.:Author's Note:.

Jonathan at the top.

***

Present

Jonathan's POV:

I woke up to soft giggling.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anytime soon, I turned in bed to face the culprits. April and Alyssa looked back at me with excitement filled eyes seeing that I was now awake.

"Good morning, Daddy!" They cheered simultaneously. I laughed as I pulled them to lay on each side of me. They giggled, to the point of screeching, as I tickled their sides.

"Good morning, princesses!" I replied. Alyssa beamed up at me while April scoffed.

"I'm not a princess, Daddy. I'm Batman." She told me pointedly. Alyssa rolled her eyes at her sister, making me laugh again.

"I apologize, Batman. Good morning."

My daughters kissed my cheeks before getting out of the bed. I followed suit and held my hands out for them to take as we walked to the kitchen. Glancing at the time on the cable box as we passed the living room, I saw that it was nearing eleven o'clock. Looks like we all slept in today.

"Daddy, can we have waffles for breakfast?" Alyssa questioned. Before I could respond, April whined beside me.

"No, Daddy. I want chicken for breakfast. Waffles are boring." She said. I knew any second now, my twins were going to start arguing so I piped up before Alyssa could give a response.

"How about we have both? Want to head to IHOP?" I negotiated, making both of my girls look up at me with toothless grins.

"Really, Daddy?" They asked excitedly, letting go of my hands to stand in front of me. I nodded, causing them to squeal before running back the way we just came from.

"Be ready in thirty minutes!" I shouted after them, getting a shared "okay" in response. I chuckled as I continued towards the kitchen. Even though we were going out for breakfast, I still needed to make sure we had enough ingredients for lunch and dinner.

After checking the fridge and cupboards, and noting that there wasn't nearly enough food for the three of us, I decided that we would go to the supermarket after eating. With the checklist in my head, I returned to my room to get changed.

April and Alyssa were dressed and brushing their teeth, so I joined them. They giggled, making the toothpaste drip down their chins. I started to brush my teeth, and they mocked everything I did. After we spit and rinsed, we showed our pearly whites to each other before laughing again.

"You can watch TV while I get dressed." I said as we exited the bathroom. They followed behind me, but instead of going towards the living room, they came into my bedroom and sat on the bed.

"Daddy, can I pick out your clothes?" Alyssa asked, making me nod. I took a seat beside April as her sister rummaged through my closet.

"Can we go see Mommy today?" April questioned, making me frown. She only ever wanted to see her mom when something was bothering her.

"Sure, honey. But would you like to tell me what happened?" I replied. April shook her head, smiling at me, and confusing the hell out of me too.

"No, it's okay, Daddy. I would just like to ask Mommy a question."

I nodded, knowing that if she didn't want to tell me, she wouldn't. I'd have to get it out of Alyssa later. She was my little investigator.

"Here you go, Daddy!" Looking away from April, I considered the outfit Alyssa was holding up for me to wear. Not only was she an investigator, but she was also a wardrobe stylist. She had a thing for clothes, and I wouldn't be surprised if she grew up to work in the fashion industry one day.

"Thank you, princess. I already love it." I complimented. Alyssa giggled as I stood up while she sat beside her sister so that I could change.

I put on the warm pullover sweater and changed from my sweatpants into the snug fitting jeans. April threw me a pair of socks while Alyssa grabbed my shoes from the closet. Once I was completely dressed, my twins looked me over.

"Perfect." They giggled together, making me wink as I tipped my imaginary hat.

"Thanks, ladies. Now, how about some brunch?"

***

"April, sit properly in the booth, please."

"Sorry, Daddy. There's just so much snow outside." April replied in amazement as she placed her bum on the seat instead of her knees. Alyssa was looking through her menu, contemplating what to order. Seconds later she set it down before entwining her fingers.

"Can I have the Belgian waffle combo?" She asked cheekily, knowing that it wasn't on the children's menu. Despite that, I decided to spoil her.

"Sure, princess. What about you, April?"

"I want chicken and waffles, Daddy, and not the junior size." April responded just as cheekily. I chuckled as I nodded at the both of them.

"Well, I'm going to have a big steak omelet. Will you both share your waffles with me?"

"No way, Daddy!" April responded immediately.

"Yeah, if you want waffles, get your own." Alyssa followed up. I laughed again, knowing that they were only teasing, and they would happily share their food with me.

Before I could respond, a waitress came up to our table, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here. She didn't even glance up, just stared uninterestedly at her book.

"Hello, welcome to IHOP. My name is JoJo and I'll be your server for the day. Are you ready to order?" Her tone was dull, and I assumed she was just tired so I didn't bother to comment on it.

Alyssa and April ordered before I did, both getting apple juices with their food. While I ordered, I noticed that JoJo suddenly came to life, looking at me with wide eyes and a flirty grin.

"Anything else?" She purred after I was done speaking. And to think that I felt sorry because she seemed tired. Tired my ass!

"A black coffee also, please." I replied pointedly, turning back to my girls who were giggling behind their hands. I didn't pay any mind to JoJo as she strutted away. April continued to laugh as Alyssa glared at the waitress' back.

"She's not the one for you, Daddy." She said, dropping her glare and looking at me seriously. I choked on my own spit as I sat straighter in the booth to stare at my daughter.

"Excuse me?"

"JoJo." Alyssa explained exasperatedly. "I don't like her. She isn't the one."

Chuckling in discomfort, I scratched my goatee. You know those moments when you don't have an appropriate response, so you laugh in order to break the sudden tension? Yeah, that was happening right now, and with my six-year-old daughter no less.

"I agree, Daddy." April piped up, shocking me further. "You need someone who's cool. Someone badass!"

"April!" I scolded, still not over the shock that my kids were having an intervention about me. Where did all of this even come from? I wasn't even checking out the waitress.

"What?" April asked in mock innocence. Sighing to myself, and realizing that I wasn't truly upset about the small curse, I shook my head.

"Girls, I promise that I'm not interested in the waitress at all. You know I have no time for anyone but you two."

April and Alyssa shared a look before looking at me with small smiles.

"Okay, Daddy." They said before whispering some things to each other, and cutting me out of their conversation.

Since my kids didn't want to talk to me at the moment, I pulled out my phone to go through my emails. Even on my days off, I was still working as a creative director at this blasted company. It's not that I disliked the job, it was just that I never seem to have free time because of it.

After approving some ideas for a new cologne commercial and a clothing sale advertisement, I started up a game of Panda Pop. The game had become a slight addiction after I downloaded it a few days ago; I was already on level 114.

Glancing up quickly, I saw that my girls were still whispering to each other, so I decided to submerge myself in the game. Only when JoJo returned with our food did I look up again. Pausing on level 120, I locked my device and pocketed it as Alyssa and April made space for the cups and plates on the table.

"One Belgium waffle combo. One chicken and waffles. One big steak omelet. Two apple juices and a black coffee." JoJo listed off as she placed each thing down one by one. "Did I miss anything?"

"No. Thank you." I said with a small grin that made the waitress blush. Ignoring it, much like I did her flirty attempts earlier, I turned to my twins. "Say thank you, girls."

"Thank you." They mumbled with mouths stuffed with waffles. JoJo chuckled before nodding and walking away. I reached over for some ketchup while Alyssa and April each put a waffle on my plate.

"Thanks, princess and Batman." I said, making them laugh.

"You're welcome, Daddy!"

***

Alyssa and April only got through half of their food while I finished everything before we decided that we were stuffed. JoJo returned with the check and to-go bags while my girls went to the bathroom.

"So I usually don't do this, but I was wondering if you'd like to talk over a cup of coffee sometime." She said nervously as I put the money in the checkbook and handed it back to her.

Looking at her, I noted that she was very attractive, but like I told April and Alyssa, I wasn't interested. Between work and taking care of my girls, I had no time for a love life. Dating was nowhere near the top of my busy schedule.

"That's very kind of you, JoJo, but I have to decline." I replied to the waitress politely. I could see the disappointment fill her eyes, so I did my best to console her before a scene was created. "You're very nice, and I'm sure any guy would be lucky to have you, but I have no time for dating. It's just me, work, and my daughters at the moment. I hope you understand."

Although the disappointment didn't disappear, there was now a timid and understanding smile on JoJo's face that made a small relief filled smile appear on my own.

"That's okay..." She trailed off

"Jonathan." I filled in, making her grin wider.

"That's okay, Jonathan. At least you weren't a dick about it." She laughed, causing me to do the same. "Hopefully, my bluntness doesn't make you want to stop coming here." She continued with a wink.

"If anything, it makes me want to come here more often." I harmlessly said back. JoJo giggled before telling me to enjoy the rest of my day and walking away. Alyssa and April returned from the bathroom with eyes full of nervous excitement.

"Can we go see Mommy now?" They asked simultaneously, making me sigh a little.

"Sure. Let's go."

***

The gates creaked as April pushed it open. There weren't many people around, so luckily, we didn't catch a lot of attention. Taking her sister's hand in hers, Alyssa dragged April towards their mom while I silently followed behind them. Coming to visit Miranda always made me feel... unlike myself.

Just seeing her tombstone always made me want to cry ever since she was buried two years ago. However, I had to keep it together for my girls. They didn't need to see me still miserable over losing my best friend.

"You stand back a little, Daddy." Alyssa told me as April got to her knees in front of her mother's grave. I nodded as I stepped back so that they could talk to Miranda without feeling like I was invading. However, I strained my ears to hear as much as they were going to say as possible.

"Hi, Mommy." April said lowly, followed by her sister.

"We won't stay and bother you long." Alyssa said next. "But we were wondering..."

"...if it's okay that Daddy starts dating?" April finished before discreetly checking if I was listening. I busied myself to seem like I was more interested in the sky when realistically, my heart had nearly stopped due to their question.

"It's been a long time since you've left, Mommy." Alyssa whispered sadly, and I could feel the familiar burn in my eyes as I forced myself not to cry.

"And Daddy is lonely without you." April said in the same tone. I bit my lip in order to avoid interrupting them because I wasn't lonely. I had my girls; who else could I possibly need?

"We just wanted your permission first, Mommy. That way, you can send Daddy the perfect person." They both giggled.

There was no verbal response, but there was a sudden breeze that rustled our hair. I didn't want to believe it, but there was a soft and familiar pressure on my cheeks that automatically had me reaching up to hold Miranda's hand against my face, but I only came in contact with air.

"They're so sweet, just like their daddy." Her voice sounded in my ear, making me freeze. "You and our girls deserve to be happy. Don't worry, Bugsy. I wasn't the love of your life, but I know who is." And as quick as she came, she was gone.

I was taken out of my stupor as my girls ran over to hug my legs.

"Daddy, Mommy says she has a surprise for you!" They said in simultaneous excitement. I wiped my eyes quickly as a precaution before looking down at their happy and adorable faces. Smiling back, I picked them both up so they were each on one side of my hips.

"I can't wait to see what she has in store for me." I told them jokingly as I walked out of the cemetery. I had to put on a show for my girls. Although I might have seemed happy, I was terrified of what would happen next. Was I truly ready to love another person, just to have them suddenly taken away from me?

No, not again.

I had no idea what I was going to do.