The family car pulled up in the tarmac and gravel forecourt of the large single storey building. It was generally nondescript and looked very much like what it was; a studio. Under the Soviets, it had been a place for making propaganda films. But now in the independent, and impoverished, Ukraine it had become the main powerhouse of the country's newest and biggest industry- child pornography. The sign over the door proclaimed that this was the Kiev headquarters of LS-Magazine Inc. Described innocently enough in the Ukrainian Trade Register as a "child modelling agency"

The "magazine" that this company produced, was not of the printed variety. It was sold online, via a website, to thousands of paedophiles across the world. But it was unusual in a number of respects. It was of extremely high production quality, the photosets were beautifully lit and shot by the very best photographers in the trade using good costumes, make-up and sets. This was no sordid, back street industry. It had also managed to stay in business despite a worldwide police campaign against such material. This was largely due to the curious protection offered by the vast independent state of Ukraine. It was a lawless place and the police had plenty of work on their hands with the mafia and violent crime without looking to the likes of LS-Magazine. Finally, it was unusual in allowing, even encouraging, parents on to the set. It did so largely to protect itself against accusations that it exploited the children. In a way, this was true. It didn't exploit the children. It exploited the whole family. Whatever misgivings the parents of these little models had about what their daughters were doing had to be counterbalanced against the fact that it paid extremely well. More for one photo shoot that most Ukrainian men could earn in the steel mill in two months! A temptation indeed. So much so, that the offices of LS-Magazine were never short of pretty little Ukrainian girls with their impoverished parents.

"But Sergei, it's not natural?" implored the 42 year old mother of 12 year-old little Mascha who sat quietly in the back of the old Skoda. Mascha was a pretty girl with a sweet, but slightly timid disposition. She always did as she was told and this was no exception.

"What do you mean? Lots of girls her age do it!" bellowed Sergei. He was not the kind of man to take orders from his wife! "Mascha," he asked leaning back over the seat to address his daughter, "who's the other girl in your class? The one who modelled for LS a year ago?"

"She's not in my class," answered Mascha, unhelpfully, avoiding her father's gaze, "she's in the year above me."

"Yes, yes, so she's not in your class. But she modelled for these guys at about your age. Right?"

"Yes, daddy"

"And it was ok, wasn't it?" Mascha continued to look away and didn't answer him.

"Well? It was ok, wasn't it? I mean...she didn't die or nothing"

"No daddy. She didn't die"

"There you are! See?" he spat at his wife who still sat in the car as he was getting out. "Come on Mascha, sweetie. If your mum wants to stay here, I guess she can" But Mascha didn't care for this option,

"Mummy please come. I want you there with me," added little Mascha quietly, her long blonde tresses tumbling down over her best blue jacket. She had the most clear skin imaginable and a radiant little face which set off her slender, but feminine body.

"But why would anyone want to look at naked little girls, Sergei? It's not natural I tell you! What sort of man?" implored Olga, as he marched them across the forecourt of the studios. Suddenly, he stopped, turned round and glared at his wife,

"I don't know what kind of man! And frankly I don't care. We need the money and unless you can come up with some bright idea to get the loan paid off, we're going through with this. Now come on woman!" he bellowed

Once inside the smart office area, Sergei and his wife Olga were greeted by a couple of pleasant young women in their mid-twenties. They were offered tea and were then led into the office of the artistic director. Mascha was offered coca cola amidst a shower of flattering comments from the other members of staff. She loved being told how pretty she was and how lovely her clothes looked and this helped her to feel a bit more relaxed. They were being very sweet to her and her rosy cheeks were soon glowing with pride. Olga thought to herself that maybe this wouldn't be so upsetting as she had feared. They seemed nice people.

"I am pleased to meet you Mr and Mrs Radinskaya, my name is Sasha Fyodorovsky and I run the artistic side of the magazine. I hope you had no trouble finding us. It's a bit out of the way, I know" he laughed.

"Oh yes, we found it all right thank you" offered Sergei, seemingly eager to please this rather charming man.

"Now let me say right away how grateful we are that you have brought your pretty little daughter here to star in one of our famous sets." Sasha went on, "She really is a little darling." He turned to Mascha, "Now, I think you are called Mascha. Is that right my dear?"

"Yes sir" Mascha replied obediently.

"It's ok, you don't have to call me Sir," he laughed, "you can call me Sasha"

"Ok," she half smiled, still not able to be able to meet his gaze.

"You are a very pretty girl and we are going to make some lovely pictures with you here today Mascha. We will make you look really sexy and attractive. Just like a movie star." Mascha blushed very engagingly and looked at her feet. "I bet all the boys at school love you, Mascha, don't they? Do you have a sweetheart?" The poor mite blushed even more deeply and murmured something indistinct, but which Sasha took to be a denial.

"Ok my darling. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Now why don't you be a good girl and go with these two nice ladies, Yulia and Marketa who will show you the dressing up room! You like dressing up don't you"

"Oh yes, Mr Sasha!" chirped a now much happier Mascha.

"And we'll put some make-up on you too, won't we Yulia" prompted Marketa in an encouraging tone, "would you like that?"

"Oh yes please!" replied the little girl eagerly.

"Good. That's it! Good girl. I'll just have a chat to your mummy and daddy until you get back" he reassured her as she stood up to go off with the two young girls. One of them bent down to whisper in Sasha's ear. Sergei strained, but couldn't hear the conversation.

"Do you want us to shave her?" whispered Yulia

"No, don't bother. She's only 12, she won't have much" replied Sasha with a grin. The two women left with Mascha skipping happily between them and went off down the corridor towards the studio.

"So," he continued purposefully addressing Mascha's parents, "down to business. I am presuming that you two know the kind of photographs we take here and that you are both perfectly happy about it?"

"Yes," answered Sergei immediately, "that's fine. We know. But his wife, answered more slowly,

"I...err...could you explain a bit for me? I mean...well...I am finding this a little bit hard. She isn't going to be hurt is she?"

"No, you silly cow! Of course she isn't going to be hurt!" blurted Sergei angrily, "what kind of people do you think they are! Don't insult Mr Fyodorovsky. Now shut up before he changes his mind and throws us out!"

"It's ok, Mrs Radinskaya, really it is. It' s a perfectly normal anxiety and I know it can be a little difficult for a parent, especially a mother, who is naturally protective of her little girl. I'd be the first to admit that what we do here is a little out of the ordinary!" he laughed; seemingly pleased with his wit. "But let me assure you unreservedly that no one will harm Mascha in any way. In fact that is precisely why we involved the parents. It puts them at ease and relaxes the model. You can be present at all times during photography if you wish to be, or you may wait outside if you prefer not to watch. Some parents choose not to see the process as some of the photographs are a little bit much for them. But either way, you can see by the expressions of the girls in our photographs that they are on no way distressed. Usually, they have fun in the photoshoots. You know how little girls are? They love to feel grown up and sexy; like women. That is what we do here. We turn them into movie stars for few hours and capture their natural sensuality."

"It's quite all right, Mr Fyodorovsky, my wife doesn't know what she's talking about! I told her you are not pornographers here! Now be quiet woman!" he spat

"Believe me Mr Radinskaya, many people do think we are pornographers, so allow me to reassure you as to what exactly it is we do here. I am the artistic director and I direct most of the shoots with the model. I basically direct the photographer as to what to shoot. We start off with the girl dressed in a pretty outfit from our large wardrobe. This already helps to make her feel sexy and attractive."

"Is that where she is now? Getting changed?" asked Olga, feeling slightly better about things.

"Yes. Exactly. Yulia is very good with the little girls. She will let Mascha pick an outfit she likes. They will also do her make up"

"Make up?" asked Olga, "but she doesn't wear make-up! She's only 12"

"It's an essential part of the process of getting her ready Mrs Radinskaya. Without make-up, she is just a child. With make up, she becomes a lolita! Wait till you see her. She will stun you! Anyway, as I was saying, the first pictures we shoot with her in the costume, playing around and being cute. Then we ask her to gradually undress until she is completely naked. Tell me, she doesn't normally wear a bra does she?"

"Only one of those little crop tops things," replied Olga, "she hasn't really got much of a chest yet, just little bumps"

"Aah, that sounds perfect!" exclaimed Sasha, "just what our customers love! We'll dispense with the bra anyway. She'll just wear panties under the outfit and we will provide those."

"Err..she is wearing underwear already" exclaimed a surprised Olga.

"Yes, yes, of course" laughed Sasha, "but they are probably innocent children's underthings. We will dress her in something a little more exciting"

"So it's just a few nude shots and that's it, is it?" asked Olga, somewhat disgusted by the leer on Sasha's face when he mentioned the underwear.

"Well...err not exactly," he smiled catching Sergei's knowing grin and then looking back to Olga, "you see, our customers are very specific in their tastes and just nudity isn't really enough for them" he grinned suggestively.

"What? What do you mean? You promised she wouldn't be harmed!" cried Olga

"They take photos of their pussies, you silly bitch!" spat Sergei, "God you're naive! It's a pedo site! What do you think? Naturism or something?"

"Oh come, come, Mr Radinskaya, we don't use that word here! Our clients are just, how shall we say, interested in the more intimate areas and so we tend to focus in on those, if you take my meaning. We give emphasis to that part of her that is most girl, shall we say," he laughed lasciviously. "The girls aren't required to actually do anything. There is no sex. They merely have to...err, display themselves intimately shall we say. Would you like to see some of the examples of the photoshoots so you can see exactly what is involved?" Sergei and his wife both spoke suddenly, and together,

"Oh no, really! That's fine" - "Oh yes, please, that would be most interesting"

Sasha laughed and reached over to a folder on his desk marked "Example Photoshoots 2004"

"Well perhaps just you would like to look at these then Mr Radinskaya," he said as he handed the folder to Sergei. His wife looked purposefully at the ground, not wishing to see either the photos or her husband's reaction to them. Sergei on the other hand was transfixed by what he saw. His gaze was intent and every few photographs he would hold the folder up nearer to his face to get a closer look,

"Wow!" he whispered, as if in a dream. Sasha just laughed and stood up,

"You like them, I see, Mr Radinskaya?" he asked.

"Oh yes. They are beautiful. Really classy too!" he breathed, not quite able to take his eyes off the folder which he eventually lay back on the desk.

"Good. Anyway, you'll soon see the real thing. You will never have seen your daughter in this much detail, eh Mr Radinskaya" he grinned as he nudged Sergei suggestively. "Come along. They should have her ready by now." Olga's face was looking decidedly uneasy at the look of lascivious expectation on her husband's face.

He walked them down the bare corridor towards the studio with its glowing sign above the door "Shoot in Progress" and as they entered they could see an array of fake backboards, lighting equipment and a number of people rushing around looking busy. At that moment, one of the people rushed excitedly towards them. Olga suddenly realised in slight disbelief that it was the petite figure of their daughter. She did indeed look transformed. She looked a good five years older with very subtle and well applied eye make-up and lipstick. She was dressed in a pair of bright red, skin tight lurex trousers with white fur cuffs and a tight jacket of the same material also lined with the white fur. On her head was a droopy bonnet of the same fabrics. The theme was clearly Christmas.

"Mummy! Daddy! Do you like my father christmas outfit? Isn't it lovely?" beamed Mascha who was clearly delighted. Sergei picked his daughter up and twirled her around smiling,

"Sweetie! You look beautiful! And so grown up! Doesn't she mother?" Olga was trying to put a brave face on things, but couldn't help noticing the (probably deliberate, she thought) tightness of the outfit around her daughter's crotch which left little to the imagination where the seam ran snugly between her legs. To her horror, she could see her husband staring intently between his daughter's legs,

"Jesus, Olga!" he cried in a tone more excited than outraged, "you can seen her...you know...lips really clearly in those trousers!"

She barely recognised her own daughter who was now looking like some glamour model rather than a child. But she could see how much Mascha loved it and so she just tried to look happy for her,

"Yes, dear. You look lovely," she said as her daughter leaned over and pulled her down to whisper something in her ear.

"Mummy, they got me to shower and asked me to wash especially well 'down there'. You know, between my legs," she whispered conspiratorially. "Why would they ask that?

"Yes, honey. You do know that they want you completely bare for some of the pictures don't you?" her mother tried to sound consoling, but was choking back the emotion.

"Well, yes mummy. Yulia said that the men like to see your front bottom in the pictures and that it's ok. But mine wasn't dirty, so I don't know why they asked me to wash it!" she sounded mildly outraged. Olga laughed. Slightly relieved, at the fact that her daughter clearly didn't mind about the photos, just about the slur on her personal hygiene!

Just then, Sasha came up to them and beckoned Mascha to follow him.

"Come on poppet. Time to get you on the set. We've got work to do!" and with that he hustled her over to her position in the middle of a fake Christmas scene, calling back as he did so to her parents, "You go over to Alexa, she'll explain everything to you and show you where you can watch from." He indicated to a pretty young girl in jeans and a jumper who now approached them.

"This way, Mr and Mrs Radinskaya. I'm Alexa, the Production Assistant. If you sit over here with me, you'll be able to see your daughter and also the screen" said Alexa who led them over to some chairs in front of a TV screen.

"What's the screen for?" asked Sergei, thinking as he spoke how odd it was that some many young women worked in this sort of industry. Pretty ones too. He imagined a girl like that would disapprove. It must be the money, he thought. Certainly they all looked healthy and well dressed. Not like the average working Ukrainian girl.

"Oh, it's just to show you each shot the photographer is actually taking from the digital camera. You are able to see what our customers will actually see on the website."

"Really? You mean all the close-ups too?" he smiled at the young woman and felt a curious, and surprising sense of excitement in his stomach. She smiled back,

"Oh yes. Sure," she laughed knowingly, "all the close-ups too" His wife looked at him sickly, not knowing quite how to react. She didn't really want to think of her husband actually being interested in their daughter in that sort of way. It was bad enough seeing him devour the folder in Sasha's office, but the idea of him getting excited about...no...don't even think it.

"These close-ups," she turned to Alexa as they say down, "I am not really sure about those. How close will they be exactly? I didn't look at the folder, you see."

"Oh they are pretty close!" quipped Alexa, almost amused, "you get to see pretty much everything that God made down there! Anyway, you'll see pretty soon. Why? Does that bother you?."

"Well to be perfectly honest, yes it does" she confided, feeling a bit bolder with this pleasant young woman and trying not to let her husband hear.

"Oh don't you worry." She cooed, "I know it must feel a bit strange, but really, it's only what we all have down there. It's only anatomy really. And besides, Sasha is very good with them. They mainly have a great time. Kids don't have the same squeamishness as we do"

"No, I suppose you're right. It's really more thinking about the sort of man that wants to see that. You know? That's what upsets me Alexa" added Olga.

"Well yes. I do know what you mean. But the way I look at it; it's better a those sorts of guys jerk off in front of the computer to our pictures than go and find a real girl!" Alexa had meant to be reassuring, but instead had placed an image in Olga's mind that she would rather not have had there. She just smiled thinly and looked away.

"Right, here we go!" chirped Alexa and she pointed to the screen as the photographer was reeling off the first poses of Mascha posing around in her outfit. He seemed to be concentrating quite a bit on the split of fabric at her crotch, her firm backside and at the small bulges of her breasts. Sasha was calling out orders,

"Lovely Sasha. Great! Now push your bottom out a bit more. That's it. Arch your back. Yes!" as the photographer poked his lens at Mascha's more intimate areas.

"But," continued Olga, "isn't that a bit sick? How can you work here?"

"Oh come on! Don't be such a prude! It's all harmless. We don't hurt the girls!" snapped Alexa. Her demeanour was now harder. She had tried to calm the damn woman down and now she was attacking her! "All we are doing is photographing them as God intended. Who cares if the customers get off on seeing a little girl's pussy. He's not able to get at her, is he?" Olga winced at the pornographic word she had used for her daughter's body. "Anyway, what about you! She's your daughter! You brought her here!"

"Well...we don't have much money. So we...." Olga held her head in shame. She didn't want to face her contradictory feelings.

"Oh shut up woman!" spat Sergei, "I didn't hear you complaining about the money when we signed the contract!"

The photo shoot was progressing well. Mascha seemed to be happy enough and was occasionally giggling. She was now down to just the pair of white lacy panties she had been given by the studio and she was lying down with her legs spread wide apart. The monitor in front of her parents was now filled with the cotton triangle of her crotch as the photographer peered between her legs. Olga was feeling an increasing sense of unease, both at what she saw on the camera and at her husband's increasingly obsessive interest in it.

"Ok, baby, that's it," encouraged Sasha. Olga saw with disgust that her husband was adjusting his crotch and leaning further towards the screen,

"Oh yes! Look at that! Look how close he is!" he panted, clearly enjoying the view of his adolescent daughter's crotch. He couldn't wait to see what was actually under there. He felt himself getting very excited at the prospect. Mascha then stood up and started doing a sort of striptease movement, easing the white panties down her thighs. She threw the tiny garment to the ground and now stood completely naked with her hands on her hips. Sergei took a sharp intake of breath at the sight. He hadn't seen Mascha naked for years and was impressed at the delicate figure which was clearly turning into a young woman. Slender waist, long legs. Hips even. Her bottom was a perfect, firm peach. Her little breasts barely more than hills crowned with pale brown nipples. But it was her crotch that held his attention most. He had assumed that she was still to young to have any hair there, but to his pleasant surprise he could see a small shadow of light brown. He noticed at the monitor that the photographer had zoomed in on her pubic area without moving from the same spot he previously shot her full figure.

"Ah, that's clever" he exclaimed.

"Yes, they do that so the girl doesn't feel to threatened when she is first fully nude," added Alexa. "The punters like plenty of crotch" But Sergei was fascinated by the small amount of wispy brown hairs that adorned his daughter's mound,

"Wow! Didn't realise it'd look like that," he marvelled. Alexa grinned,

"Aah, they grow up quickly don't they?" she smiled, "another three years and she'll be no use to us!"

"Really?" said Olga, trying to get a grip of her emotions.

"Oh yes," answered Alexa, "we only shoot them from the age of about seven to around thirteen. Once they get a full bush our punters don't want to know. Course we shave the older girls when we have to."

"You what?" exclaimed Olga, horrified.

"Well, the older girls, even if they are only fourteen can sometimes be quite hairy. The punters expect to see all the detail, so we have to shave them," explained Alexa matter of factly.

"Good grief!" gasped Olga. Sasha was still directing,

"Ok Mascha, sweetheart, lie down for me and bring your knees up to your chest. That's it...lovely," he called whilst his photographer hovered above the prone child to get the best angle between her legs. The screen made it perfectly clear what the cameraman was concentrating on and it had Sergei entranced,

"Oh yes! Look at that! Gorgeous!" he panted. As he fidgeted with his crotch, he was gazing upon a screen which was completely taken up by the twin bulges of his daughter's large labia squeezed between her clenched thighs. Peeping out between them were two thin folds of pinkish flesh. They glistened slightly.

Olga was now convinced that her husband had an erection caused by seeing his daughter's sex and she was distinctly agitated. Alexa leaned across to comfort her,

"Are you ok, Mrs Radinskaya?"

"No, Alexa," she sobbed, "I don't think I can watch any more of this. He's getting off on his own daughter!"

"Oh, I know how you must feel. But it's ok, the father often finds this part quite erotic. It's the first time they've seen their daughter in a sexual way. It's probably as much of a surprise to him as it is to you!" Alexa put her arm round the tearful mother. "Look if you'd rather come out of the studio, you can sit in the office area. We'll get you a drink"

"No, no..I'd rather..." Olga was torn between staying and going. What she saw was making her feel ill, but she was even more afraid of what might happen to little Mascha if she left.

"You're happy to stay, Mrs Radinskaya, yes?" prompted Alexa, as if speaking to a schoolgirl. Olga just murmured her assent and continued to watch her husband gawping open-mouthed at the screen in front of him. Sasha continue to click away and was now asking little Mascha to bend over in front of him and thrust her bottom towards him. Horrified, Olga watched as Sasha moved in closer and closer with the camera towards her young daughter's bottom. From the position she was in it was clear what the camera was seeing and a glance at the screen in front of them confirmed her worst fears. The frame was completely filled with Mascha's private parts and her little, brown back passage surrounded by light tufts of pubic hair. Meanwhile, she could see a definite bulge in her husband's trousers and he was kneading the end of it excitedly. She stood up indignantly,

"Really! This is just too much!" she spat at Alexa, "how can you - a woman - work in a place like this! It's disgusting! He's not taking modelling photos! These are gynecological!"

"Please madam, try to relax. Your daughter is quite happy and so should you be. We don't do anything here to distress the girls. Please trust us to look after her. Now if you'd rather come out and wait in the office, I really think you'll be more comfortable." Alexa said as she tried to manoeuvre Mrs Radinskaya towards the door.

"Ok, but only if you promise me she won't be hurt," sniffed the woman, "they won't be taking her any further than this will they?"

"Oh, no, Mrs Radinskaya. I give you my word, only these figure shots he is getting now. Nothing more extreme than that. I assure you she will be perfectly happy" reassured Alexa with a sidelong glance at the photoset.

The two women stood together and Alexa ushered her out. Olga gave her husband a sideways look, but he was too engrossed in the screen to notice her venomous expression. As she left the studio, Alexa whispered to one of the lighting team, "Igor, tell Sasha the mother has left now, so he may want to heat it up a bit"

"Ok, Alexa" replied Igor, knowing exactly how things worked. As he stepped over to Sasha, he whispered the news to him so as not to alarm the child. Sasha smiled a knowing smile and said to the little girl on the floor,

"Right Mascha, now I want you to open up your legs as wide as you can. Just like you're at gym class. Can you do that for me?" he entreated.

"Yes Sasha," answered the little girl obediantly splaying her legs wide apart as the photographer crouched down between them with his lens just inches from her vulva.

Meanwhile, her father was finding this almost overwhelming,

"Oh Christ! Look at her sweet little pussy!" he whispered to no-one in particular as he gazed in rapt attention at the screen before him. Alexa, who had just re-entered the studio having deposited the distressed Olga with a matronly lady in reception had seen it all before. Noticing his hand fumbling at his lap, she said, helpfully,

"Mr Radinskaya, if you'd like to masturbate, this seat along here is a little more private and there are some tissues." Alexa indicated a seat behind a low partition where he would be able to see the set and the screen, but where his lap would be hidden from view. Sergei blushed slightly and got up suddenly moving his hand away from his crotch as if nothing were happening,

"Oh...no...you're mistaken...I was...err..." he muttered, but Alexa had the measure of him,

"Oh come come, Mr Radinskaya, don't be silly! It's perfectly normal. Almost all the fathers get excited and so we like to make them comfortable during the shoot. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Hey, I even get a little wet sometimes seeing what some of these little minxes can get up to! You'll be amazed at your own daughter when Sasha's done with her!"

Sergei shuffled towards where she was pointing a sat down, noticing the box of Kleenex beside him. In fact from here, he had an even better look at the screen. And what a sight it was! Sasha had now become a great deal bolder,

"Yes, sweetie, I want you to pull open your front bottom for me so we can see inside. That's it, pull those lips apart for me..." as he made the request, Mascha carefully took hold of both of her labia minora in the forefinger and thumb of each hand and gently pulled them open. By now, her father had freed his stiff penis from his trousers and was furiously masturbating it as he peered at the screen. On it was a hugely magnified image of his daughter's adolescent vulva gaping open to reveal the pink, glistening interior. He could see the tiny, dark hole which was her vaginal entrance with its tight ring of hymen encircling it. But what intrigued him most was the dribble of thick, creamy liquid that oozed from the hole and was now running down towards her puckered little anus.

"What's that white stuff?" Sergei asked. Alexa looked over, carefully preserving his privacy by avoiding his lower half and answered him,

"Oh it's quite common in pubescent girls to get a bit of leaking." Seeing he still looked puzzled, she continued, "your little girl is becoming a woman," she laughed, "posing nude with all these men asking you to show your privates gets the girls excited sometimes." Gasping with sudden realisation, Sergei said,

"Oh...right...I see. You mean it's her...juices?"

"Exactly. She's getting nicely warmed up. I wouldn't be surprised if Sasha makes use of that. He usually does. Especially when the mum has left and if the dad doesn't mind" added Alexa.

"What? Makes use of it? What do you mean?" asked Sergei, suddenly a little concerned. But at that point. Sasha came over to him.

"Ok. Great. I think we're done her Mr Radinskaya" he said. "She's a natural, that little girl of yours. Quite excellent. And a lovely little body too."

"Oh..err...yes..." mumbled Sergei, suddenly embarrassed in front of another man and hastily putting his penis back into his trousers. "Yes...err...thank you..." But Sasha was no fool and knew exactly what was going on,

"Enjoy that then did you?" he teased, looking down knowingly at Sergei's lap. "I must admit, I usually have to go off and relieve myself after these shoots! It get's pretty exciting, eh?" But Sergei still seemed pretty awkard about the whole situation and hurried off to the reception area where his daughter was ready to meet him.