Where’s my daddy?
[color= Thistle] “My mommy packed…coo…cookies for meee,” [/color] Aria whispered excitedly as she bounced on the table with her best friend Bonnie who had taken a seat across from her. “OO my daddy packed fruit snacks, w…want to share?” The two were waiting for their parents to pick them up and always brought snacks while they waited. Her mom always told her snacks made her big and strong and because of that, she could get whatever she wanted. Though as great as that was, there was something else in her mind over the past few days. Recently, Aria had started noticing that alllllllll of her friends had… well… to point out the elephant in the room… they had dads and she just didn’t. How come she didn’t? What happened to her dad? Did he not want her? She liked Andy and that was Kaya’s dad… but Kaya didn’t have a mom… and Aria loved her mom. And then… then there was Ronnie who’s dad was Cousin Danny and she had a mom too. But what about her? Over the past few days, all those thoughts had been in her mind, making her honestly really sad. She didn’t have the same energy to play or have fun because every time she tried, someone brought up their father. Did you know it was career day at school yesterday and most people brought their fathers? And now again - as she and Bonnie were waiting she saw Bonnie’s dad picking her friend up and spinning Bon around and right before Bonnie left, the last thing she asked Aria was how come she had never met Aria’s dad. And…and…and how was she supposed to respond to that?
That night… Aria finally… worked up the courage to finally ask her mama the question that she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind. Her mom’s arms were wrapped around her as the two read a book together about a bunny who got lost and the bunny’s dad found him. “Mommy… who’s my daddy?” All the sadness she had been feeling over the last few days finally came out as tears begin streaming down her eyes as her mom asked her what brought this up. And so… Ari told her mommy how… her friend had her dad… and how the bunny had his dad… but she didn’t… have… a dad. “Do I… do I have a daddy mommy?” Aria whispered softly in between her sobs and she found a little comfort in her mom wrapping her arms around her and kissing her before nodding and telling her that she… did have a dad. She… had a dad…and… her mommy asked if she wanted to meet him. She waited a few seconds, but soon Aria begin nodding a hope filling her as she imagined what her dad was like.
Over the next few weeks - Aria Pierce’s energy had picked up again and she begin telling everyone that she was going to go see her father. After her mom had told her that daddy was a prince, she grew more excited, telling everyone she knew - including her teacher. Did anyone believe her? Well that was another topic altogether, but whether they did or not, she was soooooo excited. Her mom had taken her dress shopping and she found a dress that made her look like a princess so her dad would want her. And AND on the plane, her mommy even did her makeup because Aria wanted to look like her mom did.
“You ready, my love?”
Nothing could hide the pure excitement she felt when her mom asked that question, soon followed by her grabbing Aria’s hand as they walked inside the bigggggeeeesssttt room she had ever been to. It was sooo pretty. There were millions of girls in so many beautiful dresses… and… she… almost felt like her dress wasn’t enough seeing how the other women looked. What if her dad didn’t like her? Excited or not - Aria Pierce soon felt nervous as her mom walked in between a lot of people and started talking to someone she couldn’t see. But but… but then they started walking away. Aria tried to look behind her at the man her mom was talking to but she couldn’t… see him… maybe… did her dad… not… want her? Why… were they walking away?
Aria found her mom leading her to the upstairs balcony and before Aria could ask what happened, someone else followed them outside. Part of Aria wanted to go up to the man, but a bigger part of her was so scared that she found herself moving behind her mom’s legs. Tightly hugging her mom, she met the man’s blue eyes with curiosity. Was that her dad? She stayed there as her mommy spoke for her, but her mom was speaking sooo fast she didn’t even know what she was saying… until her mom said her name that is. The moment she did, she saw the shock on the man’s face but it was gone in an instant as the man bent down close to her. She could see him clearly now. The man had blonde hair and bright blue eyes - similar to her own but her’s were darker than his.
“HI… Aria is it?”
Staying behind her momma, Aria slowly nodded - unsure of what to do but but then he told her that her dress was pretty and asked her to twirl. Though she stayed behind her mom, she turned around and laughed slightly - happy that he liked her dress: maybe she did look like a princess.
"My mommy says I look like a princess… are…are you a prince?”
Before the man could answer, Aria found her mommy bending down, kissing her on her forehead before telling her that she would be right outside. Then… she was… all alone with the man.
“I am a prince… and I agree with your mommy, you do look like a princess,” her father added, taking a seat on the floor beside her. “How old are you?”
With that, Aria put three of her fingers up, smiling as she sat on her dad’s lap. “All…all my friends have daddy’s… and now… I… have one too,” she whispered, hugging the man after a few seconds and she felt his arms wrap around her after a few seconds.
WIth that, she found her father asking her everything from what she liked to do - hint, playing and eating were a big part of her loooonnngg answer - and her favorite color anddddd her favorite animalll anddd Aria asked him what he liked to do, if they could make a little handshake like her mom and her had, and sooooo mannyyy other things. She didn’t know how long she was talking to him, but after a while, she found herself closing her eyes against his chest - her thumb in her mouth as she slept happily. She… finally… had a dad. AND and… he wanted her.
Waking up, Aria rubbed her eyes expecting her dad to be there and… well… was really upset when she found herself on the plane. Tears ran down her face as Aria started crying loudly, wanting her dad back but her mom just kept telling her that she was sorry and that he couldn’t be there. It wasn’t fair… it… how come everyone else got to be with their father and she couldn’t? For most of the flight, Aria hadn’t stopped crying - rather, she found herself crying herself to sleep once again. The second time she woke up however, it was different. Instead of her being alone - she found that she was sleeping on her dad’s lap as he read the news paper like her mommy did in the morning.
Was it a dream? “D…daddy?” Aria whispered and found the man looking down at her with a smile. “Good morning princess,” and with that, Aria immediately jumped up - wrapping her arms around the man and tightly holding him. “P…please don’t leave daddy… I’m sorry I’m… not a prin…princess I’ll… I’ll be…better,” she whispered, and after a second of him holding her tightly, she heard him shaking his head with a laugh. “I’m not going anywhere my love,”