Always His Baby

Chapter 1
Prologue

Chapter Description: Meet Dan Tyler and his daughter.

There were few things that Daniel Tyler was afraid of. As a kid, he’d been terrified of snakes, a phobia which had worn off after living with his room-mate at Uni who usually let his pet python lay on the sofa. After that, his only fear had been losing his long-term girlfriend - one he’d had to face when she ran off with his best friend (and his snake too) and left Dan holding their twelve month old baby to care for by himself. A single dad at nineteen and still at University. What should have been a nightmare come true became the greatest experience of his entire life. And since that day, the only fear Dan has had is the same one that torments every father.

The fear of losing his child.

It was one Dan had faced ever since Sheridan’s mother left them. First with her parents who fought for custody of the infant. A tough and exhausting case that Dan had almost been certain he would lose. But the Judge had seen how dedicated he was to raising his daughter. Dropping out of Uni and sacrificing the degree he’d worked so hard until then for. Getting a decent job working from home so he was able to juggle earning an income and looking after his baby. All that and the most important factor; how much that little girl adored her daddy and clung to him like a lifeline when someone so much as suggested the idea that she might have to leave him. How her bottom lip would quiver before she buried her face in his knee. It was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.

The second time he’d experienced that great fear had been when Sheridan was six. It had just been any normal, rather mundane day, to begin with. He’d started a full-time job now that Sheri was at school and it was already stressing him out and pushing him to his weakened limit after so long staying at home for most of the day. He’d just picked Sheri up from her friend Jade’s house and decided to pop into Tesco’s to get the shopping over with for the fortnight. Unlike him, Sheri was loving being at school and seemed to always come home with her face shining with that perfect smile of hers. And to add to it that day, she was also babbling excitedly about what her and Jade had been doing, playing dress-up and pretending to be Girls Aloud, content with holding a one-sided conversation as Dan merely grunted in response. Usually he encouraged his daughter’s talkative and expressive spirit, pandering to her every question and need for his attention. But he just did not have the energy for it after the rough day he’d had. He just wanted to get the shopping done, get a McDonalds on the way home to not have to worry about dinner for once, get Sheridan in the bath and tucked in bed before flopping on his own mattress. Things were going to plan to start with.

And then he’d snapped.

It hadn’t been anything Sheridan had really said. He’d first asked her, politely and calm, to please be quiet because Daddy has a headache. She hadn’t taken him seriously and seemed to become even louder with her chirping and singing. So Dan had blown. All he’d said was ’Be Quiet’ but his tone had made it come out all wrong, attracting off looks from some of the other shoppers. He didn’t care about them. What he did care about was the stricken, somewhat terrified look on Sheri’s little face. He’d never spoken...no, growled at her like that before. And as soon as he’d done it, he’d regretted it. Apologies stumbled on his tongue but, she’d done as she was told, and he didn’t want to jinx that. So he gritted his teeth and carried on with the shopping, turning his back on her for a minute. A minute was all it took.

Next time he turned around, she was gone. Dan’s heart had jumped up to his throat as he abandoned the trolley and started running up and down the aisles, looking for her, calling her name. Screaming it. The initial off looks were now turning into murmurs of bitter gossip. The words ’irresponsible’, ’bad temper’, ’maybe abusive’ got hissed around between the oh so perfect mums. Dan ignored them and asked a shop assistant to put a call out on the tanoy for his daughter, then asking others if they’d seen her. When it became clear that she was no longer in the shop, Dan felt his chest tighten painfully and he felt more terrified then he ever had in his life. Thankfully, one woman had shown some real human kindness and gently lead him to where she’d seen Sheridan run off to.

Outside, in the far corner of the car park, hiding behind a van that looked a bit like Postman Pat’s, sat on the ground and sucking her thumb. A habit he’d tried to wean her out of but he didn’t have the heart to berate her for it this time. He was too busy clutching her to his chest and murmuring tearful apologies into her golden curls. Her chubby little fingers had lifted up and brushed his stray tears away. Dan cursed himself for showing such frailty in front of his daughter who believed he was some magical Knight. But Sheri didn’t seem to mind and apologized for running off. He’d scared her...just a little. Dan said he hadn’t meant to. He would rather cut his arm off than do anything to frighten her. He showered her face with kisses and forgot the shopping - picking her up a Happy Meal anyway on the way home. That night, he’d let her show him the Girls Aloud dance she’d practised with Jade for as long as she wanted and let her stay up past her bed-time to watch a film with him until she grew sleepy. She’d asked if she could sleep in his bed. Of course he’d let her.

Anything for his little Princess.

Spoiled. Maybe not with money or possessions but simply in how much Dan was willing to indulge her. As he saw it, she was a good kid with a good soul. And she deserved whatever her heart desired, within reason. She asked for so little to begin with. She was her daddy’s whole world and he was hers. As long as one was happy, the other was too.

How Dan misses those days. Now more than ever.

Especially when he finds himself being summoned to the police station at three in the morning, ready to open his wallet in order to bail out the reckless hooligan that, once upon a time, had been his precious little girl. It’s been another long day at work and he does not need this. He wonders if she knew he did not need this and got arrested on purpose just to aggravate him. With just how spiteful she could be lately, he wouldn’t put it past her. And he knows that his own father would have left him to rot in a cell if he’d treated his dad the way she treated him lately. But that’s Dan’s problem.

No matter how much of a brat his Sheridan has grown into over the past few years of teen-hood; when he takes her home and had to help her drunk, barely co-ordinated body into bed, once her head hits the pillow she’ll be the same girl he was tucking into bed just a few years ago. And that makes it all worth it, as he strokes her hair and listens to her light snuffles. It makes him grin and bear these late nights as an unpaid taxi man in the hope that it will pass and Sheridan will start to listen to him and respect him again. These terrible teen years don’t last forever, after all, he knows that.

But Dan can’t help but wish for...more. He wishes he could have more than just having to watch his fifteen year old daughter sleep and pretend she’s still an innocent little girl. He wishes she would be that tiny imp of a creature again that would ride on his shoulders and pretend he’s a horsey. He wishes she would do one of her pop band dances for him again.

He scoffs at the thought. Wishes. As he’d always taught Sheridan, wishing only got you so far. You needed to take action yourself for the wish to come true. And as far as Dan was aware, there was no possible way to turn back time so he could get his little girl back.

As far as Dan was aware.