---- This is the English version of 'Meine Tochter im Mondlicht', a short fictional story for your good night ----
The door opened with a soft squeak, and there she was - my daughter, the light of my life, now in this new home she called her own. Her eyes sparkled with joy and a little excitement as she looked at me, and in that moment I realized how much she had grown. In the last few years, she had gone from the little girl I once sang to sleep to a smart, independent woman who had moved to a new city with big dreams.
"Daddy!" she called, throwing herself on my neck, the hug tight and warm, as if she could instantly overcome the distance and time that lay between us. I smelled the familiar scent of her shampoo and was transported back to all the moments I had sat by her bed telling her stories.
I walked in and looked around. Her walls were decorated with pictures of her new friends and colorful posters of her fields of study. The rooms were small, but they exuded a vibrancy that I admired. Here my daughter lived in a world that was no longer mine, but she was still a part of me.
After the warm reunion, we sat in her small kitchen and I prepared her favorite dish - a simple but heartily seasoned pasta. While the pasta was cooking, we talked about the last few months. She told me about new friends and challenges, while I tried to cheer her up with anecdotes from my own student days. Her laughter echoed through the kitchen and warmed my heart. It was as if time had stood still.
In the evening we spread out an old deck of cards on the living room table. It was our thing, a game we had developed together, and I enjoyed every minute. Her eyes shone with joy as she laughed and challenged me. I felt carefree, as if the worries of everyday life were forgotten for a moment. In those moments I realized how much I had missed being close to her and how strong our bond remained despite the distance and the changes that had surrounded us.
And then the time came for sleep. She didn't have a couch, but there was still some space in her bedroom and I laid out a sleeping mat and my sleeping bag. We went to the bathroom one after the other, changed and said goodnight.
I fell asleep pretty quickly too. However, I woke up because of a dream when it was the middle of the night. I got up and went to the bathroom. Then I returned to lie down again, but when I entered the room I saw my daughter stretched out on the bed and the moonlight fell directly on her peaceful face. She was lying on her back, the blanket half-folded under her arm like a stuffed animal, while her left side was exposed. She was wearing short panties and a thin top that had ridden up slightly, exposing her stomach.
As I saw her like that, I remembered all the evenings I had spent at her bedside when she couldn't fall asleep on her own. Even though she was grown up and independent now, I still felt such a duty of care. The moonlight made her seem like a little angel.
Instinctively, I went to the edge of the bed and sat down next to her on the mattress. My hand gently stroked her forehead and pushed her strands to the side. She opened her eyes, I leaned down and kissed her forehead. She smiled, closed her eyes again and stretched, the blanket slipping off her.
I looked at her pretty body and felt an incredible love for her, this beautiful creature that had somehow also emerged from me. Her skin seemed white as snow in the moonlight. I put a hand on her bare stomach and was surprised at how soft it felt. I gently moved my hand back and forth and stroked her skin. Her contented sigh signaled to me that she was feeling good.