cause him to punish me so harshly again.
I watch as Harmony finally gets herself leveled out and riding. Seeing the smile that graces her face has me jumping up and down while clapping in excitement for her.
“That’s my girl!” I scream out. I start shaking my hips and pumping my fist in the air. “Woohoo! You’ve got this my sweet girl!” Her smile spreads, and her dimples emerge. She starts riding toward me and I prepare for impact. She may have gotten the riding part down, but I know she doesn't have the stopping down and I fear she’s going to ride right into me. She surprises me when she instead leans to the side and lets her bike drop into the grass. She jumps over it and runs into my open arms.
“I did it, Momma!” she emphatically squeals. “I’m riding just like Daddy!”
“Yes you did, and you’re going to have to show your daddy when he gets home. He’ll be so excited to see that you got the hang of it and took his advice,” I reply into her soft, brunette hair as I tightly hold my daughter in my arms.
“I’ll show him, Momma. I need to practice some more!" She wiggles so I’ll let her down and she rushes back over to her bike. She practices for the next hour with me as her personal cheerleader. While watching my girl, my mind drifts to her upcoming birthday. I can’t believe she’s already about to be six years old. The day she was born is a day I’ll always remember. We’ve tried to have another baby, but some things aren’t meant to be. We haven’t been successful, but Harmony is enough for the both of us. She brings so much light and joy into our lives, that there isn’t room for any complaints. Some people never get to experience parenthood once, so I’ll take what gift I’ve been given. It takes some enticing and promises of sweet treats for me to convince her we need to head inside so I can get dinner started. I haven't heard from Rogue today, so I’m not sure what time he’ll be here, but I have Harmony on a schedule and I’d like to keep it that way.
“But, Momma, I need to practice so I can show Daddy when he gets home,” she whines, stomping her foot in place.
“I’ll make you a promise, if we can get dinner done, eat and it’s early enough, we’ll come back out for thirty-minutes. Is that a deal?” I extend my hand, motioning for her to shake on it.
“Deal,” she begrudgingly agrees, as she hesitantly reaches out her hand and shakes mine. I can see the disappointment in her eyes, but I can’t give in. I need to stand my ground and teach her that we don’t always get our way in life, there are compromises to be made and sometimes we have to sacrifice certain things. There are lessons in life that need to be taught. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t take the time and teach her these things? One day, when she has children of her own, she’ll understand and respect the things that I’ve fought so hard for her to understand. That’s my wish, anyway.
“Can we have ice cream after dinner to celebrate me learning how to ride my bike with no extra wheels?” she asks, with a raised brow and mischievous grin upon her face. Again, much like her father, she steals my heart with one adorable look as she knows how to play the system; the system being me.
Now this is something I can let her have her way with. “Absolutely!” She giggles at my exuberant display of excitement.
“Yay!” she hollers out, as she rushes inside the house. I can’t help but smile at her exuberance and stamina. She’s definitely her father’s daughter. He displays variations of excitement, of course, and not all of them are for a good reason. I’m more level-headed and show my enthusiasm when a good reason has warranted such an emotion.
“Can I go to the clubhouse tomorrow and show Nash and Asher that I can ride a big bike like them now?” Nash and Asher are the sons of two club members and the two that my girl is closest to. Both boys aren’t much older than my girl, but they’re club members by birthright. So, they’ve been training on real bikes since kindergarten, although they haven’t been given full reins to