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Brett and Carter came out of the new bedroom that they and Hawk had been building for the last few weeks. It was a new master bedroom, allowing us to convert the current one into a suite for guests and turning the nursery into Rose’s bedroom. The new suite also had a small room attached that could one day be a big walk-in closet or an office, but for now had other purposes.
It was empty now, though, and as I stared into it after the men left, I could see the potential of it. I could see how it would be decorated and how much time could be spent there. And it would all happen so soon.
Rose toddled into the room behind me and tugged at my pants. I looked down, and she reached up with both arms, clenching and unclenching her hands in the sign language of babies all over the world. I reached down and scooped her up, resting her on my hip as I turned around and looked at the rest of the room. The bathroom was the first room they completed fully, having put in all the plumbing and fixtures. Today they had painted it, leaving only adding the door after the paint dried to finish it up.
“What do you think, Rose? Do you like Mommy and Daddy’s new room?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said enthusiastically.
I carried her back into the living room and sat her down when she began wiggling and kicking her legs. She zoomed off to her toys and picked a few up to bring to me. Gladly, I sat down with her and played dolls with her for a little while, wondering how on earth I was ever as fulfilled as I was when she came to play with me or asked me to carry her.
Rose was the light of our lives and always would be. She was the daughter we both chose, and we loved her fiercely
“Alright, baby,” I said, scooping up the toys and putting them back in her toybox, “it’s time to get you ready for your party.”
“Yay,” she cheered, getting to her feet and running into her bedroom.
By the time I got there, she had already unbuttoned her onesie and was trying to pull it up. I had to laugh. She was a very independent girl and had a streak of headstrong, do-it-yourself-ness to her. It would take some careful parenting to encourage that while also guiding her away from impulses that might get her in trouble. But I could see the potential in her, the things she could accomplish and the woman she could grow into. And I was proud to play a part in that.
I helped her get dressed in a cute dress a local dressmaker had made for her special day, and even as impatient as she was about all the frills, she absolutely loved them when she saw herself in the mirror. I helped her get on her little jacket and packed the diaper bag with the essentials and took her by the hand.
Hawk was going to meet us there, having gone out to the storage unit near Dina’s Diner to pick up the presents we’d stored there. Rose was a good girl, but she was very curious, and with all the construction in the house, we both thought it wise to keep her gifts out of the house.
Dina’s closed up at five on Sundays now, having switched back and forth from being open, being closed, and having half days over the years. As the diner got more successful, it was hard to close up on Sundays, especially when Tony wanted to use it to do an all-day brunch and serve his own stuff. I had been clued in to the situation with Helen and Tony at the bonfires and through Finn, who was always in the loop. Tony was exceptionally talented, and as much as everyone wanted to see him happy, no one really wanted to lose him either.
I was glad he was making Rose’s birthday cake. I had tried to make her one for her first birthday, and it looked like it had gone for a ride in a rickshaw before I presented it. I could cook mean savory dishes and delighted in making Hawk and Rose dinners as often as I could, but baking was not my thing. Having Tony do it meant that it would at least be pretty and taste good.
“Where’s Daddy?” Rose asked as I put her into her car seat and locked her in.
“He’s at the party waiting on you,” I said. “Making sure everything is perfect for his special girl.”
“Yay, Daddy,” she said. “I two.”
She held up three fingers, thought about it for a second, then switched to two.
“Yes you are, baby. Alright, let’s go,” I said, kissing her head and shutting her door.
