“Is that my little cupcake?” Brooke squealed, smacking her hands together. Her chubby hands reached for John, who looked at Alyssa.
“Go on, take her,” she said.
“Gladly,” he smiled, and grabbed Brooke. She smiled big and then went in for a wet kiss. “Still kissin’ my nose, I see.”
Alyssa shook her head. “I’ve tried getting her to kiss my cheek, but she’s hell-bent on noses it seems.”
“It’s all good,” he said, stepping into the apartment. “How’s my little girl been, huh? You being a good girl for your mama?”
Brooke clapped her hands and kept smiling. He kissed her forehead then glanced at Alyssa. She looked beautiful, making his heart speed up.
“Why are you all smiles?”
Alyssa was smiling from ear to ear. “I have some good news for you, too.”
“Is that so? You want to go first, or me?”
“I’ll go,” she said. “Actually, I have two surprises.”
Alyssa paused, trying to decide which to tell him first.
“Well, get to it! What are you waiting for?”
“Okay. Okay … but I need Brooke first.” Alyssa grabbed Brooke, but she turned away from her mother only wanting Johnny. She wined and Alyssa consoled her. It seemed Alyssa wasn’t the only one who loved being held by Johnny.
Walking across the kitchen, Alyssa carefully placed Brooke on all fours, helping her balance. “Brooke,” she said sweetly, “Where’s Johnny? Can you crawl to Johnny for mama?”
John’s mouth dropped. He quickly placed the papers on the island and squatted down with opened arms. “Is my little cupcake going to crawl to me for the first time?” He couldn’t believe he was going to watch Brooke reach one of her first milestones. “How is she crawling so soon?”
“She’s very eager? I have no clue.”
Brooke grunted somewhere between a wine and a happy cry as she stared at him the entire time. She picked up one chubby hand and placed it in front of her, and then she did it with the other. Alyssa slowly removed her hold and allowed Brooke to crawl on her own. She was wobbly, crying and laughing at the same time trying to crawl to Johnny who waited with opened arms.
“Come on, baby girl. Come to Johnny,” he urged. Happiness spread through John so fast. Alyssa was allowing him this moment with Brooke, and he couldn’t thank her enough for it. Just two crawls away when she rocked back and forth. “Come on, you got this …” She edged closer at a snail’s pace, a few laughs, and Brooke reached him. He scooped her up and hugged her tight. She smelled like a new baby, so fresh and clean. Brooke rested her sweet face on his shoulder, and he was overcome with emotions. He fought back the tears burning behind his eyes. This little girl meant the world to him. Being able to watch her crawl for the first time was something he would never forget.
Looking up, Alyssa was beaming from ear to ear that he could feel her happiness. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw her smile so big and he liked seeing it on her. He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you for that,” he said somberly. “I really needed it.”
Alyssa wrapped both arms around his waist and squeezed. She leaned into Johnny, feeling his strength and took a deep breath. “You’re welcome. I’ve been working on it with her to surprise you.” Tilting her head up, she smiled. They stood there, staring into each other’s eyes with so much happiness they could burst. It was a big moment for both of them and all he wanted to do was press a kiss to her sweet lips. Alyssa was sharing Brooke’s milestones with John and that meant the world to him.
“Alright, what’s your other surprise?”
Alyssa bit her lip. “My other surprise isn’t a great as this one, but still good. I got a job at a diner. I picked up a few shifts and have a sitter already set up to watch Brooke. So I’ll be able to contribute more,” she smiled nervously. She was running out of money she’d saved, so this job was a blessing.
John hated the idea of her working, but she was so excited over her new position that he didn’t want to ruin her mood. “That’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you, babe. You know I don’t mind taking care of you girls, but I know how much it means to you to pull your weight, so I get it.”
“You’re not mad,” she asked, biting her lip.
He laughed. “No, I’m not mad at all. I’m not going to tell you what to do, Alyssa. Do I want you to work, of course not. Do I want Brooke with some random sitter that will probably be spending more time with her than me? No, but I’m not her father and I can’t make that decision.”
Alyssa stepped back. “You’re upset.”
Confused, he asked, “Why would I be upset? I’m not upset in the least. In fact, I’m happy for you. Now, come here,” John pulled Alyssa to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Looking her deep into her eyes, he said, “You’re way off if you think I’m upset.” John kissed her head to prove his point. The last thing he wanted was to bring her down. “Did you do a background check on this sitter? Find out who she is?”
“I did.”
“And she checks out? Have the locals heard of her?”
Alyssa nodded. “Yes, in fact, she babysits for a few couples on the base and around town. She comes highly recommended.”