Disclaimer: These characters belong to S. Meyer; I just use them for my vivid imagination on the short bus.
All chapters are pre-written, so there are no edits done by a beta. All errors are my own.
I'm keeping things short and sweet, so thank you for all the kind words…
On we go…
-Leslie
April 24, 1997
Dear Abby Bean;
Alright, the time is closing in on us. Your arrival is a day we have looked forward to for a long time now. It is a time the two of us have dreamed about; longed for.
I should be telling you things like: Say no to drugs! You are not allowed to date until your forty! Don't have sex until you're married. Don't talk to strangers! Or, Don't take candy from strangers!
Yeah, I'm pretty sure there are a million other things I should have written so that you would have a checklist to come back to during the future, but I refuse to be a dad that doesn't allow you the opportunity to make your own mistakes. A dad who refuses to let his little girl grow up. One who can't understand that things are way different for a girl than they are for a boy.
I don't know how to deal with a girl, other than your mother, so I hope I don't screw you up to bad kid. I can only keep my faith in God; faith that he will guide me in the right direction each and every time we meet a bump in the road.
It will be a struggle kiddo; that I'm pretty sure of. But, it will be worth each one of those struggles. That I can guarantee.
Alright, I'll stop being a sap and a worrier now. One last story before you arrive, as I know we'll share all the rest for your childhood, teenage years, and adulthood.
One of my most favorite, most memorable moments took place just a few months ago actually.
It was the day we had told our families.
For the past couple years, your mom had been spending all her extra time making handmade quilts for both sets of our parents.
Don't tell her I know this little fact, but she has always been adamant that our first child would be a little girl, even if she would always tell those who asked that as long as the child was healthy it didn't matter what the sex. I'm sure she thought I was none the wiser, but I know your momma like a book. Her eyes are the windows to her soul for me.
Anyways, she spent several years making those adorable handmade quilts for both our parents. This was another factor for me to know what she wanted more than anything else, because I use to joke about how if we had a little boy, then the pink wouldn't go so well. She always told me that she was making both pink and blue; she just chose to make the pink first.
Again, I'm off track. I ramble when I'm nervous, which I am because of your arrival.
Each quilt was done in soft pink and white checkered squares. The material was something of a silky texture, but definitely not silk itself. The edging was done in ribbons woven in and out of the pink fabric that was stitched to hold the quilt together.
Rotating pink and white checkered squares along the outer edges of the huge pink square in the middle, where a white stitched teddy bear was the main focus.
For your mother not to have known how to sew until her later twenties, she had done such an elegant job one each of the quilts. I was and still am so proud of her hard work and craftsmanship.
It wasn't until recently she had added your full name underneath the white stitched teddy bear in an elegant, cursive font stitching.
We had waited until we had found out your sex before we had told anyone. We had both been so concerned about this pregnancy, that we needed to make sure for ourselves that this was really happening. There was no point in having others join in our excitement until we were completely sure.
Once your name was added to the quilts, we invited our parents for a brunch date at the house. They quickly agreed, having said they were looking forward to seeing us on that day.
Your mom and I worked several hours on the menu before their arrival for that special brunch date, knowing that their worlds were about to change, just as ours had all those months prior.
As they arrived, we settled around the table on the covered patio behind our house. Everyone dove into your mom's famous chocolate chip waffles, along with the honey glazed fruit salad. Conversation was kept light during the meal, since most of it was filled with hums of approval for the chef.
Once everyone was finished eating, your mom and I excused ourselves from our parents, explaining that we had something for the lot of them.
Your momma had wrapped each quilt delicately in tissue papers, having placed it inside of a giant gift box. The box was littered in pastel colored ribbons against the stark whiteness of the box itself.
I suppose we should be thankful that your mother hadn't started to show too bad up till this point or I our secret would have been out of the bag immediately upon their arrival that afternoon.
With the boxes in tow, we stepped onto the patio with smiles on our faces. We had places the boxes in front of each of our mothers, asking them to enjoy their presents.
Each mom tore into the package with delight, pulling the lid off quickly and pushing the tissue paper to the side. Our dads just watched the women lovingly. Once the tissue was out of the way, each one 'oohed' and 'awed' before pulling the quilt out like it was made of glass.
They had immediately asked where we had gotten such fine quilts, commenting on the delicate materials that were used. Once they had found out your mother had made them, they four of them all stared at her in amazement and commented on her skills.
Your mom and I had to persuade them to unfold them, considering neither one of them wanted to disturb such beauty. Their words.
Once we had told them that the surprise was inside the quilts, the each wasn't too worried about its beauty then.
I counted into your mother's ear, waiting for each one to erupt into squeals that should be illegal, before they jumped from their seats, quilt all but forgotten at the moment.
That day, your momma glowed for many various reasons. Her happiness level was through the roof, as the three women talked excitedly about your arrival, all the things they hoped for the future, etc. The three of us men, we sat off to side watching our other half. There would be a question thrown in from time to time from one of your grandfathers, but for the most, words just didn't do it.
This was one of my most cherished memories, sweet child.
Daddy loves you.
Words of Wisdom: Glow! Spread your wings and fly!
Love,
Your Proud Papa
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