The way I love you

40| Welcome To Our Family

"It's time for you to go back, my little sunflower.", Sam said with a sad but encouraging voice, whilst memorizing his daughter as best as he could to keep those memories inside of his head as the precious treasure they were to him. "Your family needs you, sweetheart.", he smiled with a teary eye.

"I know.", his daughter said, pulling her dad once closer to her body, not leaving any space between them. "We will see each other again. I promise.", she sniffed. "And you will stay with me and Deena... Wherever we go, right?", she asked, trying to hold back her tears, whilst her lips were already shaking because of how hard it was to say goodbye again.

"I am sure of that.", he smiled. "I will be there. I will hold your hand and keep you safe but to be honest... You are such a fighter. You don't even need me. Not anymore, Lana.", Sam admitted. "You became everything I ever wished for you. A loyal and loving person. You spread so much love... And I couldn't be any more proud to call you my daughter.", he smiled, kissing her temple. "My little Lana.", he smirked once more, cupping her face lovingly. "I am so happy that you have found your happiness. It's all you ever deserved... And I am waiting for the day where I can walk you down the aisle.", he chuckled. "I will be there. I promise."

"We're not even engaged yet.", Lana laughed. "And I am not sure if Sean is ready...", she admitted.

"OH, he will be. Without a doubt. He loves you with all of his heart and when he is ever wondering... He has my blessing.", Samuel smirked. Her dad hasn't told her but Sean did speak to him a couple of times now. It was actually quite amusing for him to see how dumb Sean thought he was, talking to the dead. Asking a passed person for his daughter's hand but exactly that move showed Sam how deeply Sean cared and that he was the right man for the most precious person on this planet.

"We will see about that.", Lana smirked.

"We will. And one day you will tell me about it in person... But first of all, you need to show your beautiful daughter how to be as precious as her mother.", he smirked. "She got your looks already... So she is halfway there."

"You're a goof.", Lana laughed. "I will tell her about you. All of them...", she smiled. "I will tell Deena as well. What you have told me. She misses you just as much as I do.", Lana admitted. "She may not be as open about it... But I know that she cares about you and that she is sorry for kind of turning her back on you when you and I moved out...", Lana explained.

"I know...and I would never love her any less because of that. I know the separation was hard on her and it wasn't her fault. Tell her that she did nothing wrong, okay?", he admitted.

"I promise. I will tell her everything.", Lana said, before a minute of quiet filled the room. A minute in which both of them just held each other, knowing that it will be the last time for now. Lana silently started sobbing again, before letting herself sink into her father's arms. She tried to absorb every last touch, every last word, and every last sense just to have him more present and clear inside of her head.

There were so many thoughts inside of her head, that no word managed to come out of her mouth. So many unsaid things, so many missed apologies, so many passed opportunities.
Her crying got louder when it got hard for her to just breathe through the pain of losing him again.

"I know. I know... I will be always with you.", Sam said, even knowing without a word said, what his daughter was going through. "I see when you're having a bad day and that's OK my sweet girl. I know you will make it in the end...because that's just how you are.", he chuckled, pressing one last big kiss onto his daughter's head
"I love you, Lana. And I will always be with you. But sometimes 'love' means to let go... And that's what I need to do now. It's time for you to return home.", he smiled.