I decided to include another flashback chapter, but will get back to writing chapters on the aftermath of Rayna's death soon. I can't bring myself to write a funeral scene and I want to see how CMT plays out the next episode before making my own decisions cause I need some direction (like how is Teddy out of jail?). So hope you enjoy this one, and please keep commenting and sharing your thoughts, I love feedback.

"Hey sweet girl, how was your day?" Rayna asked as Daphne climbed into the back seat of the car.

Rayna had a light afternoon at Highway 65 and figured she'd use it it for a little mama time with her girls.

Daphne closed the car door with just enough force for Rayna's motherly instincts to know something was off with her youngest daughter. As their mom, Rayna had long ago figured out the differences in the way her daughters expressed themselves. Maddie was a firecracker and wore her heart on her sleeve. A furrowed brown, her arms crossed against her chest, and dagger eyes were telltale signs with Maddie. It didn't take much for whatever was bothering her to come exploding out.

Daphne was different. She was more introverted and all her sadness and anger was hidden behind her pretty brown eyes. You had to slowly coax whatever was eating at her, out from her heart. When she was little, Rayna would just wrap her in her arms, believing if she held her tight enough, whatever had been broken inside would piece back together.

Rayna couldn't help but attribute these differences to their different fathers and she always felt guilty about it. But there was no denying Maddie had inherited Deacon's passion and temperament and Daphne had gotten some of Teddy's quietness.

"Fine." Daphne said curtly.

"Something bothering you, hon?" Rayna inquired.

"No, I'm just tired that's all." Daphne replied.

They went back to the house and Daphne dropped her backpack down and went straight up to her room without another word.

Rayna picked her backpack off the floor and opened it to empty out her lunch bag. She spied a crumpled up piece of paper at the bottom and unfolded it.

FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE THIS FRIDAY

Rayna sighed and her heart ached for her youngest daughter, realizing the reason for her miserable mood. Teddy being in prison had really affected her and she'd had trouble when Deacon was coming into her life and her own dad was gone from it.

She walked upstairs and lightly knocked on Daphne's door.

"Hey, Daph, can I come in?"

"Sure."

"I just wanted to talk to you about the flyer I found in your bag. Why didn't you tell me there's a father daughter dance? I know things have been really tough with your dad being away and you probably feel left out of the dance. But you know, if you want to go, Deacon would be so happy and honored to take you, sweetie."

"It's a father daughter dance and Deacon is not my dad," she said defiantly.

"I know that, baby girl. No one is ever going to replace your dad, not ever. But that doesn't mean Deacon doesn't love you every bit as much as your dad, because I know he does and you should know that too. And you can have more than one dad in your life. Maddie does, I did. My daddy and I didn't get along and he wasn't part of my life most of the time. He was still my daddy, but I had other people who loved me like a dad should. I had Watty looking out for me and Bucky who still does. Babe, I know you have so much love in your heart and loving someone else doesn't push out the people already in your life. Your heart just grows bigger and bigger. You don't have to go to the dance if you don't want to. I know you wished your dad was here to go with you and nothing can fix that. But Deacon can be there for you and he would want to, if you let him," Rayna said.

"But I was just a mistake. You and Deacon were meant to be together all that time. Meant to be a family. And if you had been, I wouldn't be here. You love him, Mom, and you always did. If all that bad stuff hadn't happened you guys wouldn't have ever been apart and you never would've had me."

"Don't you ever say that Daphne! Don't you even think it, not for a moment. Sweet girl, I wouldn't take back a single second, I wouldn't redo a single choice back then. All of it, the good, the bad, it gave me the two most important things in my life. You and your sister. Nothing else matters. Deacon and I made a lot of choices, right and wrong. As much as he would want to fix them, he couldn't imagine his life without you. He loved you unconditionally from the start, knowing you weren't his and Maddie being his daughter doesn't diminish his love for you. Okay?"

"Okay," Daphne mumbled.

"I love you."

"I love you too. When's Deacon coming home? I need to tell him that we have plans Friday."