The sound of knocking at the door pulled you from your restless sleep. It was still dark outside, the early morning quiet broken by the steady beat of his knuckles against the wood. You groaned, turning your head away from the sound, praying it would stop. But no such luck.

The knocking didn’t cease. Instead, it grew more persistent—harder, faster, like he was trying to wake up the entire neighbourhood.

Then your phone buzzed, his name lighting up your screen. Another missed call. You hadn’t even had a chance to sleep properly, and now he was here, barging in before the sun had even risen.

You slowly dragged yourself out of bed, your body heavy with exhaustion. The irritation that simmered inside you made your steps sharper, more deliberate. With each thudding knock, your patience wore thinner.

You opened the door, your face a mixture of exhaustion and frustration, barely holding it together as Colin stood in the hallway, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. His eyes lit up when he saw you, the kind of look that said he was completely unaware of the storm brewing inside you.

“Hey, sunshine” he said with that lazy grin of his, as if showing up unannounced at 6 a.m. was the most normal thing in the world.

You didn’t even acknowledge his greeting. Instead, you just stared at him, arms folded, eyes narrowed. The silence stretched on for a moment, the weight of the frustration hanging thick in the air. You could practically feel your pulse quickening.

“Seriously, Colin?” you finally managed, the words coming out sharper than you intended.

“Hmm?” He tilted his head, stepping closer, not really taking the hint.

“You can’t just show up here unannounced every time,” you snapped, voice low but firm. “I told you, if you’re coming over, you need to let me know in advance. I’m not a goddamn 24/7 concierge service.”

Colin’s grin faltered for a brief moment, but it wasn’t because he felt guilty. No, instead, his gaze softened, just a little, as if he was actually listening.

“Hey, hey, relax,” he said, raising a hand in mock surrender. “I thought you’d be up by now. It’s not that early. Besides, I want to see my daughter.”

You opened your mouth, ready to lay into him again, but before you could say another word, a small voice interrupted you.

“Daddy!” Your daughter’s voice echoed from behind you, running into the hallway with a wide grin. The frustration melted just a little as you both watched her rush to Colin’s arms.

He bent down, scooping her up effortlessly, his face softening as he smiled down at her. “Hey, darling!” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “You ready for breakfast?”

You didn’t say anything immediately. Watching them interact, it made the irritation bubble up in you even more. You hadn’t wanted to be the bad guy here. You had to make things work, especially for her.