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I start my day by playing with Teddy in his room for a while before we head out to the back yard. Then it’s lunch and a nap, which could be a good time to bring in my stuff, but instead I focus on picking up and cleaning the toys he has previously left strewn across the back yard this week. Then we put on Teddy’s current favorite movie, Cars.
We’re almost done with it when Colton arrives home from work, looking exhausted and rubbing at his head.
“You’re welcome to take a load off and watch with us,” I tell him with a smile.
He grins. “That actually sounds perfect,” he says, plopping himself into the corner of the couch opposite where Teddy and I are sitting.
Within just a few seconds, Teddy crawls over to his father and snuggles into his arms.
I have to look away, the tender moment something that makes my soul well up with emotion.
I don’t normally allow myself to admire the fathers of the kids I take care of. I always intentionally direct that attention to the mothers. But with Colton, well, he’s the only option. And even though I know I’m helping here by providing extra hands and giving Colton the freedom he needs in order to transition to being a working father, there’s a part of me that’s sad I’m needed at all.
In the weeks I’ve been working for him, I’ve had many chances to observe who Colton actually is with his son, and he is clearly an exceptional dad who loves Teddy more than life. I wish he could be a stay-at-home dad like he wants to be.
Once the movie wraps, Colton lifts Teddy up over his head and the kid squeals with joy.
“You know what time it is, Ted?”
“No!” he replies, the word coming out long and almost staccato from the way Colton is shaking Teddy in the air.
“It’s time for Ms. Emily to move into her new room!” he shouts, leading to another cry of joy from Teddy.
He suddenly can’t get away from his dad fast enough, yanking on his father’s shirt to be dropped down and accidentally kicking him in the chest as he scrambles off Colton’s lap.
“I can help!” he pronounces, his chest puffing up.
“Oh, thank you so much!” I tell him, clapping my hands together. “You know what would be really awesome? Can you hold the doors open while I bring in my bag?”
“I can do it! I can do it!” he cries, rushing over to the front door and opening it widely.
I chuckle to myself and glance at Colton.
“Guess it’s time to move in then, huh?”
He shrugs and gives me a Guess so look, and the two of us push off the couch and head outside to grab my things.
Once I’ve gotten my suitcase and backpack out of the trunk, I grab my duffel from the floor of the back seat and swing it over my arm.
“Are you doing another load later?” Colton asks, taking in the fact that I’m only carrying a few bags.
“This is it,” I tell him with a shrug. “I’ve never been a ‘stuff acquirer’, you know? I don’t hold on to a lot. It’s hard to move on if you have a lot of baggage.”
He watches me for a long moment before he shakes off whatever was in his head then steps forward to take my suitcase from my hands.
“I’ll carry this one,” he says, lifting it like it weighs nothing and leading the way back into the house.
I follow him in, sure to have Teddy close the door behind me, then head upstairs, where Colton has stopped outside of my new room.
I’ve seen it before and I know I’m going to love it, but I still can’t help but hold my breath as I step up to the threshold.
The room is even larger than I remember, with beautiful furniture and lovely curtains billowing slightly in the breeze at the open window overlooking the back yard. I can’t pinpoint why I like this room so much more than the one I had at the Keifers, but I do, and I’m going to be really happy in this space, I just know it.
“Feel free to settle in,” Colton begins as I drop my duffel onto my bed. A queen size I can’t wait to launch myself onto later, when Colton isn’t watching.
“Actually, I was thinking I would start that tonight, to help smooth the transition,” I tell him, the thought having only occurred to me a little while ago as I sat in front of the TV with Teddy, wondering what this evening would look like as I hung out alone in my room.
“Oh,” he says, his eyebrows rising. “I think I just…assumed things would change on Monday.”
