Little Girl Don't Grow Up Too Fast

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 Charlotte was three weeks into school and although it had completely changed her lifestyle, she was handling it rather seamlessly. Her mind was a bit scattered with all of the activities that she had signed up for, but there wasn't one that she didn't enjoy. Everyone had been nice to her just as she was nice to them. Some may say she was even making friends, and truly good friends that is, unlike the last school.

She was thankful that her dad only had practice on that Thursday morning, meaning he was free during the evening and the afternoon to watch her first volleyball game. She was even more grateful that her mom was able to make it to the first thing ever Charlotte had been a part of since they'd met. The thought made her giddy, the same it did for her mom as well.

"Why am I so nervous?" Carrie asked as her and Mike drove to Charlotte's school together. "I feel more anxious than watching you play hockey."

Mike glanced over at her laughing, "It's a different ball game when it's your own kid I guess."

"I guess," Carrie sighed. "I just want her to do well. She was so nervous that she wasn't even going to make the team at first. She mentioned she hadn't played since you two lived in Canada."

"She'll be fine. She's a natural when it comes to this stuff," Mike assured her, caressing her thigh as he drove. "Plus, it's not like she didn't do anything for two years. She's worked out with the both of us nearly every work out we've done and she went to camps last summer. Plus she's got good genes."

"You're not wrong about that."

The couple walked inside the school to the gym together and quickly found seats in the middle of the home section. They hoped to sit alone, away from other parents, not wanting to draw a whole lot attention and just focus on their daughter.

"Hm," Mike says as he stares at a program.

"What?" Carrie asked, trying to look at the program finding what he was looking at. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"I think Charlie might be pretty good," Mike thought. "There's four teams and she's the only freshman on varsity."

"That sounds like a pretty big deal," her eyes widened, snatching the program to take a better look at it herself. "And she was worried about just making the team."

Carrie and Mike watched their daughter in awe as she played. Sure, she was good, but they were mostly more impressed at how much fun she seemed to be having. In between points, she would have a glow about her that the both of them hadn't seen in so long. In between sets when the teams switched sides, Charlotte looked up at her parents who were grinning ear to ear giving her a thumbs up. She smiled and gave a thumbs up back before finishing up a win for the night with her teammates.

Carrie and Mike nonchalantly followed other parents down the hallway after the game and waited outside the locker room until Charlotte came out. After about 10 minutes, some of Charlotte's teammates started leaving the locker room slowly but surely. The couple waited patiently until they saw her finally come out, her school bag, volleyball bag, jacket, and phone all in toe.

"There she is," Carrie lit up and grinned as her daughter walked towards them. She didn't care that her daughter was carrying a bunch of stuff and proceeded in enveloping her in a tight hug. "You did so good!"

"I did alright," Charlotte shrugged, chuckling at how proud her mother seemed to be of her. It was making her giddy.

"You did amazing," Mike scooped her up next, before helping her grab some of her stuff. "Let me take a bag."

"I'm starving," Charlotte sighed as the family of three headed to the parking lot towards Mike's truck.

"Where do you want to eat?" Carrie asked. "You pick, superstar. Anywhere you want."