A Time to Grow

You Raise Me Up

**Everyone can thank Miss stefanie_brito for the awesomeness that is this update. Thank you lady!

Addie – Age – 14
Clara – Age - 7

"Momma?" Clara asked as she sat in front of her mother while she put curls in her hair.

"Yes buttercup."

"Are you sure you can't come today?" She said softly as she fiddled with her hands.

"Baby." Peta said putting the curler down and twisting Clara so she could see her face.

"Please?"

"Why?" Peta asked. She was getting Clara ready for her Father's day presentation at school. Father's day wasn't for a few more weeks however, school would be out at that point. The teachers had opted to do a presentation anyway and just early.

"I'm nervous." She said as she reached for Peta.

"Oh baby, why are you nervous?" She said scooping her up and settling her in her lap. Clara rested into her and held Peta's hand.

"Well because this is for Papa and it's special and what if I mess up and he doesn't like it. Or what if something goes wrong and it's bad. And then he's upset. I just....I wish you were coming." Clara rambled.

"Buttercup, do you have any idea how much your papa loves you?" Peta said softly.

"A lot?"

"A lot times a thousand. Baby, you could go there and forget everything and stand backwards facing the wall and he would still love it."

"But...."

"I know you still want it to be perfect and special because it is for Papa right?" Peta asked.

"Right, and my solo. I should have said no."

"No, no, you shouldn't have. Your solo is going to be beautiful buttercup. You have such a pretty voice. And Papa doesn't even know that's happening, remember?"

"Right, so what if it's horrible or I get nervous? I can't look at you. You won't be there and Papa, well I can't look at him either cause he doesn't know. And if I look at him, it'll be worse because well....yeah."

"Clara." Peta said softly pressing a kiss to her daughter's head.

"It's true."

"I know. But well, I can't come baby, that wouldn't make sense because this is a father's day thing and well I'm not your father. And you want this to be special right?"

"I do. But I also want it to be perfect." She said getting frustrated.

"What if you could take something of mine, would that help?"

"Like what?"

"One of my bracelets or one of my necklaces? If we can find a bracelet that fits you, I would say that because then you can hold onto it if you want like this." Peta said showing Clara how to hold her hands so that she could grasp the bracelet that she wore on a regular basis.

"What about both?" Clara asked shyly.

"We can do both, well as long as we can find a bracelet that doesn't slip off your wrist. How about we finish your hair and get you dressed then we'll go look through my box?"

"Okay, thank you momma."

"You're welcome baby." Peta said giving her a kiss on her cheek before helping her get situated and finishing her hair. She took her to room and she helped her get in her dress she had picked out. The top was a form fitting spandex in black while the bottom was black and white striped and flared out a little bit. She had chosen black flats with glitter on them. Peta had done her hair in curls and they had braided a piece across the top as a headband. The night before Addie had done her nails in purple with glitter.