Isabelle smiled softly as she woke up in Joe's room even though he wasn't with her. She had a long flight today and tomorrow and Joe had promised to say with the little girl while Isabelle was away.
Slowly getting ready for her flight, Isabelle sent a quick text to Joe to let him know that she's thinking of him and Melanie and that she'd FaceTime later on.
Isabelle sighed leaving the room and heading downstairs to get breakfast before moving to leave. It had been two weeks since the match and Emily knew her daughter didn't have long left in her.
***
"Joe!" Melanie said happily as the footballer walked into the room after his long and tiring training session but he managed a smile for the little girl.
In the four weeks Joe had been dating Isabelle he had come to be extremely close with the mother and daughter and hated that Melanie would be slipping from life in a few weeks.
"Hello, were you good for nanna?"Joe asked making Melanie nod as Joe kissed her cheek before the little girls grandmother said goodbye to them both knowing her granddaughter was in good hands now that Joe is here.
"I miss my mum," Melanie said sadly making Joe nod as he sat next to her on the bed and kissed the top of her head.
"It's four now so mum should be calling soon and I bet she can't wait to talk to you," Joe mused making the little girl smile at him as his phone rang for a FaceTime call.
"Hello," Joe smiled as his girlfriends face came up on screen making Melanie squeal excitedly.
"Someone is missing you and can't wait to talk to you," Joe chuckled as he handed the phone over and smiled watching Melanie excitedly talk to her mother.
***
"Belle, can I talk to you?" Joe asked as he made sure Melanie was asleep before turning to look at his girlfriend.
"Sure," Isabelle said unsurely not knowing what Joe was getting at. She moved to get comfy in her hotel bed knowing she had an early flight tomorrow and couldn't wait to get home to her boyfriend and daughter.
"You can say no, but for the last few weeks of her life could we both allow Melanie to call me her father if she feels comfortable with it?" Joe asked making tears well up in Isabelle's eyes as she nodded.
"Joe you have no idea how happy that will make her," Isabelle said as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.
Joe smiled as he watched his girlfriend smile back at him knowing he had made both of them extremely happy and he knows he found the perfect girl to marry one day.
"Do you think she's afraid?" Isabelle asked knowing her daughter knew she wasn't getting better but she didn't know she was dying.
"Maybe but maybe not. She's certainly not showing it if she is," Joe mused as he looked at the little girl before looking back to his girlfriend.
"Okay, well I better go I have to be up early tomorrow. I'll talk to you soon, daddy Joe," Isabelle teased making her boyfriend smile as he looked at her.
"I'll talk to you soon," Joe chuckled before they both said their goodnights and Joe sat back in the chair watching Melanie sleep peacefully.
Joe knew his ex girlfriend, Jenna, would be around when news got out about Joe and Isabelle but he couldn't care less; he had never fallen for the redhead as hard as he did for Isabelle.
Joe's green eyes sparkled as he watched the little girl in front of him shift in her sleep. He loved Melanie more than he could explain and he hated to think about the fact that she's dying.
Joe had always wanted kids and he knew that Kim had never been the right girl for him and he never wanted to marry her or have children with her.
"Joe?" A small voice asked making him look down at Melanie who smiled softly as she caught re his attention.
"What are you doing awake?" Joe asked softly as he moved closer to the bed so he could kneel down beside her.
"I left my teddy bear at granny's house and I can't sleep properly without him so can you lay with me?"Melanie asked softly making Joe chuckle as he removed his shoes and lay down being careful of the few wires that were connected to the little girl.
"Mel," Joe said softly making the little girl look up at him as she cuddled into his side.
"Call me dad," Joe said making Melanie smile as her brown eyes sparkled at the idea of having a father in her short life and she couldn't be happier that it was Joe.
