Noelle Foley woke up in the middle of the night to hear the soft murmur of the television coming from the living room. Scooting herself out of bed, she walked through the shadows of her bedroom and out into the hallway. Glancing into her brother Dewey’s bedroom, she heard him snoring softly in the darkness.

Climbing down the stairs into the living room, she saw her daddy sitting in his easy chair, chuckling to himself while watching an old Three Stooges movie. Walking up to his side she touched his arm gently with her small hand, smiling at him when he turned towards her in surprise.

"Hey princess – what are you doing up? C’mere you," he told her, lifting her up onto his lap.

Laying her head onto his chest she snuggled into the circle of his arms and turned to watch the crazy antics of the three men on the television screen. Looking up at her daddy, she reached her small fingers up to tug playfully on his beard.

"Daddy, do you have to leave again? I miss you so much when you go," she told him. "Please stay with me, Mommy and Dewey – we love you," she continued, wrapping her small arms around his chest to hug him tightly.

"I love you too, princess," he told her, reaching down to kiss her softly on top of her silky hair. "I don’t like leaving, but Daddy has to go to work. Soon I’ll be home with you and Mommy and Dewey and I won’t be gone all the time, I promise."

"You’ll get hurt, Daddy," Noelle whispered, turning her small face up to look at him, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. "I know you will. You tell me that you don’t get hurt, but I can tell that you do. Don’t do it, Daddy. Don’t leave us again. I love you and I don’t want you to get hurt," she said, a small tear rolling down her pink cheek.

"Shhh…what’s this all about?" Mick asked her, wrapping his arms around her small body and rocking her gently. "Don’t worry about Daddy. Daddy loves his job and it’s only make believe. I know it looks like Daddy gets hurt sometimes, but when I come home to you and Dewey, your hugs and kisses make me all better. Okay?" he told her, reaching out to tenderly wipe the tear away from her soft baby skin. "I love you all so very very much," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you too, Daddy," Noelle whispered back to him, reaching up to kiss his cheek. Hugging him tightly around the neck, she closed her eyes as she felt him gently rub her back.

"Will you tell me a story?" Noelle asked Mick, smiling brightly into his eyes. Feeling his heart fill to almost bursting at the sudden rush of emotion that he felt for his daughter, Mick smiled back at her and pinched her nose slightly between his fingers. "Anything for my princess," he told her.

Settling her down back onto his lap, Mick began to recite Noelle’s favorite Peter Rabbit story that he knew now by heart. Feeling her slowly began to relax in his arms, he continued the story for awhile longer until her heard her even breathing indicating that she had now fallen fast asleep. Reaching over to the remote control he turned off the television, then slowly rose to his feet, cradling his daughter in his arms.

Climbing up the stairs with his precious cargo, he entered Noelle’s bedroom and ducked his head beneath the canopy of her bed to lay her gently down on top of it, reaching down to pull the sheet and comforter up over her small body. Leaning down he kissed her softly on her forehead. "You look more and more like your beautiful mother every day," he murmured to her. "I love you and Dewey so much. You both mean the world to me. Daddy’s always with you, even when I have to leave to go out on the road. I carry you all in my heart everywhere I go, and that’ll never change."

Looking down at Noelle, Mick softly brushed the hair out of her eyes and turned around to leave, seeing his wife Colette standing in the doorway smiling at him. "Is she asleep? Colette whispered, walking over to stand next to him. "Yes she is," Mick whispered back to her, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips.

"Let’s go to bed."