Giddy wasn’t exactly a word Barret would use to describe himself on a regular basis, but right now? He was the giddiest fucking man this plateside of Midgar. The for once simply curious glances to his prosthetic, gunarm left at the bar, are completely disregarded as he stood by the entrance of the best pre-school he could find. It took a considerable chunk of his change, but anything was worth it to give Marlene all the joys and opportunities he never had.
When he sees her little bob of brown hair waving back at a friend still inside, Barret walks forward with a great big grin on his face, laughing at the little yell she gave at the sight of him, no moment wasted in bending down to immediately pick his little bundle of joy up, though he doesn’t settle her on his shoulder without throwing her in the air once.
“Hahaha, did I surprise you? Daddy went and got himself a whole day to spend witchu. What do you think we two go get ourselves some snacks?”
the squeak of happiness when her body is thrown briefly into the air is high-pitched and happy, reeks of joy whose amount is unable to be measured. she doesn’t recall the last time her father picked her up from school, but it doesn’t matter now, either, she thinks, because marlene has learned to live in the moment and treasure every second she gets to spend with him.
“you did surprise me, daddy!” her smile stretches across her face, thins her eyes as the baby fat on her cheeks is pushed up. “mm!! i want snacks and ice-cream! can we get ice-cream? pretty please!” a pout surfaces on her lower lip and small legs dangle back and forth, the heels of her shoes drumming playful, light, against his chest.
despite immense happiness, a part of her still fears, doubts, lowers her gaze to his features. “promise you won’t have to leave me to go somewhere today?”
