"come on elle, put on your shoes for daddy" i tell my three year old daughter, watching her struggle to put on her pink twinkle toe sandals.
she stood up with a proud look on her face, knowing it took a while for her to learn. i took her small hand in mine and brought us out to be met with the sunny, summer air.
elle's favorite days along with her mother's.
"are we going to see uncle gwayson?" she asked while i strapped her in, kissing her cheek when i was done making her giggle.
"yep! you'll be spending a few hours with him while daddy does something" i tell her and she nods, her eyes fixating on me putting on a show with the cars tv.
after i dropped her at my brothers house, i went down to la's most top rated tattoo parlor. one i usually go to for my thigh tatts, but today's spot is a different one.
"hey ethan, back for another tattoo?" jack, the tattoo owner asks. we were good friends outside of the industry so i always came to him.
"yep, but in a different place this time" i tell him as we go into the back room. he already had his stuff set up so all i had to do was show him the area and the idea.
the tattoo only took an hour, my quickest but beautiful one yet. elle was going to be the first one to see it, even though she doesn't really understand what a tattoo is.
"daddy!" she squealed once i picked her up, leaving from the kitchen where her and grayson were baking to run up to me.
"hey princess" i smiled, the scent of brownies filling my nose. i said thanks to grayson for watching her and left, wanting to get home soon since it was getting dark.
elle took a quick nap in the car so once we got home i had to carry her in. she rubbed her eyes as i placed her on the couch, taking a seat next to her.
"do you want to see what daddy did?" i ask and she nods, crawling into my lap and sitting criss crossed.
i rolled down my sleeve and showed her my wrist, covered in clear wrapping with my skin red underneath.
"butterflies!" she giggled pointing at it, her eyes gleaming at the sight. i chuckled with a slight nod, pointing at it too.
"this small butterfly is you" i explain, pointing at the smallest butterfly, then pointing at the bigger one, "and that's mommy"
"mommy?"
"yes mommy, she loved butterflies and she loved you. just how me and uncle gray and aunt cameron love you" i explain making her smile.
i pulled her into a hug and gave her a kiss on the head, never wanting to let my baby girl go. she was all i had left, her and of course y/n in heaven. who looks down on us everyday, knowing that we'll all be together in the end.
