Touching the Heart of Ace

She was waving something... a paper in her hand and was running towards me.

I was not dreaming it, was it?

Tiny arms hugged my weak knees and her giggles were now muffled because she was squishing her face on my thigh.

I dropped to the floor and she happily climbed up my thighs chatting my ears off.

I had no idea how I would manage if this was a dream. I would die of heartbreak if this was not real.

"H... hey Baby..."

"an... an... miss say we go... hear Davey... we go fishie... an an... Davey say yes an... we go... miss say show Davey and Little Baby show Davey..."

She waved the paper in front of my face.

I took that from her and she started humming a song after making herself comfortable on my lap... like she used to do a six months before.

I looked down at my daughter and saw her talking to her fingers.

I pecked her head which she ignored.

Good.

This was how she was supposed to be.

"Davey... Lia go? Pease pease Davey... petty fishie Davey... Lia go?"

The father in me pushed the sucker in me away and decided to read the paper instead of agreeing to it, just because my daughter wanted something.

It was a permission slip for Lia to go to the aquarium two miles away with two of her teachers and four caretakers. All the twenty kids in her day care are allowed to go if they brought the permission slip signed by a parent. Four parents had already volunteered to the trip and their phone numbers were at the bottom.

I had to call them before signing this.

"Lia go Davey... Fishie petty Davey... Lia gwood... Lia haf ta go..."

"I will tell Daddy when he comes home and then Lia can go to see fishie tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yaaaaayyyyy!!! LUB YOU DAVEY!!!" She screamed before peppering my whole face with kisses.

I closed my eyes, feeling her tiny feet digging on my thigh, her tiny palms twisting my shirt and her tiny lips leaving wet marks on my cheeks.

I crushed her to me and she giggled before kicking out of my hug.

Fuck!

I wanted that to happen for a very long time.

I gave out a watery chuckle when she did that.

Then I sniffled once more when she gave me a mischievous smile before opening her toy cabinet.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

She gave me a shy giggle before starting to taking all of her toys and throwing them around.

"Lia..." I warned only because I was supposed to warn.

She had not done this in an eternity and dammit I wanted her to stomp on her toys and make a mess.

"Flip waying... Davey... We pay Davey... We pay feefball..."

"Then only take the football Lia. Put everything else back."

Please don't obey, baby... fight with me, Lia... Please...

She cackled before running to me... "Nuuu... Davey... Lia play... Lia play feefball... petty pease..."

"Lia..." I wiped sweat off her forehead before pecking her.

"PEASE PEASE PEASE PEASE..."

"Fine... this one time... okay?" And all the other times too... "But... Lia... no Baby... wait... Lia... after you eat something... come on, Davey made you strawberry short cakes..."

"Bu... bu... Flip waying Davey... We feefball..."

I pulled her to my lap and my heart soared when she wiggled a lot to get down.

My heart was so full that it would break.

She swatted away my hand and tried to stuff all the food in her mouth at once. I was too happy to correct her...

I let her pour milk down her frock, I let her chew with open mouth... I let her play me like a fiddle...

I wanted to follow her to the playground but... she had to do this.

She had been following me like a little shadow for all these months, I wanted her to be independent again. I wanted her to fight me for her freedom.

down at the door and hugged her in guise of brushing off

only want to

and she gave me

plastic football in her too tiny

Davey say yes... We pay feefball... feefball Flip!" She giggled. "Kem home befownighty night... Davey say... We

her

to say good bye to me. I closed the door and cried my heart out with palm

She was okay.

She was getting okay.

right away. "You were right... Thank you... Thank you... Dear god! She was... Tati you had to see it... She was so... Tati... My

did what I did... but when I was done talking it was a veil

my tears. "No. She had been way too attached to

Dave. We got you. I know I am not her mother

me. "I will be here...

girl and god when she

Davey this, Davey that.

did not stop talking about feefball while I bathed her, wiped her, powdered her

Flip had to climb a mountain to get

no mountains where we lived but oh

Flip cried when he lost the

old man crying for a

tomorrow fishie get

other way

how much he knew my baby girl was not herself

ran to him and the man literally kneeled down to the

only been shyly peeking out her playroom all these days and this day for her to call out

"H... Hey... Baby Angel."

coz Lia gwood... Lia go fishie... an fishie see Lia tomrow coz Davey say yes an... Davey give Lia kay an cookie and Dada pay feefball with Lia an Flip no offsie day an thas ee... bye... oh... I lub you, Dada. Kissie... bye. I

much Little Girl. Dada loves you so so so much." He kissed him and my watered when she giggled before pulling off from

I jumped on her way

into my arms with a loud

"Ageen ageen ageen."

again I

missed this so

love you, Angels." Robbie laughed still on floor. So, I also

love you daddy,

"Lub you Daddy."

I smiled.

teasing smile and I gulped. Normally, I would just glare at him and take

love you really." Robbie told me

looked at my Lia who was

a bit and a peel of shy giggle fell from her baby mouth. "Whaat?

to my ear.

Uhuhuh... an an... Flip lob Tati...

"Aw..." I smiled.

his eyes were twinkling with mischief. My Lia threw her head back and

attempt to hide my blush was

before hiding her mouth behind

too. I love you, Daddy."

She glared

at her glare.

I could hear the duh

"Aw! Why not?"

my head to her tiny chest and glared once again at Daddy. "Davey lob Baby."

"That is true but... Daddy needs some love too,

"Uhhuh. Lia lob Daddy."

but damn it was so funny and cute.

that he had no business by recording. I tried to swat it

should be satisfied by

love my babies

him. He looks so sad." I pointed my finger to Robbie and he showed us a

her melting. The stubborn brat turned her face away before Dada's pout could

he is going to cry. Don't you

still refusing to

gently twisted her face

I do with

lub Lia mo." She glared at Daddy from

from mine and then kissed her chubby cheek. "And thank you for letting Davey love Dada too. That is very kind of

his thigh. She took his too big head in her too little palms and stared right into

I not sayee fun. I lub you.

What in the name of fucking ever loving mother of

gulped. "Just a bit sad... but... but... Dada will be happy,

go glita." She climbed of his thigh, gave a cute bum wiggle and ran off

"Did she..."

"Did she..."

both started together and

"That was..."