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Zuri grinned. “Gallery, baby.”
Carmen widened her eyes in shock. “Gallery.”
“Good job.” Zuri stepped to the side as if not wanting to be in our way of connecting.
I drank in the awesomeness in the space. “You did all of these, Carmen?”
“All by myself!”
I headed over to the wall.
Stick figure drawings—vibrant and sweet—depicted me in a series of fantastical space adventures.
One drawing showed me on the moon. My stick figure donned a red and orange spacesuit. Purple stars twinkled around me.
“So cool.” I grinned.
Watching me the whole time, Carmen giggled.
In another image, I was locked in an epic battle with green aliens. My stick figure was armed with a laser gun made of bright blue and yellow strokes.
“Yep.” I chuckled. “That’s exactly how it happened.”
Carmen giggled again. “Silly daddy.”
The most touching piece, however, was one where I danced with a bright star. A huge smile decorated my face.
But the drawing that held my gaze the longest was the one where I stood on the moon’s surface, holding a picture of Zuri and Carmen. The simplicity of the drawing was profound—a stick figure holding a tiny rectangle, yet within it lay an entire universe of unspoken love and longing.
“Wow!” I moved from image to image, and a whirlwind of emotions engulfed my body. There was an exhilarating sense of pride in seeing how Carmen viewed me-–not just as her father but as an adventurer, a protector, a figure of fun and fantasy.
Yet, intertwined with this pride was a pang of sadness, a realization of all the moments missed, the times I wasn’t there to witness her growing imagination and to be a part of these adventures she had crafted in her mind.
It doesn’t matter. You’re here now.
I gazed over my shoulder and looked at Carmen. “You are talented, baby girl.”
A blush crept up on her cheeks as she beamed in happiness.
Then, she shocked the shit out of me by running over and hugging my leg.
My mouth dropped open.
“Thank you, daddy.”
I glanced at Zuri, unsure if I could hug her back. They both were still figuring me out. In this short time, I had gotten their trust to be there. I didn’t want to mess that up.
Carmen clung to my leg tighter.
I gazed at Zuri with pleading eyes and pursed my lips.
Zuri whispered, “It’s okay.”
My heart raced as I reached down and scooped my baby up.
Carmen loudly giggled. “I’m flying!”
I brought her in for a hug, doing my best to not crush her little body with my arms. Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m so proud of you.”
Carmen lay her head on my shoulder. The scent of a fruity candy hit my nose.
I breathed her in some more. “Daddy missed you.”
The shock of love that coursed through me was overwhelming, a tidal wave of affection and regret, joy and sorrow, all merging into a singular, powerful moment of connection.
I could hold her all day.
Zuri’s gaze softened.
My voice trembled. “I love you, baby girl.”
The emotion on Zuri’s face shifted overwhelming, and then a single tear left her eye.
We stayed there for a few minutes.
Carmen—unaware of the emotional storm spinning through me—lifted her head. “Now for tea, Daddy.”
“Tea?”
She bobbed her head. “Down, Daddy.”
“Okay.” I loosened my hold on Carmen and lowered her back to the floor.
“Umm.” Zuri stepped forward. “Your daddy may not have time to do tea.”
“No.” Carmen whipped her view my way and sadness crossed her face. “No tea, Daddy?”
“Yes. Tea.” Frantic, I didn’t even look Zuri’s way. “I want all the tea you have. I’m super thirsty.”
My baby can never be sad like that again.
“Yay!” Carmen clapped.
I glanced at Zuri and shrugged.
To my surprise, she nodded. “Tea it is then.”
Whew.
Carmen reached out her hand and curled her small fingers barely halfway around mine.
A rush of emotion jolted through me.
With her tiny hand in mine, she guided me across the room. “Come, Daddy.”
“Okay.”
“Jingle. Jingle.” She let go of my hand and pointed to a small chair. “That’s where you sit.”
I looked at it. “Maybe, I should sit on the floor. I don’t want to break it.”
Carmen giggled.
I slid it to the side and lowered myself to the ground. My frame was oversized next to the chairs and table. Yet, in that instant, all sense of awkwardness vanished, replaced by the simple joy of being included in my daughter’s world.
There, I scanned the space.
On my left, a bright red bunny sat in a chair.
Carmen gestured to the chair on my right. “Here, Mommy.”
“I’m coming.” Zuri headed over and got into her chair. That plump ass spilled over the sides.
Focus on Carmen.
I cleared my throat and put my view on the table.
The tea set was a charming collection of pastel colors, each piece delicately crafted to fit perfectly in a child’s hand. The teapot—a soft shade of lavender—had little painted white flowers that wound their way around its surface.
