Sophia stands beside me as I lounge in the patio chair beneath the setting sun.
"So Dad, can I pleeease stay up to watch my show?" Blink, blink. Puppy dog eyes. Smile.
I let loose an exaggerated sigh. "Okay."
She turns to bolt away before I can change my mind. "Hold on a second!" I shout out to her. She freezes, then turns around. "Yah Dad?"
"First I need a kiss. Riiiiiight here," I say, pointing at my right cheek.
She smiles and her smile is a force. When she is older it will freeze people in their tracks, break some hearts and teach more than a few poor souls who dare to treat her lightly not to.
She bounces over like Tigger and, standing tippy-toe, stretches up to kiss me on my stubbly cheek. I look down and see that her toe knuckles are white with the effort. Then her little feet are scampering off again towards the back door.
"Hey!" I cry out.
She stops again, perplexed. "Yah?"
"My other cheek feels very sad that it didn't get a kiss too," I say.
She tries to hide her joy at being fawned over by rolling her eyes at me, but it's no use. Girlfriend loves the spotlight. So over she comes again and plants a wet one on the other cheek and, for good measure, kisses the back of my head too, her little arms wrapping around my neck from behind, her fingernails with chipped red nail polish looking like tiny berries.
"Thanks baby!" I exclaim.
"J-Welcome Dad," she giggles, double timing it to the back door before I can make another request.
Those of you who read this blog know that I joke that my daughter has a mild speech impediment. She loves to take words and make them her own. I can respect that. I'm good with "J-Welcome", "Biznaztics" and "How time is it?" for as long as I can have them, which won't be long now with kindergarten right around the corner.
I sip at my soda and wonder at this little person, about her life ahead, and that kindergarten teacher who will correct her to say "WHAT time is it?", and of her first prom and the first boy I will have to beat with my Steeler's helmet when he hurts her feelings someday. Ahhh life. Not unlike a windmill turning slowly on a sunny day; mostly noise with only a little motion and a lot of waiting.
Someday I will have to share her with the whole world. But not yet. Right now she's still all mine.
Awesome moment, thanks for sharing. I think there's something magical about the love between daddies and their little girls.
ReplyDeleteNice writing, too, love the mental images you paint.
That's so kind of you. Thanks! Glad you liked it.
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