AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She glances up at me. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
I peer down at her. “For what, baby?”
She sighs. “For siding with Grandma. I didn’t want her to be angry with you anymore.”
Stopping, I turn and face her, squatting to meet her level. “Don’t you ever compromise what you want to make others happy, okay? If you want to be a princess, Hailee, you’re gonna be a damn princess. Fuck what Grandma thinks.”
She giggles, widening her eyes. “You really don’t like Grandma, do you?”
Slumping my shoulders, I shake my head. “No, Starshine, it’s not that I don’t like her. I do. It’s just that we have different ways of looking at things, which sometimes clash. Especially with how we want you to be raised. But you know who gets the final say?”
Hailee shrugs as she looks at me quizzically, and I bop her nose. “Me, because I’m your mom and love you the most.”
Hailee snickers, pulling me to her in a tight embrace. “I love you, Mommy.”
“Love you right back, Starshine. Now, let’s go to the gift shop and show Grandma who she’s messing with.”
I pull back from Hailee, and as I turn, I slam straight into a hard chest. My eyes widen as Blake steadies me. “Everything okay?”
My stomach flutters with butterflies from merely looking at him. The concern in his expression tells me he has no idea what’s going through my mind, but I can’t deal with him right now. Instead, I need to finish what I started with Hailee.
“We’re going to the gift shop,” Hailee answers for me.
Blake widens his eyes. “Oh, that sounds like fun. Can I come?” he asks, directed at me.
“Can he, Mommy?” Hailee chimes excitedly.
Smiling, I nod. “Sure.”
“What are we getting at the gift shop?” Blake asks Hailee, and she shrugs.
“I have no idea.” She giggles as I walk with her hand in mine toward the shop.
Blake hums under his breath. “I like suspense. Did I tell you how beautiful you look today, Hailee, just like a Disney princess,” Blake states, making Hailee and me smirk.
I glance at her. “See, your Grandma doesn’t know what she is talking about. You are a Disney princess, and we’re going to prove it to her.”
Blake furrows his brow and tips his head to the side. “I feel like I’ve missed something.”
“Barbara did this whole… Hailee shouldn’t be compared to a Disney princess because it’s archaic, blah blah… and as a woman, I should know better.”
He nods. “I see… she does know that Hailee is seven, right? She doesn’t need to learn about empowering women or women’s movements for at least a few more years, right?”
I manage a small laugh. “Yeah, let her be a child and love the wonder of it all.”
We enter the store, and I find precisely what I am looking for immediately—a wall of tiaras.
I walk us over to them. “Hailee, baby girl, today you’re a princess, and I want you to look like one. You pick a tiara, any tiara, and you’re gonna wear it for the rest of the day.”
Hailee’s eyes widen in awe. “Any one of these?” She gasps.
I nod. “Whichever one you like the most. Hell, if you want to wear two, we will buy you two.”
She snorts out a laugh. “You’re silly, Mommy.”
I smile, loving the excitement in her eyes as she peruses the different styles. “This one has rainbows. But this one is super shiny.Ohhh… but this one is all glittery. I like this one, Mommy. It has a kitty on it like Mr. Muggles and glittery stars. It’spuuurfect… see what I did there?” She bursts into a fit of laughter, and I smile so wide seeing her happy.
Blake picks it off the shelf and places it proudly on her head. “You look amazing, Princess Hailee.”
