"It's a boy!" Davivi yelled, sticking his head out of the door of the delivery room. "A beautiful baby boy!"
Giroro's eyes widened. He was a grandfather now, a grandfather. His Lizzie Ann was a mother. His baby now had a baby of her own.
Giroro walked through the door with everyone else, and, blinking back tears, looked down at his grandson. The baby was a Pekoponian, which he got from his mother. He had a small tuft of black hair on his tiny head, and had skin the color of coconut milk. Elizabeth, despite looking sweaty and exhausted, proudly introduced the platoon, and their children and spouses to the newest member of the family: Kero Fuyuki Gunso, to the delight of Keroro and Elizabeth's Uncle Fuyuki.
Giroro finally got the nerve to walk up, and let the baby see him. Kero gently opened his eyes, his beautiful, twinkling gray eyes. Elizabeth's eyes. Giroro's eyes.
As Giroro let his wrist be gripped by the baby boy, a million memories came back to him.
She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders
Giroro smiled at the teensy girl twirling around in the living room to a song on the radio. Sometimes, Elizabeth fell down, and Giroro asked nervously from the kitchen, "Lizzie Ann, are you okay?"
Giroro let out a small sigh of relief whenever she said, "I'm alright, Daddy!"
Daddy. Giroro still, 4 years later, found it hard to believe that, finally, Natsumi and he came together. They got married, and Elizabeth Aneko Nymphadora Gocho was born a few months later. Giroro was never prepared when Natsumi suggested the name Aneko for Elizabeth's middle name. He never thought of having another; Elizabeth was all he needed. But, she did seem kind of alone, even when she played with the other children. They were still discussing whether Elizabeth should live up to the name Aneko, and become a big sister.
It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you
Giroro sighed at the mountain of work from the students he had to grade. And over Christmas vacation, of all times!
He looked up when he felt a tiny hand touch his shoulder.
"Lizzie Ann, what is it? Daddy needs to work."
"Daddy, I need you," she said.
"What do you need me for?" he asked. There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
"There's a ball at the castle, and I've been invited, and I need to practice my dancing."
"Oh, Lizzie Ann, not now. Daddy really needs to finish this."
"Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
She looked at him with the same eyes that he fell in love with all those years ago, albeit different colors, for a few moments until he finally cracked.
He sighed. "Alright. A few minutes."
He got up, and turned on his Pekoponian suit.
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...
They both laughed, as Giroro danced with the 4-year-old. She was too small to dance properly; she basically was hugging onto him while he twirled her around in his arms.
They stopped when they heard a small chuckle from the door. Natsumi was there, and she said, "Come on, Biffy, it's time for bed."
"Aww! But Mummy!"
"No buts."
Giroro could clearly see she was heartbroken, and he kneeled down to be at her eye level (so strange to do this to a Pekoponian!). "Sweetie, we can let the ball go on tomorrow, alright?"
The girl smiled, and said, "Alright, Daddy!"
She ran to her mother, and Natsumi smiled at Giroro from behind as they walked to her room.
After getting her into bed, she said, "I was waiting all day for her to go to bed. I thought she never would."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't get me wrong, I love her, and I'm usually sad for her to go to sleep, but I wanted a chance to tell you this."
"Tell me what?"
"…I'm pregnant.'
She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
"Dad, can you come in?" Giroro heard Elizabeth's voice from her room. "I need your opinion on something,"
He went inside, and his eyes widened when he realized that the 14-year-old was getting a beautiful pink silk dress pinned up by Cate.
"How do you like it? It's for the Yule Ball."
"It's beautiful, Lizzie Ann."
Elizabeth laughed, and said, "PLEASE don't call me Lizzie Ann anymore! I'm not 5!"
A little bit of Giroro's soul died right there.
"Well, I think it's beautiful, Elizabeth."
"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
The tiny bit of dead soul came healed a little at that moment. Giroro smiled.
"So, who're you going with?"
"W-well, I-I've decided on…D-Davivi…"
"What? Keroro's son?"
"I knew you'd act like this! You know him as well as I do! He's one of your star pupils! He's not like his sisters and father, and you know that! You'd be so impressed with him! And, we're just dancing, Daddy! It's not like we're getting married or anything!"
He sighed, and said, "Alright, I trust your judgment."
"Alright, all done," Cate said, getting up and limping out of the room.
"Well…Daddy, the Yule Ball's just a week away, and I need to practice my dancing. Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
The Pekoponian-suited Giroro gently bowed to his baby girl, who was now a young woman.
She smiled, and curtsied back.
They started to do a clumsy Minuet, and Elizabeth seemed to be the only person who slightly knew what she was doing.
She'd laugh whenever Giroro stepped on her toes, and said, "I hope I'm not like that at the Yule Ball!"
Giroro'd laugh with her.
But, he was hurt.
He was being replaced in his daughter's eyes. She will be gone Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
Everyone had a surprise when 21-year-old Elizabeth came back.
"Hey, Bettye!" Henry yelled, and the 16-year-old embraced his older sister.
"Hey, lad!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"What're you doing home?" he asked.
"Well…I have to tell everyone something."
She raised her hand, and everyone gasped when they saw the bright, new diamond ring on her finger.
"Davivi and I are getting married!" she exclaimed in happiness.
While everyone was hugging Elizabeth, and saying how happy they were for her, Giroro stayed back. A tear trickled down his face. His Lizzie Ann was gone forever now. Nothing would change that.
She finally was able to get away from the group, and took Giroro to the kitchen, where she closed the door.
"Dad…they wedding's still six months away, but I still need to practice my dancing. Oh, please, Daddy, please?"
Giroro nodded, and gently went to get his Pekoponian suit.
He never cried so hard in his life when his little girl walked up the alter.
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone
Giroro was snapped out of his thoughts when the baby cooed again. He smiled, and gently lifted up his hand so he could kiss the tiny fingers that were wrapped around his wrist.
"He's beautiful, Elizabeth."
She gave him a small smile, and said, "What happened to Lizzie Ann?"
He laughed a little bit, and said, "He's beautiful, Lizzie Ann. So beautiful."
(7 years later)
Giroro was sitting at the table, and writing a letter to a friend, when he felt a tiny prod on his shoulder.
There, was Elizabeth and Davivi's first daughter, Dorothy Gira Gunso, named after her mother's godfather and grandfather.
"Grandfather?" she asked.
"Yes, Dottie?"
"It's time for Cinderella's ball, and I need to practice my dancing."
She didn't have to beg.
He was already in his Pekoponian suit, and picked her up, and they started dancing, just like what happened 24 years previous.
