| There's 2 things I know for sure She was sent here from Heaven, And she's daddy's little girl As I drop to my knees by her bed at night She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes And I thank God for all of the joy in my life "You ready for bed?" JC asked, picking his daughter up and balancing her on his waist. She nodded rather tiredly and yawned. He smiled at her, running his hand over her wavy dark brown hair, wondering what he'd done to deserve so many blessings in his life. He took her up to her bedroom, which was painted pink with purple unicorns and rainbows on the walls, and a few stuffed animals scattered about the floor along with some games. JC knelt down by Victoria Claire's bed while she said her prayers, thanking God for everything he had. A beautiful wife, an angelic daughter, great friends and fans. "God, bless Uncle Justin and Chris and Jo-wey, and Wance, oh and, God, please bless my Mommy and Daddy too. Amen," her small voice spoke as she lifted her head up, then stood up with her head just barely showing over the side of the bed. "Ally-oop!" he stressed, picking her up again. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Night, baby," he whispered. "I love you." "Night Daddy." She leaned up quickly and gave him butterfly kisses. But most of all for Butterfly kisses After bedtime prayer Stickin' little white flowers All up in her hair He watched her playing outside in the daylight; the sunshine hit her hair in a way that seemed to make it glow, as she helped Mary Beth pick daises in the backyard. JC knew he should be out there with her but he had lots of paperwork to do. .. "Oh, Vick, come here!" Mary Beth giggled. Victoria toddled over, humming 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'. "Yes, Mommy?" Mary Beth wove a crown of daises in her hair, then pulled out a mirror from her jeans' pocket. "Look at you! You look so pretty." "Pretty like a princess?" "Yep, pretty like a princess." "I wanna go show Daddy!" "Oh honey I think Daddy's a bit busy." Mary Beth trailed off, looking up to see JC looking out the window longingly as he held the phone to his ear and paced back and forth. She knew it was probably Johnny calling about the tour. He hung up the phone and then slammed it down on the hook. "Second thought, why don't you go get him?" "Alright!" .. "Yes Johnny, yes Johnny. I'll have it done. Okay. Alright. Yes. Uh-huh. No. Okay. Bye." JC sat back down at his desk with a pen and notebook in hand, trying to write a song. Nothing came and they needed one more new song in a week! Come on, Jace, he coached himself. You can do this, just force out one mor- "Daddy! Daddy!" His thoughts were interrupted by the calls of his little girl. His little angel. She skipped into the room and JC smiled, seeing the daisies mixed with brown curls, bangs falling in the way of her beautiful blue eyes. She was so adorable. "What? What?" he responded, scooping her up into his lap. "Me and Mommy want you to take a b-weak f-wom work and play wif us!" He brushed her bangs out of the way and replaced the daises in her hair, making them look neat. "I can't." "Why not?" "I have to do some paperwork, sweetie." "I do it too, then." JC chuckled slightly, then sighed. He loved her so much. "Walk beside the pony, Daddy It's my first ride!" "Daddy!" Victoria cried as she sat, mounted on top of the beautiful white miniature pony, tears streaming down her soft cheeks. "Daddy, I scared!" "It's okay, honey," JC soothed. "Imagine you're, hmm, Imagine you're riding, like, a unicorn or something! Have fun!" "Walk beside me?" "Okay, I'll walk beside you." "I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried!" "Guess what today is?" Mary Beth asked in a singsong voice as she helped Victoria Claire get dressed. "What today?" Vicki asked with a muffled yawn. "It's Daddy's birthday!" "Wowee! Can we make a cake?" "That's what I was planning to do! But shh, it's a surprise!" "Okay," Victoria whispered rather loudly. "I'll be twy-et!" Mary Beth smiled at her and led her down the stairs into the kitchen, where they began to make a cake. .. Josh woke up to the sunlight streaming in from the window, and almost groaned. He didn't want to wake up today, he still had to finish that damn song. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and a high pitched giggle. "Daddy, let in!" "What's the magic word?" Josh responded, a smile gracing his face as he grabbed the pen and paper, inspiration finally flowing from his mind to his hand. "Pitty, pitty, Pees!" "Alright, door's open." Much to JC's surprise, the door didn't burst open and she didn't come running in to jump on the bed with him. Instead, a noisemaker sounded and Mary Beth's and Vicki's voices sounded, singing Happy Birthday. He put his pen and paper down, smiling as he saw the small blue cake on the tray, being carried by his two year old little girl, who had more frosting all over her face and clothes than there was on the whole entire cake. She marched over and as soon as the song was over he blew out the candles. "Me and Mommy maked it as best we could!" she explained. Josh nodded. "It's the prettiest cake I've ever seen, Pumpkin." Oh with all that I've done wrong I must've done something right To deserve a hug every morning And butterfly kisses at night Sweet sixteen today And she's looking like her Momma A little more everyday One part woman The other part girl To perfume and makeup From ribbons and curls Trying her wings out in a great big world Josh woke up that morning, dreading the day. It was Vicki's sweet sixteen. He was one year closer to having to give her away to some idiot of a man whom he was sure wasn't worth his daughter. Mary Beth, his wife of over 17 years now, rolled over and rested her head on his bare chest. He smiled; at least she'd stayed the same through the years. "It's her birthday," Mary Beth reminded. He nodded slowly, tears filling his eyes. "Yeah, I know." "Why're you sad?" "One year closer to having to give my little girl away." "Joshua," she whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips. No matter how often she did that, it always felt like the first time. He kissed back, allowing his tongue into her mouth. She fought back, then pulled away slowly. "Joshua, no matter what, she's always going to be our little girl." "But she's growing up so quickly, everyday she looks more and more like you, and that scares me." "Oh, gee, thanks!" she playfully smacked his arm but he looked at her seriously, worry filling those gorgeous blue eyes she'd fallen in love with so many years ago. "It scares me because you're the most beautiful women I've ever laid my eyes on, and that means she'll fall in love, just like we did, and I don't want to let go yet. I still want her to be my little baby. I don't want her to doll her face up, getting ready for a date with a man she'll never end up with. I don't want her to experience the heartbreak when they break up. I want the worst thing, for her to go through, to be a skinned knee or a popped balloon. I don't want her to grow up and move away with some man she'll fall in love with." "Well, look at it this way, baby. If she's like me, then she'll end up falling in love with a man like you. As much as I wish it weren't true, we can't keep her cooped up like a message in a bottle forever, Josh. But at least we'll have each other to turn to when she moves out. But she'll always be our little Victoria." .. Victoria Claire's eyes opened as she pushed the hands that were shaking her, away. It was a Saturday morning; she needn't be up until at least noon. "Vick," her father's familiar voice called to her. "Vicki, wake-y, wake-y, eggs and bake-y!" She tried swatting them away again, but to no avail. They tickled her sides until tears of laughter streamed down her cheeks, from the deep blue eyes, she inherited from her father. "Whaaat!" she giggled, sitting up with a yawn. He sat down on her bed with his hands folded, yet he was still smiling that smile she knew so many girls used to scream over 14 years ago. "Guess what today is?" "What's today?" He began humming a familiar tune, but she couldn't quite recognize it. It was too early for her brain to function correctly, so she raised an eyebrow in plea for him to tell. "Your birthday, silly! Now get dressed, I've got somewhere to take you!" But I remember. Butterfly kisses After bedtime prayer Stickin' little white flowers All up in her hair She adjusted the crown of flowers she wore in her curly brown hair with one hand, and Josh walked briskly to her side. "Hold on with both hands, baby," he instructed. She rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm 16. You don't have to be monitoring every move I make, if I can babysit for Uncle Chris and Auntie Dani, then I can handle riding a horse. I'm a big girl." He nodded, coming to a beautiful realization. She was a big girl. Actually, not only a big girl, but on her way to becoming a beautiful young woman, just like her mother. "You know how much I love you, Daddy. But if you don't mind I'm only gunna kiss you on the cheek, this time." "Daddy," Victoria giggled. "Today was so much fun! I felt like I was little again. Thank you." "Happy birthday, baby," he helped her off the horse and she hugged him. He bent down so he was at her eye-level, expecting a daughter-like kiss on the lips as a reward for her birthday present. "Ummm. Daddy." she muttered, seeing the gorgeous blonde boy looking at her from over her father's shoulder. "I still love you and all, but I'm gunna just give you a kiss on the cheek from now on, okay?" His heart broke, and he swallowed to keep from letting his hurt out, yet he still nodded, and she smiled, kissing him on the cheek. Her beautiful smile looked exactly like her mother's, and seeing that made him smile also as she grabbed the horses reigns and tugged the horse over to the stable, where he spotted the same blonde boy. Oh with all that I've done wrong, I must've done something right To deserve a hug every morning And butterfly kisses at night. Oh precious time. Like a wind the years go by Precious butterfly Spread your wings and fly. Mary Beth flipped through the big, old photo album, taking looks at the various pictures. The first one she came across was one of Victoria and Joshua, a week after she came home from the hospital. He was so ecstatic to have a daughter. She chuckled, remembering spotting him as he put safeties on all the open outlets, and gates up on the stairs, even though she couldn't do much but eat, sleep, burp, and cry. Tears filled her eyes, soon, though. She wished she could go back in time and play out on the swings, the swings Joshua had taken down 9 years ago, when Victoria was still a little girl at the innocent age of 10. She skipped ahead a few pages to see a picture of Victoria on that beautiful white horse Joshua'd taken her for a ride on for her sweet 16. He'd been so heartbroken that day, when she asked to just kiss him on the cheek, that he didn't sleep at all that night. Or the rest of the week for that matter. She felt horrible, but knew it would happen one day, and also knew Josh had tendencies to make things seem a lot worse than they actually were. Finally, she came to a more recent photo. Actually, one that had been taken last year. It was of Victoria in her cap and gown, receiving her diploma, on her Graduation Day. That was the day he really came to terms with letting her go. He'd figured out she'd be leaving in about three months to go to Harvard, and he begged her to go to a community college, but she was too stubborn. Another one of her father's traits. They'd fought for months over that, but made up come time for her to leave. That was when they both realized she was going to really give her wings a try. She'll change her name today She'll make a promise, And I'll give her away Standing in the Bride Room Just staring at her She asked me what I'm thinking And I said, "I'm not sure, It just feels like I'm losing my baby girl." JC watched her, his hands shaking the whole time as she stood up on that table, with maids pinning her dress so it fit her just right. He had his hands out of his pockets just in case she slipped over the long dress she was wearing and fell, so he could catch her. Then, he'd carry her back home and she could go back to being little again, where the only thing that could hurt her would be a bee sting out in the yard, or a splinter. Anything he could kiss better. A tear slowly made it's way down his somewhat aged face, and he turned to the side to wipe it away. In a way, he didn't want her to go back home, though. In a way, he wanted to see her complete her life, and give him grandchildren. He turned back to face her, she looked so beautiful. So immaculate. It were as if she were a doll, or a painting, and not a real person, in her flowing white gown that covered her body only up to the bust line, which he didn't exactly go for, but it was her choice to make, and the dress looked radiant on her nonetheless with the matching shoes, and pearl earrings Mary Beth had bought for her the day she found out she was pregnant. "What do you think, Daddy?" Victoria Claire asked as one of the maids pulled a chair out. She stepped on it, then slowly made her way to the ground, looking down as she pulled her dress up a bit more. "I don't know," his voice sounded choked, so she looked up. There weren't any tears on his face, but there were a few in his eyes. "What do you mean?" she questioned. "I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl." And she leaned over, and gave me Butterfly kisses With her Momma there Stickin' little white flowers All up in her hair She smiled slightly, and walked over. She hugged her father and gave him butterfly kisses, then fixed the daises she'd placed in her hair, intertwined with the rim of the veil. Her mom wrapped her arms around the two of them, and her parents turned into a mess of sobs and tears. Victoria smiled, but then the wedding bells started ringing, which was their cue to start walking to the Church. "Walk me down the aisle Daddy It's just about time Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy? Daddy, don't cry!" JC linked arms with her, taking another look at his daughter's breathtaking beauty. She stood at 5'10", with deep blue eyes, and long dark brown curls that fell to the middle of her back, but were tied up on the top of her head for this occasion. "How do I look?" she whispered with a smile. "Beautiful, baby, absolutely beautiful." The cords to 'Here Comes The Bride' rang throughout the beautiful cathedral, and she looked at her father with tears in her eyes. This was it. She was going to change her name, and move out completely. She'd move away from her parent's house and fulfill her life, maybe even have a few children. "Let's get this show on the road," he spoke, taking in a deep breath and moving one shaky foot forward, which led to another, and then he let go of her arm, setting her completely free as she linked arms with Joey's son, Joey the third. He eyed the rest of the people there, seeing the other four guys. Justin had a proud grin on his face, which also began taking JC's face over. Oh with all that I've done wrong I must've done something right To deserve her love every morning, And butterfly kisses I couldn't ask God for more This is what love is And I'll always remember Every hug in the morning And butterfly kisses "We are gathered here this day to celebrate the holy matromony of Victora Claire Chasez, and Justin Randall Timberlake Junior." |
| Part 4: Butterfly Kisses |