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The table found that funny as I made my way to my new chair. Jas didn’t sit right away. He shot me a glaring scowl for seconds long before taking his seat.
On our way back to Rome, we stopped at a small island in the Ligurian Sea. The town wasn’t as developed and festive as the previous ports and islands on our tour. Bella wanted to stop here, though, for perishables to help get us through the rest of the journey.
After Chivon’s meltdown at breakfast, I decided to have some alone time with her. We leftThe Bellato check out the place. There were markets but no vibrant youth around to give the place energy. It was cool, though. My target was right at my side, skipping away as I walked. We’d seen all there had been to see and were on our way back to the boat. Chivon and I hadn’t been gone an hour and already I missed her mother. I hadn’t really spoken much to Ashira since breakfast. I had calls to make and emails to return. In between them, I saw she was on the pool deck, back to recording dances. Amy and Rainey tried to follow her. They’d been trying for days. I wanted to talk to Chivon before speaking to her moms.
“Blueberry…” I looked down at her licking her gelato cone.
“Yeah?” She glanced up at me, smiling.
“You know you’re Daddy’s baby. Right?”
“Yeah?”
“And that won’t ever change.”
She stopped then leaped from her toes. “That be fer-ever and fer-ever and ever!” Then she continued the scroll.
“Yeah. And ever. But you see these?” I lifted the flowers and sterling silver chain in a small ziplock bag I bought for Ashira.
“Uhn-huhn. Pretty flow-vures!”
“Yup. They’re very pretty. They’re for Mommy.” I stopped and squatted in front of her when we were close to the boat ramp. “You’re going to give her the flowers and the necklace. Okay?”
“Okay.” She slurped the dripping cream running down the cone.
“Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because Mommy is my friend, too. Just like you’re my baby forever and ever, Mommy’s Daddy’s friend forever and ever and ever.”
“You friend?” She seemed confused. “She my mommy. She not your friend, Daddy!”
I nodded. “She’s your mommy and Daddy’s friend. Yes. I need you to be nice to Mommy all the time. She’s my friend.”
My baby’s beautiful face wrinkled as she fought through her confusion and conviction. “No, Daddy. No. Mommy’s my mommy. She not your friend.” My baby shook her head, convinced.
That’s when I knew I didn’t have this daddy shit in the bag and gave up. I groaned and stood straight.
“You got it, Chivon.” We continued to the boat, and she commenced her skipping while holding my hand as though we’d never stopped. “She’s your mommy. But you have to be nice to her always.”
“Okay,” she groaned, attempting to roll her eyes.
But Chivon wasn’t arguing about being nice to her moms. She was done with the conversation.
“And you’re going to give this to her when we get to the pool. Okay?”
“Mmmhmm.” She agreed. “Daddy. I no want no more.” She shook her head, handing me her half-eaten, melting gelato.
Right away, I took it, then looked for trash cans along the pier and saw none in sight. We boardedThe Bella, and I managed to find one on our way up to the pool deck.
“Here you go,” I whispered to my blueberry. “Go take it to Mommy and say sorry.”
“Okay.” She took off, then stopped and turned around. “Why?”
I pointed ahead, lifting my forehead. “Go do what I said.”
Chivon took off again, and so did I but in a different direction. I wanted to change into my swim trunks and lay out by the pool. I went up one level, and I could see down over the railing to the pool deck as Chivon was kissing her moms, who was holding the flowers and necklace. Chivon was getting loved on, so clueless and unaware of the moment.
