‘Close your eyes and listen carefully to my story.
Before my story ends, you will dream.
Little star tonight
All night, I will watch over you’

When I wake up in the morning to your soft touch on my cheeks, your tender fingers brushing effortlessly over them, letting me know you’ve risen for the day, it is the best feeling. Yet again, you wake up earlier than I do and I feel bad that you have to wait for me to stir around the bed before you could finally disturb me from my sleep, without worries. However, I need you to know that you don’t have to worry. I want you to know that you can disturb me any day, at any time or hour of the day and I will be at your side, no matter what because I live for you and will do everything you want me to and my exhausted body would not mind.

When we have breakfast and you feed me dearly with such enthusiasm, I adore everything that you are. You laugh in embarrassment and your cheeks turn pink as you fumble on the way to my mouth, spilling more cereal than you intend to feed me and I just smile at the cuteness that you personify. I feed you too, of course I do a better job than you but every expression that you give me in return for my success makes my stomach flutter and with the sheer joy to get the food from me, even if it is just something simple,  you love breakfast time and I love spending it with you.

When we go for a walk on a mild sunny day, just to look around the trees and the brightly shinning sun, hand in hand, I forget all my stress. I hold onto you, a grip stronger than yours will ever be, more out of caution than care. Yet you allow me to and not let go because you understand my wary heart and enjoy the surroundings all the while in my grasp, allowing me to be in peace. I love how your face lights up when you see nature dance around you during spring, how the wind picks up your soft hair, how the sun shines to greet you as you go by and how the cherry blossoms decorate everything with pink, your favorite color. You love cherry blossoms, more for the color than the flower itself, a typical girl at heart and every time you try to catch a falling petal, my heart skips a beat in the excitement of your success.

When I tell you to call me by my name you straight out refuse in the beginning but then go ahead and do it, just because I asked you to, I feel happy. People around us mock us by telling that I am spoiling you and how I am such a bad person to be teaching you to be disrespectful in the process of trying to satisfy my own silly needs. They don’t know the amount of satisfaction I get by seeing you go all shy and worried at the same time, how your nose crinkles and you laugh hysterically after calling my name out loud, covering your mouth in guilt but at the same time smiling in happiness as your eyes form into a couple of crescents. I don’t know if there is a better sight in the world.

When I think about how we met for the first time, I can’t help but think of how beautiful you had looked. Even if it has been two years already, the memory is still fresh in my mind and I doubt that if it will ever go away. You had greeted me with the most vibrant, most beautiful smile that I have seen in my entire life and it was breathtaking. You didn’t know me yet, but you still came closer to me, approached me as I allowed you to come in, somehow knowing that it was me and that everything was okay. As if it was right, as if it was safe to be with me, you had liked me from the very first day and I knew that I had fallen for you instantly as well. It was nothing short of magic and I wasn’t sure if will be ever able to let you go after that moment. Thankfully, you were mine and I didn’t worry anymore.

When I think about how much I have fallen for you though, I think of my first love. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen until you came into my life. That doesn’t mean that she is not gone any lesser in terms of beauty, it is just that you hold my attention more now. I see you and I can’t help but be reminded of her, you do have quite the resemblance. You both resemble each other to the point that it can’t be missed and every time I see you, I think of her. She has the purest, the deepest heart filled with love and compassion and I know that she understands why I love you more. When she sees me laugh and love and take care of you, she knows and understands and there is no way that I could have been with you without her.

And that is why as you fall asleep tonight in my arms, just as every other night, when I get mesmerized by your beauty and wonder if you are an angel who fell down from the sky and into our lives, your mother will come by shortly to take over from me and instruct me to rest as the week would begin tomorrow and life will fall into a dull routine again. You are still small in my arms, although I can swear that you have grown at least a couple of inches more than last week but then again I relax and take in the situation because there is only so long that you will be small enough to fit in my arms and I am not going to miss a single moment of it. You squirm in my arms and I freeze, not even daring to breathe, until you settle back comfortably in my arms. I hear your mother giggle as she closes the door behind her, watching me exhale carefully and wonders who the baby here is.

‘Jimin…’ she calls and I melt, her voice reminding me why she is my first love. ‘Are you reciting the same story to her again?’

I smile and nod at her and she smiles back as she slips into the sheets, next to me. She hovers over and kisses your forehead and then mine as we try to freeze the moment in time, our family together and happy as I always intend it to be. You are such a fool for your daughter, she says and I don’t disagree because you are the miracle that I never expected to experience in my life and I am indeed blessed to though. I slowly put your sleeping self, in between us and cuddle you and your mother in a soft embrace, not wanting to let either of you go and she tells me to sleep before she does because she knows that I would end up not sleeping, watching over you, wondering if something would disturb or simply just admire how beautiful you are and she knows for sure that it will be the same position that she would find me in the morning. She threatens me but I coax her to sleep because she is right and I would never miss these moments where I could protect you. Little star, Dad is here for you and all night, I will watch over you.