I completely love this Chapter with all my heart, I hope you guys do too! I don't own the songs though!
Chapter. 40 Daddy's little girls.
Alice and I were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by Charlie, Jake, and Leah. Alice apologized to Charlie for scaring him, and thanked Leah for slapping me. Charlie of course said not to worry about it, and Leah beamed a 'your very welcome'.
We spent the rest of the evening laughing, drinking, and eating. Alice and I talked a little more about "her master plan", and what we were going to wear, and what I was going to sing. We woke up early the next morning and went for a ride on the horses. We got back to the house a little after noon, and Charlie had a hot pot of coco waiting for us.
"Thanks dad, I was telling Alice all the way back to the barn that I was going to make some hot coco when we got back to the house. It started snowing!" I giggled as Charlie handed me a large cup, and gave me a wrinkly smile.
"I couldn't have my girls, turn into ice blocks….come sit by the fire it's nice and warm" he laughed as he handed Alice her mug, and motioned us towards the large fireplace.
All the windows were frosty and the pure white snow was falling seasonly outside. It really felt like Christmas, and I wanted to cry when I realized how much I missed this simple pleasure, every year I didn't visit for Christmas. Charlie began to hum Christmas carols, while strumming them on his guitar. Alice curled up with a large wool blanket next to the fire and hummed along with him. We sat there for hours just singing and humming along quietly, enjoying the small family moment. After we had sung every carol we knew, Alice spoke.
"So, Charlie…Don't be mad, but I bought you a Christmas gift, would you like to open it. I mean I know it's only the 23rd but….?" She smiled.
"Alice you know you didn't have to, I don't like getting presents" He said disapprovingly, however his trademark smile was giving him away.
"Sure sure….I just happened to pick it up on the way here….I saw it and it just screamed Charlie!" She squealed as she hopped up and ran up stairs only to appear, seconds later.
"Do you have super powers or am I imagining your inhuman speed?" Charlie asked wryly, amused by Alice's excitement.
"Aww Charlie, stop trying to sugar me up, I'm giving you the present no matter what" She sang as she handed him a large box.
"What is it?" I asked as Charlie's smile grew ten fold once he had taken off the box's top.
"Alice, you really shouldn't have" He laughed as he began to pull out of clothing. Alice had gotten him five new sets of thermals, a pair of carhart overalls, new muck boots, and various plaid flannel shirts.
"Clothes…I shoulda known" I laughed as the last flannel shirt exited the box.
"Ah ah ah ah….you missed something" as scolded as Charlie went to set the box down. He picked it back up and dug through some tissue paper, finally he pulled a large silver picture frame from the box, his eyes teared up.
"Thank you Alice, this is very…..just thank you" Charlie said as his voice cracked with emotion.
"What picture did you give him?" I whispered to Alice.
"The one we took a while ago, you know the one I made Rose take by the barn on the hay, that day I made you wear a matching outfit and you whined about it for hours" She whispered back. I instantly knew exactly what picture it was. It was a picture of Alice and I; Alice was on my back and we were laughing as the hay that Jasper had thrown was falling into our hair. I loved that picture, every time I looked at it, I realized how much of a sister Alice was to me.
"That's my favorite picture of Alice and I dad." I chirped.
"It's mine too Bells" he said teary eyed.
"So….uhh, did you get the present I sent you in the mail?" I asked, embarrassed I had nothing to offer him, at that moment.
"Yes I did, thank you , I was putting off buying a new one, till after the winter, ya know, wait until a few of the fillys are ready to sale" He smiled brightly.
"Well good, I'm glad I got you something you needed and will use" I smiled back.
"Uh…well…..I mailed your guy's presents to ya, but uh…I'm guess Alice you left the house before the package arrived….Uh….hold on a minute ok?" He stuttered nervously as he stood up and walked towards his bedroom.
"What do you think he is doing?"
"I dunno"
"Maybe he is peeing" Alice giggled.
"How is that funny, that's gross, why would you even bring that up?" I scowled, at her.
"I just nervous, you know how I get when presents get handed out" She said quickly as Charlie walked back into the room . He walked over to the DVD player and put in a disk, then walked back to his chair and sat down.
"Uh….Leah helped me with this….I…I…well I had no idea what to get two people who have pretty much everything, or at least the money to buy anything they could want and-"
"Just get on with it dad" I laughed at his nervousness.
"Alright Bells, uh, Alice the first part is more for Bella, and the end is for you both. Leah thought you would like to have the first part, even though-"
"I get the idea, play the DVD Charlie" She said as she clapped her hands and began bouncing in anticipation.
Charlie reached for the remote and turn on the large flat screen TV, that hung above the fireplace. He grabbed the other remote and a picture of Alice and I, from the first trip Alice made out here appeared on the screen. Music began playing and the words "For my Girls" flashed on to the screen.
Gotta hold on easy as I let you go,
Gonna tell you how much I love you,
Though you think you already know.
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped up in pink so soft and warm
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born,
A slide show of my baby pictures began to play across the screen while the song continued to play. Pictures of Charlie holding me as a baby. Me asleep on his chest as he smiled down at me. Him feeding me a bottle, and reading me a story from a hunting magazine.
Your beautiful baby from the outside in,
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.
My first fishing trip. My first hunting trip, with Jake crying in the background. Charlie teaching me to ride a horse. Pictures of me holding on to Charlie's pinky as we walk down a dirt road. Us in matching jeans and flannel shirts. Halloween pictures, of me a princess and Charlie a prince, from when I was two. Later on pictures of me and Charlie dressed as lollipop kids for my sixth Halloween.
When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone
Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown.
Sometimes, you're asleep I whisper "I love you!" in the moonlight at your door,
As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy, love you more!"
My first father daughter dance. Charlie and I building snow men. My first school play. My first black eye. Charlie teaching me to fight. Me at nine years old, posing with a huge buck I had shot, and a very proud Charlie next to me. The pictures of me growing up continued, with one constant, Charlie at my side.
Your beautiful baby from the outside in,
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.
Pictures of my teenage years. My first hangover and Charlie banging pots and pans around in my room. More photos of me and him, fishing and hunting. BBQs and birthdays. My sixteenth birthday, and my truck! Then pictures of Charlie, Jake, and I working on my truck, lifting it and such. Pictures of the roping, riding, and cutting competitions I had won. My FFA project picture, and so on…..
Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand,
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know,
he's the half that make you whole,
He has a poet's soul,
and the heart of a man's man,
I know he'll say that he's in love,
But between you and me,
he won't be good enough
Pictures of me right before I left to California. My graduation pictures from both high school and community college, Charlie with a huge smile. Picture of me partying the last night I was in Georgia, no Charlie to be found. And then the pictures of me standing in the security check point line at the airport.
Your beautiful baby from the outside in,
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be,
my little girl.
The song ended with a picture of Charlie and I taken on the front porch a few years ago. My arms wrapped around him, and his arms slung around my shoulders, both of us grinning at each other. The music faded out and an other song began playing.
I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
It it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
Pictures of Alice's first time in Georgia began playing across the screen.
But more that anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And I while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish
Pictures of Alice ridding horses with me. Charlie teaching Alice how to fire a gun; us at the hospital, and Alice crying as they stitch Charlie's hand. Charlie mortified, by the first set of clothes Alice bought him, and Alice standing at his side beaming with pride.
I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.
But more that anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And I while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish
Pictures of us three during holidays, spent here in Georgia. Pictures of Charlie's visits to LA, grimacing at the clothes Alice forced him to wear. Pictures of us three, at the fair. Us three picking pumpkins, and Alice trying to lift a huge pumpkin and Charlie laughing at her. Alice's first pie, and Charlie trying to look like it was good. Pictures of me and Alice fishing in the pond. Playing in the snow, in the leaves, in the grass. Alice and I dressed in Camo.
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And I while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish
This is my wish,
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big.
The last picture on the screen was a picture of Alice Charlie and I on the large front porch swing. Charlie sitting in the middle, reading a book. Alice asleep with her head in his lap, and me curled up on his other side with my head on his shoulder. Alice and I were both crying by the time "I love both of my little girls" flashed onto the screen.
"Well, uh, like I said, Leah helped me with it…and you both…uh, have a copy in the mail…so.." Charlie said, clearly feeling uncomfortable with, as he would put it "mushy stuff".
"Thank you so much Charlie….you have no idea, how much this means to me" Alice sniffled as she ran over to Charlie and climbed into his lap and cried into his shirt. He just shushed her and patted her hair lovingly.
"Yeah Dad, that was amazing" I said as I walked over and awkwardly hugged him, due to Alice's quietly sobbing body.
"I'm you two like it, I wasn't sure about it" He shrugged.
"Dad, I know it's your way of saying all that mushy stuff you want to" I said with a wink, he blushed.
"I've never felt more loved than right now, thank you Charlie" Alice sniffled.
"I loved you ever since you walked down those stairs looking like white trailer trash, little one" Charlie chuckled, remembering Alice's fashion catastrophe.
"Hey!" Alice laughed as she playful hit Charlie's chest as she sat up.
"Oh my God that was so funny, do you remember those Gawd awful boots?" I questioned as I began to laugh, and Alice huffed.
"Alright no more making fun of the munchkin" Charlie said he ruffled Alice's hair, she smiled at him.
"Yeah, listen to the old man" Alice said as she hooked her thumb towards Charlie.
"OLD MAN? You shouldn't have said that munchkin!" Charlie laughed as she scooped up Alice and ran out of the house and chucked her straight into a pile of snow. Then ran back into the house and locked all the doors. He and I laughed our asses off as a very cold and very wet Alice screamed at the door and windows. After Charlie let Alice back in the house, the normal Alice and Bella, verses Charlie pranks began and didn't stop even once we all went to bed.
Alice and I woke up the next morning to the smell of Chocolate gravy and hot coffee. We both opened our eyes at the same time, looked at each other, smiled and raced to the kitchen, where Charlie stood amused, like always. Alice told Charlie of her "big plan" with all the bouncing , clapping and excitement her little body could produce. He just chuckled and said to be careful and have fun. He drove us to the small airport, later that afternoon, after we decided to take a few "family photos" around the property; Leah was kind enough to play the part of Photographer. We had lunch once we were done, and visited a little bit with Leah and Jake. By two in the afternoon Alice and I were saying our tearful goodbyes to Charlie.
"Bye dad, I love you. I'll come and visit as soon as the movie is finished" I sniffled he grabbed me up in a huge hug.
"Just follow your heart Bells……He's the one ya know" He whispered as my feet touched the ground. I looked at him in shock. Edward had THAT kinda talk with Charlie? Dear Baby Jesus! Charlie just said to marry Edward in his own little, non-emotional way! What the FRIGGITY FRACK!?
He just winked and shooed my towards the steps of the jet. He then swooped down and picked up Alice in a big hug.
"Thank you for everything, Charlie" She sniffled.
"Aww geez girl, just call me Dad already" Charlie huffed, at a surprised Alice. Her face glowed with love and emotion as she kissed him on the cheek, before he sat her back down on her feet.
"Then goodbye Dad, we'll see ya soon" She said in a fake southern accent, as she beamed up at him.
"And little one" Charlie said as he bent down to be face to face with Alice.
"I had a long talk with that Jasper of yours, and well….if it means anything to you….I think he's the one" He said with a wink. Alice's smile grew a hundred times larger and she swung her arms around Charlie's neck.
"Thanks dad!" she chirped, feeling for once that she had a father who cared about who and what she was with. Charlie had, had THE talk with Jasper for her, and though to some "daughters" it would have been embarrassing or interfering; to Alice it meant someone loved her enough to care. And to Alice, it meant the world.
"You two be safe, and call me when you land" He said as I dragged a crying alice up the steps.
"You got it! Love you!"
"Love ya both" He waved.
Alice and I boarded the plane and took our seats. Alice cried for the first twenty minutes of the flight, talking about how lucky she was to have found me as a friend, and how much everything Charlie said and done meant to her. Then we both decided to catch some zzz's. We would be going nonstop once we landed, and we were going to need our energy.
OMG!!!! Did you cry? Nellie cried through this whole chapter!!!!!!! Please Review and tell me what you think!!!! The end is coming to a close for this story!!!! I'm thinking about doing a sequel, but I really don't get enough reviews, even though I know a lot of people are reading…..what do you think? Should I make it a sequal?