Daddy's still here.

Life in between

"Daddy, hurry!! Hurry!!" I pick up the suite cases and close the truck after they are in.

"Slow down speedy. Grandma and grandpa will still be there when we get there." I say climbing into the drivers seat as Maddie buckles her seatbelt. I look in my review mirror and for a second I pause. There she is, the love of my life, the one girl in the whole world who I treasure just as much as my little girl. Your mother. It's just a glimpse. But she's there; her dark brown hair and breath taking blue eyes glowing with joy. Her bright smile made just for me and blush covered cheeks.

It's been 6 years sense I lost her. Every day Maddie looks more and more like her; they are spitting images of each other.

"Daddy you ok?" I snap out of my thought and nod faintly.

"I'm ok." I whisper, in a way it was as if I was reassuring myself instead of fully answering Maddie.

"The snows so pretty out here." Maddie says looking out the window at the new fallen layer of snow.

"Yeah it is." I watch as the cars pass and the kids play in the far off playgrounds.

I stop at a stop light and my phone begins to buzz.

"Hello?"

"Jason my boy, are you almost here? Granny is going crazy and I don't know how much more of this I can take!" He says sarcastically.

"We are about an hour away, but it will go by fast; traffic isn't that bad." I say looking at Maddie again in the review mirror.

Her eyes are far away thinking about something and for a second I see Abbie again in the back seat with her, leaning over pointing out the window for Maddie to look at. If only you were still here my love.

"Oh goody! Be careful on your way." He says and I quickly say good bye before hanging up.

"Was that grandpa?" Maddie asks.

"Yeah, he wanted to know how long it would take us to get there." She nods lightly and continues to stare out the window. Once in a while taking a sip of her juice box that I packed into a backpack for her.

"Hey daddy."

"Yeah sweetheart?"

"Where you and mommy happy?" She looks at me throw the review mirror and I glance at her.

My heart tightens and I feel the pull on my eyes at the thought of how happy we truly were.

"We were very happy. We were so happy to have you come into our life's too." I smile weakly at her through the mirror and I can see that she wants to ask something else.

"What's the matter sweet girl?"

She hesitates for a moment, but then breaks the silence with a small shrug.

________________

Later that evening.............

I didn't get Maddie to ask me what she was thinking, but I could tell something was bothering her. As we turned into Abbie's parents drive way, her father rushed out the door to meet us, her mother stood in the door way with an apron on. I put the car in park and unlocked the doors; Maddie unbuckled herself in a hurry and climbed to the side where grandpa opened the door.