His Heart

Chapter twenty-three: Charlie

He sat down and I couldn't help pulling him into a hug.

"Don't grow up, ok?" I told him, kissing his head. "Stay my little boy forever."

"Papá!!" He squealed, as I began to tickle him. "Let me go, let me go." He giggled, trying to wriggle away.

"Never." I smiled, tickling him again.

He giggled helplessly until I stopped and gave him a squeeze before letting him scramble off to play with his trains. I sat and watched him thinking about my daughter and the step she was taking towards adulthood.

This Thomas better treat my girl right. She deserved nothing less than 110%. But if he didn't, I would be there to catch her when she fell. That's what fathers do.

~*~

Now that Maddie had told me about Thomas I started to notice little changes in her personality.

She was happier. Chattier. She started spending a lot more time on her appearance. Her curly hair, which had always flowed down her back like a river of brown, now shone, styled in a thousand different ways I didn't know existed.

And I never believed it could happen but she was prettier too. Her happiness glowed out from her heart and lit up her whole body.

Strange what first love could do to a child.

I wanted to meet him. If my daughter was spending her weekends and late nights with this boy, I wanted to meet him. But I trusted my daughter. When she was ready, she would introduce him.

She turned to me and smiled and I noted once more how much the sweet little girl, who once promised me I was her number one man, had grown.

"Papá? Do you think we'll meet Lizzie?" She asked.

I startled, and watched her carefully.

"It's very early days. We've only been on one date." I frowned.

"But you're seeing her again, right?"

"Yes, on Friday."

"So you think it's going well?"

I shrugged.

"Have you messaged her?" She asked.

"I might have done. What's with all the questions?" I frowned.

She shrugged. "I want you to be happy, Papá. But you hold back when you're scared. I don't want you to...regret this."

"Regret what?"

"Not saying how you feel soon enough and losing her over it." She shrugged. "It can make or break a relationship if you're too hesitant."

"When did you become a relationship guru?" I asked.

She shrugged again.

"All my friends dated really early. I got used to giving advice." She said.

"I thought you'd never been in a relationship before?" I asked.

"I haven't." She smiled. "Sometimes that helps to give you an impartial point of view."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Do you think I'll get to meet this Thomas kid who's stolen my daughter's heart?" I asked.

She giggled. "He hasn't stolen my heart, Papá. It's right here."

She touched her chest and smiled at me.

"You take care of it." I told her, resting a hand on top of hers. "They're very fragile."

"I know." She whispered.

She looked up at me and I smiled. We both knew just how fragile hearts were. Particularly ones that had already broken and never fully healed.

"But don't be too careful." I said after a beat. "I want you to love with all you have. Just like your mamá did. What have I always told you about love?"

"Anything worth having is worth giving everything for." We said together.

She smiled at me and I held her tight, hoping that she would look after herself. And hoping I would be there to help her if it all went wrong.

But it wouldn't go wrong. Love was never a waste of time, even if it ended in tears. So long as it was done right, it was worth all the pain and heartbreak that came with it.

I know I had taught her that much. Because sometimes it took a broken heart to know just how valuable love is.

My thoughts turned to Lizzie and I promised myself that no matter what this was, no matter what it might turn into, I would never take it for granted.