"Daddy?" she said in that tiny little voice of hers, her sleepy eyes fluttering, "You just got home?"

"Yes baby, I'm sorry for being so late." I replied, caressing her sweet chubby cheeks with the back of my fingers. "And I'm so sorry for waking you up."

She rubbed both her eyes and I swear nothing in this world could ever compare to her cuteness whenever she does that. She gestured to the lamp that was on her bedside table and so I turned the light on. Raising both her tiny arms, I leaned down and she gave me such a tight hug. She excitedly rub our noses together - a gesture that's just exclusively ours.

"It's okay daddy, I wanted to see you anyway before I go to sleep," she sat down and reached for her stuffed bear. "but then mommy gave me my milk and read me The Little Mermaid so I fell asleep. She was... hugging me the entire time"

Smiling at the thought I said, "That's so sweet of mommy isn't it?"

"Yes daddy. Mommy's always been sweet but I wanted to wait for you because you said you'd be home early but then" with a sigh, she pouted at me, "she started singing Winter Bear"

I chuckled at the thought of her fighting sleep but obliged so anyway just cause her mom sang to her. Not only that, she sang Winter Bear. She could never fight off sleep whenever her mom sings her that. An angel singing that beautiful song? Even a coffee would drop dead.

"You could never win against mommy's singing." I replied, still chuckling

"Yes, and mommy knows it that's why she always do it."

"Yeah, mommy's pretty smart you know? And she knows that you need to sleep cause babies who stay up late at night won't grow tall. Like mommy, just look at how short mommy is" I laughed heartily at my own joke and I felt so proud of myself for making my daughter giggle although I doubt that she even understood what I meant.

"So mommy didn't go to bed early?"

"That, I believe so, seeing how tall she is" I replied, suppressing both my grin and laughter.

"Are you making fun of mommy?" she asked, giggling at me. "Because you're laughing but you try to hide it but I can see"

Grinning at her, I shook my head no. "It's just that thinking of mommy makes me feel very happy" She smiled at me, her dimple showing and seeing it made me all the more in love with her. She definitely is just like her mom. Everything that I love about her, my little angel has it all. Caressing her cheek, I smiled at her. She then raised both her arms and held my face in her sweet little palms. I even had to lower myself cause she's so tiny and cute she can't reach me.

"I missed you so much daddy"

My heart melted right at that moment! How could it not? I swear she said it with so much love I felt myself so close with shedding a tear. "Oh, I missed you a thousand times more"

"Why are you so late?" she said, poutily squishing my cheeks. "Did you sing a lot of songs?"

"No baby, I just met up with your uncle Chim" I replied, squishing her cheeks as well.

"I miss uncle Chim, daddy. I also miss my other uncles because I wanted to play with them again and they said they would, but I missed you the most. I waited for you because you said you'd be home early"

"Well, I'm so sorry baby I came home so late. It won't happen again next time, I promise. We can play tomorrow if you want" She instantly lit up at that and excitedly nodded her head. "I want to play my piano and mommy can play her drums and you can play your guitar."

"So we'll be like in a band then?" she nodded her head again. "But a band needs a singer baby" With furrowed eyebrows, she pursed her lips as she contemplates what to answer. And yet again, she looks just like her mom.

"Then mommy can sing while she plays her drums" I grinned in agreement.

"I really, really love her voice. Don't you love it too?"

"I love mommy's voice more than yours daddy."

I chuckled and raised an eyebrow at that. See, she really is my daughter. We both want the same things and in this case, it's her mother's voice. "Really? Why is that?"

"Cause she... sounds like an angel. Your voice daddy is... uhm.. too deep for my liking." she said even shrugging her shoulders as if meaning to say that she can't help it if my voice is too deep for her liking. "Will you not sing me to sleep anymore because I said I love mommy's voice more? Will you be mad daddy?"

"Oh, of course not baby that is perfectly fine. Actually, mommy's voice is my favorite too and I agree with you that it's much, much better than my voice. A thousand times better" I can't help but chuckle and lightly pinch her squishy cheek as I reply. She really is cute I can't stop gushing over her.

And then she grinned widely at me, showing me her eye smile, which in my unbiased opinion, is the best eye smile in the world. "That's great daddy! Because I still want you to sing me to sleep." She raised both her tiny arms again and so I bent down so she could hug me.

Hugging her back, I can't help but giggle when she planted a kiss on my cheek with a loud pop. See, I'm gushing over her again! How can I stop when my daughter's so full of charm? She's so adorable I could give her the whole world.

"Have you seen mommy? She missed you a lot too daddy. Maybe she's waiting for you too, she was here when I fell asleep." she asked as she's leaning back on her pillows and tucking her bear to her chest.

"Mommy's at her studio, baby. I just saw her there."

As if on cue, she became so excited that her face brightened and she opened say something, but then her eyes widened and then she clamped shut with her hands. It's the first time I'm getting such a reaction that I squinted my eyes at her. I was even more taken aback when she avoided my eyes. "Oh, okay daddy. I'm going to.. sleep now okay? Good night!" she then started pulling her blanket while lying back down.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a minute there, young lady" I said, pulling her back up. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing daddy."

"Then why can't you look at me?"

She faked a yawn at this and replied, "Maybe because I'm sleepy."

Crossing my arms, I straightened my back and playfully squinted my eyes at her. She, on the other hand, ignored me and started petting her bear. "Baby"

"Yes daddy?" she replied, still not looking at me.

"Come on, look me in the eye." she looked up at me for just literally a second and then that's it. "Okay, I already did."

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You really won't tell me anything?"

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