More than Life itself
Epilogue
As I put my head around my daughter's bedroom door I cannot help but feel my heart swell with love and pride for the beautiful young girl that slept so peacefully. This is something I have come to do a lot, something I have always done when I cannot sleep. I move in silently and perch myself on the bed beside her, gently brushing back some of the light brown hair from her face and smile. She has pulled me through so much that she doesn't know about, so much that I hope she will never find out and gave me my reason for living when times were hard and dark. I honestly couldn't imagine my life without her; my baby girl.
I glance at the clock beside her bed and see that it in 2am. The reason I cannot sleep is simple. Tomorrow is the day I take over as head teacher of Waterloo Road, not an easy task, especially not in the middle of a term. It has a reputation for being, let's say, challenging but then a challenge is something I have always thrived on. God knows I've had enough of them in my life. I gaze down at my 13 year old and wonder if again if I was making the right decision in enrolling her there with me. It was sure to cause a stir, extra stress for her on top of the usual that goes along with being the new kid. The truth is it was her that wanted to go there with me. Maybe I was worrying over nothing. She has a fighting spirit I recognise in myself, a determination so strong, despite her young age. It never fails to make me smile.
Realising the time has passed more quickly than I first thought; I know I need to at least try and get some sleep or I would never get through tomorrow. I lean forward and kiss my daughter's head, a typical ritual, before returning to my room and crawling into bed. As I pull the duvet tightly around me and finally allow my eyes to drop I cannot help but silently pray to no one in particular that maybe this time things would be great for us.