The house was still quiet, the kind of stillness that only lingers in those soft moments before the day fully wakes. Louis glanced at Harry, a sleepy smile tugging at his lips. The early morning light crept through the hallway window, painting the walls in a watercolor blend of soft pinks and warm oranges. Beyond the glass, the night sky was surrendering its last trace of blue, the first real sign of the new day stretching itself awake.
Louis' heart fluttered with a familiar kind of excitement — the kind that always came with Cassie's birthdays. He caught Harry's eye, raised his brows, and whispered, "Ready?"
Harry nodded, grin already forming.
"1... 2... 3..." Louis whispered, hand curling around the door handle.
He pushed the door open, and both of them burst out together, their voices filling the little room like confetti.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
The small shape under the blanket stirred. A sleepy giggle bubbled from Cassie as she blinked herself awake, her curls a messy halo around her head. When her bright blue eyes finally focused on them, her whole face lit up with a drowsy smile.
"Tank you, Dadee! Tank you, Papa!" she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep.
Louis felt his chest tighten, his heart swelling at the sight of her — his little girl, his entire world. He sat down beside her, the mattress dipping under his weight. "You are very welcome, princess," he said softly, brushing a stray curl from her forehead. "How does it feel to be five years old?"
Cassie wriggled upright, her small arms reaching for him as she climbed into his lap. "Good! Me a big girl now, Dadee!" she declared, her grin wide enough to fill the room.
"That you are, my sweet girl," Louis said, pressing a tender kiss to the crown of her head. Her hair smelled faintly of strawberries and sleep. He lingered there for a moment, breathing her in — that pure, innocent joy that only a child could hold.
And then, as she giggled against his chest, the memories came rushing in.
He remembered the tiny weight of her in his arms the day she was born — how her cries had shattered the silence of that sterile hospital room and how, when he first held her, the rest of the world had fallen away. He remembered her first steps, the wobble and tumble across their old living room floor, the way her laugh filled the house until he was laughing too. Her first word, "Dadee," had made him cry harder than he ever admitted to anyone.
But threaded through those bright memories was the ache — the nights when it was just the two of them. The empty half of the bed. The exhaustion that came from late-night fevers, from doing everything alone. He had been terrified at first, unsure if he could give her everything she deserved. Yet somehow, every giggle, every tiny hand reaching for his, every sleepy "love you, Dadee" had reminded him he was enough.
And now, watching Harry lift Cassie into his arms, spinning her gently until she squealed, Louis felt something inside him settle — a peace he hadn't realized he'd been searching for. This was how it was meant to be. Not perfect, but whole. Complete.
Cassie giggled as Harry hugged her close, planting an exaggerated kiss on her cheek. "Well," Harry said, eyes twinkling as he looked from her to Louis, "what do you say we take our five-year-old princess out for breakfast?"
"Oh yesh! Yesh please!" Cassie cheered, clapping her hands together, her face glowing with delight. "Me would lobe that!"
Louis chuckled, his chest aching in the best way possible. The sun was now spilling fully into the room, drenching the walls in light — soft, golden, and full of promise.
YOU ARE READING
Cupcakes, Cuddles & Curls
FanfictionA tradition of early morning trips to the bakery sparks an unexpected friendship between a loving father, his sweet daughter, and a charming green-eyed baker. His daughter is his world, and all she wants is to see her dad smile. The green-eyed baker...
