Life didn’t get much better than that.
After the movie, they walked through the strip mall towards the parking lot hand in hand.
“That movie was sooo funny,” she told Kent, grinning up at him. “You weren’t too bored, were you?”
“There were some parts that were good. Mostly I just enjoyed listening to you giggle,” he told her.
They walked through the main part of the mall past the Christmas display. Santa was sitting in a huge seat and there was a line of half a dozen children waiting with their parents to get their photo taken with Santa. Abby stopped to watch as a gorgeous little girl with big ringlets moved up to sit with Santa.
“You okay, Abby?” Kent leaned in to ask.
“Yeah. I’ve just never done that.”
He frowned slightly, looking over at Santa and the girl. “You never got your photo taken with Santa?”
She shook her head. “Not that I can remember anyway and I’ve never seen any of the photos if they did exist.” She turned and smiled up at him. She wasn’t going to let anything ruin her day. She tugged at his hand. “Let’s go. I’ve not nail polish to buy!”
He smiled down at her indulgently. “All right, sweet girl.”
11
Jed and Daisy
Daisy stretched, sucking dreamily on her binky. She blinked hazily out at the room, dimly recognizing that she was lying in her special bed. The one she took naps in. It had started out with just three sides, but Daddy had decided to add a gate to the fourth side that he could pull across so it felt like she was really sleeping in a big cot.
She stretched and looked around. When she napped in her cot/bed she wasn’t allowed to get up without Daddy. She tended to sleep deeply and then would stumble around still half-asleep. She also knew that Daddy liked to reinforce that when she was in this room, she was Little Daisy.
She spat her binky out. “Daddy!” she called, knowing he’d hear on the camera monitor. She really had to go to the bathroom. Her bedroom had its own attached bathroom with a big bath tub for Daddy to give his Little girl baths.
This whole room was set up so there was a play area, a sleep area and a naughty girl area. She scowled over at her time-out chair. That had been Daddy’s gift to her this morning.
The chair was painted pale green with daisy chains down the legs and across the seat. But along the back were the words: Daisy’s Time-Out Chair.
She pouted. She really didn’t think she needed a time-out chair. Daddy disagreed.
“Hello, sleepyhead.”
She stared up at Jed as he walked into the room, marveling at how gorgeous he was. She still couldn’t believe he was hers. That after all this time, they’d found their way back to each other.
In many ways it was a miracle.
“Up, Daddy,” she demanded.
He raised his eyebrows as he slid the side of the bed along. “Did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“You can only get out of this bed on one side, Daddy,” she pointed out.
He reached in and pulled her up so she was sitting then he brushed her hair out of her face. “This is true. But usually you wake up all soft and cuddly, not scowling and snappy.”
She immediately felt bad. “Sorry, Daddy. Got to go to the toilet.”
He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. “Perhaps we should consider diapers.”
She tensed against him, unsure if he was joking or not.
“I’m not a baby, Daddy.”
“Didn’t say you were, sugar,” he replied calmly as he set her down next to the toilet. He raised the back of her Tigger nightie and helped her sit. She knew by now that he wouldn’t leave while she peed. It was still a little embarrassing, but her bladder had long since given up caring that he was there. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she peed. When he reached for the toilet paper, she reacted instinctively and slapped his hands away. Then realizing what she’d done, she snatched her hand back and stared at him in horror.