Chapter 2 I’d like to be your dad.

I brought Fiona from the lecherous gaze of Uncle Ben. ’Who would have thought that understanding Ben would be a shameless pedo! I need to protect her well!’ Fiona hummed excitedly as we walked down the street, towards my apartment. I raised my guard, as these days a bunch of bank tellers were trying to find me to pay off my debts. Speaking of which, rent’s due in a week and I still don’t have a job! Great! Fiona, can you scan your surroundings for people? Like a sense? I’ve read a few cultivating novels and really enjoyed them but had to stop as I needed to find a job. Flying swords! Sects! Immortality! Strength! My childhood fantasies are flaring up again... You mean spiritual sense? Yes, that! But why? Fiona asked, clearly puzzled. I have some, uh, enemies. I stammered. Hm. Sure. Fiona glanced around the surroundings - the apartment, trees, and other crafty hiding places. Nobody’s here! Other than that for some people on the ground floor. Good! I breathed a sigh of relief. ’They probably got tired of waiting... Hideout #34 is really the best! Come in and let’s make some juice! __________ We walked a couple of sets of stairs and in front was a door. Creak. The room was dim. The curtains blocked the sunlight through the windows. Inside was a small kitchen, a bed and some clothes lying around. It obviously hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. I placed the groceries on the kitchen countertop as Fiona explored the room. Come! Let’s make some juice! I reached out under the cabinet to pull out a pot. Can you fill that with water? Of course! Fiona said with great determination. First, let’s start by washing the apples! Then remove the seeds! Cut the apples into slices! Then, put them into the pot of water and start boiling it! Hehe, this is fun! Fiona said enthusiastically as she watched me work, her face beaming. I felt that she had brought new life into my once dark and gloomy life. ’Cherish her!’, my inner consciousness told me. ’Of course! Who do you take as, a fool?’ Fiona tapped the lid as the water as bubbles rapidly broke through the surface. It’s ready! Now, we pour it through a strainer! Wait for it to cool, then its yummy apple juice! How long? Fiona asked impatiently. Maybe around 20 minutes? Fiona threw her arms up in frustration. Aaa! Too long! I’m just going to use some ice spells! Eh? The air around me immediately turned cool. Before I even knew it, the steam from the juice disappeared. I was dumbfounded for a moment and decided to just shake it off. ’Cultivation is purely just for convenience! Aaah!’ Hehe, Fiona said sheepishly. That works as well, I guess. Fiona beamed, damaging my poor heart. I added some sugar as kids love sweets to the juice before pouring it into 2 cups. Fiona grabbed the juice instantly and started to drink in huge gulps. ’It looks like I have some manners to teach,’ I thought, before joining her. We both finished with loud clinks. Fiona stared at me with her adorable face. Thank you for the drink! It tasted a lot like what daddy made! But he’s been gone for a long time... Clearly wistful and homesick, I wanted to comfort her. For how long? 4 years... she looked down at her feet. I took a deep breath. ’4 years... almost half of her childhood. Something must’ve happened to him... it looks like Fiona adored you. If you are in the afterlife, no worries, I will take care of her for you!’ I have resolved. Save the girl from fatherless syndrome! Fatherless Daughter Syndrome is a disorder of the emotional system that leads to repeated dysfunctional relationship decisions, especially in the areas of trust and self-worth. ... It can be a lifelong syndrome if the symptoms go unrecognized and unacknowledged. There is no way me and my fetish could allow such a cute little girl to fall into these emotional consequences. Never! Did you hear that? Never! I took another deep breath. Then... how about I be your father, for the rest of your life? Fiona glanced up, her face red, her mouth in an O shape and in shock. She looked at me for a few moments, before looking back, her cheeks glazed red. With her two hands together on top of her dress, she looked like an immature girl who had just confessed. Seconds passed as I felt embarrassment flaring up, ruining my previous confident state. Her next words were like heaven’s blessing - sweet, angelic and delicate. Please, and, um, thank you. Relief washed over my whole body, seemingly relaxing and soothing my bones. ’I didn’t know I was this stressed these days...’ It was truly heaven’s blessing. An unworldly cute girl who was also a cultivator became me, an unemployed, debt-ridden man’s daughter. As I reached for a hug, out of the corner of my mind, I could’ve sworn I heard a barely audible voice of a young man, filled with gratitude. Thank you. was all I heard before I was drowned in the warmth and comfort of Fiona’s embrace. ___________