1 Daddy's Here for You (Prologue)

It was on that wonderful, cold, snowy night that you were born. Everything around me was chaotic, or at least...it seemed that way to me. I was in the waiting room, my right leg was shaking violently and my stomach churned.

"My baby girl is going to be born... Will she be okay...? What if..." I shook those thoughts out of my head but no matter what I did, they kept coming back like sea waves during a fierce thunderstorm. I wanted this process to be over with quickly, but I didn't want anything bad to happen to your mother. That was when—

"Mr. Emmett, everything turned out fine. You may now see your wife and—" As soon as the doctor said those words, I embraced him and said, "Thank you so much, doc!"

"Ah... N-No problem, Mr. Emmett." Those words of his were the only ones I heard as let him go and ran into the room where you and your mother were located. How could I possibly forget the room? I was there when your mother's water broke and they ushered me out, everything happened in slow motion for me as I yelled "Everything will be fine!" to your mother.

I entered the room in a flash. There you were covered in a white blanket held in your mother's arms. I walked towards the side of the hospital bed she was laying on.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

I kissed your mother's forehead. All those hours of unbearable pain your mother had to go through—they were all worth it.

"Yes, she is, my love, Julena."

A few tears of joy guided themselves out of my eyes. I looked at you; your eyes were closed, your beautiful white strands of hair lay on your head. Your small chest moved up and down—the first breath I saw you take.

I took you into my arms. You opened your eyes and I was met with the most beautiful, reddest rubies I've ever seen. Nobody will deny that, I guarantee it.

Your white, small pointy ears were—no, they still are—the cutest ever. The trait you had inherited from your mother since I am but a mere human. Nevertheless, I will always be there by your side, that is a promise I plan to keep forever.

You smiled at me, almost as if you agreed with me. It was the most sincere and innocent smile I had received in my whole entire lifetime, besides that of your mother's, of course, but your mother would agree that yours had become my number one smile. I held you close and mustered all the love I could to give you.

"Julena, I promise to keep you both safe no matter what," I said as a smile spread across my face. One that your tired mother copied. I then returned you to your mother's arms. We kept caressing you and admiring your beauty for a few minutes which to us seemed like forever—it seemed like time was on our side.

I kissed your mother's head and thanked her. I had become a father, something that I took great pride in.

"Aster... her name will be Aster," Julena said aloud to which you formed a small smile.

"Aster," I muttered under my breath. "That name is perfect. It means star, right?"

"Yes, it does. She is our star that shines brighter than any other," your mother declared with great pride. I never took my eyes off you as we named you, worrying that if I did—no, I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. Your mother shook her head too, probably thinking the same thing, but I didn't know.

That day marked the beginning of a new chapter in our lives, or, at least, I wish I could say that...

Sadly, after you were born... your mother went missing. Leaving you in my care.

I cried that day—and every day since—because part of my heart had vanished all of a sudden. However, whenever I see you smile, it gives me hope and faith that she will appear again... someday. No matter what happens I will keep my promises to you which are as follows: I promise to keep you safe, to keep you happy, to always be by your side, to keep spoiling you—Ahem!—and to bring your mother back, making a complete family again. It was one night after I finished telling you a story that details how this world came to be—"How It All Came To Be"—that you asked me why I would promise you those things and I told you that I was here for you...

That...

Daddy's here for you.