All Your Little Things

Chapter 19- Please, Be Nice. I Kind of Like This One

Niall

I sat on top of a picnic table in a park. It was quite a warm day, and we had gon out with a lot of Elizabeth's family for a small picnic.

I sipped on water and watched her. She was chasing around the three little kids, her cousin's children. They were all giggling. She picked up the little girl, hoisting her in the air, and her head fell back in laughter. She was so entirely beautiful.

Her dad came and sat next to me.

"Hello, Niall."

"Hello, Mr. Maurey."

"So, you're dating Elizabeth."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, she's got a life ahead of her. It's not hard to tell."

"I know, that's what I love most about her is her passion and drive."

"I remember taking her to her first football game. Elizabeth was two. The Browns had just been moved back to Cleveland, colors and all, and I had tickets to the first game, and we went together. She sat there and ate french fries, made friends with the people around her. It was absolutely adorable."

I sat in silence, while he contiued. "Fast forward, she's making her first communion. Fast forward, she's going to the state National History Day competition. Fast Forward, she's in high school, and I'm taking her out at ten pm to go and get a science fair report spiral bound. We rode along the dark, empty streets. She blasted Taylor Swift and Kings of Leon, and she got a coffee so she could stay up to finish the rest of her homework. I sang along. It was December, and she happily rolled down the windows and stuck her hand out the window, riding the wind and hanging out the window. I smiled at her. Fast forward, she's graduated, then's she leaving for London. She's in college, my baby girl."

"Sir?"

"It all went by so fast, all of it, in the blink of an eye. I didn't want her in London. I wanted to come with her, but she's so ready to do everything. Her dreams and standards can't be found in this town, I know. She's got bigger, better things for her, and I can't come with her. She needs to do it on her own."

"Uhm..."

"You'll understand when you have a daughter, Niall. You won't want to let her go anywhere, with anyone. It's scary as hell. My world's falling apart, but her's is just coming together. I can't get in the way of her dreams. You'll understand how hard it is to let your little girl go."

"Sir?"

"Take care of her, son. Please, just that one favor."

"Promise." I nodded, shaking his hand, and he smiled. I looked over to Lib, still laughing, and she glanced over at me. All of a sudden, I saw that fire in her eyes that I loved. She was everything she was meant to be, and she would never stop to get it.

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*3 days later; Thanksgiving*

On Thanksgiving, Elizabeth's dad came to the hotel to pick me up. "She's still getting ready," He had said when I got in the car.

I wore a grey sweater with black dress pants.

He drove us over to the house. "I have to grab something from the back, just go and knock on the front door."

I did as he said, and Michael, Elizabeth's 14-year-old brother, answered.

"Hey Mi--"

"Shhh!" He put his finger to his lips, then brought it down as if to calm me. "Be quiet, stay calm, and go with the flow." He stepped aside and let me in.