A Father's day special! Ryan and his daughter bond while mommy and the boy's are away. Then He helps to heal her broken heart. Finally, Ryan on his little girl's wedding day.
"Okay I have to get going. The party starts soon." Emily said, kissing her husband goodbye. Holding her hands were Jeremy and Liam. They were all going to Alyssa Danforth's birthday party. Molly had been looking a little sick, so they'd decided Ryan would stay home with her.
"Have fun." Ryan smiled as they walked out. "Molly." He walked up the stairs. He opened the door to the four-year-old's room, where he found the little girl, standing on her bed.
"Daddy. I wanted to go to the party." She pouted, jumping off the bed and walking over.
"I know baby." Ryan picked her up.
"Why couldn't I go?" Molly asked.
"Because honey, you're sick. Besides, now you get to spend time with daddy." Molly smiled a little.
"Can we play?" She asked.
"Of course we can." Ryan smiled. "What do you want to play?" He asked,
"I wanna play... Candyland!" She cried pointing at the game box on her toychest. Ryan grabbed it and walked into the living room, setting Molly on the floor.
"Okay then, let's play."
After letting Molly win a couple times Ryan decided it was time to make lunch.
"Okay baby, how about... a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" He asked her, sitting her on the counter.
"Yeah!" Molly cried. Ryan made the sandwiches and held one out to Molly. "Thank you daddy." She smiled sweetly. She dug into the sandwich, managing to get most of if on her face. Ryan quickly ate his and wiped her mouth with a baby wipe.
"What do you want to do now?" Ryan asked her, pouring her a cup of milk.
"I wanna... ooh daddy! Can we watch a movie?"
"Sure honey what movie?" Ryan picked her up, taking her to the living room, with her milk.
"Cinderella!" She cried. It was her favorite movie this week.
"Cinderella it is." Ryan smiled.
Two hours later when Emily and the boys got home Emily hurried the moys to their room to change. She went into the livingroom to find the main menu of Cinderella on the television. She also found Ryan and Molly on the couch, Molly's little head resting on her daddy's chest.
"Ryan. Wake up." Emily whispered. Slowly his eyes opened.
"Wha... oh hi honey. How was the party?" He asked.
"It was great." Emily smiled. "You should probably take her to her room. Ryan nodded, gently picking Molly up and carrying her to her room.
"Daddy's little girl." Emily whispered from the doorway.
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Ryan sat in his study, quietly writing when the door burst open and Molly ran in, tears streaming down her little face.
"Molly, baby, what's wrong?" Ryan asked as Molly jumped on his lap and sobbed into his shoulder.
"J-Jessie's sick again daddy. Her momma told me Jessie's not comin' back." She cried. Ryan felt his heart break. Jessie was Molly's best friend. the two girls had met in preschool and had been unseperable since. Ryan knew Jessie had some disease, but he hadn't known it was something that could kill her. Ryan hugged Molly and let her sob until she had no tears left to cry.
"It's okay honey. Jessie's going to a better place." Ryan soothed.
"Why's she hafta go daddy? I don't want her too! She's my friend! She can't!" Molly screamed the last two words.
"Shh.." Ryan whispered, holding the seven year old closer. "It had to happen baby. Everyone has to go sometime. It was Jessie's time."
"No!" Molly started crying again. "No, no, no. No! She can't! She promised we'd be friends forever! She can't lie! Jessie never lies!"
"She didn't. Molly, you and Jessie will always be friends, in here." He held a hand to her heart. "No matter what happens, you'll never forget Jessie and everything you two had together."
"But she can't go daddy. I don't want her to."
"I know. I know."
Two days later Jessie's mom called. Jessie had died.
As they stood out, watching the small pink casket lower into the ground Ryan felt his heart tighten. Especially when Jessie's mother, Nadine, walked over. She knelt down and hugged Molly.
"Do you know how lucky you are?" Nadine asked, standing up.
"Yes we do." Ryan nodded.
"You should thank God everyday for the blessings you have. Molly, Liam and Jeremy are great kids." Nadine said, her eyes welling up.
"We know. Nadine, we're so sorry for your loss... there aren't words that could help the pain you must be feeling."
"There aren't." Nadine shook her head. "Take good care of them." She said, walking off to talk to other mourners. Molly hugged her daddy's legs.
"I love you daddy."
That Evening, before going to bed, Ryan got down on his knees, and thanked God for his three wonderful, beautiful children, his amazing wife and every other blessing in his life.
"Daddy?" Came a small voice from the door.
"Yeah Molly?" Ryan asked, turning, sitting on the floor.
"Daddy, promise me you'll never die." She walked over and stood in front of Ryan
"I promise I'll never leave you." Ryan said. "I cna't promise I'll never die, but I'll always be with you." He stood up, going to his drawer, pulling out a necklace. On the thin chain was a gold heart. "My grandfather gave this to my mother years ago. As a reminder. When Grandma Katherine died, she wanted me to give it to you. I think today's the perfect day." He connected it around her neck. "Molly Katherine Evans, No matter what happens to either of us, you'll always have my heart with you." Molly smiled and looked at the trinket.
"I love you daddy." She said, hugging him.
"I love you two Moll Kat."
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(A/N PLEASE NOTE THIS ISN'T FLUSH WITH THE STORIES. JUST BECAUSE I'M WRITING IT HERE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE SERIES.)
"Ryan, you ready?" Emily asked.
"I don't think I'll ever be ready." Ryan sighed, fixing his tie. It was the big day. The day his little Molly Evans became Molly Plummer. He walked to the car, Emily right behind him. They got in the car and drove out to the church where they were supposed to meet them. Ryan kept his eye on the road but let his mind wander. He'd been preparing for this day for almost twenty years. Now that it was here he didn't want to let her go. He parked the red SUV near the front and went around to open the door for Emily. They headed inside and went to the bride's room. Molly was pacing back and forth, having someting similar to a panic attack.
"Oh my god! What took you so long?" She cried as soon as they walk in the door.
"We forgot our turbo jet packs and had to drive." Emily said. "Calm down Molly. Ryan, go make sure the guys are ready." Ryan nodded and went to the Groom's room. Nick's brother Ben was fixing Nick's tie and Liam was trying to get a scuff out of his shoe.
"Loking great guys... where's Chris and Jeremy?" Ryan asked.
"Making sure people get to the right places." Ben answered, satisfied with Nick's tie.
"Did you already threaten him?" Ryan asked Liam.
"Of course." Liam grinned. "We threatened him good."
"Good." Ryan nodded. "Well I guess I'll go check on your mom and Molly again." He went back to the Bride's room.
"They ready?" Emily asked.
"Yep."
"Good, because we start in... ten minutes. I'll go find Anne and Brad." Emily got up to find Nick's parents, leaving Molly and Ryan alone.
"Daddy, can you get this for me?" She held out a necklace. Ryan smiled, it was a golden heart on a thin chain. The chain had changed as she got older, but the heart had stayed the same, as did the meaning behind it. "Daddy?" Ryan snapped out of his trance.
"Sure." He took the necklace connecting it behind her neck. "Molly I want to talk to you before we start this." Molly turned to him.
"Yeah?"
"Molly, just remember, no matter how old you get, you'll always be my girl." Molly smiled.
"I know daddy." She kissed his cheek.
"Let's go." Emily said, sticking her head in the room.
The ceremony started and the wedding planner signalled for Ryan and Molly to go. They walked down the aisle, slowly, arm in arm. Ryan gave her away and sat down, next to Emily. Ryan simply dazed through the ceremony, and went Molly said,
"I do." He felt a tear come to his eye.
His little girl was all grown up.