My Life Without You

Chapter 7: Daddy's Little Girl

The grandfather clock on the mantle chimes twelve o'clock. It is time for Nairobi to meet her father.

"Mommy! Is it time to go yet?" Nairobi yells, running into her mom's bedroom.

Valerie and Rick are sitting on the bed talking when she runs in.

Val grabs her daughter, her frame feels light as she places her on her lap, enveloping her in her arms tightly. Kissing her all over her face, she tickles her daughter until she hollers...

"Uncle, uncle, uncle—mommy stop, I can't breathe," she yells, her breath panting.

"You had enough?" Valerie laughs as she watches her daughter wiggling to get loose.

"Yes," she replies. 

Val squeezes her daughter with a tight hug, and plants a kiss on her forehead. 

"Daddy, why didn't you stop mommy? You didn't save me." Nairobi collapses into her father arms. 

Rick gazes at his daughter, his warm smile would melt any little girls heart. Rick pulls his daughter up upon his lap. "Are you daddy's little girl?" he questions. His forehead gently meets her forehead.

"Yes, daddy!" she replies, with a smile.

"Always and forever?"

"Yes, always and forever daddy," she giggles.

Val relishes in the moment, remembering why she married her husband. It's always a joy to
see Rick playing with Nairobi. She loves her husband and daughter relationship—they get along well. Although Nairobi is meeting Ro today, Valerie feels the connection between Nairobi and Rick. She understands his point of view—Rick has a right to feel the way he does—he's been in Nairobi's life for two years now. She knows her husband just doesn't want to lose the relationship he has with his daughter over to Romelle.

Rick starts to move his nose back and forth on his daughter's nose. "Butterfly nose."

"Butterfly nose, daddy," she replies.

They all make their way downstairs. "Noah you still eating that cereal?" Rick questions his son. He was sitting at the table, spoon in hand, watching cartoons on the tv screen.

"Yeah," Noah replies. 

Before leaving out, Valerie remembers her promise. "Three hours I promise." She walks up to her husband. She lays her head on her husbands chest, feeling his warm embrace—she inhales his cologne. "I love you, babe, more than anything," she whispers softly.

"I love you too, V. more than always," Rick responds.

His heartbeat thumps lightly against Val's face—she captures the affection of emotions that radiates off  of his body.

Rick begins to whisper into his wife's ear, "Looking back, I sometimes regret the decision I made before I met you... Marrying you makes me realize the choice I made after Noah's mother died was rash." His tone is solemn. "I made a choice that seemed rational at that time though, by doing what I thought was best for me at the moment..." He hesitates. He smoothes her soften face with the backside of his right hand.