I hope you dance
8 months old.
Kelly paced back and forth, a fussy Maya in his arms. It was after midnight, he'd just gotten home from a Blackhawks game with Casey, and the infant was awake (for some reason) and not happy. Maya had always been a great sleeper; she'd started sleeping through the night around six weeks old and, apart from the odd night here and there, she'd never stopped. It was something her parents were very thankful for.
Maya had a set night routine they stuck to and, according to Stella when she texted him earlier, she was happy and sleepy when she put her to bed that night. That was usually a sure sign she'd sleep all night, but it seemed like Maya had other plans. Almost immediately after entering the loft, Kelly heard cries start to come from Maya's nursery.
Kelly cursed softly—he thought he'd entered quietly enough to not wake either of his girls up but apparently not. Knowing Stella had the baby monitor on in their room, Kelly moved quickly, hoping to get to Maya before she woke Stella up.
Entering the room, Kelly found Maya standing in her crib. Her chubby little hands were gripping the rail and, in the glow of the nightlight in the corned, her pout and tears were easily visible. Kelly made his way over to her, turning her sound machine off and flicking on a small light as he walked.
"Hey," Kelly cooed as he reached the crib. Reaching over, he pulled Maya into his arms. "What's with the tears baby girl? Huh?"
He went through the normal steps of changing her diaper and giving her a bottle, he even checked her temperature, but nothing seemed to make her happy. So, Kelly just held her, cuddled her, and walked soothingly back and forth to try and lull the baby back to sleep.
Maya's cries had quieted but she was still wide awake so, in the silence of the room, Kelly began humming softly. Unfortunately, the late hour and the few drinks he'd had at the game were wreaking havoc on his memory and he could only remember two songs to cycle between—two songs Maya quickly grew tired of. She made her dad aware of her displeasure by fussing again.
"Shhhhhh, ok," Kelly murmured. He changed Maya's position, leaning her against his chest, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Unlocking his phone, he pulled up one of the playlists he and Stella listen to and immediately recognized the first song that played. "Let's try this. It's one of mommy's favorites."
As the soft melody began playing, Kelly sat his phone on the dresser and wrapped his arms around Maya, keeping her close to his chest with her ear over his heart. Kelly began swaying back and forth and, as the music played, his movements turned more into a dance as they moved around the room.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Stella had woken up the second she heard Maya cry. She was about to get out of bed and go to her daughter when she heard Kelly enter the nursery. Stella knew Kelly was more than capable of getting Maya back to sleep, so she settled back into bed. She was just about to fall back asleep, but the quiet conversation coming through the baby monitor kept her awake.
Maya was usually an easy baby to get back to sleep but, as Stella heard Kelly change her diaper, give her a bottle, and go through all the normal steps of getting her back down to no avail, Stella started to worry that something was wrong. Slipping on one of Kelly's old shirts, Stella got out of bed and quietly made her way across the loft to Maya's nursery.
She arrived at the door and was about to announce her presence, and maybe even take over trying to get Maya back to sleep when she saw Kelly pull out his phone and put on one of their playlists. Stella smiled when she heard one of her favorite songs start playing and she leaned against the doorframe, watching adoringly as her two favorite people danced, rocked, and swayed in the dim light of the room.
Maya was asleep by the end of the first song, but Kelly kept swaying with her through one more song, just to be safe. As the second song ended, Kelly carefully walked over to the crib and laid Maya down. The baby girl didn't even flinch.
Stella quietly walked up behind Kelly and wrapped her arms around his waist, causing him to startle slightly. Once recovered, he wrapped his arms around Stella, bringing her to his side. "I was trying to get to her before she woke you up."
"I was gonna go back to sleep, but after a while of her fighting sleep, I was coming to see if there was anything I could do," Stella shrugged. Then, she smiled and turned to face Kelly, wrapping her arms around her neck. "But it looks like all she needed was a dance with her daddy."
Kelly's face flushed, but he chuckled. "You saw that?"
"I did," Stella confirmed. "It was very sweet."
Kelly shook his head playfully before leaning forward and meeting Stella for a kiss.
"Let's go to bed." Stella breathed out, breaking away from the kiss. Kelly readily agreed.
Maya slept through the rest of the night that night and if midnight dances with her daddy became the go-to trick to get her to sleep on those difficult nights well, none of them were complaining.
4 ½ years old.
Stella walked into their bedroom to find Kelly standing in front of the mirror, working to get his tie fixed. He made eye contact with her in the mirror and smiled at her. "She ready?"
"Oh yeah. Dress is on, hair is done, and she's currently making herself dizzy twirling around the living room." Stella answered with a chuckle. She walked over to stand next to Kelly and then turned to face him, her hands going towards his tie. "Here, let me."
Kelly released his tie, allowing Stella's experienced hands to take over the task of tying it. His hands found their way to her very large baby bump. "You sure you're gonna be OK here tonight?"
Stella rolled her eyes but smiled. This pregnancy had been harder than Maya's, but she'd turned a corner after reaching the third trimester and Stella was feeling better than ever. Kelly still worried though, despite the baby's due date being well over two months away. "I'll be fine. Hailey's coming over since Jay and Ella are joining you and Maya. We're going to have a little girl's night."
Kelly nodded. "But you'll call me if you need me?"
"Yes, I will call you if I need you," Stella said, finishing with his tie. Her hands moved up to fix his collar. "But I won't need you because it's a special night for you and Maya and you two need to enjoy it."
The City of Chicago put on a Father-Daughter dance every year as one of their many fundraisers. It usually happened around Father's Day but scheduling conflicts and the dates of the year's Lollapalooza festival caused it to be pushed back a few months.
Maya had heard about the dance from one of her friends at preschool and it was all the little girl could talk about for weeks. Since she was finally old enough to attend, Kelly surprised her with tickets and Stella took her shopping for a special new dress and even let her pick out a tie for Kelly that matched. With the impending arrival of the new baby, both parents were eager to have as many special moments with Maya as they could.
The day of the dance had finally arrived, and Maya had been bouncing off the walls with excitement from the moment she woke up. That excitement only grew once she was told her best friend Ella and 'Uncle Jay' were going to be joining them at the dance. Keeping her entertained until it was time to start getting ready was a challenge, but they'd managed to do it and now it was finally time for them to leave.
Once Kelly was dressed and ready, he and Stella exited their bedroom to join their daughter in the living room. Maya smiled at her parents and ran up to her dad, grabbing Kelly's hands. "Daddy! Dance time?"
Kelly smiled at her. Maya's excitement was palpable, and the little girl was practically vibrating. "Almost baby girl. We're going to go meet Ella and Uncle Jay for dinner and then it's dance time."
Maya's eyes lit up and her smile stretched even wider. She started trying to pull him towards the door. "Let's go, let's go!"
Her parents laughed but Kelly conceded, giving Stella a quick kiss goodbye before giving in to Maya's pulling and following her to the front door.
Stella snapped a quick picture (or twenty) of the duo and gave them one last goodbye and then Kelly and Maya were off.
The two met up with Jay and an equally excited Ella at a diner a few blocks away from the hotel where the dance was being held. The girls insisted on breakfast for dinner, and it took a plethora of napkins and the undivided attention of both fathers to ensure the girls kept all the syrup from their waffles in their mouths instead of on their dresses.
By the time they reached the hotel's ballroom thirty minutes later, the sugar rush had kicked in and both girls were ready to hit the dance floor.
Maya's little brain was fascinated by everything inside the ballroom. Not only was the dance floor big and inviting, but there was a large table full of drinks, snacks, and candy, a photo booth with fun props, and a coloring station where the kids could take a breather and draw or color. She was overwhelmed by all the possibilities and looked to her daddy for what to do.
Kelly smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. "How about we go take pictures first and then we can dance for a little bit? Sound good?"
Maya smiled and nodded before leading the way to the photo booth. She took pictures with Kelly and Ella took pictures with Jay before both girls took a few pictures together. Picture printouts in hand, they made their way to the dance floor.
Maya and Ella danced around while the music played, and Kelly and Jay watched the adorable sight while talking about the newest little Halstead and the soon-to-arrive baby Severide.
The girls weren't dancing alone for long—after a few songs both Maya and Ella were grabbing their dads' hands and pulling them further onto the dance floor. They danced for several songs together, only stopping for a break when event workers started passing out glow sticks.
The Halsteads and Severides took a break from all the dancing to put their glow sticks on (Maya insisted on wearing hers around her head and as a bracelet on each wrist) and grab a snack from the refreshments table.
Maya rallied quicker than Ella did after the snack break, so she grabbed Kelly's hand and dragged him back onto the dance floor.
They danced for several songs and, as the night grew later, Maya grew more and more tired. However, even at 4 ½ years old, she had never been one to miss out on any fun. Maya continued to dance around not even stopping when her dancing turned into slow sways. Kelly smiled at her determination and lifted her up to set her feet on top of his, allowing her to keep dancing while he did most of the work.
It wasn't too much longer until the Father-Daughter dance was officially over but by that point, Maya had lost all her steam. She was asleep in Kelly's arms as he carried her out of the hotel and got her loaded into the car. The Halsteads had long since headed home, Ella having fallen asleep an hour or so before Maya did.
With Maya buckled in, Kelly got in and drove home. Traffic from the dance mixed with normal Chicago traffic and the journey home took longer than normal but Maya stayed asleep the entire time. By the time they arrived home, Maya was deep asleep and didn't even stir when Kelly transferred her from her car seat to his arms. She even stayed asleep the entire walk from the driveway to the house.
Stella was in the living room when they entered, and she smiled at the sight of Maya passed out in Kelly's arms. "I take it she had fun?"
"She had a blast," Kelly said with a quiet chuckle. He shut and locked the front door behind him. He carried Maya towards Stella. "I'm not even sure if this is from exhaustion or a sugar crash."
Stella laughed and reached up to brush a few loose curls off Maya's face. Even deep asleep, the toddler had a smile on her face. It was clear she'd had a great at the dance with her daddy.
With a new baby arriving soon, Maya's moments as an only child was coming to an end. She would no longer be the center of her parents' attention. The coming months would be an adjustment for them all, especially Maya, but they were taking advantage of every moment they could with her even if it meant long nights dancing in hotel ballrooms.
26 years old.
Kelly Severide loved all his kids but as his first born, he'd always had a special bond with Maya. With many years as a firefighter and a parent under his belt, he always felt prepared for everything but the one thing he wasn't prepared for was his daughter's wedding. From walking Maya down the aisle to listening to her say her vows, nothing could have prepared him for the emotions flooding through him—emotions that continued to build throughout the night.
After her first dance with her new husband, Maya grabbed Kelly's hand and drug him to the middle of the dance floor. The DJ began playing the start of their special song, a long-time Severide family favorite, as Kelly and Maya started moving and swaying to the music.
There was a crowd of people surrounding the dance floor and camera lights flashed as the two danced. Friends, family, and loved ones gathered around and smiled at the scene in front of them.
Kelly smiled at his daughter. She made him proud every single day and watching his little girl grow into the beautiful, strong, and smart young woman she was today had been one of the biggest joys of his life. But, as happy as he was for Maya, Kelly had been dreading this day. Maya had long since left home, going away for school then getting her own place and starting her career, but this change, this loss almost, felt final. His little girl wasn't so little anymore and everything about the day made it real. It was bittersweet.
"You know your mom and I are so proud of the woman you've become, right?" Kelly asked, interrupting the quiet, looking down at his daughter.
"I know dad." Maya smiled through the tears in her eyes. "But don't worry. I will always be your little girl."
Kelly chuckled but felt his own tears welling up. "Good. Remember that!"
He twirled Maya once before bringing her back to continue their swaying.
Kelly wasn't the only one with mixed feelings about the day. Maya had been waiting for this day since she met her now-husband and it had been perfect, but as happy as she was, there was also some sadness. She loved her family but getting married meant growing up and starting her own family, inevitably leaving them behind in a way. Maya didn't know if she was ready for that – that's why she included her family in the wedding as much as she could. Her siblings were in the wedding party, and her mom and Aunt Sylvie had helped her plan almost everything just like she wanted.
Maya was the furthest thing from a bridezilla, but the number one thing she wanted (after the groom and the vows and the rings of course), the only thing she wouldn't compromise on, was the father/daughter dance with Kelly. Her dad had always been the most important man in her life and she wanted to make sure he knew how much she loved, respected, and cherished him especially now that he was the second most important man in her life.
She'd already told him that, multiple times, but dancing together was their special thing. Despite Kelly Severide swearing up and down that he wasn't a dancer, he would always dance with her if she asked.
As her dad twirled her on the dance floor again, Maya thought back to all the dances they had shared over the years.
Dance parties in the car when he would pick her up from or drop her off at daycare, head banging and obnoxiously loud singing included.
Poorly executed waltzes in the living room whenever one of the princesses had a ball in the movies she watched.
Nearly a decade of attending the city's Father-Daughter dances—she loved it every year, even after she started having to share Kelly with her sister.
So many of her favorite memories, both big and small, had dances with her dad attached to them. This dance at her wedding was another memory added to the list and perhaps the most important one.
As the song came to an end and those around them started clapping, Kelly pulled Maya into a tight hug and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you kiddo."
"I love you too dad."
Breaking apart from the hug, Kelly noticed his new son-in-law walking toward them. Kelly smiled and stepped aside, allowing Maya to join her husband for another dance. He made his way over to Stella and the two watched their daughter and son-in-law with misty eyes and warm smiles. Maya was happy, blissfully so, and that was all they'd ever wanted for her.
After a minute or so, the DJ opened the dance floor for other couples to join the newlyweds for a dance. Kelly offered his hand to Stella and led her onto the dance floor. Stella and Maya definitely enjoyed dancing more than he did, but it made his girls happy, and he would never stand in the way of their happiness.
A/N: Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, father figures, and those that stepped into the father role when they didn't have to.
special shoutout to those of you like me who struggle with days like today
special thanks to stellarideisendgame31 on tumblr who suggested 'father-daughter dance'
See y'all for the next update!