Keep Me Close

Angel

Erik POV
"Father, I want to ride the Ferris wheel. Can we please?" She grabbed my hand and gave me a look I couldn't bear to say no to.
"I suppose, but this will be the last ride of the night ok?" I said. I really had sounded like a father in that moment. It felt different, heart warming at the same time. I saw Lily look up at me with pleading eyes, I wondered how the child still had energy after her long day. She had dragged me on every ride we had and requested we played every game as well. It was a good thing I owned the park, if I hadn't we would've become bankrupt. We did the roller coaster about five times, she certainly had no fear of heights nor speed. She really was my child. We, well she, I'm not big on the whole "eating" thing. I watched her experience leading what fried dough was, and she coated herself in the sugar on top, which made me smirk. I learned about her favorite foods, her favorite colors (red and black, similar to my own) and her favorite songs. She revealed that her mother often took her to the theater, they had seen this play a few months ago called Les Miserables that she couldn't stop going on about. She seemed to have the same passion for music and theater as her mother and I had. 
"Okay, fine" she said with a huff. She reminded me of her mother so much, the pouty face she would give. Her mother used to give me the same look when I would instruct her all those years ago. It pained me to think of her.
"Father?" Lily said in a innocent tone.
"Yes my love" I responded breaking my thought of Christine.
"Why did mother call you her angel?" She asked me. My heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. "Father?" She said looking at me with a worried expression. I took a deep breath, my hands became clammy, a feeling I was not used to.
"I was her angel of music, and she was mine" I said as I picked her up and held her close as we stepped into our cart on the ferris wheel.
"What do you mean?" She asked me. I decided I would tell her the non tragic part of the relationship between me and her mother.
"Your mother was a young lady when she came to live at the ballet dormitories" I sat with her on my lap and the ride began to move. "She was a ballet dancer as you know, I had also lived here in the catacombs below the theater. That's where we met, she was a singer and the first time i heard her sing is when I fell in love with her. She had the voice of an angel" I stopped, feeling the tears beginning to form. Lily kept looking at me with a sweet smile, she then nuzzled her face into my neck as I continued.
"The first time we met, she thought I was the angel her father promised her he would send her from heaven. At that time I was ashamed of who I was and afraid she wouldn't accept me for who I am because of my face. So I decided it was best if she believed I was her angel. Slowly she became my angel as well" I said with a tear rolling under my mask.
"That's so romantic father" she sighed dreamily.
"How on earth do you know what romantic is?" I asked with a smile.
"Just the way you talk about her, I saw it in her eyes when she would look at you. And the way you talk about her. Its lovely... I miss her father" she said pulled herself back into my embrace. I hugged her tightly. I had no idea how to be a father. A girl growing up without a mother was going to be a hard thing in the not so distant future.
"I do too to my darling, but you must remember, she will always be with you" I said pulling her back so I could look into her beautiful eyes.
"Yes, she sent me the angel of music, you, Father." Said leaning her face into my chest. My lips quivered.
"I love you Lillian Rose Destler" I said as she gave me a confused look.
"Destler?" She asked
"Yes, that is my last name. You will take it as your own, only if you want to. However I am fine if you wish to have your mothers, Daee is gorgeous as well" i said. She shook her head.
"I like Destler. It sounds strong, like you father" my heart ached at the things she would say to me.
"I will always try to remain strong for you my love. No matter what" i said. She cuddled back up to my side, "Lily, look at the view" i said admiring the view of New York City in the the distance over the ocean. She looked up in pure amazement.
"Father, may we go see one of the shows tomorrow at the theater, i miss hearing music" she said as her mind moved onto a new topic. She had one of the shortest attention span I could imagine. Another quality of her mother, she would always be staring off into space when she was younger.
"Of course my love. I have some work to attend to during the day but in the morning. You may spend the day with Madame Giry if you please. I don't believe you would have much fun during the day just hanging about the lair" i said. He shook her head no to me.
"No father, i dont want to be away from you any longer." She was so sweet. I didn't deserve someone as pure as her in my life.
"We have a lot of time to make up for" he said. The ride them came to a halt and we stepped off together her small hand in mine. We walked like this for a good amount of time until she stopped.
"Father im so tired, will you carry me?" She asked. I scooped her up in my arms, and soon she was fast asleep.
We arrived back at our home. I brought her into her bedroom and changed her into the night gown we had bought at a store today. I tucked her into the bed and gave her a kiss on her forehead goodnight and left her to her peaceful slumber.