Ever After New York

The Premiere.

Four months later...

(Hero's POV)

"Okay Annie." I say to my daughter. "Just how we practiced for when Mummy wakes up."

Annie was nearing a year old, and I was a bit worried that she was behind on her physical and verbal skills. Jo and I had been teaching her how to walk, which usually consisted of Jo sitting at one end of the room while I held Annie's hands as she attempted to walk to her.

I think it was safe to say that she could do it on her own fairly soon, but when it came to talking there was no luck.

She was always a very quiet baby, and it worried me that it was a real issue. Jo says that every child is different, and she didn't say her first word until nearly two years old.

But from what my mum told me, I had a few words down at only nine months.

Maybe Annie was stuck in the middle.

I had been attempting to teach Annie a few words here and there such as 'mummy', 'daddy', 'yes', or 'no'. I thought we were close one day, when she started making a 'mmm' sound, but she only ended up bursting into a fit of giggles before crawling away.

I really wanted to get her to learn at least one word to surprise Jo, and so I could one up her on the whole 'I taught Annie this first' game we had going on.

Okay, yes. I get it, Jo taught Annie how to sit up, how to crawl, how to eat.

But I was going to get the first word score, and nothing was going to stop me.

Annie looks up at me with her big green eyes, her blonde hair a mess of curls on top of her head. "Help daddy out, will you?" I chuckle, brushing the tip of my nose against hers.

She smiles an opened mouth smile, showing off the only two teeth she had in her mouth.

"Hero?" I hear Jo say.

I look up at her with a smile. "Good morning, love."

"What're you two doing out here?" She asks with a yawn.

"Now's your chance, Annie." I whisper to her.

Annie lets out a squeal and reaches her arms out to her mum. Jo moves forward to take her from me, but I stop her. "Wait Jo, I want to try something."

I prop Annie up so that she was standing on my thigh, her eyes wide as she looks at Jo. "Who's that, Annie?"

Annie whimpers, struggling against my grasp slightly.

"Come on, Annie Bee. You've got this." I encourage her.

Unfortunately, Annie becomes distressed and begins to whimper more. "Damnit."

"What're you trying to do?" Jo asks, gently lifting Annie from my leg.

"I'm trying to get her to talk." I admit.

Jo lets out a sigh. "I don't want to overwhelm her, we've been trying for weeks. I'm sure when she's ready, something will come out."

"I just wanted to surprise you, that's all." I sigh. "I'm worried that Annie is falling behind."

"Babe, she's fine." Jo assures me. "She'll get there."

I lift myself from the couch and stand next to Jo. "I know she will."

"Are you ready for tonight?" She asks.

"No." I laugh. "I'm actually kind of upset about it."

Tonight was the premiere of the final After film in Los Angeles. It felt completely surreal, given that almost four years had gone by. My life has completely changed because of these films, and saying our final goodbyes was going to be the hardest part.