The first time Deacon had taken Maddie fishing, when she'd realized the fish was supposed to die at some point in the process, she'd looked at him like he was some kind of monster, and she'd sworn she would never go again. The first time Deacon had taken Daphne fishing, when he'd suggested they do catch and release instead of bringing it home for dinner, she'd looked at him and asked, "Why? I love fish," before she'd said she wished they could go every week.

His daughters were similar in many ways, but different in about as many.

They both loved music, they were both creative and unbelievably talented. But Maddie was more introspective, guarded when meeting new people, she could spend hours locked up in her room writing, and in that regard, she was very much like him. Daphne was more outgoing, open to all kinds of new adventures, easy to get along with, and in that regard, she was very much like Rayna.

When it came to the outdoors, however, Deacon and Daphne were the ones who shared a common love for hiking, camping and, most of all, fishing.

It was 5:50 that morning when Deacon walked into the cabin's kitchen to find Daphne already dressed and in the middle of getting sandwiches they'd prepared the previous evening out of the fridge. The whole family was spending a few days at the cabin for fall break, and Deacon and Daphne had planned a little fishing outing. When Deacon had kissed his half-awake wife goodbye a moment before and he'd told her they would be back sometime around noon, she'd mumbled a quick "Have fun!" before going straight back to sleep.

It only took about fifteen minutes before Deacon and Daphne were standing outside, all packed up and ready to leave. It was an hour's walk to the spot they were headed to, so they got going, with Sue a few feet ahead of them on the trail.

One thing Deacon liked when he was walking with Daphne was that he rarely had to make conversation. Once she got started on a topic, she could talk on and on about a book she'd read or a movie she'd seen or her latest adventures at school. He enjoyed listening to her, nodding or disagreeing from time to time so she knew he was paying attention.

She was just finished telling him all about her latest obsession with glow-in-the-dark bowling when she stopped, put her hands on her hips and looked around. "I can't believe Mom and Maddie rather stay at the cabin. They don't know what they're missing."

Deacon smiled at that. "To each their own, sweetheart. But, you know," he added as they started moving again, "it might well be my fault your mom holds a little grudge against the woods." Daphne looked up, her curiosity piqued. "First time I ever suggested we go hiking together, I promised her it would be fun and all, but we... got lost. We had to spend a night out there, and we only found our way back the next day."

Daphne giggled at that. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, after that, it was years until she agreed to come with me again."

"Oh, that's why every time we all go hiking, she double-checks the map when you're not looking."

It was Deacon's turn to stop in his tracks. "Wait, what?"

Daphne kept on walking, unperturbed. "I guess I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"Anything else you're not supposed to tell me?" Deacon asked as he jogged to catch up with his daughter.

"No," she chuckled. "Hey, Dad," she tried to change the subject, "why did you and Mom wait so long after Maddie to have me?"

This caught Deacon off guard. He had no idea where this was coming from. "Do you think four years is a long time?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you already know about the problems I had before your sister was born." He'd decided from the very beginning that he wouldn't lie to his daughters about his alcoholism. Of course, he couldn't tell them everything, but he always tried to be as honest as possible. "So I think your mom and I wanted to wait to be sure I could stay good, be sure I could be the dad you and Maddie deserved."

Daphne looked at him, unwavering. "You are," she stressed.

"Thanks, sweetie." He kissed the top of her head. "Why are you asking me this?"

"It never mattered that Maddie was older than me, but when we were recording the songs for her birthday gift, I thought, I don't know... maybe soon she won't want to sing with me anymore."

"Why wouldn't she want to sing with you anymore?"

"She's a teen now."

"You know, Maddie told Mom she wanted to record those tracks with you because singing is your thing."

Daphne beamed at that. "Really?"

"Yeah, but hey, listen. Even if you two end up doing things apart for a while, it doesn't mean you won't sing together again later. Maybe you'll both need some time to grow and experience things on your own, but no matter what happens, I know your sister bond will only get stronger. So don't you worry, okay?"

"Okay, Dad."

—

august 2002

—

"I appreciate y'all coming out tonight to support the Heart Fellowship Recovery Center. Sobriety is not a onetime fight. It goes on, one day at a time, for your entire life. If you're gonna do a fight that long, you better have yourself a support system. For me, that happens to be my family." Deacon turned to Rayna who was listening from the room's adjacent hall, Maddie in her arms. "I've got my wife Rayna, who's stood with me through thick and thin. I've also got my daughter, Maddie, who's helped me to see the world through brand new eyes. Both of them have shown me what it means to love somebody more than I love myself, which has given my life meaning. That's what this center's about. That's what this night is about. It's about not being defined by your past. It's about finding a way to move forward. We thank y'all for your help." Deacon's speech got him an ovation from the crowd gathered there for his fundraiser event. "Anyway," he went on, never comfortable being put on the spot like that, "I'd like to introduce a buddy of ours who's gracefully agreed to perform for us tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Luke Wheeler!"

He stepped off stage to join his wife and daughter in the hall as Luke's band started to play. Maddie had slipped out of Rayna's arms, and the little girl was standing with her eyes glued to the stage, trying to sing along. Rayna put one hand on Deacon's neck, pulling him to her, and gave him a long kiss. "It was such a good speech, babe," she breathed.

"I meant every word," he whispered back, his forehead resting again Rayna's.

They watched Maddie who, at that point, was all but dancing by herself, and they both let out a quiet laugh. "You love that song, sweet girl?" Rayna asked. Their daughter nodded energetically, not even bothering to turn around to answer.

Deacon slid his arms around Rayna's waist and drew her to him. "Maybe it's time," he said. The way he looked at Maddie and then at her, she didn't need to ask him what he meant.

"Yeah? Because I think so too." She had indeed given this a lot of thought lately. Deacon was two months short of celebrating his fourth anniversary of being sober. Not once since he'd entered rehab for the last time had he slipped. She was so incredibly proud of him. She smiled before she kissed him again. "So... are we hoping for a boy this time?" she teased.

"Would be nice to have someone to go fishing with."

She gave him the kind of stare she usually reserved for misogynistic label executives. "Oh, because girls don't fish?"

"Not the ones I know," he joked.

"Hey!" she protested, smacking his arm, and he laughed.

"Seriously, though," he said, "I think Maddie would love to have a sister."

His expression changed then, without him realizing it. Rayna knew that, because of his own relationship with his dad, the prospect of having a boy made him nervous. She'd noticed, when she was pregnant with Maddie, how relieved he'd sounded when they'd learned it would be a girl.

"Babe," she snapped him out of his thoughts, making sure she had his full attention, "you've been an amazing dad. And you will keep being an amazing dad, whether we have a boy or another girl."

—

TBC