Their eyes meet and a huge smile stretches across her face; causing her dimples to show even more. She takes off running towards him as fast as her small legs will take her. He bends over, grabbing her up, and holds her tight against him. His heart aches from the pure love he has for her. He begins to twirl her around, her sandy blonde hair flying wildly across her face. She giggles and yells out “Stop daddy! You’re making me dizzy!” Coming to a slow stop, he looks at her. The resemblance between them is remarkable. “Where have you been, daddy?” she asks as her full lips form into a small pout and her eyes glimmer with threatening tears. He walks over to sit upon the low stone wall which encircles the beautiful flower garden they had planted together the past spring. He had dreaded this question, but knew she was bound to ask. She had always been a bright child: catching onto things quickly and always eager and willing to learn.
Placing her on his thigh, he puts two fingers under her tiny chin and gently lifts up her head. Her eyes glimmer wet and a single tear had escaped and is slowly making its way down her plump cheek. He quickly brushes it away, feeling a deep ache in his chest. How could he explain? His desire to come see his little girl ate at him every minute of every day. He did not want to point the blame to where it belonged. He did not want to cause further problems. “Daddy wanted to come see you every day, Ava. Please do not ever think anything different. I came as soon as I could… I came to you as soon as I could, sweetheart.”
She stares into his brown eyes and reaches up to wipe the tears off of his face. “It’s okay, daddy. Don’t cry! I just missed you!” Inhaling deeply, he forces a smile and hugs her close. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a long box wrapped in pink velvet fabric and held tightly by an eggshell white satin bow. Ava’s face brightened as she saw the box. “Guess who this is for?” he playfully asks her as he holds out the box for her. She giggles and whispers loudly, “Me? But it’s not even my birthday!” She carefully takes the box and pulls at the white ribbon. He was always amazed at how such a young child could open a gift with such delicacy and patience. She removes the pink fabric and sets it carefully onto the stone wall next to the ribbon. Her little hands pull at the top of the box.
“Daddy!” she exclaims. “It’s beautiful!” Inside the box, lined with different shades of sweet smelling pink rose petals is a shiny silver necklace with a thick heart locket. Across the front of the locket, engraved in beautiful script is her name. Small light pink roses are perfectly placed over the heart locket. With her small fingers, she opens the locket. Ava reads the inscription: “You are my heart, Ava. My love for you grows stronger every day. Love, Daddy.” He takes the locket from her little hands and encircles the chain around her small neck. He smiles as he notices how the locket was longer than he had expected. Suddenly, he feels her arms wrap around his neck and a sweet kiss upon his cheek. “Thank you, daddy… I love it!” She leans back and takes the heart into her hands, examining it closely. “I will never take it off!” she exclaimed.
The sunlight felt warm against her face. She slowly opens her eyes as her dream melts away. As she begins to stretch, a sharp pain shoots through her side. She yells out and grabs her side. Suddenly, her mind is filled with flashes of what had happened: images of him, and his anger, of her running away, and the crimson red blood.” Bringing her hands up to the sides of her head, feeling like her heart would burst in agony she yells, “Noooooooooo!” She begins to sob, trying so hard to ignore the pain.
Like she had done a million times before, she reaches up to her chest but it is not there. Her hands begin to frantically look for her beautiful silver heart-locket necklace in her long blonde hair, on her bed, and on the floor. Then, she remembers: his large hand grasping the silver heart and ripping it off of her. Defeated, she sits on the side of her bed; her head lowered. “Daddy… wherever you are… I am sorry.”
Looking up, she gazes around her large bedroom. Her mind, still fuzzy, tries to piece together everything that has happened. On the floor she sees her torn and bloody gown. She gazes down at herself. She is clean and dressed in her favorite nightgown. She slowly and carefully pulls up her nightgown. Wincing, she sees that her wound has been bandaged with bright white cloths. Her eyes quickly dart around her room and fall upon her silver sword lying across her writing desk. She stands up, pausing due to her pain.
Taking in a deep breath, she walks over to the table. She smiles as she gazes upon the sword; another valued gift from her daddy. Placing her hand upon her bandaged wound, she slides her fingertips across the flat side of her sword. She whispers to herself: “Whoever did this for me is either a trusted friend or very stupid indeed.”
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