“I know, I can see it in your eyes and in the way you treat me.”
“How did someone as young as you get so smart?”
A giggle escaped. “You just met the two smartest people I know.” My parents may not have been scholars, but book smarts didn’t always equate to real life smarts. “They rarely told me no but always took the time to explain why something I wanted to do wasn’t the wisest of decisions. From there, they left it up to me to decide which way to go. When I heard you playing I had to follow that ethereal voice. I’m not a religious person, wasn’t raised that way, but something in your voice called to me and I had follow it. Once I laid eyes on you my brain and my heartaligned, literally for the first time. I wasn’t getting on that train without you.”
“And I wasn’t about to let you. I’m not religious either, but I do believe in fate. This is my second chance at doing it right and with you by my side. I won’t fail.”
“We won’t fail.” That much I was sure of. “Things may be tight and a bit all over the place for a while, but no matter what we will always have each other.”
“Good thing I’m not a conventional Daddy,” he smirked.
“Why is that?”
“Because I might be offended at having a boy who was smarter than me. As it is, I consider myself very lucky.”
“Daddy, you say the sweetest things.”
“I never thought I would or even could fall in love, having never really known what love was. Yet here I am, just over a week into a relationship and so madly in love I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Words escaped me and as a writer words were how I paid the bills. But Daddy understood, he kissed my hand again and sang along with the radio the rest of the way home. I almost wished the drive hadn’t been as fast, then I could’ve listened to him longer.
Intimate concert for one, please.
“Why don’t you try your key to make sure it works?” I’d thrown it in the drawer when I moved in two years ago and never checked. Daddy put the key in, turned it, and it worked. “Yay! Now it’s official.”
“Wait, don’t go in yet.” He scooped me up, and I squealed. “Let me carry you over the threshold of our first place together.”
“Silly Daddy.”
He stood me up and locked the door behind us. “Silly boy. I know something we didn’t get to do while on our adventure.”
“What’s that?” We hung our keys on the hook beside the door and kicked off our shoes.
“Tubby time!”
“Yay!”
“My little uni was such a big boy today and held Daddy’s hand when he got nervous. Now it’s time for Daddy to take care of his boy. Now, where are your tubby toys?”
“Um, I just have a couple of things. Not much fun tubby timing myself.” Tried it a couple of times and it gave me a bad case of the sads. “Oh, and my new tubby unis from the train.”
“Well, Daddy will be adding more tubby toys to his list. I’ll start the water while you get undressed. Do you have any bubbles?”
“Yup, they’re under the sink.” Hurriedly, I undressed and tossed my dirty clothes in the hamper. “Ready, Daddy.”
“The water isn’t as fast as my little uni. Gotta give it a few more minutes. Do you have any toys that won’t get ruined in the tub?”
“Mmm, maybe my ponies?” I ran out to the play area in the living room and grabbed two of them. “No fighting, girls,” I warned them before I tossed them in the tub. “They float, Daddy!”
“Yes they do, and I take it by the speech they both just got that they’re not the best of friends.”
“They would be if the Princess didn’t have a bug up her butt.” For some reason, Daddy found that funny. “What? She does, then she gets mean with the others and I have to put her in time out.”
“That’s a very naughty princess,” Daddy tsked. “Why don’t you climb in with them while the tub fills.” He took my hand and helped me in.
“Thank you, Daddy. Kisses!” I got sweet, sweet kisses then he sat on the toilet and watched me play.
“Do you have a laptop I could use while you’re at work on Monday or just your work one?”
