“Actually, there’s something else I need your help on.” Leaning in, he laid it out for them.
19
She plodded down the stairs, not really noticing where she was going. Blankie was under one arm and she was wearing her favorite Eeyore nightie. Okay, maybe naps weren’t her favorite thing in the world. But with how little sleep she was getting at night now, they’d become a necessity.
Earlier when Jed had decreed it was time for a nap, she hadn’t argued. She’d let him put her to bed, with the pillows arranged around her body so she was all tucked in. Then he’d given her blankie before kissing her forehead and massaging her back until she fell asleep.
He hadn’t noticed that her binky was missing. Or pulled her thumb from her mouth. Or reminded her not to get up without him.
Unease had filled her as she’d drifted off, but she’d pushed it aside. He’d had less than a week to come to terms with everything. He didn’t have Molly, her amazing therapist, to work things through with. Although she wished he’d talk to someone about it.
Things would get better.
She yawned as she walked into the living room to find him sitting on the couch. Jed turned, pausing what he was watching on TV as she entered the room.
“Hey, Daddy.”
“Little girl, did you walk down the stairs alone?” he asked in a deep voice.
Her tummy danced with nerves and excitement. Maybe she’d been worried about nothing.
“Sorry, Daddy,” she mumbled. She waited for him to tell her off. To maybe even take her over his knee and give her a few smacks.
Instead he just shook his head. “Don’t do that again.”
Disappointment flooded her. She walked over and sat next to him on the couch and plonked her feet on the coffee table. What did a girl have to do to get a spanking around here? Worry and frustration as well as broken sleep were making her grumpy.
“Disney channel, Daddy,” she demanded.
He turned to her, raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“Wanna watch the Disney channel.”
“There’s a game on, baby.”
She stuck her lower lip out. That sucked. She sighed. Long and loud. “Gonna go make my special ice cream.”
“Make ice cream?”
“Yep. Hope we got all the ingredients.” She got to her feet and stomped her way into the kitchen. She knew she was behaving like a brat.
Fingers crossed he did something about it.
To her surprise, he did follow her into the kitchen. But that was only to watch her, arms crossed over his chest, resting back against the counter as she lined up her ingredients.
First, out came the tub of vanilla ice cream she’d bought a few days before this all went down. She ran some hot water in the sink then dropped it in to melt it slightly. Didn’t have time to wait for it to melt on its own.
“What are you doing?”
“Making my special ice cream.” Next, she lined up the other ingredients. Gummy bears. Mini Reese’s pieces. Mini marshmallows. Chocolate-covered Turkish delight.
“What are you doing with all of that?”
“It’s going in the ice-cream. Mix it all up, put it back in the freezer for a bit to refreeze. You can also put nuts and maraschino cherries in. You know, if you want to be healthy.”
“I don’t think maraschino cherries are considered healthy,” he rumbled.
“They’re a fruit, aren’t they?”