michael.

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There was an agonizing feeling at the pit of my stomach that continued to annoy me even after stupid Valerie Ward left the tour bus. It was a feeling that ate me up inside like a deadly parasite and I wanted it gone. I think it was remnants of guilt that caused me to feel this way. Guilt of leaving Melody last night even though she begged me to stay. Guilt of yelling at her this morning when all she wanted was her father. Guilt of trying to provide for my daughter and failing miserably at times. I was just guilty of it all and there was only one thing I could do to ebb this stupid feeling.

The park.

It took a while to find a secluded park in the center of a quiet neighborhood where it'd be nearly impossible for fans or paps to discover us, but we made it happened. With Melody dressed in jeans and a tiny Blink-182 shirt, a Frozen knapsack filled with snacks attached to her back, and a large bottle of cold water in my hands, we were ready for a day at the park.

"Daddy," a tiny, high-pitch resonance filled my ears and when I looked down, Melody stood there swaying from side to side.

"Yes princess?" I chuckled, turning my attention back to the mirror before as as I styled my hair. It was due time for a new hair color, and I made a mental note to tell Gail about it later.

"Daddy, um, can I tell you somethin'?" Melody asked, her little body continuing to aimlessly sway around. It was clear that she needed fresh air; needed to run around.

With a smile, I kneeled down to meet my daughter eye to eye, "what is it do you you need to tell me?"

"Can Annette come to the park too?" Melody would ask such a question. She was so attached to the annoying stylist that the two divas had become best friends.

"I don't know Melody," I tried to pretend to be fair. I tried to come up with a plausible enough lie that could get Melody's brain out of the idea of Annette coming with.

"Please daddy? I promise to be a good girl," Melody pouted and widened her eyes in attempt to sway my decision. My daughter was the princess of manipulation. She knew her game well, and she was the MVP of it all.

"Will you eat your vegetables for lunch?" I negotiated.

Melody cringed slightly, knowing what her future lunch entailed. I chuckled in her expense, as I waited for her to decide whether or not she actually wanted Annette to come along on our park play date.

"Yea," Melody nodded. "I eat my veggies."

Fuck.

With a disappointed sigh I nodded, "okay, we'll bring Annette too."

Melody screamed in utter delight, jumping up to wrap her tiny arms around my neck. I returned her embrace before she excitedly ran away, yelling for her Uncle Cal. My daughter was happy, and I concluded that suffering for a day at the park with Annette will be worth it as long as Melody was in high spirits.

And she was. The car ride to the park was tolerable with Annette as Melody kept rambling on and on about a random range of topics. It was an odd conversation with the three year old, but it made me smile nonetheless.

"Daddy! It's my favorite song!" Melody suddenly declared, pointing to the radio from her car seat.

I wasn't sure what song was playing, as I wasn't paying much attention, however when the driver turned up the volume did I grin from ear to ear. With my jaw dropped, I turned to look at Melody with an expression of complete awe as my little princess sang the lyrics to a 5SOS song.

"No lie, that is probably one of the cutest things ever," Annette gushed, admiring Melody before lifting her gaze to me.

"Didn't think the word cute was in your vocabulary," I teased, "seeing as you're the devil."

"Ha. Ha. Funny Clifford," Annette stuck out her tongue. "What's your deal with me anyway? You're stuck with me till the end of tour so you might as well start getting used to the idea of Annette Silva."

"No can do Miss Silva," I rejected with a laugh, "you're an irritant to my soul and the only reason why I tolerate you from day to day is because my daughter has grown attached to you."

"Do you even know anything about me?" Annette questioned, eyebrow raised. She looked more curious than annoyed. "How can you despise me so much?"

"I know that you like waiting in lines at the bar even though you don't drink," I stated, "and I still don't know why you don't."

"That's none of your business," Annette quipped, "kind of like how you came to attain custody of Melody."

My face hardened and I glared at the girl before me with fury. She hit a nerve. Actually, no not hit a nerve- she sliced it in half then threw it into a bowl of acid. We were silent the rest of the car ride to the park, only the radio and Melody's soft singing were the only sounds to fill my ears. Once we arrived to the park- a small area in-between a quaint neighborhood with luscious grass and a playground- Melody couldn't keep the smile off of her face. It was her best accessory and I never wanted it to falter.

Annette and I stepped out of the car, unbuckling Melody in the process. I placed her down onto the grass and the moment her little, Converse-clad feet hit the vegetation, she ran at full throttle towards the playground. Melody was a brave, a curious explorer who climbed up a small set of steps towards the slide.

"Melody, do you need help?" I asked her, my own grin forming onto my face.

"No daddy, I don't need your help. I do it myself," Melody shot down my offer, and while I know she didn't do it to hurt me, her words of independence cracked my heart.

"Are you sure baby?" I pressed on, my tone filled with hope.

"No daddy, I'm a big girl," Melody declared, and it was then did I find it reasonably acceptable for a grown man to cry.

"Um, oh, okay princess," I tried not to showcase my ache as I watched Melody go down the slide, "um, I'll be over there if you need me."

"Okay, bye, daddy," Melody had successfully slid down the slide on her own, and once her feet were replanted onto the ground, she did not hesitate to run around me to climb up the stairs again.

With a pathetic sigh, I stepped away from my daughter to let her play by herself. In frustration, I kicked the sand around as I made my way back onto a section of grass where Annette had laid out a blanket. She sat atop it, with what looked like a textbook perched on her lap. I plopped down next to her in a huff, taking off the Frozen backpack I was wearing and tossing it off to the side.

"What's wrong with you Clifford?" Annette asked, her gaze still on whatever she was concentrating on. "Did you finally realize that you don't fit the swings anymore?"

"No," I grumbled, quickly trying to wipe the small trail of tears that still plagued my cheeks.

"Dude," Annette seemed taken aback, her gaze now on me, "are you crying? If it's any consolation, I don't fit the swings either."

"It's not the stupid swings," I muttered.

"Then what's got your knickers in a twist?" Annette questioned, who, by the expression on her face, seemed to actually care of what I had to say.

"It's Melody," I answered. "She said she didn't need my help on the playground. Like, what the fûck is that? She's three going on thirty."

"Michael," Annette began, surprising me because she never calls me by my first name, "calm down, it's okay. It's just the playground and you're still her dad. Melody will always need your help."

"But first it's the playground and then soon she'll be driving on her own and then filing her own taxes," I shuddered from the thought of my baby girl growing up.

"I think you've got a few years before you have to worry about Melody driving and doing her taxes," Annette giggled. "The important thing, is that you constantly remind her that you will always be by her side to help- no matter what. That way, Melody won't forget that you are her father and you'll always have her back."

Now it was my turn to be taken aback by Annette's words- words of wisdom I never would have expected to come from a mind like hers. What she had to say actually made me feel better, though I'd never want to say it out loud. I still found her to be annoying but her little piece of advice seemed to make me feel less on edge.

"When did you get so smart? Did you learn it from that textbook of yours?" I tapped onto the large book, examining it with disgust. "Who brings a book to a park?"

"First of all, besides my Aunty Gail, my family isn't really the supportive type. So I know a thing or two about unsupportive parents," Annette disclosed, another moment in which she surprised me with a personal anecdote. "And second of all, unlike you Clifford, I'm actually still in school and have to study for an online exam later."

"So, is like doing hair and makeup what you want to do for the rest of your life?" I don't know why I asked- if it was out of curiosity or because I wanted to keep the conversation going.

"In a sense yes," Annette nodded, "it's a hobby of mine but what I really want to do is empower young girls and women everywhere to see that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Makeup might get rid of dark circles, hide a blemish, or can chisel your cheekbones, but none of that matters when the makeup is washed away. It's all about who you are on the inside."

"Damn, for someone as irritating as you," I began, a snarky grin plastered on my face, "you're kinda smart."

Annette played along, flipping her long hair behind her back, "duh, Clifford."

I rolled my eyes and shoved her, causing Annette to teeter slightly. As the stylist delved back into her textbook, I sat back to enjoy the sun rays. Sticking my sunglasses onto my face, I laid onto the soft blanket with my arms supporting the back of my head. It was a relaxing day off and while it didn't start off all dandy and shit, it was turning out to be a fun day. However, that carefree fun didn't last very long, when a high-pitch shriek filled my ears.

I shot up, pushing my sunglasses to the top of my head to inspect the scene. Several yards before me, lying flat on her back, was Melody. She cried louder by the second and a wave of worry flushed across my face. I went into complete stealth mode as I jolted onto my feet and hurdled myself towards Melody.

"Princess," I breathed, finally approaching my crying daughter and picked her straight up. I carried Melody over to the blanket where Annette was pulling something out of her own backpack.

"What's going? Did she fall?" Annette was just as concerned as I was, something that I hadn't yet gotten used to. It wasn't just Melody who was attached to the annoying stylist, but it seemed as if the stylist was attached to Melody as well.

"What happened baby?" I asked Melody, as I sat down with her on my lap. She continued to cry, with no signs of stopping, and pointed to her leg.

I gasped when I took a glance at her small leg. Her jeans had ripped right open at the kneecap and there was a huge gash on her skin. Blood flowed from her knee onto her jeans, and it looked like Melody was in so much pain.

"Da-addy! It-it-it h-h-hurts!" Melody hiccuped through her wailing, as she kept pointing at her knee.

"I know baby, I know," I cooed, holding my daughter with care. I looked over at Annette with pleading eyes, "help me."

"I got it," Annette she said, concentrating on the plastic box in front of her.

That's when I realized what she was pulling out of her bag earlier- a first aid kit. I never would have thought to bring a bandaid, much less a whole plastic container of medical supplies. I hate to admit this, but I was glad Annette had come along to the park.

Annette had pulled out a couple of sealed packed of who-knows-what, in addition to cotton swabs and a few bandaids. She took one of the supplies and lifted her gaze to look at me.

"You're gonna have to hold her okay Clifford?" Annette had a serious tone to her voice and a stern expression plastered upon her face.

I only nodded in response, following directions in holding onto Melody tighter. Annette ripped open a small, square package and pulled out what looked like a moist towelette, but I knew that it wasn't.

"You are not going to put that on my baby girl!" I argued quickly, "you're going to add more pain!"

"Listen to me, that's a huge cut and we're on a park where there's dirty sand everywhere," Annette noted, "the cut could get worse if I don't disinfect it now. I'm not asking for your permission Clifford, I'm telling you. You are going to hold Melody when she squirms, because whether you like it or not, her cut will get cleaned!"

There was no point in arguing with her especially because she had a point. I just didn't want to see Melody cry out in more pain because it was hurting me enough to see her like this. But I followed Annette's orders, holding Melody close to my chest and braced myself for what was to come.

The moment Annette placed the cold, alcoholic pad onto Melody's bloody knee, did my daughter scream in absolute pain. Like Annette had predicted, Melody had squirmed around, trying to eschew the sting.

"Clifford, hold her still," Annette dictated, as she concentrated on wiping clean the cut.

Once again, I followed her orders and held Melody still, "you'll be okay princess. You're doing a good job. It's almost done."

Annette was finally done with that stupid disinfecting wipe. She opened up another packet, this time triangular. Stuffing a cotton swab into the package, Annette scooped out a white, gooey substance. She slabbed it onto Melody's now clean knee, and gently rubbed the product in.

"This will help heal her cut, and sooth the stinging," Annette explained, her concentration still on my daughter.

"You're doing great Melody. Daddy's got you," I hugged my princess tight, reassuring her that I was indeed there for her- just how Annette advised.

Afterwards Annette grabbed one of the larger bandaids, which were surprisingly pink with glitter, and carefully placed it on top of Melody's knee. With a smile on her face Annette nodded at me, a cue letting me know that Melody was all patched up. I smiled back at her, impressed with Annette's actions. I was thankful for her presence, and thankful there was a part of her that cared in the benefit of others. I don't know what I would've done if Annette hadn't joined us at the park. I wouldn't have handled it well, and for that, I was greatly thankful.

But she's still annoying.

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So what would Michael and Annette's ship name be??? Give me ideas!!

Also, too much Melody/Michael cuteness. I can't handle. Sorry for your feels.