Chapter 34 Publicly Acknowledging Zoella
Ezra settled in on the sofa, just waiting. His hands were clasped on his lap. Was he that nervous? He couldn't quite pinpoint his emotions, but his hands were sweaty, and he definitely felt something about meeting Zoella.
"Would you like some water? Or maybe cold cola?" Emma asked. She placed the chocolate boxes on the kitchen table the moment he handed her the chocolate boxes.
"Ah. I'm good, Miss Facer." He wasn't fully focused on her as he turned his head to one side of the room. He was hoping the girl would rush in and throw herself into his arms, but that didn’t happen. Emma noticed. Wherever he was staring, his eyes were glued there.
"Mr. Queen, are you okay?" she inquired.
At last, Ezra turned to her. He nodded. "I’m fine. Where is she? Why isn’t she coming out?" He had a thought on his way to her place. His mind was a jumble of ideas. When the door opened, he expected her to dash into his arms, but that didn’t happen. "Doesn’t she want to see me?"
"It’s not that. I’ll go get her for you. Zoe can be a bit shy sometimes." Emma stood up from the couch and headed to Zoe's room. Zoe was sitting on her bed, wrapped in a towel. Emma leaned against the open door. "Why aren’t you dressed?" Zoe looked up at her when she asked. "Why is your hair wet?" Emma hurried inside to meet the little girl.
"I just had my bath."
"All by yourself?"
"Emma, I can handle myself." She jumped off the bed and grabbed the clothes that were there. Emma noticed the young girl’s sad expression.
"Hey babe, what’s up? You seem a bit down. You can talk to me. Is it about Mr. Ezra Queen?" Emma asked while grabbing the towel from the bed to dry Zoe's hair.
Zoe looked up at her. "It just feels a bit rushed." She lowered her head, nervously picking at her nails.
"So you’re feeling anxious?"
Zoe nodded. "What if he doesn’t like me when he sees me?"
"Who wouldn’t? You’re such a cheerful kid. I really like you."
"And I like you too." She looked back up at Emma. "I really do like you."
Emma knelt, cupping the child’s face in her hands. "If you think this is moving too fast, we don’t have to meet him today. We can do it another time."
Zoe shook her head. "That would be rude, Emma. He came a long way to see me. I can’t just let him leave like that. If he doesn’t like me, that’s okay. You like me, and that’s enough for me." She smiled and held Emma’s hand. "Let’s go outside. I’m ready."
"Are you really sure?"
"Yes, I’m sure," Zoe replied cheerfully. They left the room and walked into the living room. Zoe spotted Ezra and hoped her earlier wish would come true—a happy family with mommy and daddy.
When Ezra turned around and saw her for the first time, his face lit up, and he gasped softly. She looked so small. The realization that he was her father gave him butterflies.
Zoe stayed still. Her eyes were locked on him. Ezra felt his heart melt at the sight of her big, round eyes. He could see the family resemblance. "You must be Zoe," he said.
"And you are da..." She paused. She turned to Emma then she locked eyes with Ezra again. "Mr. Ezra Queen."
"Ezra is fine. Hmm. I... err." He was struggling to find the right words. He didn't know if he should hug her or apologize for taking so long to see her.
"It's okay. Ezra, I'm not mad at you. Emma mentioned she didn't tell you until now."
"Emma?" Emma and Ezra exchanged glances. He was surprised to hear Zoe call Emma by her first name instead of 'Mom.'
Emma laughed nervously. "That's just what I told her to call me. She's my best friend, and it feels more natural for us to be close that way."
He nodded slowly. That part made sense to him. When they were out in public, his mom loved it when he called her Josie. If he called her 'Mom' around others, she would instantly feel older. He looked at Zoe. "I brought you some chocolate. Do you like chocolate?" He noticed the conversation was getting a bit awkward. He wished they could both laugh at what the other was saying, but the look on the little girl's face made him uneasy. She looked sad, and he was at a loss for words. Just as Emma had said, she spoke intelligently and seemed wise beyond her years. "Come here." Ezra adjusted to make space for Zoe to sit down. "Join me."
Zoe turned to face Emma again. "Go on," Emma said. When Zoe sat down next to Ezra on the couch, she avoided looking at him.
"Do you like dolls?" he asked.
"Dolls are just for babies," Zoella replied. Ezra felt a bit odd when she finally looked his way. His eyes briefly met Emma's before returning to Zoe.
"So, what do you like?"
"I love painting. Would you like to see my paintings?" Zoe asked with a big smile. She was starting to feel more comfortable. She was staring at him so intently; how could he say no to seeing her artwork?
"Of course! I really want to. You know, I’m a pretty good painter myself," Ezra replied.
"I’ll be right back." Zoe dashed into the other room.
After she left, Emma chuckled. She settled onto the couch across from him. "I didn’t know you painted."
"Well, you don’t really know me that well. We haven’t had the chance to get to know each other at all." He wasn’t lying. They hadn’t spent any time together. He had gone to bed thinking he’d have time to get to know her better and ask her out, but when he woke up, she was gone. She had left his room and his life. He tried to find her, but she seemed to have vanished, as if she didn’t want to be found.
Emma remembered why they hadn’t connected. She turned away from him, her face lighting up when Zoe rushed back into the room to show Ezra some of her artwork. "What do you think?"
Ezra took a careful look. "Did you paint this?" He glanced at her.
"Yes."
"You’re really talented. Did your mom sign you up for a painting class?"
When he asked, Zoe's smile began to fade. But Emma quickly jumped in. "Of course not. She just discovered her talent. That’s what I love most about her. She’s a very smart girl."
"She’s definitely smart. Doing this at just three years old? You’re going to be a star someday," he remarked. He kept gazing at the painting, still in disbelief.
"You’re really something else." He looked at Zoe after hearing her voice, his expression puzzled. "At first, I thought you wouldn’t like me."
"Why wouldn’t I?" Ezra replied.
Emma noticed that with this little girl, Ezra was actually quite simple, the complete opposite of how he was at work. He would become a wonderful father.
"Zoe," he said, pulling the girl closer. "I already like you. I liked you even before we met. How about this? Let’s go out tomorrow and get to know each other better."
Zoe shook her head. "I can’t."
"Why not?" Ezra asked.
"I have to see Bella."
"Bella?"
"She’s her new friend at school," Emma explained. "Tomorrow is Zoe and Bella’s playdate. They want to paint together."
"Oh, I see. How about Sunday? We could go get ice cream then."
Emma shook her head, recalling what Sunday was meant to be. Meeting with Mrs. Queen. "Sunday will be busy for me. Zoe too. We have something planned, and we can’t—uh—miss it."
"Oh," Ezra nodded slowly. "Alright then. Let’s plan to go out next weekend. How does that sound?"
"I like that! We’ll go for ice cream with Emma, and you can come with me. We’ll play like a family and take pictures like a family," she paused. "Ezra, I like you. You’re cool," Zoe said.
Ezra couldn’t help but laugh. Her cuteness was overwhelming. To him, she was just the sweetest. He began to think about how different their lives might have been if he had known about her, been there at her birth, and raised her. He kept smiling as he decided while still looking at Zoe. He would definitely keep her and proudly acknowledge that he was the father of this little girl.