Girl in the Red Cape

Epilogue

15 years later....

My alarm went off indicating it was time to start my day. I gave Ashley a kiss on the head as I got up. Taking a shower and when I had my pants on I went into my daughter's room to make sure she was getting ready.

"Jane." I said knocking before walking it. I was sliding my shirt on and was expecting her to be asleep, but she wasn't. She was putting her shoes on. She was so smart for her age but I knew she was ready to go to school. Her hair was blonde, eyes blue, and face fair, just like her mother.

"You ready sweetheart?" I asked.

"Yes dad." She said. I nodded and added.

"Mom has breakfast ready." She nodded and I went to my study where I had the old red cape hanging on a rack. I brought it out to breakfast and gave Ashley another kiss.

"Morning honey." She said.

"I think she needs a badge of honor." I said. She nodded and gave me a tight hug.

"Yeah, I do to." She said giving me a plate of fruit and eggs. I began eating my toast and Jane came out and sat in the chair next to me. She had a plate set up for her in smaller portions but the same food.

"Honey?" I asked.

"Yes daddy?" She asked back.

"I have a gift for you." I said holding the cape out to her and she scrunched her face up.

"What is it?"

"A cape. To make you brave for today. School can be a little scary, and I thought you'd want this." I flared it out like a blanket and she examined it with her crystal eyes.

"Where did you get it?" She asked and I put it around her shoulders.

"Your mom's cousin Hobson." I said she smiled and said.

"I like it."

I held her small hand as we walked to the front of the school.  Looking around there were many other kids and their parents, each child seemed to run off and find a friend to join on their way in, except for my daughter, moving here for work was hard on the rest of the family, but I knew she would find friends in no time. I looked down at her and she had a face as red as the cape that was wrapped around her.

"Daddy, I'm scared." I knelt down and said.

"Jane Dominique Smith. Your mother and I have given you the cape of the bravest girl she and I knew. Her name was Hobson, and she was scared to.... She was scared of a lot of things, but when she put this cape on it made her brave. Do you want to be brave?"
She nodded briskly and said.

"Yes! Daddy, I want to be brave!" I flipped the red hood over her head and said.

"This Cape will make you brave! Now go my little one!" I gave her a hug and then watched as she raced into the building with the red cape flapping behind her. She turned on the tip step, and for a split second I saw the girl I once knew.

The girl in the red cape.

                            -The end-