Butterflies and LadyBugs

They say that good things come in small packages, and up until three and a half years ago he didn’t believe that was true. But now he knew better. Now he knew that it was 100% unequivocally true, because the best things in his life seemed to be coming in small packages these days. They started with the love of his life, a very sexy, bossy, intelligent, petite brunette who stormed into his life and turned it completely upside down. Since that day three years ago his life had never been the same. And now he had another small package that was managing to turn his world upside down again, and this little package had made her entrance into his life six months ago. And like the first small package, she was the tiniest, smartest, and most beautiful six month old he’d ever laid eyes on. She was the perfect combination of both of her parents. She had her mothers eyes and freckles and her daddy’s hair and dimples, and for only being six months old, she already knew how to use those dimples to get what she wanted, and he could only imagine how she would be trying to use them to get her way for the rest of her life, and if now was any indication of how he reacted to them, she would definitely have him wrapped around her finger forever.

And that was why he was now walking around Babies R Us looking for the most adorable dress for his dimpled baby girl. He already looked at three different racks in the store and still couldn’t pick out the best one. It had to be perfect, because she was perfect and deserved only the best. Of course her mother told him he was biased about how perfect the baby was, but he just shrugged it off and kept believing that he had the most perfect baby in the world. He laughed at how ridiculous he must look as he picked up another frilly dress and held it out in front of him as he tried to imagine what it would look like on his daughter. Daughter….that was still a word that brought out awe and amazement in him. If anyone had told him three years ago that he would have a daughter he wouldn’t have believed them. But like falling in love with Robin, this wasn’t planned but he wouldn’t trade his life now for anything in the world. He was happy. For once in his life since his mother died, he was truly and utterly happy. He woke up every morning with a smile on his face, even if his daughter woke him up screaming in the middle of the night, he loved it. He loved everything about being a father. From the late night diaper changes to her spiting up on him and causing him to change again before work. She was his life….well her and her mother. They were his whole world.

A sales girl came up, finally, and asked him if he needed help. He smiled at her as he told her that he had a very special evening planned for a special lady, and he had to make sure that she had the appropriate attire. At first the sales lady looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, so he’d explained that the dress was for his daughter. Smiling she said she understood and walked to another rack where she held up the most adorable pink dress he’d ever seen. He took it from her and held it up and knew instantly that it was the dress he’d been searching for. It was a pink summer type dress with ladybugs and butterflies on it. He told the sales lady that it was the dress he wanted and now he had to get her shoes. He said his daughter’s godmother told him the outfit is not perfect unless it has the right shoes. By the time he was left the store he was anxious to see his baby girl and show her the outfit that her daddy had gotten her for the evening.


He whistled to himself as he walked into the house and stopped when he saw mother and child asleep on the sofa. It was a scene that he’d gotten accustomed to seeing over the past six months. He’d come home often to find them both asleep either on the bed or on the couch. Robin would be lying with her arms protectively around their daughter; actually it had started while she was still pregnant. He’d often find her asleep with her arms protectively on her stomach. He loved coming home to this….to this life. A life with the woman he loved and their beautiful baby girl. He placed his bags down and walked over to the coffee table and sat down. He gently touched Robin’s forehead as he swept her bangs out of the way so he could place a soft kiss there. He smiled when her eyes fluttered open.

“Hi.” She said softly as to not wake their daughter.

“Hi yourself.” He said with a smile as he touched his daughters back gently. “How long have you been asleep?”

“An hour or so I think.” She said with a yawn. “Where have you been?”

“Shopping.”

“Patrick, Georgie doesn’t need anymore toys.” She said with a giggle. Patrick had been spoiling Georgie since the day she made her entrance into the world.

“It’s not a toy I promise.” He said reaching for their sleeping daughter. “Now why don’t you go take a shower and then get yourself ready? It’s almost five and Liz and Emily will be here to pick you up in two hours. Georgie and I will be just fine. When she wakes up I will change her.”

“I’ve given her a bath already. And I’ve laid out something for her to wear.” She said sitting up and touching his cheek softly.

“Don’t worry about it. I have the perfect outfit for our little munchkin to wear tonight.” He said nodding towards the bags on the chair.

“Do I get to see this outfit?” She asked him.

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because my love, it’s a present for our daughter. She has a very special date tonight and had to have the perfect outfit, and the perfect outfit is in that bag. Shoes and all.” He said kissing to the top of Georgie’s head. “Now go get in the shower.”

“Fine.” She said standing up and moving towards the stairs.

“Robin.” Patrick called out softly.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” She said before heading upstairs.

“Well Miss Georgiana it looks like it’s just me and you.” He said. “Of course you are still asleep so I guess mostly it’s just me.” He said with a little laugh as his daughter snuggled her face into the crook of his neck as he rubbed her back.

An hour and a half later Robin came downstairs to see Patrick dressed in a pair of slacks, with a button down shirt and a tie on.

“Wow. Don’t you look hot.” She said with a wink. “Big plans tonight?”

“Yep.” He said admiring her. “You look amazing. I’m not sure I want to let you out looking like that.”

“Don’t worry honey.” She said patting his chest. “I am a happily involved woman. This outfit is just to prove that I can still wear it.” She said with a laugh.

“Trust me baby, I know that you aren’t going out looking, but other men will see you in that and I’m not sure that I like the thought of you being hit on all night.”

“Don’t worry, if this ring doesn’t deter them, then I’ll put out a picture of Georgie and bore them to tears with all the cute little things that my angel does.” She said with a wink.

“That works for me.” He said leaning down and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. “Have fun tonight but don’t stay out too late.”

“I promise not to.” She said kissing him again. “Have fun on your date tonight and makes sure she is home by 8. She has an early curfew ya know. I’m sure you’re not used to your dates ending that early, but she has a very strict father.” She said with a laugh.

“I promise that she will be home and in bed by 8:15 at the latest.” He said as he walked Robin to the door. Once she was safely inside Liz’s car he walked over and picked up his daughter and kissed her cheek. “You look amazing as well Miss Georgiana Madeline Drake.” He said sitting down with his daughter in his arms. “So what shall we do on our date munchkin? Want to see if Grandpa is busy? We could invite him to go out to dinner with us…..to say the Metro Court? Yeah I think it’s time I showed off the cutest baby in the world.” He said picking up his phone.
--
A half hour later he was seated at a nice table at the Metro Court with Georgie in his lap as they waited for his father to join them. He’d decided that since Robin needed a night out on the town he would do the same…..but instead of getting a babysitter he decided his night out would be showing off his daughter to the entire world. He’d laughed at how many women had tried to hit on him as he walked through the park and into the restaurant. He couldn’t believe how many woman were attracted to men with babies, but his only focus tonight was on his daughter, with his thoughts every now and then going to his wife….hoping that she was having as much fun as he was. A few moments later he watched as his dad joined them, with a huge smile on his face as he took his granddaughter out of her father’s arms. Patrick couldn’t help but smile as he watched his father holding his daughter.

Later as he lay in bed with his wife wrapped up in his arms and their daughter asleep down the hall he realized that he had everything. He had everything that his mother wanted for him, a wife and daughter, his father back in his life and on good terms, and enough love to shelter him forever. He truly was the happiest man on the planet. They say that good things come in small packages, and up until three and a half years ago he didn’t believe that was true. But now he knew better. Now he knew that it was 100% unequivocally true, because the best things in his life seemed to be coming in small packages these days. They started with the love of his life, a very sexy, bossy, intelligent, petite brunette who stormed into his life and turned it completely upside down. Since that day three years ago his life had never been the same. And now he had another small package that was managing to turn his world upside down again, and this little package had made her entrance into his life six months ago. And like the first small package, she was the tiniest, smartest, and most beautiful six month old he’d ever laid eyes on. She was the perfect combination of both of her parents. She had her mothers eyes and freckles and her daddy’s hair and dimples, and for only being six months old, she already knew how to use those dimples to get what she wanted, and he could only imagine how she would be trying to use them to get her way for the rest of her life, and if now was any indication of how he reacted to them, she would definitely have him wrapped around her finger forever.

And that was why he was now walking around Babies R Us looking for the most adorable dress for his dimpled baby girl. He already looked at three different racks in the store and still couldn’t pick out the best one. It had to be perfect, because she was perfect and deserved only the best. Of course her mother told him he was biased about how perfect the baby was, but he just shrugged it off and kept believing that he had the most perfect baby in the world. He laughed at how ridiculous he must look as he picked up another frilly dress and held it out in front of him as he tried to imagine what it would look like on his daughter. Daughter….that was still a word that brought out awe and amazement in him. If anyone had told him three years ago that he would have a daughter he wouldn’t have believed them. But like falling in love with Robin, this wasn’t planned but he wouldn’t trade his life now for anything in the world. He was happy. For once in his life since his mother died, he was truly and utterly happy. He woke up every morning with a smile on his face, even if his daughter woke him up screaming in the middle of the night, he loved it. He loved everything about being a father. From the late night diaper changes to her spiting up on him and causing him to change again before work. She was his life….well her and her mother. They were his whole world.

A sales girl came up, finally, and asked him if he needed help. He smiled at her as he told her that he had a very special evening planned for a special lady, and he had to make sure that she had the appropriate attire. At first the sales lady looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, so he’d explained that the dress was for his daughter. Smiling she said she understood and walked to another rack where she held up the most adorable pink dress he’d ever seen. He took it from her and held it up and knew instantly that it was the dress he’d been searching for. It was a pink summer type dress with ladybugs and butterflies on it. He told the sales lady that it was the dress he wanted and now he had to get her shoes. He said his daughter’s godmother told him the outfit is not perfect unless it has the right shoes. By the time he was left the store he was anxious to see his baby girl and show her the outfit that her daddy had gotten her for the evening.