She reaches the top and looks into her father's eyes as she opens her arms out wide and slides down again. He scoops her up and twirls her around in circles until her giggles take her breath away.
The park is her favorite place in the world, next to her daddy's lap, as he reads to her each night before bed. Daddy always takes her to the park on his day off. She runs across the grass in her bare feet with daddy close behind and falls on the grass, out of breath. Daddy picks her up and hugs her tightly for only a moment. She's off again, chasing a butterfly as he watches a short distance away. He waits for her to lose interest in the butterfly, to see what she will find next, to bring that special smile to her chubby face. It doesn't take long for her to spy the acorns under the tree and fill her tiny pockets with them, showing him her treasures with pure happiness. Daddy touches them and tells her how beautiful they are, knowing they will soon be forgotten and dumped before her clothes are washed.
He tucks her in bed and lingers for a moment, just to look at her beautiful little face. Her lashes lying against her cheek and her lips perfectly pouty. Her round little hand closed over her fingers in a tiny fist, as if she is holding on to the day even as she sleeps. He pulls the covers up around her one more time, before shutting off the light and gently closing the door, leaving it cracked a little, just in case.
Heading down the stairs he picks up the toy that she had left lying there and smiles to himself. Still holding the toy, he sits in his favorite chair and lies back against the soft cushion, tired yet content, from playing all day. His paper is untouched and the dishes are in the sink. His eyes land on a picture frame on the mantle. Smiling, he gets up and goes to the picture. Looking into the face of her mother he sees the child, her big brown eyes and blond hair. The same sweet smile touches her mouth and he runs his finger along it and then down the white veil that folds around her, touching the grass. He lingers a moment longer, picturing his daughter, too soon wearing that same veil.
The phone rings and takes him away from his moment alone with his girls and his thoughts. He smiles, hearing the voice and pictures his wife's face. They say goodnight and he goes into the kitchen to take care of the dishes. Lying beside the sink are six acorns and a piece of gum, wrapped in a piece of tape. Picking them up and holding them in his hand, he grins. His daughter had left him a goodnight gift. He put them in his pocket and quietly did the dishes, alone with his thoughts.
He is awakened with little feet in his face. He turns over and tries to hide. She pulls the covers from around his face and peeks at him, touching his nose with her own. He smiles and hugs her to him. She jumps off the bed, holding onto his hand and pulling him with her. She is ready to start the day again. Her tiny feet smack against the floors as they pad toward the kitchen. He rubs his eyes and smiles at her tenacity so early in the day with such a smile, it melts his heart all over again.
He turned to his daughter today and lifted her veil down over her face, as he leaned to her and kissed her cheek one more time. She smiled up at him and hugged him tightly, one more time before they went arm and arm down the isle. As they heard the music that was their cue, he reached in his pocket and gave a squeeze...to the acorn he always kept there. Wasn't it just yesterday he put them there...
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