My best friend doesn't speak to me

My best friend is Ivy, my amazing child.

No matter how far down I fall,

she always lifts me with her smile.

Ivy can’t walk, she can’t talk—

it’s been hard right from the start.

Yet still she walks all over me

and never fails to melt my heart.

Men dream of walking their little girl

down the long wedding aisle.

I’ll never have that moment;

life is such a heavy trial.

I kiss her, catch her gaze, and whisper,

“Daddy loves you.”

When I look into her eyes,

I know she loves me too.

She speaks to me in ways

no one else can understand—

the love of my life,

my confidant, my best friend.

I would give anything to hear

three simple words fall from her lips.

But I accept this path with grace;

this is the hand I’ve been dealt,

and I choose to cherish every bit of it.

My best friend doesn’t speak to me,

yet deep inside I know it’s true:

if only she could, she’d say,

“Daddy, I love you.”