🐼🐻Hopeless Romantic (A Grizz x Panda)

Chapter 36 (Final Chapter)

"Daddy! Look at this!", a little cub giggled as she had somethingto show her father.

"What is it?", Grizz asked, smiling gently down at her.

"Mmm, you'll have to guess", she giggled some more. There was no way he could guess what she gently cradled in her paws.

"Hmmm, it is a rock? An ant? Oh! Is it another acorn?", Grizz guessed and guessed but each time Melody shook her head no.

"Alright I give up. Whatever you found must be very special", Grizz encouraged.

"It is. It's so pretty", Grizz leaned down as Melody brought her gently clasped paws in front of her. She opened them and a small yellow butterfly fluttered away.

"Goodbye Mr. Butterfly. Thanks for playing with me", Melody waved good by to the soaring insect.

Grizz's heart swelled as he saw how innocent and special his cub truly was. Melody was 5 now and through all those years he kept his promise to Panda. To stay positive and give that to Melody.

He remembered the night she was born sent into a spiral of emotions. Mixed tears of positive and negative events. His mate, which he loved with everything he had was gone alongside his youngest brother. And the birth of this beautiful baby girl.

For a while Grizz was going through motions always asking himself how he could go on now that everyone he called family was taken so early. Melody would never know the one who brought her into this world. And she would never meet her uncle who would definitely teach her all kinds of things.

The only thing that kept his from completely shut down was the cub sleeping in the crib.

One night was especially bad. He had a nightmare of Panda's death and woke up to Melody crying. He was on the verge of having a panic attack as he rocked Melody to sleep. His heart was pounding and tears were threatening to escape from his eyes.

Then Melody.. Maybe she sensed her father's distress. She looked up into his eyes.

"D.... Da-Da!", when Melody said her first word. Her dad. Grizz had a reason to go on. The reason. He cradled her off to sleep and laid in his bed. A smile on his face and a warm feeling in his heart.

....

"Wow, you caught a butterfly. It was so pretty. Just like you", Grizz smirked as he picked Melody up and spun her around slowly.

The cub squealed with glee as she could she felt like she could see over the trees. "Dizzy! Getting dizzy, daddy!"

"Sorry, Melody. You ready to head inside now?", Grizz got down on all fours.

Melody yawned and climbed on her father's back. Grizz's heart melted as he felt her cling on tight. He moved fowards towards the cave at a steady pace. The sun was beginning to set and it was a sign of Melody's bedtime.

" I had a lot of fun in the woods today, Daddy. Can we do it again tomorrow?"

"Of course. I had fun, too", Grizz agreed as they neared their home.

Soon after Melody was tucked into bed and Grizz sat on the couch by himself.

As he watched a dog show on tv his mind was actually reflecting on his daughter and how happy she was. Even after 5 years the grizzly's heart still ached for his mate, but he was still able to genuinely smile with his cub.

In that moment of just sitting in the living room, Grizz finally understood the scope of it all. Panda's passing, Ice Bear watching over them and the promise Panda asked hin to keep.

I love her with all my being, and that nakes me feel loved with all my being.

He understood it now. Not only did Panda want thier cub to be happy, but he knew she would be able to make him happy again.

"Thanks, bro. I get it now. I'll keep smiling... For all of us...", a warm feeling washed over Grizz and he smiled bigger than he ever had knowing his brothers heard.

The End