Jordan Voight: Teenage Years

Precious Gift

Jordan- 13

Jordan was now 13 and to Hank that meant his little girl was growing up and he didn't want her to grow up he wanted her to stay his baby forever.

Shortly after she turned 13, he had been waiting to give her something. Every night after she go to bed he'd go down to his safe and look the necklace he wanted to give her.

It was a long gold chain and hanging from it was Anna's engagement ring, it was a gold band with a medium size diamond on it. He had saved it since, he wanted to give it to his daughter since he couldn't propose to Anna. As he looked at it he felt sadness and pain go through his body.

It has been a long and hard thirteen years raising his little girl without Anna. She had missed all of Jordan's milestones as a baby, her first loose tooth, first day of school, all of it. The only reminder Hank has of Anna is their little girl.

Jordan would never remember her mother because she had been so young when she died the only way she knows of her is through the stories her father tells her and the pictures.

After a lot of thought Hank decided he'd give her the necklace as a late birthday gift.

Early one evening Jordan was in her room doing her homework and Hank was in the basement in his safe, he opened it pulling out the necklace placing it in a small box and putting the top on. Closing the safe the older man left the basement going to his daughter's room.

The now thirteen year old was finishing her homework when there was a soft knock on her door and her father peeked his head in.

"Everything ok dad?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah sweetie everything's fine, I actually have a late birthday gift for you". Hank replies heading to her side.

Taking a seat next to his teen daughter, Hank pulled out the small box giving it to her with a small smile. Jordan took the small box from her father and opened it, she saw the chain and gently took it out as she admired it. The ring had caught her eye as she gasped softly.

"Daddy it's beautiful".

"I was gonna use this ring to propose to your mother but I never had the chance so I saved it for you. I wanted to wait till you were a little older but I think you would appreciate it now".

"I love it. But are sure? This was gonna be moms ring".

"I'm sure sweetheart, she'd want you to have it".

Hank then helped her put it on and the young teen looked at the ring in awe. She couldn't believe she had what was gonna be her mother's ring. Her bottom lip started wobbling as tears burned in her eyes, Hank then pulled his baby into his arms holding her tightly.

"Hey it's alright baby, it's gonna be ok".

Jordan was still a bit emotional from the necklace and hearing about her mother. After a few minutes her cries had turned into soft hiccups.

"Why'd mom have to die?" Jordan's voice was raspy.

"I don't know sweetheart".

"Part of me misses her a lot and another part of me doesn't miss her. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Of course not sweetie, you were only a baby when you're mother died".

"Do you miss her?"

"Everyday".

"What do you do when you miss her?"

"I think about all the time we spent together, I look through all our pictures, and I look at you".

"I remind you of mom?"

"Yup, you look just like your mother".

"What was she like?"

"You're mother was amazing, beautiful, fearless, strong, brave. I remember the first week after you were born, you were always with her. If we tried to take you from her she jumped but every night for a month she was in you're nursery rocking you to sleep, singing to you, she didn't wanna be separated from you. Her nickname for you was sweet girl, from the moment you were born she called you that".

Jordan slowly began to fall asleep curled into her father's side.

"What else can you tell me about mom?"

"When you were old enough to finally go out of the house she was more jumpy about that. I remember the day she went back to work after having you, you were three months old when she went back she was more nervous that day then anything".

"She really loved me, didn't she".

"Sweetheart you're mother loved you more than her own life and that's how much I love you".

"I love you daddy".

Hank kissed her head then rested his cheek on her head. "I love you too baby, more than my own life".

The teen fell asleep curled into her father's side, Hank looked down at his sleeping little girl and held her. At that moment he didn't need anything else he had one of his most precious gifts of all.