A smile touched my lips as I thought about how good Terra was in the shower the weekend before. She had been fearless and beyond hot. We were lucky no one walked in to steal our fun. It seemed to me that the universe was against the two of us getting together and putting a padlock on the closed door of the past, but maybe I was over-thinking it.

"Are you smiling cause of me, daddy?" Lyndsay leaned over the table we sat at in a small coffee shop in town. "Cause you like this new dress Mimi bought me?" She pulled the edge of her dress out and almost toppled over. I reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Be careful, Peanut." I let my eyes move over her pretty little face. The need to protect her from guys like me was almost overwhelming. Martin's last words to me spread like wildfire inside of me.

Terra was his princess, his peanut just like Lyndsay was mine.

"Promise me something." He leaned forward, pressing his forearms to his legs.

"Yeah. Anything." I pulled my hands-free and reached up, gripping the bars above me. He'd been like a father to me most of my life, right alongside my own.

"Don't leave for at least one season after she gets here, okay? I know you two have a past-"

"Martin."

"I'm serious. You walking off the team would be hard for her to come back from, with the players and within herself."

Did he know what we were together? What she meant to me.

"You don't know what you're asking me to do." I pleaded with him with my eyes.

"I do, and I'm sorry for asking, but you're like a son to me, Daniel. Do this thing for me and help my baby transition. She's going to come in screaming and kicking."

"And if I can't?"

"Then I respect that too."

"Daddy?" Lyndsay had moved to my side while I was lost in thought.

I turned and ran my hands down her tiny arms. "Yeah, baby?"

"What are you thinking about? You're being a weirdo today."

I laughed, the spell officially broken. I pulled her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her. "I was actually thinking about this pretty girl that I used to date when I was young."

"Like me?" Lyndsay's eyes widened.

"Well, not as young as you, but a little older." I squeezed her. "She came back into town, and I like seeing her."

"I want to see her." She turned her face up to me. "Is she the girl Mimi showed me pictures of?"

I rolled my eyes and released her. "Back to your side of the table, trouble."

"Trouble! It wasn't me. It was Mimi." She skipped back to her side of the table and got back up in her chair. "Daddy. Was that her? Cause she is very pretty."

I smiled. "Her name is Terra."

She picked up her chocolate milk and took a long drink as she motioned for me with her other hand to keep going. I chuckled, unable to help myself. Little people always made common things seem more precious.

"She has long red hair and really white skin." I wasn't doing Terra a bit of justice, but hopefully, it was good enough for my six-year-old across the table from me.

"Oh yes." She put her glass down and licked her lips. "And really big green eyes."

I nodded as my voice softened. "Yeah. She's beautiful, right?"

"So pretty. Like Ariel from the ocean." She pressed her chin into her hands and continued to lick at her little mouth.

"You're pretty like that too." I pulled my napkin from my lap and leaned over to wipe her mouth carefully. "No, you're beautiful, but you knew that, right, Peanut?"

She nodded and crinkled her nose again. "Only cause you tell me, Daddy."

"Good. Let's get over to Mimi and PawPaw's house. I want to spend a little bit of time with them before I go on my date."

"Can I go?" She bounced in her seat. "Oh, please, Daddy? I want to meet Ariel."

I laughed and stood up to pull a twenty from my wallet. "Not this time, but you'll get to meet Terra soon. I promise."

"Alright. Fine." She got off her chair and balled her little hands into fists. She reminded me so much of Jannie when she pouted. Beautiful and dangerous.

I tossed the twenty on the table and reached down to scoop her up. "No pouting. It makes you too pretty." I munched at her tummy as she thrashed and giggled. An older couple held the door for us, smiling at me as I walked out to the truck with her. She wanted to ride on the back of the bike and asked all the damn time, but she was still way too tiny for that.

"Daddy! Stop. I'm going to tell Mimi!"

"Alright. Fair enough." I put her down on her side of the truck and opened the door before bowing a little. "Princess Lyndsay."

"Dad. I'm Ana today." I helped her into the truck as she gave me a look.

"And tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Tomorrow isn't here yet." She smiled so big I thought it might crack her cute little face.

"Very true." I closed the door and walked to my side, feeling the way I always did when I took a break from life and spent time with Peanut - renewed.

* * *

"So." My mom stood at the edge of the living room with her hand on her hip. "Lyndsay just said that you have a date tonight with a princess."

I laughed and shook my head. "And you're the one that showed her said princess's picture from what I heard."

Mom shrugged and walked in to sit next to me. "She wanted to know about when you were a kid, so I told her the stories. Terra is just a big part of those times. It's hard not to include her."

"I get it." I leaned back and reached for her hand. "What's going on with Dad?"

She shrugged and glanced down at our hands. "I don't know. You know he's as stubborn as a mule. He wouldn't go to the doctor today even though he still feels a little weak."

"Did he do something to make him feel out of it?"

She turned her attention back to me. "No. Not that I know of."

"I'm going to go check on him." I stood.

"Just don't baby him. You know he gets crazy about that." She got up and followed me down the hall.

I knocked on their bedroom door and poked my head in the room. "Dad?"

"Yeah. I'm up. Just reading the paper. Come on in, Dan." He sat up on the bed and scooted his butt back against the pillows to prop himself up. He patted the bed beside him. "Where's peanut?"

I walked in and mom followed me. "She's playing with some new dolls mom got her."

My father rolled his eyes. "Dolls. Ugh. We need to get that girl started on throwing a ball or at least catching one."

I smiled and sat down, making room for my mother. "I'm pretty sure she's going to be a little more like Jannie than me, Dad."

"That's not such a bad trade-off." He reached out and patted my hand. "Stop looking worried. I had some spicy food and it fu- jacked up my system. Nothing to be worried about. It wasn't my heart. The EKG machine showed that I was fine."

"Those things don't work all the time." My mom leaned in a little.

"I'm fine, baby. I promise." My dad offered a forced smile. "I am a little thirsty though."

"I'll get you something. Coffee? Water?" She stood back up. "Daniel, you want something too?"

"Water," my dad responded.

"No. Thanks." I turned to face him.

His eyes followed her all the way out of the room. He turned back to me and offered a tired smile. "Look. I'm pretty sure I'm okay, but if something happens to me, you know that your mother is your responsibility."

I nodded, hating this same old talk. "Dad. I think maybe you should just go visit your heart doctor and make sure-"

"No. I said that I'm fine and I am. I just need to know that you're going to take care of your momma and Lyndsay when I do pass. It's going to happen one day."

"Yeah, but not today." I reached out and gripped the top of his hand. "And I'll always take care of them."

His shoulder rolled in a little as he let out a long breath. "I knew you would. You're a good man, son."

"I need something from you too." I moved my eyes back up to focus on him.

"Sure. If I have it, it's yours."

"I love Terra, Dad. I always have." I waited for him to rant and rail on me, but when he didn't, I continued, "and I know her and I have some shit in our pasts, but she's a good woman. So much better than I deserve."

He nodded. "I'm not sure I agree with that, but if you're asking for my blessing, then you have it. Your life is yours to orchestrate, Dan. Do what you think is best, just remember there's a little girl in there that is affected by everything you do."

I nodded. "I know. I think Terra would be a great mother to Lyndsay."

"Maybe so, but go slow with her. Heartache takes time to heal, son. And if you think it's healed just because of seeing each other again, you're wrong. You're just pulling off the old Band-Aids. Give the wound some air and then see where you are."

"Alright. I still think you need to go to the doctor."

He smirked. "That's your opinion, and last time I checked, you were a baseball playboy, not a doctor."

"Does it count that I play a doctor at the bar on occasion?" I lifted my eyebrows as he laughed.

"Daniel! Gross." My mom walked in and gave me a look.

My father and I shared a long laugh, making my confession all worth it.