The Hardest Part Is Letting Go Of Your Dreams

When we finish dinner I grab a towel and clean off Ruby's face before standing up, lifting her onto my hip as she clings to me like a little monkey, not wanting to be put down. I carry her into her room and say "You wanna play for a while?" She shakes her head and says "Can we read a story Geegee?" I smile at her as I put her down and tell her to pick a story. She walks over to the shelf and chooses a book, bringing it back over to me. I sit on her bed and she climbs up and into my lap before I bring the book up infront of us and start reading. The story is about a rabbit and when I turn to the second page she runs her little fingers over the picture and says "Bunny Geegee." "Very good Rubes" I praise her and she tilts her head to beam up at me. I lean down and peck her forehead before going back to the story. When it's finished she claps her little hands and says "More?" I help her slide off my lap and hand her the book saying "You put this one back and pick another one ok?" She nods and toddles across the room, trying hard to slide the book back into the space but having trouble so I walk over and gently take the book from her before sliding it back in. "Which one now?" I ask and she picks another one and we walk back over to the bed, settling down with her on my lap and by the time I'm finished reading she is yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Time for bed Rubes" I tell her and she turns herself around, clenching my shirt in her fists as she shakes her head and says "No, stay with Geegee." I sigh and stand up, picking her up and turning around, lowering her onto the bed but she screams and tightens her hold on my shirt as she starts to cry so I pick her back up and cuddle her to my chest, soothingly stroking her back until her cries die down to little whimpers. "Rubes it's ok." "Want Geegee" she whimpers out and I cuddle her closer and whisper "I'm right here baby." I gently rock her in my arms and when I turn toward the door Frank is standing there looking concerned. "She's just tired" I mouth and he nods and smiles, turning around and walking away. I yawn wide and Ruby giggles a little at the sound and says "Geegee sleepy." "Yeah Rubes I'm sleepy too" I tell her as I walk out of the room, going into mine and Franks bedroom and finding him laying on the bed reading. He smiles up at us and I walk in and lay down on the bed, Ruby laying on my chest, her little hands still clenching fistfuls of my shirt and I rub her back as I lay back and close my eyes. I vaguely register a blanket being pulled over me and a warm wet pressure on my forehead as I feel myself drift towards sleep.

I wake up to little hands hitting and shaking me. "What's wrong Ruby?" I ask in a sleep thick voice. "I have to go to the bathroom daddy" she whispers and I yawn before sitting up and sliding out of bed, helping Ruby out and taking her hand, leading her to the bathroom. Once she's done I help her wash her hands and we walk back into the bedroom, Frank still sleeping on his side of the bed so I help Ruby climb back up and slide in myself. I roll onto my side, facing Frank and Ruby snuggles closer, pressing herself against my front so I wrap one arm loosely around her. "Love you daddy" she whispers out before a huge yawn overtakes her and I smile as I close my eyes and say "Love you too baby" before letting myself fall back to sleep. In the morning Frank is gone but Ruby is still curled up in my chest fast asleep. I shift slightly, trying to get comfortable but this causes her to stir and she opens her eyes, smiling up at me. I lean in and peck her forehead before sitting up and getting out of bed, reaching down to help her up too. As soon as her feet hit the floor she takes off, running through the house looking for Frank and when she finds him she runs straight at him, and when he scoops her up into his arms she giggles and says "Found you daddy." He smiles and kisses her and says "You did baby. Go wash your hands ok? Breakfast is almost ready." When her feet hit the floor she takes off again for the bathroom and Frank smiles over at me. "You look better today" he comments and I nod before saying "She thought I was you last night." "What do you mean?" He asks and I say "She woke me up cause she needed to pee and she thought I was you. Kept calling me daddy." He sighs and crosses the room to wrap me in his arms and when he pulls away again he kisses me lightly and turns, walking back over to the stove where he's making pancakes. Ruby comes back in, her hands still damp and she runs straight for me, holding her little arms up. I pick her up and sit her at the table and when Frank joins us he sits a plate of pancakes infront of us. "Wow daddy look" she exclaims and I look over at Frank to see him staring at her and smiling. "Daddy look" she says again insistently and I turn my head to see her looking directly at me. "Hearts daddy" she says, looking straight into my eye and smiling wide and I look down to see Frank made her heart shaped pancakes. "Wow baby that's so cool" I say and she beams before picking at them with her hands. I look back over and Franks face is almost split in two with the huge grin on it.

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