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Daddy’s Girl
As I button the last button on her frilly new
dress, she reminds me, “Don’t forgetto poof up
the sleeves, Mom.” Finally with sleeves perfectly
inflated, and slip, tights and patent-leather shoes
all in their proper places, she dashes off to the
full-length mirror to admire herself. “It’s the
prettiest dress in the whole world, isn’t it Mom.”
“You bet,” I respond. This is the night of the
Father/Daughter Dance, and we’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.
“This is going to be better than Christmas, almost!” She giggles as I ready her hair
for the fancy ribbon.
I imagine her dancing the night away with her Prince Charming---Dad. My mind
drifts back to the image of this child who didn’t have a daddy until after she could
say the word. My husband Ron, handsome, middle-aged, told the case worker, “It
doesn’t matter to me if it’s a boy or a girl.”
Months later, on short notice, we flew from Ohio to Seattle with our two other
children in tow. That night we hardly slept a wink in our hotel room.
The next morning, eager to meet the new addition to our family, we arrived at the
adoption agency offices before they opened for the day. Its seemed like hours until
finally, Susie, our daughter’s birth mother, walked in holding each of Elaina’s hands
to guide her. Elaina took one look at Ron and shouted, “Da-da.”
That was it hearts melted as he scooped her up in his big arms to say hello. I didn’t
know who I wanted to have first, Elaina or her birth mother.
Susie was so brave to make this decision. She’d had an adoption plan in place when
she was pregnant with Elaina. But when the birth father came to the hospital
saying they should get back together to raise their child, she hoped it would work. It
didn’t. A few months later Susie was alone again, going to school, working and
trying to raise Elaina. She did the best she could, but after nearly a year, she
realized that she wanted more for her daughter. She wanted Elaina to be raised
with a mommy, daddy

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, and sibling. She happened upon the agency we were working with and choose us
from a family picture book we had submitted.
As soon as we met her, I felt an immediate bond to Susie. It’s that everlasting bond
of motherhood we share because of our love for Elaina.
Susie has gone onto school and kept in touch with us for a while. I know that even if
we never hear from her again she, will always a part of our lives.
As I dab a bit of lipstick on our little girl’s lips, dad emerges from the bedroom. He’s
dressed in his navy pinstriped suit and brightly colored animal tie that Elaina gave
him for his last birthday. He takes one look at Elaina and exclaims “Wowee, You
look beautiful, princess!”
I know he’s nearly as excited as she is. Tonight there’s magic in the air. Tonight
Elaina’s daddy will experience the thrill of his daughter riding on his feet as they
swirl across the dance floor. They’ll share such delicious as macaroni and cheese,
pizza and hotdogs, while joining in the Limbo and Hokey Pokey.
As they head out the door, she stops one more time for a quick glance in the mirror.
“I really do look like a princess, don’t I, dad?”
As his eyes meet mine they tell me we’re both thinking what we’ve talked about
before. Nothing compares to the love between a little girl and her daddy.
Nancy M. Surella