Harry Clearwater
"Daddy, you were a remarkable man," she proclaimed while sniveling and sniffling. "Mommy would always tell me stories of when I was younger, of how you would carry me around in a kangaroo bag, of how I would giggle and stare up at you, while you protected me and made funny faces for me so I could continue to laugh. I was your first child—your baby girl. And you were deliriously happy. You celebrated every single day; you stocked up on Doctor Seuss books, even though I destroyed them later on and used them as tiles to walk on."
She momentarily stopped, keened and whined under her breath. But slowly, she started to chuckle.
"I would write on them. Well, it was more like I would scribble on them and pretend to read. You bought me the entire collection and I destroyed the entire thing! But you didn't mind. You liked to hear me make up stories. You liked looking at my artsy scribbles. And you would always encourage me to continue!"
Tweaking her lips, she proceeded onward: "And when mommy was pregnant, you couldn't be more ecstatic. Everyday, you would kiss her stomach, talk to baby Seth, and then kiss her. Everyday, you would proclaim your eternal love for her, and then you would joke around with her and say that mom always secretly loved you until one day she exploded. And then mom would say, 'I only went out with you because, when you were backtracking, you tripped over a tree root and fell and hit your head and I felt bad,' which always made you laugh. You two were such a beautiful couple. I've always admired you two. Always. I've always wanted to have a relationship like yours. Always. On Saturday mornings, you would make the bacon and mommy would stir the eggs and together you would make a picnic for lunch and we would go out. On Sundays, we would go to church, but after it, we would eat ice cream or go to a diner or watch a movie together. During the weekdays, I would always see you two cuddling on the couch, holding hands, and, when she would fall asleep, you would always, always admire her and kiss her forehead. You two were beautiful together. So beautiful."
Her voice softened.
"You would always treat me like a princess, and you wanted me to be treated by a princess by whoever I married. You always told me to never settle for anyone who didn't treat me like one. And daddy, after a few years, after everything that I went through, I finally found someone who treats me like one. Everyday, he makes me breakfast and I take care of the deserts. Everyday, when I wake up in the morning, he's there, admiring me. Everyday, he kisses my forehead and tells me that he loves me. On Saturdays, we go out for picnics or lunch or sometimes we stay in. On Sundays, we go to church and then have dinner with our family and friends. And it's beautiful. It's very beautiful, daddy. And I'm happy. Really, truly happy. I love him. And he loves me. And daddy, don't worry because he always treats me like a princess. Always."
She beamed broadly.
"I love you, daddy. I really do. But I have to go now. I just wanted to tell you that I'm finally happy. That you don't have to worry about me anymore. I love you."
She smiled before leaving.
And the wind whispered, "I love you, princess."