Baby Clifford

Reading

Melody softly grabbed her book that she brought home from school. She gently walked to her daddy's bedroom. "Daddy," she shyly spoke. "Melody, baby girl, I'm busy with work right now." Michael groaned with frustration as tugged on his thin hair. "O-otay, Daddy," Melody pouted and walked into her room, deciding to try to read on her own out loud. Even if the teacher said that parents were supposed to read to their children.

Melody tried on the first page and got frustrated with it. She couldn't make out a word without stuttering and not having the word sound right, unless it was a simple word like the. She threw it to the floor and curled into a ball. She hated stupid reading out loud. Why couldn't they just let her read in her head? So that way she wouldn't stutter or sound stupid. "Stupid book," she grumbled. Melody pulled the blanket higher, so that way no one would have to see the stupid girl, in her opinion. Melody didn't even hold onto Spidey or Daniel, she wanted to feel like she was alone and no one wanted a stupid girl. Melody fell asleep and didn't want to read the book, at all.

"Melody, baby girl," Michael pulled the blanket down and shook her shoulder. He held the book in his hand. He recognized the book known as The Shy Little Kitten. He guessed the teacher assigned this book to her specifically for her. She rolled in her sleep. "Come on, time to wake up." He continued and she woke and sat up. "Did you want me to read to you?" Michael asked. She glared at the book. "Don't like," she growled. "Why not?" Michael sat next to her and pulled her into his lap. "It's hard," she replied. "To read?" she nodded to her father's questioned. "Baby girl, you're only learning. It's going to be hard at first, but I know that you are smart enough that you'll be able to read it, just a little later in life. That's all." Michael kissed her temple. "Come on, let me read to you." Michael spoke and opened the book after reading the title.

"Way up in hayloft of an old red barn lived a mother cat and her new baby kittens. There were five bold and frisky little roly-poly black and white kittens and one little striped kitten who was very very shy." Michael read before turning the page. "One day, the five little roly-poly black and white kittens and one little roly-poly striped kitten who was very very shy sat down and washed their faces and paws with their busy little tongues. They smoothed down their soft baby fur and stroked their whiskers and followed their mother down the ladder from the hayloft-- jump, jump, jump!" Melody leaned back against her daddy's stomach, listening to him read the story. "Then off they marched, straight out of the cool, dark barn into the sunshine. How the grass felt under their paws! The five bold frisky little kittens rolled over in the grass and kicked up their heels with joy. But the shy little striped kitten just stood off by herself at the very end of the line." He read with excitement, or at least trying for excitement.

"That was how she happened to see the earth push up in a little mond right in front of her. Then pop, up came a pointed little nose. The nose belonged to a chubby mole. 'Good morning," the mole said as friendly as you please. 'Won't you please come on a walk with me?'
'Oh,' said the shy little kitten, and looked shyly over her shoulder. But the mother cat and her five bold frisky kittens had disappeared from sight."

Michael was slightly brought back to when Melody was only a few months old and how fast she's grown up. He couldn't handle it. He held his little girl tighter as he continued to read the book.

They were getting closer to the end as the shy kitten returned home. "In a flash, the mother cat was beside her shy kitten, licking her all over with a warm and red tongue. "Where have you been?" She cried. "We're all ready to start a picnic." Michael the read that part and turned the page. "The shy little kitten stood off to one side. She felt so good that she turned a backward somersault, right there in the long meadow grass. 'This is the best day ever,' said the shy little kitten. The End." Michael had finished and kissed Melody's temple. "Why didn't the kittens have a daddy cat?" Melody questioned. "I don't know, baby girl. Maybe he's on tour like daddy does sometimes." He thought out loud. "Oh," Melody spoke, completely understanding now.

"You go away soon?" Melody questioned with a pout. "Yeah, baby, I wish I didn't have to." Michael replied. She sighed and looked down at her lap. She hated when her daddy was away. "Jaycee will take care of you, you like her, don't you," Michael spoke to his daughter. "Yeah," she shyly replied. "You can skype Daddy all you want baby girl, you know that I won't mind at all. Even if it's just to have a little lullaby to fall asleep to before you go to bed." He cooed. Melody shrugged and nodded slightly. "This isn't make you feel any better, is it?" Michael asked her. She shook her head. Michael sighed this time. It was hard to convince management to bring his daughter on tour with him. He tried before and he truly didn't get anywhere with them, at all. He'll try tomorrow.

"Hey, you want to watch a movie?" Michael asked, changing the subject. Melody nodded and carried her to the living room. Michael put in the Little Mermaid then noticed that his little girl didn't have any stuffed animals with her. "Baby girl, where's Daniel and Spider-man?" Michael asked, a slight concern in his voice. Melody looked down. "Th-they don't like me anymore." She mumbled. "Now," Michael came over and raised her head by cupping her cheeks, "that is the biggest lie that I ever heard in my life! You know that Spidey and Daniel will always love you. Just like Daddy and your uncles." Michael exclaimed. "Do you understand me, baby girl?" Melody shyly nodded. "Now, why don't you go get them, so they can watch the movie too." Michael smile and gave her an encouraging nudge towards his bedroom. Melody ran off and got them, then watched the movie.

*Next Day*

Management, with some miracle, agreed that Melody could go on tour.

*Thank you for reading this. I live in a small town where no one really understands my fangirl-ness, so writing this reminds me that I'm not the only one that loves Michael Clifford to the point where people think that it's a promblem. It makes me feel like I don't have a creepy promblem. :) Thanks*