A/N: So I went to bed insanely early last night and now I'm up before the rest of my family. Thus, I decided to write while I had the peace and quiet. This is based of a story I read several years ago that Tim McGraw told about his daughter. And if you know me, you know I love Tim McGraw. So, yeah. :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Someday some boy will come
And ask me for your hand
But I won't say yes to him
Unless I know
He's the half that makes you whole
He has a poet's soul
And the heart of a man's man
I know he'll say he's in love
but between you and me
He won't be good enough
-Tim McGraw's My Little Girl;
Lucy Messer sat at the dinner table; her legs were curled underneath her and she hunched over her lined paper. She had finished her homework an hour ago and now the seven year old was writing a letter. Carefully she formed the words while chewing on her lip and furrowing her brow. She glanced up, "Daddy?"
"Yeah, Luce?" Danny Messer looked under the cabinets and into the dining room from where he stood making dinner.
"How do you spell Tanner?" Lucy asked, tucking a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear.
"Who's Tanner?" Danny raised an eyebrow.
Lucy looked down at her feet and then up at her father, "A boy." She shrugged.
Danny dropped the wooden spoon covered in spaghetti sauce, "What?"
"This boy... in my class." Lucy shrugged, "I like 'im." She sighed, "But so does Mallory and Gracie."
"You like a boy?" Danny shut off the stove and walked over, kneeling before his little girl.
"He's cute!" Lucy exclaimed.
"I'm supposed to have ten more years." Danny muttered under his breath.
"Daddy!" Lucy sighed and poked her father's face, "How do you spell Tanner?"
Danny's heart pounded in his chest – when had Lucy grown up so much? He swallowed hard, "Can't this wait for Mommy to get home?"
"But Daddy, I wroted it already! I just need to know how to spell Tanner!" Lucy's voice laced with frustration.
"T-A-N-N-E-R." He gave in.
"Thank you." Lucy rolled her eyes as she carefully wrote 'Tanner' across the top of the paper.
"You're welcome." Danny rested his forehead on Lucy's. He crossed his eyes and puffed out his cheek til Lucy began to giggle.
"Daddy!" Lucy laughed and mimicked her father's face.
Danny scooped up his little girl, "So..." He tried to put on his brave face, "Tell me about Tanner."
"He sits across from me." Lucy shrugged, "He lets me use his markers – his mommy got him the 'spensive kind."
"Oh." Danny chuckled.
"He lets me play on his basketball team at recess." Lucy explained, "None of the other girls get to."
"Wow, you're special Luce." Danny kissed her forehead.
"D'ya think he likes me too?" She asked hopefully.
"If he knows what's good for him."
"I love you, Daddy." She squeezed his neck.
"I love you too, Lucy."
–
The following week, Danny Messer lay on the couch waiting for Lindsay and Lucy to arrive home. The door open and Lucy ran past her father, tears streaming down her face as she sprinted to her room. Lindsay followed the crying child and stopped in front of her husband, "Who's Tanner?"
"A boy in Lucy's class." Danny explained.
"Well," Lindsay chuckled, "our daughter has her first broken heart."
"What happened?"
"Apparently Tanner let Gracie play on his basketball team and now she hates his guts." Lindsay flopped down on the couch next to Danny, "I didn't even realize she had her first crush."
"She wrote him a love letter last week." Danny explained, "She asked me how to spell his name."
"And you didn't have a heart attack?" Lindsay teased.
"If you'll excuse me, Wiseass," Danny stood up, "it's Daddy to the rescue."
"Go be Super Dad. I'll order Chinese."
Danny walked down the hallway to Lucy's room. The door was shut and he traced his hands over the bright pink lettering that spelled his daughter's name. He heard her crying on the other side of the door and his heart broke a little bit. He thought he had several years to prepare for this moment – and he wouldn't feel the need to lecture a seven year old on how to treat his daughter. He walked into the room and felt his heart shatter at the sight of Lucy. She had thrown herself down on her bed; her blond hair was matted to her face, her cheeks were tear stained and eyes red and puffy from crying.
"Lu." Danny sat on the bed beside her, rubbing her back gently.
"I hate his guts, Daddy." Lucy rolled over and looked up at her father.
"Hate's a strong word." Danny whispered, "I'm sorry though, Luce."
"Boys are meanies!" Lucy's lower lip stuck out .
"I'm sorry, Baby." Danny kissed her forehead, "You know what?"
"What?" Lucy crawled into his lap.
"In a few years, this boy is gonna just be a memory." Danny promised, "Prince Charming will come along and you won't even remember Tanner."
"Daddy." Lucy sighed.
"I'm serious, Baby Girl." Danny smiled and traced his finger over Lucy's jaw, the corners of her mouth turning up.
"Okay." Lucy whispered.
"Besides," Danny hugged her close, "boys come and go, but Daddy's love is forever."
"Forever and ever." Lucy held out her pinky.
Danny linked his pinky with hers, "And ever and ever."
"My Daddy." Lucy clung to him.
"My little girl."