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I bent down as we reached the bottom thinking that my daughter was too smart for her good. She picked up on everything and anything that was going on. I would stick to telling her the truth. That was the only way to get to the bottom of her question and the only way for me to get what I wanted, Nia.
“Yes, daddy was naughty,” I exaggerated my sigh, “You see, I should have called first to make sure that it was okay.”
“Ah, so they were surprised?”
I nodded, thinking that she was starting to understand what I was saying to her.
“That makes sense. Well, hopefully, we can pick up Barbie and Ken on our way to the park.”
My daughter wasn’t only perspective, but very manipulative. I could tell that she was trying to get me to make it up to her.
“I suppose so.”
She smiled, “Good. See, you’re not such a bad daddy.”
I didn’t know if she was being sarcastic or honest. I hadn’t worked that out with her. I used to brush it off and think that she was only four, nearly five and too young to do that. But just then when she winked at me and started skipping to the car, I realized that she was manipulating me. I knew that I was in trouble in the years to come. Only one person could save me from what was about to happen as she hit the teenage years, Nia. She would put her in her place and probably me too.
***
“Sorry, daddy didn’t call you first,” Gia blurted out before Nia said a word as she started walking towards us.
Nia smiled at her, “Darling, it’s not your fault. Sorry, I was angry earlier.”
Gia beamed back, “It’s okay. Does your sister want to come too?”
We laughed because everyone used to think that Carol was Nia’s older sister and not mom. Mainly because Carol used to insist on her calling her by her first name and not mom.
“Sister?”
“Yes, the one that was in your house.”
“Oh, she’s my mom.”
“Wow, Grandma doesn’t dress like that. She dresses like old people.”
“My grandma doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s my grandma, so she makes me call her by her first name.”
I could see the way that the kids were talking about their lives. That they had more in common than I realized. I turned and saw that Nia was looking at them too.
“I work nights. So, I kind of sleep during the day,” she smiled, and she didn’t have that defensive look. The same one that she had when I left her in the hall. She seemed more relaxed in her jeans and shirt. Something that I hadn’t seen her in since I’d come back.
“Sorry, we woke you up. For some reason, I didn’t think that you worked.”
“You’ve been checking up on me?” She came toward me. Any closer and I could have quickly grabbed her and kissed her like I did back in the hall.
That’s when I was brought back to reality.
“Dad, Alex wants to play with Ken. We need to get home.”
Damn, my daughter was demanding.
“We could just go back to your place?” she whispered as she stood so close.
I turned to face her, thinking that I came to take the kids out and spend time with her so that we could talk. Maybe she was unconsciously flirting with me, but as I put my hand on the arch of her back, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I could tell that she was thinking the same thing that was I feeling right now. I wanted her just as much now as I had wanted her back in the hall. I knew that at my place, I wouldn’t be able to resist her. No matter how hard I tried.
“Sounds like a plan.”
She put her hand on my arm, “Is your mom there?”
