Stealing Cinderella
I came to see her daddy for sit down man to man
It wasn't any secret I'd be asking for her hand
I guess that's why he left me waiting in the living room by myself
with at least a dozen pictures of her sitting on a shelf
Eli had a ring in his pocket. The ring was a beautiful cluster with a marquee cut diamond (the diamond was 4 karats) the diamonds on either side of the sapphire were cut into marquees as well (both were 2 karats each). Now it wasn't any secret that he wanted to marry Clare Diane Edwards. They were Degrassi sweethearts. .
Eli knew that Clare was an old fashion kind of girl, so he figured that asking permission for her hand would make it seem even more romantic. He would do anything for her and she knew it. The moment he walked in the door Clare's dad, Randall, was hostile to him. Eli gulped but continued in. They sat down on recliners opposite of each other and just stared at each other.
"I'll be right back" Randall said. Eli just nodded. Randall left the living room. Eli looked around and saw pictures of Clare at several ages. It was like her life in photographs. Eli looked through them.
She was playing Cinderella
She was riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes I'm Prince Charming
But to him I'm just some fella
riding in and stealing Cinderella
In one she looked to be around two and was in a blue dress with a crown on her head. Clare had a septor in her hand and seemed to be going to a Halloween party. She was pretending to Cinderella and she looked like it was one of the best times of her two year old life.
In another picture, She looked liked was six or seven, Clare was decked out in wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, and a helmet. She was on a bike. The bike its self was purple and pink with a purple backpack on the handle bars. On the white tires were purple and pink little things on the spokes, as well as white training wheels. Pink and purple streamers were coming out of the ends of the handle bars. Clare's safety equipment was purple as well. Her dark blue long sleeve tee shirt was going back from the wind. Her hair was in a low pony tail just underneath her helmet. Eli imagined that this would have been her first bike ride.
Then the next one had Clare, age 8 or 9, in leopard print PJ's, that had a kitty with a crown on it that said 'Daddy's little Princess'. Clare had a pillow in one hand and was in mid-air. It was obvious that she was looking for a pillow fight with her older sister Darcy who was also in the picture.
The one after that was a picture of a small Clare dressed in a flower girl dress at a wedding reception. Randall was bent over holding Clare's hands and they appeared to dancing.
I leaned in towards those pictures to get a better look at one
When I heard a voice behind me say "Now, ain't she something, son?"
I said "Yes, she quite a woman"
and he just stared at me
Then I realized that in his eyes she would always be
Eli leaned into the photos to get a better look when Randall came back without Eli knowing.
"Now ain't she something son?" Randall said loudly. Eli Jumped.
"Yes she's quite a woman" Eli said. Randall just stared at Eli like he'd just grown another head. That's when the idea dawned on him that Randall wasn't ready to give up his daughter. Eli realized that Clare would always be-
Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes I'm Prince Charming
But to him I'm just some fella
riding in and stealing Cinderella
In all those pictures Eli saw the innocence of a child.
"You know I never thought this day would come. I never thought that the day would come when I would come when I have to give up my little girl." Randall said Eli knew that he was Prince Charming to Eli. In fact she often called him that. Eli know knew that He was just stealing Cinderella and sweeping her off her feet…and riding away from her father.
He slapped me on the shoulder
Then he called her in the room
When she threw her arms around him
That's when I could see it too
He slapped Eli on the shoulder and yelled something.
"Clare come out here!"
Clare came out of her room at the end of the hall.
"Yes Dad?" Clare asked as she walked toward them.
"What are you doing here Eli?" she asked.
"I came to talk to your father." He said.
"Okay."
"You want to go for a walk?" Eli asked casually.
"I'll talk to you in a little bit daddy and I'll you at home tonight" After Clare said her temporary good-byes she gave her father a hug. That's when Eli saw that Clare would always be-
Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
If he gives me a hard time
I can't blame the fella
I'm the one who's stealing Cinderella
Eli knew that her father would still see Clare as his little angel, the apple of his eye, the Princess Cinderella. Eli knew that Randall Edwards would always see Clare as his little princess. Eli knew that until the day he died, he would always be the person that stole Cinderella.
Note: I was inspired the picture where Clare has a ring on her finger