And just like that another year has flown by.

It's unbelievable how fast time goes by when you're a parent.

One day you're changing nappy after nappy and the next thing you know they're telling you they need to go potty.

This year we're going all out on the snacks for her party because just like her mamma, she loves to eat. Her favourite food is pancakes no question and I may be to blame for that.

Remember the only food I ate during my pregnancy with her? That was probably her secretly influencing me. Little monkey. She always gets her own way.

The theme for this year is the classic, disney princesses.

Kiara loves to sing and dance to the likes of tangled and moana.

She grips onto her mini push chair for better balance and bends her chubby knees to the rhythm. My favourite sight to see.

So how could I not make it like a four dimensional experience for her.

It wasn't as lonely as it may seem either.

She's made friends with next door's grandchild and so they all popped in for a little visit around tea time.

And during the day, Abigail my midwife had come to visit for a check in, bringing one big present with her of course.

She still feels bad that we're on our own, so she's made it routine to be there for us on special occasions.

I can't complain. Sometimes I feel myself going crazy from the lack of adult conversation and interactions in my life.

Hellos with the postman just aren't cutting it anymore.

Most importantly of all, Kiara's new favourite film is one of your own Kian.

Now maybe I'm being despicable and torturing her by telling her who you are yet keeping you apart.

But it's part of my back up plan to keep her safe incase by some tragedy I can't anymore.

In which case you'll be reading these letters...

Yikes.

Obviously most things you partake in aren't particularly...kid friendly.

Let's just say it's a good job she enjoys seeing her daddy as a superhero. Her 'zio' too.

And that's pretty much her second year summed up. She's still adorable, as intelligent as ever and a babbling, toddling machine.

-Lucia and Kiara.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Kiara... You have to eat all of your fruit if you want some desert." Rowan warns Kiara, a serious look in his eyes.

"But cakies." The toddler sulks, not understanding why she isn't getting her way since she's being so cute with her wide eyes and pouted lip.

It works on her dada most of the time and had even worked with her mamma too.

Rowan shakes his head in disbelief.

The two of them were and are weak for her. One look and they'd give her anything if she added a 'pwease', Rowan gathered.

He guessed her health was now in his hands because if it were up to Kian and Kiara, she'd be ninety percent pancakes and ten percent fruit juice.

Can you imagine if she was introduced to fizzy drinks? She'd be getting rolled places by her fourth birthday, Rowan scoffs at his own thoughts before putting his foot down.

"Sorry munchkin but you can't have the goodies if you don't eat anything nutritional. Don't you like raspberries? They're yummy, see?"

Rowan picks up a berry and pops it in his mouth, grinning as he chews it all to show her that different foods can be nice too.

She watches him intently and he waits with baited breath, praying she simply listens and eats her fruit.

Then her eyes flicker behind him.

"Dada? Me have cakies?"

Traitor.

"Sure princess, you want pancakes instead? I bet you've had enough of that boring fruit."

Rowan sends him the most lethal glare, rising from his crouched position to curse out his brother in a whisper.

"Remember the part where you were supposed to be a responsible father? She can't live on pancakes Kian or soon she'll be shaped like one." Rowan lectures the oblivious looking boy.

"Don't be dramatic." He rolls his eyes, "She asked so nicely, how can you say no to that?"

They both turn back to the princess sitting in her pink booster chair, grinning innocently at her two favourite people, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Because she knows no better than what you teach her Kian. You're a grown damn man, well to be honest that's debatable, but she needs a balanced diet. She's a growing girl." Rowan calmly explains.

Kian listens as though it's the first time this thought has ever crossed his mind, and it probably is, he's looking just as wide eyed and naive as his daughter.

The eldest of the three has to bite down his laughter at the sight of the two guilty looking children infront of him.

Some things never change, Kian will always be a big child who does as he pleases.

If he didn't have Rowan to open his eyes he'd let Kiara do whatever she pleases so long as she's safe, happy and fed. Just like he does.

But the difference is, he's the adult and she's the child.

It looks like Rowan has two children to educate.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Kian, it's your best friend's birthday. You haven't seen him properly in months. Go have a few drinks with him. I promise Kiara won't perish if you leave her for one night."

Rowan pats his stubborn brother on the shoulder, encouraging him to accept the invite to celebrate his life long friends' birthday.

Kian never thought he would be able to say he hasn't even thought about alcohol since taking in his daughter.

He never thought he'd have a daughter. Not for another ten years at the least and even then he'd still be as unprepared.

Why would he want to loosen up so much that he isn't able to have Kiara's well-being in the forefront of his mind?

"But they'll only encourage me to drink and I can't turn down a drink! I've never done such a thing in my life! I might aswell scream I have a child, it'd be the same thing." He rants defensively.

"Well then have a few. I don't understand why you're acting as though she hasn't been left with me so many times before."

The eldest brother's brows furrow.

"Yeh but I always piss Kelly off and end up coming home early. I can't do that if I lose track of time." Kian reasons.

Rowan sighs and strolls over to Kiara who's sitting blissfully unaware on the couch, engrossed in finding nemo and clutching her crush teddy to her chest.

He whispers some magic, mostly tempting promises, into her ear and soon enough she's approaching Kian with a heart stopping smile on her face.

"Dada go have fun with Dylan." She instructs, shocking him into silence.

So now even his baby's pushing him to go out. What a betrayal.

What kind of things had Rowan promised her to convince her to not only separate from him but voluntarily too.

All Kian needed was one tear or even a pout and that would be his excuse not to go.

Now he's been shoved in the deep end on his own.

"Fine." He eventually speaks up, his voice strained with faux offense.

"I guess I'm not wanted here so I'll just go have a long sleepover somewhere else." He attempts to make his three year old daughter jealous, using one of her favourite words.

But not even a sleepover can beat the promise of racing her zio down the slides again in the soft play room.

Kiara scratches her dad's fresh wound with a well intended "bye dada, love you" and soon enough, Kian is off out the door.

But not without sending her into a fit of giggles by attacking her with kisses of course.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Where's my littlest chicken? I want some smooches." Kian voices, way too loudly for the early hours of the morning.

Rowan slaps his hand over his mouth as though he'll actually wake Kiara up.

The mansion is way too big for anything to be heard from the second floor where the bedrooms are located.

Rowan wasn't too pleased he had to leave Kiara sleeping in his bed to drag her father's drunk ass out of his car after receiving a concerned phone call from Philip, his chauffeur.

All was good, more than good for Kian evidently. But Philip was concerned the damage would be irreparable once Kian started projecting his guts all across the back seats.

And then there was the fact that Kian couldn't stand on his own.

"Kian it's three thirty in the morning, she's asleep. Leave her be." Rowan pointlessly explains.

Kian had shown no signs of hearing his brother speaking at all and from previous experience, Rowan knew his ears would be ringing from the amount of alcohol consumed combined with the loud music by now.

A stupid smile rests on Kian's face as his eyes remain clouded over.

Rowan can't help but laugh at how amusing his little brother's drunken state never fails to be.

"I want my baby. She's so cute I love her so much." He slurs, tripping over the corner of the rug and leaving Rowan to catch him.

It's a good damn job he works out so much because Kian is not light.

"Do you want to scar her for life? Make her cry?" Rowan asks.

"No! I just wanna pick her up 'cause she's my babyyy."

Yet again, Kian and the point are complete strangers.

There's no bargaining with him drunk.

"Okay you can do that. But first just have a little lie down in your bed..."

Rowan leads a helpless Kian to his own room and plonks him down ontop of his covers.

He doesn't move an inch. He stays flat on his stomach, arms by his sides.

"You just wait here two seconds..."

Rowan quietly backs out of the room and shuts the door behind him.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"Dada thirsty?" The little girl asks, curious wide eyes melting her uncles heart.

"Yeh baby he will be. He was dancing all night long."

She thinks nothing of the knowing smirk on his face and reciprocates with a small smile of her own.

She clutches the cold bottle of water in both of her hands, holding it like her most prized possession.

The kid is on a mission to be a good help and bring her father a drink of water like Ro-Ro had suggested.

It's a team effort; she carries the water bottle whilst Rowan supports her walking up the stairs and provides the paracetamol.

When they finally reach his door, Rowan slowly cracks it open, only to burst out into genuine deep laughter.

He hasn't moved an inch.

The boy is still flat on his front with his arms by his sides.

"What dada doing?" Kiara questions, confused as to why her dad's feet are hanging off the bed, looking like he's only just belly flopped onto it.

"Sleeping." Rowan chuckles again, pulling out his phone to snap a picture for future teasing purposes.

"No blankie?" She follows up, her face folded in confusion.

"He must have been too hot munchkin." Rowan strokes her head, smiling at her adorable innocence.

"Wakey wakeyyy time for school." Rowan taunts, speaking even louder than Kian had last night to annoy him that much more.

"Mhhhgrrmmn." Kian groans into the duvet.

"Pass me the water baby." Rowan whispers to Kiara.

She complies knowing no better and Rowan presses it to Kian's cheek.

The ice cold temperature jolts him awake fully and he scrambles around before clambering off his bed and stumbling into his en-suite, throwing up all contents of his stomach into the toilet.

"Dada! Dada sick?" Kiara turns to her uncle, concerned on a new level.

"He'll be okay soon honey." He reassures her, picking her up and placing her on his hip.

A/n. Not sure what the hell this one is hahah.

I know how many chapters are left of this book and you don'ttttt😝