AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, it means if you could watch any television show you wanted, would it bePaw Patrol?”
He thinks about it hard, scrunching his nose and scratching his head. Then he seems to have forgotten the question as there’s aPaw Patrolemergency. Caleb jumps off the couch and stands four feet in front of the television, completely mesmerized by the rescue dogs sliding down to their vehicles.
“That looks fun,” I say, getting his attention.
Climbing back on the couch, he responds to my original question, “I like dinosaur shows mostest, but my fwiends lovePaw Patrol.” He raises his fist up like he’s a winner.
We watch two more episodes of thePaw Patrolmarathon, but then we play Hi Ho Cherry O a few times and then Hungry Hippo. At the end, I make him count how many balls in each hippo’s mouth.
We’re lying on our stomachs in front of the couch. “Which hippo has more, the blue one or the green one?”
“Gween one.”
The blue hippo has eight, and the green one has nine. He’s a smart little dude. My watch shows it’s five minutes before noon. Only four hours to go.
“Good job. You should get a reward.”
“Can I have marshmallows?”
“Sure. Do you know where they are?”
“Yep, in the big cabinet,” he says, pointing to a pantry door.
I open all the cabinets, searching for bowls and cups. When I find them, I take one of each out for Caleb, open the bag of marshmallows, and I pour a generous portion into the bowl. Caleb takes the bowl with him to the den, settling on the floor as he immerses himself in playing with his Hot Wheels. With precision, he arranges them in a neat line, meticulously organizing them by color.
Suddenly, his focus is interrupted as he notices a rogue red car mixed in with the black ones. In response, he overturns the bowl in frustration as he goes to fix it. Upon returning to me, he accidentally steps on a marshmallow, causing it to squish between his toes. This insignificant event triggers a cascade of emotions.
It begins with crying, escalating into screaming, and eventually culminating into a full-blown tantrum. Despite my reassurances that everything is all right and my attempts to clean him up, he cannot seem to regain his composure. The cycle of agitation continues, leaving both of us caught in a whirlwind of emotions.
My attention is drawn to my phone as it rings with Cookie across the screen. Inhaling a deep breath, I answer, “Hey. Everything is fine.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” I tell her what we’ve done so far, hoping she doesn’t hear Caleb crying in the background.
“Did he nap?”
“Nap, uh… no.”
“He can sleep on the couch or in his room. That way, you can get some studying done yourself. That is if you still want to stay on the good side of Coach Sweet.”
My eyes soften, and all the tension melts away at her innuendo. “Any ideas on how I get him to sleep?”
“He has a routine, but the daycare being closed has probably thrown him off schedule. Just play soft music and read him a book or two.” She pauses. “Reed, thank you. I know this isn’t what you had in mind when you came over today… I have to clock in for work.”
It’s not what I expected my day to look like, but if I’m going to have chance with her, it’s imperative that I experience what Brooke does every single day.
After our conversation, my stomach growls, reminding me that I need to eat. Could Caleb's agitation be attributed to hunger? Marshmallows certainly wouldn't be filling for him. Eager to remedy the situation, I explore her kitchen cabinets in search of sustenance. Eventually, my search yields two cans of SpaghettiOs and a trusty can opener.
I walk back to check on him, and he’s calmed down some, just whimpering. When lunch is ready, I call him into the kitchen. He doesn’t come right away, so I go into the den to tell him again.
“I want to watch TV. Mommy lets me.”
For the next two hours, I persistently attempt to convince him to eat the SpaghettiOs until he finally gives in and takes a few bites. Unfortunately, he hasn't had a nap, and I can't help but worry that this challenging experience will be fuel for Brooke to reject the idea of us being together as a couple.
I can hear her now, because Caleb comes first in her life, as he should.“We can’t. Caleb doesn’t like you. I like you, Reed. I really do, but he’s my guy.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
