Baby Clifford

On Take Away Bus Again

I started packing again as Melody drew a picture. She knew today is the one that tour continued. "Daddy," She whimpered and I turned around. "What is it baby girl?" I asked. She pulled Daniel from behind her back. "Take Daniel with?" She asked. "Are you sure?" She nodded and handed me the stuffed lion. "Take." She stated and pushed him to my chest.  "Okay, I'll take good care of him." I promised. She wrapped her arms around me and I returned the favor. It was moments like these that I never wanted to leave her. I couldn't be more grateful for my little girl,  no matter what. It's one of the hardest things to leave her.

Her small lips blew raspberries on my cheek. That led to fits of giggles filling the room from her. "You thinks that's funny?" I teased in a funny voice.  Melody nodded without stopping her giggles. "You're so silly." I laughed, pitching her cheeks. "You're so silly, I might have to eat you up." I said and picked her up to where her stomach was by my mouth and I pretended to eat her as she squealed and giggled. "Hmm, let's see what her arms taste like." I said in a monster voice and grabbed one of her arms. "Nom Nom Nom Nom!" I said and "ate" her arm. "Now her little legs!" I repeated my action with her leg. "Daddy stttooooppp!" She giggled. "I wonder what her face tastes like." I said and kissed her all over her face. She giggled and pushed my face away, "Nooooo!" She giggled. "STOOOPPP!!!" I smiled, "You know her tummy was so good, I'm going to eat it again." I put my head on her belly and move my head side to side, making a sound that the Cookie Monster might have made. "Dadddyyy don't eeaaattt mmee!" She exclaimed and tried to wiggle her way out of my grasp.

"Oh, no you don't!" I exclaimed and laid on my back with her on my chest facing me. I kissed her forehead, "I love you." I sweetly said. She leaned up and kissed my lips, "I love you MORE Daddy!" She cheered. "No,"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!" We continued the pointless argument of who loved who more, until I let her win. Let's face it, women, even little ones, always do win when they are confident. "Melody go too?" She quietly asked. I frowned amd shook my head, "No baby girl. You can't go, but I'll be back home before you know it." I assured her.

At the thought of being home for months,  it'll be time for her to start school. I'll be home for two weeks for about at the beginning of the month month before that, so I'll be home for her third birthday. August 3rd, it'll be her golden birthday.

"Promise?" She asked and stuck out her little finger. I wrapped my much larger pinky finger around her's, "Promise." I confirmed. 'Two more months,' I thought. No breaks to see my family. My daughter will be heart broken when she finds out.

"Kissy?" She asked innocently, breaking my thoughts. I pecked her forehead and she was not pleased. "Wrong kissy place." She stubbornly said. "I'm sorry, where do you want a kiss?" I said, a bit amused by her cuteness. She poked my bottom lip and then her's. "Lips," She said and puckered hers and closed her eyes. "Okay, Ms. Picky." I teased and pecked her lips. "Now cheeks." She declared and I pecked them both. "Now uh, chin!" She added to my places to kiss her. I obeyed and kissed her chin. "Now nose." She stated,  slightly flaring her nostrils. I chuckled and kissed her nose. "Uh, eyes!" She declared. "Okay, now close them." She closed her hazel eyes and softly pecked them. "Um, uh, head!" I kissed the top of her head. She thought of another part for me to kiss, "Ears!" I laughed, but obeyed her request.

"Okay missy, my turn for kisses." I said and had her stand between my legs. "Lips," She kissed them quickly. "Forehead," She stood on her toes and kissed it. "Cheeks?" She questioned. I chuckled, "Yes baby girl, cheeks." I smiled as she scrunched her nose after kissing my left. "Prickly." She stated, unhappily, but kissed the other one. "All done?" She asked. "No, now I need my nose kissed." She heavily sighed and I immediated her as she kissed my nose. "Now done." I stated.

She went back to her drawing as I looked over the room to make sure that niether of us forgot about anything. I didn't notice anything. I checked the bathroom, all good. I walked and sat next to Melody. "How's the picture doing?" I asked. She thought as she looked at it, without me looking at it. "Almost done." She commented and continued to add onto it. She stopped for a second and looked at it. "Done." She stated and showed me the picture.

Melody snuggled her body in my stomach and chest as I looked at the drawing. I noticed it was a lot better than the one that she gave me before I left. The paper had four squares on it, each showing something different. The top one on the left was people in water, and a little one sitting on the steps. The one to its right was one of it was a big stick figure holding onto a very much smaller one with a little kid drawing of a camera near. The last picture was of lions and what I'm guessing are Spider Monkeys. "This is very beautiful, Melody. I love the one with the lions." I commented softly. "Baby girl, you make amazing artist." I added. She didn't move, just staying in her comfortable spot on me.  I stroked her soft brown hair, giving her mire comfort. Maybe even drifting her to sleep, before I leave and when Jaycee picks her up to bring her home. "Daddy, I love you." She whispered almost asleep. "I love you too Melody. Now go to sleep." I gently said and kissed her head. "Sleepy time?" She questioned, yawning. "Yes, sleepy time." I confirmed and laid down. I have hours until I need to get on the plane and Jaycee will be here before that, hopefully while Melody is still sleeping.

I got lucky and unlucky that Melody was in a deep sleep to wake her up and goodbye. I wanted to so badly, but it's probably for the best that she's asleep. "Take good care of her," I whispered to Jaycee as she held her. "I will, I promise ." She said and gently grabbed Melody's hand and waved it. "Bye daddy, love you." She whispered in a higher pitch voice. I sadly smiled and watched her walk away with my daughter. I quickly swiped away the tear that ran down my face.

"Come on , Michael. The tour bus isn't going to wait forever." Ashton said as he sat down next to me on the bed in the hotel room. I nodded and took a shaky breath before standing and going on the bus. My daughter was right, it is a take away bus.