A/N Another entry for the Tumblr "A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words" Challenge. This one has 1177 so I'm doing pretty well TerrieJane. It goes with the FFF universe but in the future.
I don't own...
Anna reached her hand out to her husband without taking her eyes of of the small box she was wrapping, "Ok, I'm ready for the keys now John."
She heard the keys rattle, but didn't feel them being placed in her waiting palm. Finally, she looked up and saw her husband holding said keys and staring into space as if he hadn't even been aware she was speaking.
"John…" she repeated, a little more loudly, "I'm ready for Lily's keys now."
John startled and gave his wife his full attention, "Hmmm," he smiled sadly, "you may be ready for them, but I don't think I'm ready to give them up just yet."
Anna let go of the paper and tape and pulled out the chair next to her husband. She sat down with a sympathetic grin and kissed him on the cheek, "And why not?" she asked, brushing the lock of hair off his forehead.
"Look at them, Anna," he held them up for her perusal, "each of these keys tells a story. And the theme of that story is that my little girl doesn't need her Da anymore."
"Or her mum," Anna added softly.
John chuckled a bit, "Yes, but that's your problem."
"Ah, thanks very much," Anna laughed, "but it's not true. She may not need us as much anymore, but she'll always need us in some sense. Don't you still need your mum? And me Uncle Jack and Aunt Susan?"
"It's not the same...she's my little girl."
"Not so little anymore. It's her 18th birthday."
"Don't remind me."
"No matter how old she gets, she'll always adore her Da. You needn't worry about that."
He held up his daughter's key ring, "These tell a different story. Look," he picked out one of the keys and held it up for his wife's viewing, "Here. This was the first. The one that started it all. Her bicycle key."
"Yes, so?"
"This was the key that said she didn't need me to walk her home from school anymore. And look at this one," he held up another, "This is the key to this very house. This key said that not only was she old enough to get herself home, she didn't even need me when she got here. This key said she was old enough to stay in the house alone for a few hours."
"John…"
"And look at this one. This is the key to the bakeshop. This key says that she's a trusted employee, old enough and responsible enough to open and close the shop all on her own."
"Isn't that a good thing? We've raised a fine young woman."
"I suppose," John grumbled.
Anna gently pried the keys from her husband's hand. She held up the last key on the ring, "Go on then...what does this key say?"
"The key to the Land Rover? That's the worst one. That's the key that says she's old enough to go up the coast with her friends for the day, or even over to Edinburgh."
"But it's also the key that says she can pick Jack up from footie practice or run down to the market when I'm writing a lecture and you're studying a script or helping with homework."
"Mmmm, I'd trade all that for another year at home. Why did I ever teach her to drive?"
Anna laughed again, "Because my darling, that's what fathers do. They teach their children to ride bikes, and drive cars and all sorts. But that just proves my point. You say she didn't need you to walk her home, but instead, she needed you to teach her to ride a bike. Then she needed you to run lines with her for her audition in the school play. Next it was help filling out her job applications and then to drive a car. She will always need you for something, John. It will just be the next thing."
When Anna finished speaking she began to put a new key on the key ring.
John frowned, "And that's another thing, why does she need her own car? Why can't she keep driving the Land Rover. It's big and clunky and sturdy and safe."
"And old, and ugly, and dented. That's exactly why she doesn't want to take it off to uni with her."
"And does she always have to get what she wants?"
Anna smiled again, "You're the one who spoiled her, John Bates. She's had you wrapped around her little finger since the moment she was born."
He was silent and rather miserable. Finally, Anna continued, "Come on John. We already agreed. We've bought the bloody thing. It's sitting in the garage. We can't change our minds now."
"You could take it. You deserve a new car," he pleaded weekly.
"Oh yes, that would go over well. I get a new car for Lily's 18th birthday. That makes sense. Besides, if she has a car she'll be able to come home more often."
"Well, that's another thing…"
"There's more?" Anna raised her eyebrows, teasing her husband.
"Yes," John did his best to sound affronted, "why does she need to go to uni in Leeds anyway? She has a very prestigious university within walking distance right here at home. One where her mother is a well respected member of the faculty. Why can't she just go to St. Andrew's?"
"Asked and answered my love. Now, let me finish wrapping this before she gets home. I don't want to spoil the surprise. Why don't you take the dog for a walk. The fresh air will do you good."
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A few hours later found the Bates family around the dinner table full of crumbs, blown out candles and dirty dessert plates. Lily had already opened the presents from the Carson's (a new designer book bag), and her brothers (a gift card for music from Robbie and a ManU t-shirt from Jack which she accepted dubiously saying "well I can't very well wear this in Leeds, can I?"). Anna handed her the small but beautifully wrapped small box.
"And this one is from Da and I."
"Thank you Mummy."
Lily opened the box and stared inside at her own keys. She lifted them out with a confused look on her face until she realized that the large black key was new. Anna and John both smiled as they saw the understanding cross their daughter's face.
"Oh my God," she shouted, beginning to jump up and down, "you didn't?" She looked at her parents, "I'm not wrong am I? This isn't some sort of joke is it?"
Anna clapped her hands, "No love, it's no joke."
Lily continued to bounce on her toes, "Oh Mummy, thank you."
Then she flung herself into her father's arms, wrapping her own tightly around his neck and kissing his cheek repeatedly, "Oh Da, you are the best ever. I love you so much."
John looked at his wife with tears in his eyes just in time to see her mouth the words, "I told you so."
