A Gorgeous Villain (St. Mary's Rebels 2)

I keep telling Halo that we can’t take someone else’s dog but she’s yet to believe me on that.

So then we get into this whole mess where she cries and gets angry. Snot runs down her nose and she gets all red-faced, breaking my little mommy heart.

But you know, kids need to learn that they can’t get their way every time they cry and throw a tantrum.

Even though it’s super hard when my baby girl’s voice has gone all hoarse from crying and she looks at me with accusing eyes, I try to stay stern.

Not someone else though, no.

Someone else is a complete sucker.

Oh God, is he a sucker.

A slight tremble on her rosy lips and his frown comes out to play. If she points her finger at a toy in the store, he lunges to get it off the shelf. In case someone else gets their hand on it. Even though we can clearly see that they have that toy in stock, like tens of them sitting on that shelf.

And God forbid if a tear rolls down her pink cheeks, his wrath will not be contained. He’ll pace and stomp and won’t settle down until his Halo girl has what she wants.

And so after a long, long debate and discussion, we’re giving her a puppy. Because as I said, he’s a sucker and tomorrow’s my baby girl’s first birthday.

Of course, she doesn’t know that.

Not about the birthday — I think she knows; I’ve told it to her a million times now and I think she totally understands me. But about the puppy.

It’s supposed to be a surprise.

The one who can’t see his Halo girl cry, her daddy, is going to pick it up after work.

Anyway in this moment, my baby’s excitement is due to something else altogether.

It’s because we’re baking. And Halo loves baking as well.

She has to be present in the kitchen when I bake. She has to sit in that high chair and help me put the butter in the mixing bowl and measure out cups of sugar, add in a pinch of salt and everything.

And every time she does, we have little high fives.

But her favorite part is frosting.

I think she loves the colors. The brighter, the better.

And so I’m leaning across the island, flipping pages of an amazing baking recipe book that I found online, showing her all the pretty colors that she wants to see.

They have some elaborate decorations on their cupcakes. I’m an amateur baker; I can’t do all that but I at least know how to whip up some amazing shades so I’m asking her, “Okay, this one?”

Her answer is to chew on her teething ring we bought her a few months back when her first teeth started to come in and she was miserable, she still loves it, and scrunch her nose.

“Hmm… so not this one then.” I flip the page and show her a pretty green cake. “What about this one?” I ask excitedly. “How green it is. Look! So pretty. Like Mommy’s dress. See?”

I’m wearing a light green sundress with white flowers that Halo sees but instantly dismisses by shaking her head and making protesting noises.

“What? You don’t like Mommy’s dress?” I pout and she shakes her head again.

Narrowing my eyes at her, which only makes her giggle and chew on her toy, I say, “All right, girlfriend, I’ll remember this. I’ll remember what you said about Mommy’s dress. But for now we need to figure this thing out. We need to figure out what to color those cupcakes we made for Daddy and…”

I stop talking because that just gets her to another level of excitement, Daddy.

He’s not the only one crazy about his Halo girl actually. She’s crazy about him too.

You can’t say ‘Daddy’ in front of her, without her getting super excited. She’ll flap her chubby arms, wiggle her tiny body and laugh and chuckle and squeal, fill the room with her happiness and joy at the mention of him.

Like she’s doing right now.

And she’ll say random baby syllables. “Da da… Da da da…”

“I know,” I say, leaning further over to nuzzle my nose in her sweet smelling hair. “We made cupcakes for Daddy. He’s gonna love it, right?”

She wiggles her little body even more, opening and closing her fists, as if calling for him. “Da da… da da…”

I kiss her cheek. “Aww, I know. I miss him too. He’ll be back soon though. And then you can tell him all about your day. About how you made cookies with Mommy earlier and your birthday cake. And how we went to the park in the morning and when we came back, we picked out our outfit for tomorrow’s birthday party.” I widen my eyes and she does it too. “And oh my God, it’s so pretty, right? It’s pink!”