I Told The Moon About You

1: Earth to Mars

ONE
Earth to Mars

"Mars!"

Elias stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the door to his daughter's bedroom. He sincerely hoped his voice would carry and he wouldn't have to go up there just to wake her up.

But once a whole thirty seconds passed without answer, he sighed, begrudgingly marching up there and rapping his knuckles on her door. "Mars," he repeated. "You have to get up."

He heard a muffled groan of protest. "Mars," he said again, exhaling quietly. He didn't want to wake up early either, but unfortunately, they both had to. "I'm about to come in there in ten seconds. One. Two, three, four..."

The door was shoved open, and Elias stepped back, coming face to face with a very pissed off thirteen year old, her tangled hair only adding on to the fierceness in her gaze. "I'm up," she stated darkly. "Showering now."

She stomped to the bathroom, and Elias went back downstairs to finish making her breakfast. When she showed up fifteen minutes later, damp hair balled up in a towel and dressed in her school clothes, there was finished food waiting for her at the table.

"What time did you go to bed last night?" Elias asked, leaning against the counter, holding his mug of coffee to his lips. "You look more tired than usual."

Mars pursed her lips. "You're gonna get mad."

"Am I?"

"Yes," she mumbled around a mouthful of bacon and bread. When her father didn't respond, she looked up to find him giving her an expectant look. She groaned. "Fine. I went to bed at midnight."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Why? I know damn well it wasn't homework keeping you up."

"Oh, so you can say that but I can't?" Mars asked, faking disbelief. "Double standards."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm the adult. If you're gonna cuss, don't do it around me."

Mars huffed. "I was playing a video game. I didn't pay attention to what time it was." She slurped her glass of water noisily. Elias had given up on telling her to be a little more polite when she was eating. "But it was fun and I got to level forty, so it was worth it."

Elias sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I tell you to go to bed by ten. You're lucky I'm not saying seven like other kids' parents."

Mars beamed, showing off her teeth, eyes closed. "You're the best dad ever!" she sang, and despite Elias knowing she was trying to throw him off his scolding, he was relieved to hear her say it. Being a good father to her was important for him, even if he wasn't biologically her dad.

Her real parent was Elias' sister, who passed away during childbirth after becoming pregnant due to a shitty ex who walked out as soon as he found out she was having a kid. Mars was left to him — he didn't mind taking on that role — and as far as Mars knew, Elias really was her dad.

He hadn't yet told her the truth. She was too young, but now she was getting to the age where she deserved to know. But the topic wasn't very easy to bring about. She'd never asked why she didn't have a mom like her friends, but when the day came that she did, Elias supposed that would be the best time to tell her.

"You ready? You have everything?" he asked her after taking notice of the time. "I gotta get you to school."

Mars nodded, stuffing a folded up piece of bread stuffed with bacon in her mouth, rushing for her shoes and bag. "I'm ready!" she yelled, but it came out as something almost unintelligible. He used his context clues.