When I return to the bathroom after hanging Alyssa’s clothes up, she’s ready for me to wash her hair. She taught me how her mom did it, and I’ve tried to emulate the process every day. There are times when I get it wrong, but I’m learning, and Alyssa knows this.
“Are you hungry?” I ask.
She shrugs again and keeps her eyes closed. “Maybe a sandwich and some soup.”
“I can do that,” I tell her. “What about grilled cheese and tomato soup?”
“With extra cheese?”
“Of course.”
“Can I have bacon on my sandwich?”
“You can have whatever you want.”
As soon Alyssa’s hair is soap-free, I tell her I’ll meet her in the hall. I give her the privacy she needs to dry off. When she comes out with her towel wrapped around her head, not in the right way, but the Alyssa way, and wrapped in an oversized towel, I follow behind her as she makes her way to her room. Now that the danger of water is out of the way, I tell her I’ll meet her downstairs for dinner, and then it’s bedtime. For once, she doesn’t complain as she yawns and nods to me.When my alarm goes off, I think about staying in bed. Alyssa doesn’t have to start school and can wait until January, and I’m sure there are things we could do today, just the two of us. But, she has other ideas and throws my bedroom door open. She’s dressed in the outfit she picked out last night and has her hairbrush in her hand, shaking it at me.
“Daddy, get up. I’m going to be late.”
“It’s six-thirty. You have over an hour,” I tell her.
“Not when I have to eat breakfast.” Alyssa sets her hands on her hips, her brush still pointing at me. She’s right, she’s a slow eater, but I plan to drive her, at least for a bit, and then figured she can start taking the bus at the beginning of the year.
“Okay, I’m getting up. I’ll meet you downstairs.” I wait for her to leave and slowly climb out of bed. I glance at my nightstand, and my heart lurches. Tucked inside the drawer is a picture of my wife. I put it there when we moved in because I’m desperately trying to start over. My hand hovers over the knob, and then I think better of it and make my way to the bathroom to get my day started.
Downstairs, I find my precocious daughter standing on the countertop, rummaging through the cabinets. Without trying to create any panic, I scoop her up and set her on my waist. “Let’s not climb up there, okay?
“How am I supposed to know what kind of cereal we have?”
I spin us around and point to another door. After setting her down, she goes to it and laughs. “I forgot about the—what’s it called?”
“Pantry, and it has a special Alyssa shelf. So, no more climbing, okay?”
“Okay,” she says as she reaches in and picks which cereal she’s going to have. We work together to get her bowl set up and carried to the table. While she’s eating, I sit there and look through my work emails, client requests, changes, and smile at each new client who wants to hire me. This work from home thing is going to work in my favor for sure. It really gives me the best of both worlds.
Once Alyssa is done eating her breakfast, I send her off to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She rushes off excitedly, and I love how enthusiastic she is about school. I don’t remember being that way. As soon as she’s done, she runs to get her backpack and waits by the door.
“I’m ready.”
Grabbing my car keys, I smile. “Let’s go.” The school is only two miles away from the house, and when we pull up, there’s a long line of cars with parents trying to drop off their kids. “I put your lunch box in your backpack, don’t forget to take it out and put it in your cubby. Also, make sure you wear your coat when you go outside. I’ll be here when the bell rings.”
“Okay, Daddy. What if Nana comes to pick me up?”
“Then, Mrs. Braswell will tell you. If she doesn’t, know that I’ll be here. You only get into my car, okay?”
“Got it,” she says as we pull up to the drop-off. I make her wait until we’re almost in line with the front door.
“Do you remember where to go?”
She nods. “I do.”
“And you’re sure you don’t want me to walk you in?”
Her eyes light up. “Nope, there’s Cassie, see!”
I look out the window to verify. Cassie is waving eagerly from the flagpole. I can’t help but smile. Alyssa unbuckles and places herself in the middle of the two front seats. She kisses my cheek. “Bye, Daddy. See you later.”