Fairy Tale

Ten-year-old Vanessa Sander’s pouted with her arms folded across her chest. She had just stomped her little foot and had a small temper tantrum, while her father, Matthew, sat back and watched with an amused expression. Vanessa’s tantrums were always amusing for anyone who happened to be around during the time. Matt knew it was coming; it wasn’t as if he hadn’t expected it. But what exactly was she upset about? Well, she was upset about a situation not even a temper tantrum could change.

“Are you done now?” Matt asked, kneeling down onto his knees in front of her.

She looked down at the ground as her lip started quivering, and slowly nodded.

“Nessa, baby,” He pushed the messy locks of blonde hair that were hanging down over her eyes from her lose ponytail out of her face. “If I could stay here with you and mommy, you know I would in a heartbeat. But you also know that I have a job, one that forces me out onto the road for months at a time.”

“But daddy,” She murmured as a few tears fell from her hazel eyes that she had inherited from Matt. “You’re gonna miss my little league game, and you’re gonna miss Halloween, and you won’t even be here to give me my shot everyday. You always give me my shot, daddy.”

Vanessa may have been upset about the first two things, but she was most of all upset over Matt not being there to give her the insulin shot she needed everyday. When Vanessa was six she was diagnosed with type one-diabetes, and it had been a big adjustment having to give a scared little girl a shot everyday. It was something that Matt and his wife Courtney, just weren’t prepared for. Courtney would give Vanessa her shot one-day, and then Matt would do it the next. They had done it that way for a while, before Vanessa demanded just Matt do it. She claimed that it hurt less when her daddy gave her the shot.

Matt sighed softly before taking her hands in his. “I’m only going to be gone for a few weeks, Nessa. I’m gonna call you and mommy everyday to talk to you, and then before you know it, I’ll be home again.”

“I’m scared, daddy,” She admitted softly as she raised her head and looked her father in the eyes.

“Scared of what, baby?” He asked, wondering what in the world she could be scared of.

“Ethan said that you’re gonna leave me and mommy forever because you don’t love us anymore. Is that true, daddy?”

Matt was torn between laughing at what Brian’s eleven-year-old son had told Vanessa, or having his ass whipped for telling her such a lie. Clearly Ethan was a bit of a liar who wanted to stir up trouble and upset the small girl, and Matt wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t usually a troublemaker, but he was after all Brian’s son, so maybe that was changing.

“Nessa,” He smiled at her. “I would never leave you and mommy forever. Not in a million years would I do that. You know Ethan, he just wanted to upset you because he’s a boy, and what are boys, Vanessa?”

“Jerks,” She said, answering his question right.

He chuckled and nodded. “That’s my girl,” He grinned.

He and the guys had taught Vanessa her whole life that boys were jerks, and that she shouldn’t pay attention to them, because he wanted her to stay his little girl for as long as possible. Being a strong-minded, tomboy who grew up around tons of uncles, Vanessa had listened to them because she admired them and figured what they said was true. God only knows how many times Matt and Courtney had been called down to the school because Vanessa had beat up some poor little boy, all because she was convinced that her father’s words were true; all boys were jerks.

“So you’re really coming back, daddy?” Vanessa asked once more, just in case.

“I’m really coming back,” Matt nodded. “I pinky swear,” He said as he held out his pinky.

Vanessa smiled brightly and linked her small pinky finger around his. “I’m gonna miss hearing you sing me to sleep at night.” She murmured as she wrapped her small arms around his neck.

“I know, baby,” He said. “Just remember Nessa, no one can touch us.”

The small girl pulled back, her eyes narrowing slightly with confusion. “What does that even mean?” She asked with a small giggle.

“It means that as long as we’re in each other’s hearts no one can touch us or hurt us, and we’re gonna be okay.” He explained to her with a large smile.

“You can’t seriously expect me to believe that!” She rolled her big green eyes, not believing him one bit.

Matt raised an eyebrow at her. “And why not? It’s true!” He argued. “You just gotta believe.”

“So you mean it’s like magic?” She asked, tilting her head sideways.

He nodded and brushed his thumb over her cheek, deciding to let her believe that it was indeed like magic. “Exactly, Nessa, just like that.”

Her lips pursed in a straight line as she put her hands on her small hips. “I thought magic wasn’t real.”

Matt gave her a playful shocked look. “Where in the world did you hear such a thing?”

“Uncle Brian and Uncle Johnny.”

“Well, you shouldn’t listen to a word they say, Nessa. They have no idea what in the world they’re talking about,” He assured her. “Just go ask your mother and Aunt Michelle. They’ll tell you magic is real if you don’t believe me.”

Vanessa giggled at him and shook her head. “I believe you, daddy.”

He chuckled, figuring she would. “You’re gonna have your magic fairy tale ending someday, aren’t you baby?”

“Duhh,” She said, dragging out the word as if it was the most obvious thing ever. “I’m gonna marry a prince one day, and you’re gonna walk me down the isle.”

“Is that so?” He raised an eyebrow at small girl who stood in front of him, grinning widely.

She nodded. “Mhm, and then we’re gonna live happily ever after with you and mommy in a big castle.”

He stood up off the ground before lifting her onto his hip. She may not have been five anymore, but he could still easily lift her, seeing as how small she was. “I thought boys were jerks.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “They are.”

“So you’re going to marry a jerk?” He teased her with a slight laugh.

“Nope!” She shook her head furiously back in forth. “In my fairy tale, the prince isn’t a jerk, or it wouldn’t be a fairy tale.”

Matt nodded and smiled. “Right, my bad, Nessa. I should have known that.”

Vanessa laid rested her head on his shoulder and yawned, getting tired.

“You ready for bed munchkin?” He asked her, rubbing her back for a moment.

She nodded, “I have to say goodnight to mommy first though,” She said as she pulled away.

Matt set her down on her feet and said, “How about this, you go say goodnight to mommy, and I’ll meet you in your room in five minutes to sing you to sleep, okay?”

Vanessa nodded eagerly. “Deal,” Was all she said before running out of the living room and into the kitchen where her mother was sitting with her Aunt Michelle.

Matt shook his head at his daughter as he ran a hand through his short hair. She was the most stubborn little girl he had ever met, and he knew that came from both him and Courtney. He could only imagine what kind of nightmare she’d be once she hit her teenage years, but he hoped to God that she didn’t end up being anything like him when he was teenager, or he was beyond screwed.