These Lines Were Never Established

Travis stood by the table looking at the cake before him with Hayley’s name on it and the number three. She was already three, in only a few more months would be year mark of having a daughter for him and her a father.

Hayley was playing with other kids that his mother had brought over and of people he knew. Most of them were older than she was but that didn’t seem to stop her from understanding and playing with them. Heck she seemed to be the one leaving them behind, which wasn’t a surprise but it wasn’t expected.

“Now what? Didn’t the doctor say by three she’d have a firm grasp of math and everything she doesn’t already know?” Jim asked, everyone in the room watching Travis watch Hayley outside play with other kids.

“Yeah. I mean, her speech is better but, who would teach her math or Spanish…I still don’t get that one.” He pointed at them. “How does she know to count in Spanish she only met Jeremy a month ago, two at most!” He gasped throwing his arms up. Jeremy shrugged.

“Did you ever think he mom knew it and taught her?” Robert asked with an amused smirk on his features. Travis pointed in defeat. “She probably taught Hayley everything she knows, he mom was smart.” Again Travis simply pointed.

“Well Jolene and I have been teaching her to read and do more math, she seems to enjoy it.”

“Why?” Travis gasped at his mother. “I don’t need her smarter than me by five or six. No more! She’ll learn when she goes to school!” He pointed. Debbie simply snorted at him and went back to setting up more party favors and treats for the kids. “Great…sugar.” Travis sank into a kitchen chair and let out a deep breath. “I’m not cut out for this father of a genius things, father in general was hard enough. Hell father of a girl was terrifying and hard, still is but add genius? She already corrects me on enough things.” He said reflecting on the time he’d said ‘me and Uncle Andy’ and in response she’d cut him off by say ‘Uncle Andy and I’ to which he could only frown. Corrected on his English by a three-year-old, or at the time a two-year-old. He was sure, at this point; Jolene and his mom had told her that one just to belittle him.

“You’ll do great, you already are.” Half the room agreed with the comment and Travis sighed running a hand over his face with a sigh.

“This is going to go horribly…” He muttered in response.

Cake, ice cream, and birthday presents went around in a normal fashion. Nothing went out of the ordinary for Hayley’s birthday. Although Debbie did get Hayley a math book and commented on how her son may be suicidal but her granddaughter would be a scholar. Other than that it was normal birthday party and Travis was thankful till Hayley dropped the giant math book on his foot on accident as she tried to clean up the mess of her new toys.

“You know.” Travis mused at her once everyone was gone, or just about everyone, with a smile. “You never opened my present.” He stated to the little girl coloring in her new coloring book.

Hayley looked up at him then down at her coloring book. She was currently coloring a princess and opening more presents verse giving the princess a pretty pink dress was not something she wanted to do. The princess needed a pretty pink dress! She could open presents later!

“It’s a big present too.” Travis tried to bait the little girl. “It’s big, and pretty, and sparkly.” Hayley lifted her eyes to her father at those three words. Big? Pretty? Sparkly? “You wanna see it?” He asked, hoping she would.

She dropped her eyes back to the princess she was coloring. The princess could wait. Standing she lifted her arms at him and made grabby hands. Travis laughed and picked her up, heading up the stairs.

“Yew hides it?” Hayley asked looking around as they moved down the hallway. Her eyes landed on his bedroom door. He hid it in his room and she never saw it? She always went through his stuff though! How could she miss something big, pretty, and sparkly in there?

“Yup.” Travis paused at the door across from his. Hayley was still peering over her shoulder till she heard the door open and turned.

She began to bounce up and down. He was going to let her in his secret room! Excitement bubbled inside her as she waited to see what it was, only as the door began to open Travis covered her eyes. She didn’t just want to be in his secret room she wanted to see it!

“I wanna see!” She gasped happily at him. “I see? Peas! I wanna see!” She cheered. Travis simply laughed.

“You will hold on.” Travis kicked the door closed behind him and kneeled down setting her on her own two feet. “Ready?” Hayley nodded quickly. “One, two, three.” He removed his hand.

The walls were pink with purple and there was a small bed with a sheer curtain around it like a princess bed. The dressers and accent pieces were white and there was a large white toy chest in the corner and on the wall over the bed were purple letters that spelled HAYLEY.

She stared in aw at the room. A smile on her face.

“It’s your room. I’ve been making it for you.” Travis stated. Hayley turned to him. “Now you can have your own princess room and place to play. Like your own little castle.” Hayley beamed with happiness.

Squealing she jumped up and down and began running around the room looking at every thing. She managed to climb up on the bed last and stopped. In the middle of the purple bed sheets was a pink sparkly princess dress with crown.

“Now you can really be my little princess.” Hayley gently touched the dress with nervous fingers. She was a princess? A real princess? “Here.” Travis picked up the small sparkly white crown and put it on her head. “Now you’re a princess.” Hayley smiled up at him and touched the crown on her head.

She loved princesses.

Travis laughed at Hayley running around in her dress, it wasn’t on right but Hayley didn’t care she’d put on her princess dress her self! And it sparkled so there was no way it could be on wrong, as long as she was a sparkly princess dress it was right in her world. Travis sat on the bed watching her bounce around and enjoy her new room.

She climbed back up on the bed and hugged him tightly before playing with the sheer curtain that surrounded the bed. Then she saw it, the letters. Walking up to them she reached up for them only to find she was too short to touch them.

“Do you know what they say?” Travis asked. Hayley looked at him before running to the end of the bed, sitting down and staring at them from where she could see the whole word. He watched with amazement as she narrowed her eyes and seemed to mouth it.

“H…ha…ha’why,”

“Hay.” Travis stated as she put the first few letters together.

“Hay.” She nodded still looking at the word. “Hayla…Hayle..Hay…” She stared at the words with wide eyes. “Hay’wee? Is my…is my name?” She asked looking at him surprised.

“Yup.” He poked her nose proud of her, proud she’d gotten it. “It’s your name to prove to everyone this is Princess Hayley’s room!” He poked her nose again. “Your room.” Hayley ran to him, hugging him tightly.

“I luv yew Daddy.” She breathed into his chest.

“I love you too Princess.” He whispered back with a smile on his features.

“Yew wanna play castle?!” She gasped up at him excitedly. Travis laughed but nodded anyway. “Yay!” She jumped off the bed and tugged on his hand for him to follow.