.

Back at home I make us some pasta while Rose lays on the couch and looks through one of her picture books but after a few minutes, she's fallen asleep and I take a picture of her sleeping form.

I let her have her nap, the day was quite exhausting so far.

My phone buzzes and I read over the text from Scarlett, telling me she's able to pick up Rose in around two hours. I send her a thumbs up, telling her we'll probably be at my apartment.

When Rose wakes up again, she's still a little sleepy and we eat in silence. But her energy is quickly restored and she helps me to collect all her things, so we can place them back in her bag. When I hold out the new coloring book for her to take, she shakes her head.