Lily Moves In.
Lily remembered the conversation so well. "Are you sure he won't mind?" She asked her best friend Miley.
"Are you kidding?" Miley said with a big smile and a hug, "Daddy will love having you around so much. You are already a member of the family." Miley said.
"A member of the family." Lily thought about that phrase so often since then. It gave her a little happy jump in her tummy when Miley said that. Lily was both excited and a bit nervous about the small change in her lifestyle. Her dad and mom had one of those opportunities of a lifetime. Working together, they could launch a new business that would assure them financial security if not wealth for life. What kid wouldn't want that for her mom and dad?
But the kicker was that for a year or so, Lily's parents would have to be away from home for 3 or 4 nights a week. Now that Lily's sister is away at college, they just didn't feel comfortable leaving Lily alone like that. The answer was obvious. They called up Mr. Stewart to see if Lily could stay with Miley those nights when they were traveling.
Lily remembered the night when her dad and mom sat down with Mr. Stewart to discuss the idea. Just as Miley said, he was really great about it. "Of course she can stay here. Jackson and I already think of her as family and I know he feels like I do that we would never let anything bad happen to Lily. She and Miley can go to school together and she can even have a closet and some dresser drawers to keep her stuff her when she is over." Mr. Stewart said.
It was so sweet that Lily had to use all her will power not to cry when she heard that. Then when her dad said, "Robby, we really appreciate this. There is nobody in the whole world we would trust Lily with more than you." And they shook hands and discussed the details.
Back in Miley's room, the girls laughed and celebrated. "It's like getting my best friend for a sister!" Miley said with glee as the girls hugged and shed happy tears at how what a loving thing their parents were doing for them.
"Oh my God, Miley, I love your dad so much." Lily said emotionally. And Miley just hugged her best friend. She knew how deeply she loved her daddy so she had no doubt that Lily would love him too.
The first night of her stay, everybody was both excited and nervous. It was weird because Lily had stayed over with Miley for sleepovers countless times. But this was different. This time she came with a suitcase to start keeping some of her stuff at the Stewart house. So as Miley showed her the spaces in the closet and drawers that she had cleaned out for Lily, it really felt like they were turning into sisters.
The whole night was so fun. About 9 p.m. both girls got into their shorty pajamas. They had picked out pajamas that matched except Lily's were pink and Miley's were blue. But both were really frilly and short, short style with short sleeves for plenty of coolness. When they came giggling down the stairs to have ice cream with Miley's daddy, Miley giggled when she saw her dads eyes widen seeing the cute girls jumping and running to the table in their cute jammies.
"What's the matter daddy?" Miley teased, "Two hot girls too much for ya?" She laughed.
"Well, yall look pretty hot in those jammies. Maybe some ice cream will cool you down." and he took a dab on both index fingers and put it on their noses. That was so funny. Lilly really enjoyed the playful fun they were having but after the ice cream, they all settled down and watched a special on TV about Johnnie Cash that really touched the girl's hearts. They saw a great hero in Johnnie Cash and both girls couldn't help but thinking they were sitting on the couch with just as great a hero as him in Robbie Stewart, the internationally famous singer to put it on the shelf for his love for his family and to support Miley's career.
Lilly got up during the special and went to the bathroom and when she came back, she saw Miley had nuzzled under her daddy's left arm which was cuddling her close and stroking her hair as they watched. It was so sweet that Lily just looked at this special moment between father and daughter and felt sentimental. Just then, Robbie looked up at the beautiful blond girl standing in front of him in her shortie jammies smiling at he and his daughter. And without thinking, he patted the couch on this other side and held out his arm. Lily responded automatically and slipped under his other arm which he wrapped around her to cuddle her close too.
What a sweet moment and when Miley looked over and saw Lily being cuddled just as she was being cuddled, she smiled so big and hugged her dads powerful frame tight. Lily loved the feel of his big hand petting her hair and she just followed her friend's lead and hugged him tight from the other side. All of the sudden both of them giggled and started snuggling up and down both sides of the lucky daddy, playing and giving him lots of love.
"You girls are going to squeeze the air right out of me," Robbie said laughing.
"Wants the matter daddy? Are we loving you too much?" Miley said cuddling right up to his face and kissing his cheek.
"Well no way you could." Robbie answered and he kissed his daughter sweetly. "Because I have a volcano of love for my girls." He said almost without thinking. Then he placed a very soft kiss on Miley's lips, very much a daddy kiss. And he turned his face to Lily who was crying a little bit, crying from happy.
"Don't think you get left out." Robbie said hugging her close. "There is enough love here for both of my girls." Wow Lily loved those words "My girls."
"You are so sweet Mr. Stewart." Lilly said throwing her arms around his neck.
"Well you are officially a Stewart girl now Lily." Robbie said. "So from now on you are my girl too. So no more of that Mr. Stewart stuff." He said petting her hair and grinning at Miley.
"Maybe she can call you Daddy." Miley suggested. Just like that Robbie and Lily's eyes met and both were smiling ear to ear.
"Daddy." I like that" he said to her.
"You are the sweetest daddy in the world." Lily said and without thinking she kissed his cheek just like Miley had done. "Daddy" she ended and that word coming from Lily gave all three of them goose bumps.
"Ok girls. Time for bed." Robbie said squeezing them both tight. Both girls jumped up and took their bowls to the kitchen. Then Miley ran back to her daddy and leapt into his arms.
"Good night Daddy." She squealed and another sweet kiss was planted on his big handsome lips. As she hopped down to run to her room like she did every night, Robbie turned and saw Lily looking at him lovingly but a bit nervous.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Darlin" He said in that big happy loving voice of his and he threw his arms out as she ran to him." He scooped her up in his arms and gave her a big happy kiss on her lips too. "Good night, Darlin" he said just like he was her daddy.
"Good night Daddy." Lily said without knowing it was coming out and she hopped down and ran up to the bed to sleep with Miley.