AMANDA
“I gotta pee pee.”
I looked over at Lanie, her face covered in pizza sauce as she wiggled around in her chair.
“Come on. I’ll take you to the bathroom,” I said.
“Oh, perfect! This gives me a chance to tell you about the time Amanda got so drunk she passed out on the kitchen floor,” Sarah said to Brian as I stood.
“Don’t you dare. I’ll be right back,” I said as I reached for Lanie’s hand.
“No, really. It’s a good story. She got drunk in one outfit, and woke up in another sprawled out on the kitchen floor,” Sarah said.
“Shut up, Sarah!”
“Pee pee,” Lanie said.
I was worried about all the stories Sarah would try to cram in during the bathroom break. But I was shocked when Lanie announced she had to go to the bathroom. The three of us had been working with her on recognizing when she needed to pee before it was too late.
“Need help?” I asked.
“I can do it,” Lanie said.
I watched as she pulled down her pants and pull up and got up onto the toilet. I closed my eyes and turned my back to give her some privacy. She was humming and scooting around on the toilet seat as she went to the bathroom, and my heart swelled with pride when she was done.
“All done,” Lanie said. “Help with my pants?”
“Of course I can,” I said.
“I went pee pee!”
“Yes, you did. And I’m so proud of you.” I wrapped the little girl up in my arms as a smile broke out on her face. She buried her face into my neck as I reached out to flush the toilet. She was scared of the sound the toilet made, and I could feel her whimpering against my skin.
“It’s okay. The toilet’s not gonna get you while I’m around,” I said.
I held her as she washed and dried her hands, then she opened the door and took off. She crawled onto Brian’s lap and started clapping her hands as she tried to tell Brian what she’d just done.
“And I, I pulled it down all by myself. And the pee pee happened. And it all went in and didn’t go everywhere!” Lanie said excitedly.
“She peed all by herself without making a mess,” I said.
“You’re kidding? Lanie! I’m so proud of you!”
I watched as Brian encompassed the little girl in his arms.
“I did it, Daddy. I did it.”
We all froze at the table as Brian’s face dropped. He pulled the little girl away from his shoulders and studied the smile on her face. Sarah’s eyes were darting between the two of us as Lanie’s smile slowly faded from her cheeks. I wasn’t sure what Brian was feeling, but he looked almost upset.
“Is that okay?” Lanie asked.
“Is what okay?” Brian asked.
“Can I say ‘Daddy’?”
Brian’s eyes flickered over to mine before he nodded his head and grinned. He was in disbelief. Hearing Lanie call him daddy was helping everything to sink in. The fact that we had won this morning. The fact that Lanie was now his daughter. I could see the happiness and the pride and the contentment rolling through his body as Lanie w
rapped her arms around his neck.