Daddy takes a deep breath, seeming to compose himself before speaking gently to her. "Vanessa, honey," he says with a mixture of tenderness and concern in his voice, "let's just focus on being happy right now, okay? You have your whole life ahead of you." He reaches across the table again, wiping away her tears with his thumb.

She nods, sniffling as she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay," she whispers, feeling somewhat relieved but also disappointed that they couldn't have this conversation right now. Maybe sometime in the future... when both of them are ready for it. For now, she'll just cherish these moments with her daddy and hope that one day he'll understand how much more there is to their relationship than just father-daughter love.