Fairest

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Frank asked voice pitched high with the book held in one hand while their daughter squirmed in his lap to face him. Jamia watched and couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m the fairest, right daddy?” The five year old asked.

Jamia laughed along with Frank’s chuckle. Their daughter absolutely loved Snow White and her husband read it almost every night to her. Funny voices and all. She usually liked to come in and listen herself. It was nice to see the interaction between father and daughter; comforting.

Frank hitched Lani higher up on his lap and leaned in to kiss her forehead, “Of course you are baby. You’re my fairest Princess.”

The little girl giggled and brushed her father away and waited patiently for him to start again. "Oh Lady Queen, though fair you are, Snow White is much fairer by far." Frank lowered his voice to a deep whisper for the mirror.

“Snow White!” Lani cheered.

Snow White had always been Lani’s favorite. It had been the first Disney movie she ever watched and she had been captivated from the first scene. When she was three Frank had found the story book at Barns and Noble and got it for her Birthday. It was safe to say that he’d read it almost every night since then.

Jamia zoned out while Frank continued reading.

She couldn’t believe that this was what her life was now. A few years ago they were just college drop outs looking for something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives, and now this. Braiding hair, kindergarten, naps, and snacks.

When they first found out she was terrified. She didn’t think they would ever be able to do it. Not with the business just starting, and being so unsure. Not when they were still so young themselves. Somehow though, they found the courage to go on, and she would never regret it.

She knew everything would be okay the first time Frank held Lani right after she was born. The way he looked at her like she was God’s gift to them (she was), the way he leaned down to kiss her forehead to try and hide the tears that had started leaking from his eyes. She just knew that everything would be alright.

And so far it had been. The money had been tight the first couple years, but once the company picked up everything settled down. Now that they had and actual home that was everything she wanted she felt secure. Security was something she’d never had as a child, and being able to give that to their little girl was one of the greatest things ever.

Frank shutting the book brought her out of her thoughts, "And Snow White and the Prince lived happily ever after.” He whispered in his own voice looking down at their daughter who was sleeping against his chest.

“The End.” She finished leaning in the kiss her husband and daughter in turn, “You wanna carry her up to bed and I’ll follow?” Normal she would but her back was hurting.

He nodded and stood up bracing Lani on his hip and placing the book on the vacated seat of the couch. She followed him up the stairs to the room across from theirs. Her room was lime green with black accents (her favorite colors). She pulled back the green bed spread and Frank placed her under the sheets. Her eyes were half opened again and Jamia leaned down to kiss her, “Good night baby, I love you.” She whispered brushing wispy brown hair from her daughter’s face.

Jamia stood back to let Frank do the same. He was so good with their daughter and it made her so excited for the future. He turned from the bed where Lani was already back to sleep and took her hand, “You ready for bed too?”

She nodded silently and led him back across the hall to their room. She never would have dreamed that she’d be one of those people who would go to sleep at nine. She was honestly tired though and all she wanted to do was curl up with Frank’s arms around her and sleep.

She started brushing her teeth in the bathroom while Frank turned down the sheets and set the alarm clock. Tomorrow she had to take Lani to school and then she had her first doctor’s appointment.

She was startled out of her thoughts by Frank’s arms around her waist. She looked up to meet his eyes through the mirror. His chin was resting on her shoulder (he must have been tiptoeing), and his hands where skimming her hips to rest on her stomach, “So after the appointment tomorrow do we get to tell everyone?” He asked excitedly.

She spit into the sink, wiped her mouth and then turned around to wrap her arms around him, “As long is everything’s okay. How do you think Lani’s gonna react?” She was a little worried about how well their daughter would take the news. As Frank had said earlier she was their princess.

“She’ll be fine, and if not I’m sure she’ll warn up to the idea of a little brother or sister.” He whispered against her lips.

When she had first come to Frank bearing a positive pregnancy test she wasn’t sure how he would react. They had never really talked about another baby, and they were pretty comfortable with the life they had. He was ecstatic though, and to be honest so was she.

He turned her around to face the mirror again and returned to his position of head on shoulder and hands on stomach, “I love you, my fairest Queen.”