"Daddy! I wanna dance on da show!" three year old Aurora pouted, looking up at Corny with her big, round, blue eyes.
Amber gave Corny a look because she could see her husband start to falter. He gave his daughter a kind smile and dropped down to her level.
"Baby doll, you're still too young, when you get older and the show is still around, I promise that you can dance on it," he told her, pressing his lips against her forehead.
"But daddy I wanna dance on the show now!" Aurora whined.
"Aurora, it is not polite to whine, daddy is just being honest with you," Amber told her gently.
Aurora gave her mother an angry look.
"Daddy pwease?" she said, jutting her bottom lip out as far as it would go.
Corny's features softened and he looked to his wife for help.
"Aurora, daddy said no, now come along," Amber said, taking her hand, hating to be the firm one and led her away.
Aurora whined softly, but allowed her mother to drag her away. She wasn't a big one on throwing fits and for that, Amber was thankful. She pulled her little blonde princess into her lap and held her.
"When you're older than you can dance, baby," Amber told her gently, raking her fingers through those blonde ringlets.
"I wanna be older now," Aurora whined.
"Baby, stay young for as long as you can, you don't want to grow up too fast. You need to enjoy your childhood," Amber smiled at her daughter.
Aurora just pouted and curled up into her mother's chest while the show started.
Amber let out a low breath as she placed Aurora back on the ground. She was feeling dizzy and slightly weak. The three year old went running over to her ten year old sisters, who took her hands and pulled her over to the swings. Five year old Robert was playing with Preston and Perry in the sandbox.
"Hi Amber!" Penny smiled, waving at the blonde woman.
Amber raised her hand to wave over at Penny when suddenly everything when black and her legs gave way. Link and Tracy were walking up behind her and when he saw Amber started to go down, he rushed up behind her and supported her body.
"Amber! Amber! Can you hear me?" Link asked, holding her limp body upright.
"Oh Link, I think she's knocked out cold, we need to get her to the hospital," Tracy said, patting Amber's cheek lightly to see if she would respond.
"Help me get her to the car and I'll take her, stay with the kids, try to keep them calm," Link said.
Tracy helped Link get Amber into the car and she said a tiny little prayer for her good friend. He got her to the hospital and a nurse took her back into a room. Link rushed off to find a phone so he could tell Corny. Half an hour later, Amber groaned as her head pounded and she blinked open her eyes, quickly squeezing them back shut when the harsh light hit them.
"Amber?" she heard her husband ask in a shaky voice.
"Corny?" she whispered and reaching out for his hand and immediately he gripped hers, squeezing it tightly in his warm hand.
"I'm right here baby," he told her softly.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
"Link said that you passed out at the park. The doctor has you hooked up to an IV, he said you were really dehydrated," Corny told her gently as his fingers played with her soft blonde strands.
"Where are the kids?" she asked, opening her eyes back up slowly.
"Tracy and Link took them for the afternoon and offered to watch them tonight. The doctor wants to keep you here overnight and I'm not leaving your side," Corny told her seriously.
"Oh baby, you don't have to stay…"
"I know that, I want to stay," he told her firmly.
Amber gave him a tiny smile and knew there was no point in arguing with him. She was secretly glad that he was going to stay with her because she didn't want to be alone.
"Daddy, I'm not a little kid anymore," Isabelle huffed.
"You're ten, Belle, you're still little in my eyes," Corny told her.
"But daddy, ice cream is for babies. I'm not a baby," she sighed.
Corny felt his heart fall slightly, for her words were slightly true. She wasn't his little girl anymore and that hurt.
"Will you humor your old man then and at least pretend to enjoy it?" he tried.
"Daddy! You aren't old!" Isabelle told him.
"Well daddy is no spring chicken anymore, he's getting up there," Corny chuckled and she could see a hint of sadness in his eyes.
She lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his mid section.
"Let's go get ice cream, daddy. I really love ice cream and I'm glad I'm still your little girl," she told him softly.
Corny smoothed his hand over her dark hair and smiled.
"Alright, baby," he said, taking her hand and the two walked to the ice cream parlor that was two blocks away from their house.
The two sat side by side, sharing a banana split and Isabelle was having a really good time with her father. Eleven year old Charlie Larkin walked in and winked at her before ordering an ice cream soda. Isabelle blushed softly and then scowled at him.
"Hey. What was that about? I thought you two…liked each other?" Corny asked.
"I don't like him anymore, daddy, boys are stupid," she said, rolling her eyes for effect.
"Did he do something mean to you? Do you want me to kill him?" Corny offered.
"No daddy," she giggled softly.
"Then why don't you like him anymore?" Corny pressed gently.
Isabelle shrugged her shoulders.
"Because he kissed me and then he went and kissed Maria Lawrence the next day, I thought I was special, but I guess not," she sighed softly, sitting her spoon down.
"Hey, hey, hey," Corny said, lifting her chin up and looking into her eyes.
"You are a very special girl Isabelle Marie Collins and if he can't see that, then he is a fool and doesn't deserve someone as special and wonderful as you," Corny told her seriously.
"Thank you, daddy," she smiled up at him.
He pressed his lips against her forehead and she hugged him tightly.
"Hi, Belle, Mr. Collins," Charlie said as he came up to them.
"Hi," Isabelle replied, rolling her eyes a bit like Amber would have done.
"Miss Maybelle is having a get together at her shop tonight, do you want to come with me?" he asked, leaning against the table and Corny swore he was the spitting image of Link.
Isabelle looked at him skeptically.
"You aren't going to take Maria?" she asked sharply.
"No way, you're my girl," Charlie smiled at her and Corny watched as his daughter lit up.
"Daddy? Can I got tonight, please?" she asked and he always had a hard time denying her anything.
"My dad is going to be there Mr. Collins, we'll walk her to and from and make sure she's safe," Charlie assured him.
"Alright, that would be fine then," Corny agreed.
"Thank you daddy!" Isabelle squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
"You're welcome baby," he smiled, rubbing her back.
Amber helped Isabelle get ready for the little dance tonight.
"I think daddy is sad, Mama," she told Amber.
"Why do you think that?" Amber asked as she curled her daughter's ponytail.
"Because he thinks I'm growing up too fast," she replied.
"Aw, well daddy has a hard time with that. He would keep you all five forever if he could," Amber smiled down at her.
"But we all have to grow up sometime, Mama."
"That is very true, just promise you won't give daddy a hard time when you get into your teens, alright?" Amber smiled and Isabelle nodded her head.
"Wow princess, you look amazing," Corny smiled when she came down the stairs and did a little twirl in her party dress.
"Thank you daddy!"
Link showed up with Charlie later and Corny stood on the porch as he watched them walk down the street. It was hard to let them grow up and slowly let them go.