Ten more minutes

"Ten more minutes," Emmi cried, nuzzling her head of curls into my shoulder.

"No, Emmi," her mother denied, "it's time for bed."

Refusing to accept 'No' for an answer, my princess would look up to me, as her last resort for an extension on bed time. The way she could quiver her lip, and spontaneously form water lines underneath her almond shapes eyes, led me to believe that she had mastered the art of 'father manipulation' from birth. Emmi, always being quick witted in that sense, even threw her tiny arms around my chest to reinforce her begging.

The misses flawlessly saw right through Emmi's pleading, since babygirl was just a copy and paste of her mother's image, and personality. With folded arms, and leaning against the bedroom doorway, Scarlett chuckled at the sight of me being hustled by a five year old. Just the sound of a soft whimper, and a little bit of batting her eyelashes I was inevitably puddy in Emmi's hands.

"I promise I will go STRAIGHT to sleep," Emmi negotiated, "Just ten more minutes pleeeeaaassseeee?"

"No," Scarlett denied again, standing firm in her decision, "Bed time. Now!"

Hearing the authoritive sterness in my old lady's voice triggered the parental alarm in my head to stand as a united front.

"Alrighty, kiddo, mom's right," I asserted, slowly prying myself free from Emmi's clutches. "Bedtime."

"Aww," Emmi whined scutting under her multi-colored blanket.

"I know I know," I huffed out, "But you need your rest."

"No, I don't," she would argue, "I promise I will wake up and not be tired!"

"Emmi," I heard Scarlett's voice call out again, as I fastened the stubborn child's blanket around her.

"Tell ya what, kiddo, you go to bed now, and we can draw all the chalk angels you want in the drive way tomorrow. Deal?" I comprimised.

"Deal!" Emmi agreed in excitment.

"Night Princess," I smiled, reaching down to kiss the crown of Emmi's head.

"Night daddy," she smiled, settling into bed with her favorite stuffed animal.

"Night baby," Scarlett said.

"Night mommy," Emmi replied.

The feeling of absent affection permeated the room, as I turned to leave. Without having to look behind me, I could sense Emmi's heart sinking into her stomach as she still struggled to become accustomed to sleeping in her own bed. How could something that supposesidly aids in a child's growth of independence, still find a way to make me feel guilty for enforcing it?

Couldn't I pick Emmi up one more time, and allow her to sleep on my chest? Just one more time, I wanted to have the feeling of tranquility sweeping over me, while her little whispers of breath would huff and puff into my ears throughout the night. Truly, I could not hender her development if I swaddled her into the protection of my arms just one last time.

"What are you thinking?" Scarlett said, as I looked up and let our eyes lock.

Before I could get the words out, Scarlett was already in my thoughts. The grimaced look on her face as her brows, so cutely, scrunched together with her arms folded still standing in the doorway. Sending me silent signals via facial expressions that this was the right thing to do.

"No," Scarlett mouthed silently.

I regrettably, turned around towards Emmi for a brief moment to catch the gaze of her puppy dog eyes begging me not to go.

Before looking back to Scarlett, I could hear the dissappointment in her facial expression before seeing it.

"Honey," I started to whine to the misses, "What's ten more minutes?"

With two saddened people staring back at her, Scarlett sensed my empathy of wanting to hold on to Emmi. I wanted to cherish her one more time before letting her go to prom with some knuckhead, or before letting her go off to college, or before walking her down the isle, or before... letting her go. Time wouldn't give me this moment back, and my heart sunk in my belly just knowing that.

"Ten more minutes," Scarlett smiled.

With a joyous bounce in every footstep, I cheerfully walked over to flick on Emmi's nightlight, as Scarlett proceeded to turn off the ceiling lights. Together, my wife and I laid down on either side of Emmi, as the innocence of her smile gleamed with excitment. Scarlett and Emmi comfortably snuggled into each other, while adjusting themselves to face my direction.

I stared at my girls' faces, memorized by their beauty glowing in the soft touch of the emerald green night light. How breathtaking they were every time the light spun around the room, and beamed off of their soft brown eyes the same way the sun would in the ocean at sunset. The moment became photo framed in my memory, as I noticed they would look upon me with this admiration that I could be the greatest guy in the world.

Turning to lay on my back, I maneuvered my hands into the emerald light to reflect my silhouette of a puppet formation. Emmi's smile grew wider when she spotted a small dog shadow dancing along the walls of her room. She lets out a small chuckle, and attempts to intertwine her fingers like mine to create a similar character.

"Daddy, I know this story! it's the one about the doggy!" Emmi giggles.

"Your favorite," Scarlett teases, giving Emmi's side a small tickle.

I turn to face my queen and princess, and only muster a smile from the thought of how ten mintues made a difference in our lives that night.