Since the day they got married, he‟d been praying for a little baby boy. Someone he could take fishing, throw the football and be his pride and joy. He could already see him holding that trophy, taking his team to state. Like father like son, forever and always, with nothing left to keep secret.

When the nurse came in with a little pink blanket, all those big dreams changed!

Times fly by, but she would always be his little princess! She‟s the center of his whole world. Her daddy couldn‟t help but wanting nothing but the best for his daughter, she was now his pride and joy. Staying up watching movies, finishing science projects, teaching her to ride a bike, he wished it could never end.

And she was his beautiful, wonderful, perfect, little princess: Aliyah.

Kenneth was Dad‟s boy, they did everything together! Ever since he was about 4-years-old, he went on about wanting to eat all his food and grow really tall, just like his Dad. They were partners in everything and anything.

He could talk to his dad about whatever came to his mind, they were best friends.

And for one thing, there was no one, absolutely no one, that would interfere with that relationship he had with his dad.

One day, they were going to go on a special time, just him and his dad. They were about ready to leave to go boating when a little girl from his first grade class walked through the gate with a life jacket. One thing he knew for sure, she was definitely not coming! But Daddy said, “Son, we can‟t leave her behind,” and I knew his word was what now stood.

Kenneth tried to persist and begged his dad to take anybody else in the world, anybody but a girl, anybody but that girl. But all his dad said in reply as he helped Aliyah into the car was, “I know you don‟t want her to go, but someday you‟ll change your mind.”

Short years later, Aliyah was sixteen years old. Her dad just couldn‟t believe she was already driving, up in the middle of the same High School he was in years ago, and most of all, he didn‟t know how he kept trusting those guys with his little princess.

Aliyah loved her dad, but she wasn‟t that three-year-old princess that he still thought she was. She was a teenager, the most important years of her life were almost over; yet, Aliyah flew by life as if it were all a big party.

Soon, she found the path that she‟d been searching for her entire life. Aliyah wouldn‟t admit it to herself, but she was definitely head over heels for the senior football star, and his name was Kenneth.

Before you know it, Kenneth starts dropping passes. And he keeps skipping practice just to spend more time with her. The coach said, “Hey! Son, what‟s your problem? Tell me, have you lost your mind?” His dad said, “you‟ll lose your free ride to college, boy, you‟d better tell that girl „good-bye.‟”

Kenneth didn‟t know what to do. He had a full scholarship to the college he and his dad had been dreaming of attending his entire life. Yet, even if he couldn‟t recognize it quite yet himself, he loved Aliyah.

He confessed to Aliyah, and she helped him right away. She was flattered that he cared for her so much; but she couldn‟t stand the thought of him doing worse in one of his favorite things in the entire world (besides herself of course) because of her.

Eventually, they worked it all out together, and continued on the exciting journey of High School and teenage life.

Through several years, they shared many adventures. Eventually, they started a new adventure: he proposed to her, and she accepted! Several months into the marriage, Aliyah asked him what he thought about having a child. This surprised Kenneth, and he wasn‟t sure what to say.

“Come on,” she said, “It‟ll be like another new adventure!”

After a little while, he finally found how to put his feelings into words and said gently, “You really want to know? I mean, why wouldn‟t I want a child?”

Delighted, Aliyah started going on about different names she liked, what she preferred as compared to her siblings, and what an adventure it would be!

Soon, the sun began to set and she realized that she had said almost everything about her dreams of having a child, but she hadn‟t asked Kenneth anything.

“What do you think about it? “ she finally said.

“Not sure,” Kenneth replied, lost in thought.

“Be honest,” she looked at him lovingly.

“Well, honestly I want a sweet, beautiful, wonderful, perfect, little princess, just like you!”