Sunflower, Vol. 6

keep it sweet in your memory

Sunflower, Vol. 6

Chapter One: Keep it Sweet in Your Memory

Neil considered himself to be a "cool dad", or whatever the internet was calling it now. He tried his best to let his daughter do what she wanted, with limits, of course. He didn't want to put a damper on her childhood. As any good father should, he wanted her to be happy.

Growing up with Nathan Wesninski, Neil learned how parents should not treat their children. Neil never yelled and was never violent, not even around her. He kept his temper under wraps as best as he could, not wanting her to think it was okay to lash out. Or worse, be scared of him. He did the opposite of Nathan, taking into consideration how other parents acted around their children. He wasn't worried about judgement. He was worried that she would be as fucked up as him, and he wouldn't wish that on anyone, no matter how terrible.

So Neil being the cool dad he was, took Paisley to the local bookstore to help boost her growth before the school year started. They walked straight to the back of the store, where the children's corner was hidden away. There were vibrant colors everywhere, painful on the eyes but perfect for a child's amazement.

Paisley picked out three books before making her way to the table covered in new books. She sounded out the titles, deciding whether it would hold her attention at bed time. She found one, a bit larger than the rest, and ran over to Neil. "Daddy, daddy! Look at how cool this one is!" She waved the book over her head before stopping abruptly. "Can I get it, pretty please?"

Neil sighed, "Of course, but that's the last one. That one will take a little longer to get through than your others. Longer than Harry Potter."

"That's okay! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Paisley skipped toward the cash register. "Look! He's the one on my book. What's it say?"

Paisley was pointing at a flyer on the counter, and Neil helped her read it out, letting her sound out some of the words herself. She looked up at the cashier, "What does that mean?"

She gave Paisley a small smile, "It means he'll be in here to answer questions and sign your books. Do you want to take one so you can remember?"

Paisley nodded her head quickly, "I'm gonna hang it on the fridge when we get home, okay daddy?"

"Neil nodded as he paid for the books and offered a small smile to the cashier. She gave a small wave to Paisley as they walked out of the store.

"She was so nice! Do you think she'll be there next week?"

"Did I tell you we could go? What if Aunt Allison wanted you over for dinner?"

"She'd be okay with it, I think," Paisley said, pulling on Neil's hand as they walked to the car.

Neil buckled her in and got into the car, looking at her through the rear view mirror, "Whatever you say, miss."

He turned on the radio and listened to Paisley sing along. It amazed him how she was so small but knew so much. Sometimes Neil was afraid she knew more than he did. And that was quite possible, as he was barely making it through college.

The ride turned silent as Paisley dozed off, and Neil changed the station to one that played classic rock. He took the last few minutes to listen to Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and wonder how he got so lucky to have a girl as pure as Paisley.

For coming from a family of mafia members, Paisley wouldn't hurt a fly. She wasn't angry, she wasn't cruel. She was kind and generous and knew too much for her own good. Often times she reminded Neil of himself, especially with her stubborn tendencies.