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Wesley glanced between Lucy and me. A smile spread across his lips. “It’s more than alright.”
* * *
“What are you learning in school?”
Lucy tried to reply with a mouthful of spaghetti, the noodles escaping from her mouth.
Wesley held up his hand. “Lucy, chew and swallow first, please.”
She went silent and tried to chew faster.
“Sorry, that was my fault.” I sheepishly looked across the table at Wesley.
He smiled and shook his head. “I appreciate that you care enough to ask.” His plate looked as if nothing had been on it in the first place. He’d devoured my cooking, remarking frequently how delicious it was. If there’s one thing better than being told you’re a good cook, it’s being told you’re a good cook by a devastatingly handsome man.
Lucy gulped down her spaghetti. Sauce stained her mouth. “We do math and reading and writing and science and —”
“But what’s your favorite class?”
“Well, in social studies, we’re learning about traditions.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What kind of traditions?”
“Like holidays and family traditions. So we’ve been talking about what we did during the Christmas break. Some kids didn’t even celebrate Christmas!” She gestured wildly with her hands as she spoke.
“Mmm. Yes. A lot of people don’t.”
“So tomorrow, we’re going to start a report on our favorite family tradition.”
Wesley chuckled. “A report? In first grade?”
Lucy raised her chin proudly. “Yes.”
I leaned toward her with an eager smile. “What tradition have you decided on, then?”
Lucy’s excitement dissipated. She started to stab a piece of broccolini with her fork repeatedly. “Well, I don’t know. We don’t really have any family traditions.”
I immediately noticed Wesley’s posture change. “What do you mean? Of course, we do.”
Lucy leaned her chin on her hand. “Like what?”
“Well, we…you know, we…” Wesley’s eyes darted around the room, desperate to come up with something. “We read books before bed.”
“Everyone reads books before bed, Daddy.”
“Okay, well, we always do something fun on Saturday. We have adventures on the weekends.”
“Everyonehas fun on Saturdays. That’s the point.” Lucy drooped more and more, staring at her food.
I could sense Wesley’s embarrassment growing. “We can start a tradition right now.”
Lucy and Wesley looked at me. She smiled curiously. “What kind of tradition?”
“Maybe the tradition is that once a week I eat dinner with you and your daddy.” I looked over to Wesley for permission. “How does that sound?”
Wesley answered with his eyes; they softened at the corners in relief.Yes.
“Seriously? That’d be awesome! I could definitely write a report on that!”
