Dad and Emerald

He sang the Astaire song "Cheek to Cheek" while dancing with Emerald yesterday. I'm not the kind to obsessively plan my wedding, but I know that has to be the song playing for the father-daughter dance. Emerald cried and ran away from him when he first came in. It broke his heart to see that. He's been away for half her life. But she soon warmed up to him and started calling him "dada". She was just used to Dada being a voice on the phone and a picture Mom taught her to kiss. She was such a Daddy's girl when he left, and now Mom is the one she always runs to. Dad is determined to be number one again.

They told him he could be sent to Iraq at any time, but I'm not going to think about that now. And just as we were putting up the Christmas tree today, I learned that an American soldier had been killed in Afghanistan today from enemy fire. I pray for peace in this season and that all Daddies could be back with their children. War is a horrible thing.

But he's home, he's home, my Daddy is home.