Modern Family

Miss You Already

He always knew this day would come eventually, but he didn't expect for it to seem like no time had passed at all. Surely it was just yesterday that he was pacing the length of a London hotel room, staring at a child in a carrier that he had been told only a couple hours before even existed. Surely it was just yesterday that he trembled as he held that baby in his arms and felt terrified out of his mind because he had no idea what he was doing. Surely it was just yesterday that he had watched her fall asleep and made the decision to dive head first into fatherhood, with the support of his three best friends.

But apparently he had blinked. Because all of a sudden, time had sped past and now he was sitting on the edge of her bed in her almost empty room, watching as she packed up the last of the dresses hanging in her closet.

"Hey," he called out quietly, scratching his top teeth over his lip ring and twisting the ring on his pinky finger as he spoke. "If you don't want to leave tomorrow, it's okay. Your classes don't start until next week, so you have some time."

Turning to face him, Savannah scrunched up her nose apologetically. "Dad..."

Right. Of course she didn't want to put off leaving. Not because she was eager to get away, but because she was on the verge of starting an entirely new chapter in her life and she was excited and ready for it to begin. He had felt the same way just before leaving for his first world tour: nervous and anxious and excitable and terrified, but hopeful beyond belief that this was just the beginning of something amazing.

Going away to university was a rite of passage, one that Jace himself hadn't experienced because touring and recording was all consuming. And because all of his dreams had come true when he was sixteen and he hadn't questioned and he hadn't looked back.

Much like Jace, Savannah knew exactly what she wanted. She was going to university to get a business degree in hopes of one day starting her own ballet studio. In the end, the university she had chosen had been close to home, but she still wanted to live in the dorms in order to truly get the university experience.

He understood, of course, but he was certain that tomorrow was going to be one of the saddest days of his life. It had been just the two of them in this big house since the last of her uncles had moved out when she was eight years old and now he would be living alone and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

On top of that, he would no longer see his daughter every day. It wasn't as though it was the first time they would be apart, seeing as she stayed with his parents while going to school when he was on tour, but knowing that she was so close and he couldn't see her would be a struggle.

But he supposed this was the kind of inner turmoil all parents went through when their kids moved out. Because in his mind, Savannah was still his baby girl, who made him paper valentines every year and painted his nails before award shows to make him more stylish and made him watch her recital pieces ten times to make sure it was perfect.

In reality, she wasn't a baby anymore. She was eighteen, technically an adult, and watching her grow into this incredible person had been an amazing journey. Now he was just afraid that he would blink again and she'd be married with kids and he'd be wishing that he could find a way to make time stand still.

"No, you're right," he shook his head, shooting her an apologetic glance and pressing his palms into his denim covered thighs to push himself to his feet. "You need some time to get settled in."

Nodding, she shoved the recently folded dress into a duffel bag and zipped up the top before turning to face him, placing her hands on her hips and speaking positively. "Hey, let's save the sad stuff for tomorrow. We still got tonight."