Big Steps (Evan Kirkendall)

okay, so here is a very short, hopefully cute, short about everybody's favourite sound guy Evan! YAY Kirken!

--------------

"Daddy!" the voice floated above the ringing in Evan's ears. "Are you okay?"

"W-what?" Evan asked a bit unaware of what was going on.

Seeing his little girl standing next to him, her eyes focused on him, Evan smiled slightly and nodded earning a smile from his little girl. Kissing the back of her hand, he patted it gently and cleared his throat.

"I'm fine, sweetie." Evan did his best to sound reassuring.

"Are you sure?" She questions again, her eyes that match her father's perfectly searching his face for the truth.

Cade Kirkendall raised her eyebrow slightly. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been an expert at detecting her father's moods and whether or not he was trying to pull the bluff on her. It was a gift; Evan felt it more of a curse really. Letting her father live in his own little fantasy world a bit longer, Cade kissed his cheek and offered him a warm smile of encouragement.

This had to be the most nerve wracking day of Evan's life; except for the day Cade was born. He smiled remembering the day so perfectly, it couldn't have snowed harder in Baltimore, yet his little girl was ready to arrive and she was coming whether they were ready or not. They made it to the hospital safely, only to wait nine hours. Those were the longest nine hours of Evan's life; he could still clearly see himself pacing the halls of the hospital, his friend Zack by his side. Everybody else had been out of town, Evan owed it to Zack for braving the storm just to sit and make sure Evan didn't go insane.

As the doctor came to tell them it was a baby girl, Zack had declared to the nervous Evan "This is just a big step in the life of Kirkendall."

Clearing his throat, a nervous habit, Evan straightened his tie and closed his eyes taking a deep breath. Glancing at the mirror in front of him, he took in the sight of his tuxedo. Cade had helped him pick it out, saying it was the perfect fit for him. Evan wasn't so sure about the bowtie, but his little girl had insisted it made him look that much more handsome.

At her age, Cade wasn't little anymore, but she'd always be Evan's little girl. It was true, it didn't matter how old Cade got, she was still Evan's little girl and as much as she hated it sometimes he treated her as such. It had been the two of them since Cade was two. Evan's girlfriend, her mother, decided that a baby and a husband weren't what she wanted. Evan would never hold it against her for deciding to leave him; she was still a part of Cade's life, leaving Evan with full custody. A challenge it had been raising a baby, but Evan enjoyed it and would never take a second of it back. Cade understood why her parents couldn't be together and adjusted well, but it didn't mean she and Evan didn't fight about it constantly especially through the difficult teen years.

Things became exceptionally difficult for Cade, when her mother became Mrs. Alex Gaskarth. Evan loved Alex to death and knew Alex adored Cade, if Cade had to have a step-father Evan was happy it was Alex. At fourteen, Cade had a bit of trouble accepting that her beloved "uncle" Alex was going to be her new step-dad, but things adjusted well. When it came to parents, Alex was a fantastic dad to Cade. He and Evan had the understanding that nothing got done until they worked together.

Alex and his wife, Cade's mother, were here today. Alex was a groomsman, why not?

There it was again, whenever Evan thought of today for what it was, a wedding, he got a sinking feeling that made his heart jump and his stomach lurch. Somewhere in the back of his mind Evan always knew this day would come, why was it hitting him so hard now? The mere thought of it made him dizzy, his palms sweaty and his heart rate spike.

After today everything changed, it was supposed to be happy and Evan was happy, he was also terrified of what the future held. Lost in his own little world of thought, he slightly jumped when a gentle hand tapped his shoulder. Seeing Cade's reflection in the mirror behind him, Evan smiled and turned wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"They told me its show time." Cade informed him with a beaming grin. "Are you ready, Daddy?"

"I guess we're about to find out. Come on, we need to get out there." Evan answered kissing her cheek and taking her hand.

In position, Evan took a steadying breath, he wasn't going to cry. No matter what, he was not going to cry. Watching as the bride's maids slowly made their way down the aisle, his anxiety skyrocketed, his heart wanted to jump out of his chest. Cade looked stunning in her dress, Evan couldn't be more proud seeing her taking the slow, cautious steps down the center of the aisle with a huge glowing grin. That was his little girl and he owed so much to her.

As the bridesmaids took their position at the front of the alter, along with the groomsmen who had been patiently waiting, the wedding march began and Evan's eyes lit up and the smile he wore couldn't get any bigger. Seeing the bride, his bride, only a few feet away cause that nervous feeling he'd had to flutter away. As his new wife to be, the soon to be Mrs. Evan Kirkendall drew closer, Evan stole a quick look at Cade, catching his gaze she winked.

"I love you, daddy." She quickly mouthed, blowing him a kiss. "You've got this."

Taking a step forward to receive his bride, Evan nodded. Cade was right, he had this. He could do this, it was just another big step in the life of Kirkendall.