Me and Chris were setting the floor playing on the playstation when Mark came in. I of course was beating the hell out of Chris at wrestling.
"Did you guys have a good time?" Mark asked setting down on the couch.
"Yea. Did you?" I asked.
"Sure I did." He said.
I turned back to the TV concentrating on the game. I beat Chris again.
"Well kid I got to go. Remember what I said." Chris said.
"I guess he was referring to our talk about Mark. I nodded at him and he bent down and gave me a hug. Chris left and I kept myself busy wrapping up the controls and putting up the games. I could feel Mark watching me. I guess he was waiting for me to blow my lid or something. I got up and went to my room to shower and I put on my Red Devil T-shirt that Mark had gave me. I got in the bed and picked up my grumpy bear that Mark had bought for me years ago. I remembered him getting for me. I still slept with him every night. Mark came in and sat down on the bed.
"Still sleeping with grumpy bear?" He asked smiling.
"Yea, he's like family ya know?" I said laughing.
Mark reached over to push my hair out of my face.
"Baby I want to know how ya really feel about me and Doc going out." He said.
I sighed I really didn't want to talk about this. But me and Mark had this agreement about complete honesty between us. We both always kept the agreement and I wasn't about to start by breaking it.
"I feel a little weird about it. I mean I like Doc. But I think I'm…Jealous." I finally said.
I was feeling a little ashamed of my self. Mark had always been so good to me. I had no right to give him a hard time over this.
"Hailey you don't need to be jealous. I love you. You're my kid. Can't nobody take away our relationship. You'll always be my baby girl." Mark said.
Mark reached over and set me in his lap.
"You aint to big to set in my lap yet are ya?" He asked teasing me.
" No daddy." I said hugging him.
"Daddy? I'll be gone 3 years to college and wrestling school. You're not going to forget about me are you?" I asked.
I guess all my old fears hadn't gone away they were just hiding deep inside me. My worst fear was to lose Mark. Mark was my life line, my savoir, My daddy. I didn't know what I would do with out him.
"Hailey I would never forget about you. I think you know that." He said lifting my chin up to look at him.
"Yea I guess I do. But it was nice hearing it." I said.
I laid my head on Mark's shoulder. Life was changing so fast and it seemed time was passing in the blink of an eye. I just wanted to stay his little girl for a while longer. But you can't stop growing up just cause you want to.
"I know things are happening so fast Hailey. Sometimes ya just got to roll with the punches. That's what life is all about really learning to adapt to all the changes that take place. But no matter what Hailey, no matter how big you are or how grown ya are. You got a home with me." Mark said.
Mark took my hand in his. "Me and you together. That's home." He said.
"Are we straight?" Mark asked kissing my forehead.
"Yea we straight." I said hugging him.
"Good now get you self to bed. We got an early flight tomorrow." He said laying me back on the bed.
"Night daddy." I said
"Goodnight babygirl." He said.
I watched him close the door thinking soon we wouldn't have many more of our bedtime talks. In just a couple of months I was going to have to leave behind my childhood way too soon. But then my goal came back to mind. I had put it out of my mind for a while. I imagined the look on Vince and Linda's face when I took over there company. I smiled. Yea change can be good and I was going to work my ass off to get what I wanted.