Daddy's Little Princess

“NO SLEEPY!” Francesca screams, arching her back trying to get out of bed again but Oliver gently pinned her down.

“Princess, you got to sleep now… you’ll be tired.” Oliver says softly, remembering that using a harsh tone will not help.

It was almost nine o clock, Francesca decided she didn’t want to sleep now, much to Oliver’s dismay. He was desperate for sleep. Francesca screams again in her tantrum.

“Francesca, go to sleep.” Oliver warns, his patience being reached.

“Story!” she demands, but Oliver shakes his head.

“We’ve already had a story…” he says, Francesca starts screaming again in protest.

“Francesca, this isn’t funny now…calm down and go to sleep.” Oliver orders. Francesca does calm down, but she doesn’t close her eyes. Tears dripping down her hot, flushed face.

“Daddy, sing song!” Francesca begged, Oliver sighs knowing that the only way she would settle was if he played her, the song he use to play to her when she was just a baby and she couldn’t sleep because she had colic. Oliver would play it for hours and hours until she fell asleep.

“Okay, just settle down and I’ll play you the song.” Oliver murmurs. Francesca’s face immediately lit up and she buried herself in the covers, feeling excited as her father disappeared out the room, and reappeared with the guitar.

Oliver wasn’t a real musician, it wasn’t an ambition of his, merely just a hobby. He wasn’t an expert or a master, he could play a few tunes and sing in tune, fairly well which was all that mattered really. Oliver had brought the guitar when he was 15 in a jumble sale for five pounds, it was in pretty good condition and worked perfectly well. Oliver had even brought a strap for it also.

“Okay, one song okay Frankie?” Oliver says softly. Francesca nods and watches her father sit down at the end of the bed, balancing the instrument on his knees and begins to play the tune she knew so well.

Oliver didn’t have a pick, he used his fingers. He did the little introduction, using his knuckles to tap the beat. Francesca giggles, which made Oliver smile.

“I’ve got sunshine on cloudy day….when it’s cold outside I’ve the month of May. I guess you say what make me feel this way. My girl, my girl, my girl, talking about my girl…” Oliver sang softly, his fingers knowing the chords and notes off by heart. He knew the song so well, he didn’t need to look at the guitar, he watched his daughter’s smile loosen, her eyes fluttering, desperately trying to stay open. After a minute, Oliver stopped singing and played the tune even softer and quieter, watching the peaceful moment where Francesca gave in, and let sleep take her.

Oliver knew he couldn’t finish, not yet…he finished the song when he saw Francesca turn onto her right, facing the bedside table, her mouth automatically going into her mouth. Oliver slowly got off the bed, putting the guitar by the door, then crept back.

“Goodnight Princess.” he whispers, kneeling beside the bed and kissing her warm head so softly, she didn’t even feel it.

“Daddy loves you.” Oliver whispers, getting up silently and walking to the exit, taking the guitar with him, he pulls the door to him behind him and sighs with relief.

He placed the guitar back in his room, and shuffled into the bathroom, stripping off his clothes, he got into a scorching hot shower. The hot water burned his skin, but after a while, it merely numbed him.

He couldn’t help think of her, the girl that held Francesca once before leaving them for good, leaving Oliver to care for the little baby all on his own. The girl that broke her promise, broke Oliver’s heart and broken Francesca’s too, unintentionally.

He didn’t understand, how she could merely walk away. Oliver wanted too, countless of times but that didn’t mean he would. He was going to face up to his consequences and be a father, he just thought that he would at least have some help.

After his shower, Oliver wrapped the white towel around his waist and stared into the mirror, wiping the condensation off it. His face was gaunt, and tired looking. He felt so…useless. He was in a rut, a depressive state that he desperately wanted to get out of, he just didn’t know how.

There was no mistaking that Oliver adored his daughter, he would do anything for her, even if it meant putting his life for her. It was true, Oliver would admit that he would die for her. It was a matter of principle to protect her, to love her as much as he could, and more.

He just wished that he could have lived his life first, then had children and preferably the same little girl he had now, only….Just later. He knew that you couldn’t always have you wanted.