“Hey, Daddy.” Maddi smiles at me as I walk into her room.
“Hey, honey.” I touch the top of her head before taking a seat on the side of her bed.
It’s been three weeks since Thanksgiving, and today I picked up Courtney’s engagement ring. Now it’s time to talk to my baby and make sure she’s okay. I watch her play with her dolls on the floor and smile as she lines them all up. I don’t doubt she owns all the L.O.L. dolls now—Courtney can’t seem to help herself. I think she comes home with one of those plastic balls at least once a week.
“Come sit up here with me, honey. I have something I want to talk to you about.” I pat the bed next to me.
She nods, then sets the toy she’s holding aside and gets up. She takes a seat next to me, and I turn to face her, taking her hand in mine. I feel nervous even though I know I have nothing to be nervous about.
“Am I in trouble?” She frowns.
“Did you do something that you should be in trouble for?” I raise a brow, and she seems to ponder that question before shaking her head no.
“No, you’re not in trouble. I want to ask you how you’re feeling.”
“I’m not sick.” Her eyes widen with worry, probably because she has a sleepover planned for the coming weekend.
“I . . .” I smile, then clear my throat. “I mean how do you feel about Courtney and me?”
“Oh. I love Courtney and you.”
“What would you think if I said I was going to ask Courtney to marry me?”
“Really?” She smiles. “Are you going to? Is Courtney going to be my mom?”
“Well, she would be your stepmom. But yes.”
“Do you think she will let me call her Mom? Do you think I can be the flower girl at the wedding? Can we get a puppy?”
I laugh. I can’t help it. “You will have to ask her about calling her Mom, but I bet you she would love it. I’m sure you could be the flower girl. But no, we’re not getting a puppy. We already have Merida.”
“But Merida needs a friend.” She pouts.
She’s been saying for weeks that Merida needs a friend because she’s lonely when we are all gone during the day. I’m not a dog, but I doubt she’s lonely. She’s probably happy to have some time to herself when she’s not being carted around or dressed up by Maddi, who plays with Merida like she’s a doll.
“Sorry, honey. The answer is still no.”
“Okay.” She sighs.
“So are you okay with me asking Courtney to marry me?”
“Yes! When are you going to do it? Can I help?”
“I’d like that.”
“Yay.” She hugs me, and I hug her back, holding her tight and soaking in the feeling. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too, honey. Always to the moon and back.”
“To the moon and back.” She smiles at me, then looks at the bedroom door when she hears Courtney shout that she’s home.
Seeing her excitement, I place my finger to my lips. “This has to be a secret for just a few more days. We will ask her this weekend, when everyone is in town for your concert.”
“Okay.” She nods happily. “I can keep a secret.”
“Good.” I kiss her forehead, then let her go and watch as she skips out of the room to greet Courtney.
I make it across the apartment to the kitchen before Courtney pulls her eyes from Maddi to look at me and smile. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby. How was work?” I kiss her when she tips her head back.
“Work.” She shrugs. “What are we doing for dinner tonight?”
“Spaghetti,” Maddi says, picking up Merida and hugging her to her chest. “I wanted pizza, but Daddy said that we can’t have pizza two days in a row.”
“Your dad’s right, honey.” Courtney grins, then asks, “Did you finish your homework?”
“Not yet.” Maddi looks away.
She hates homework. Then again, I don’t know many kids who enjoy it.
“All right, I’m going to change. Then I’ll help you with your schoolwork while we cook.”
“I got dinner.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I kiss her again, then watch her and Maddi leave the kitchen and head toward the bedroom.
Maddi talks a mile a minute about school, a swim team at the YMCA that she wants to join, and the boy she likes in her class. As usual, I ignore the last part.
I make dinner while the girls sit at the bar doing Maddi’s homework. When dinner is ready, we eat on the couch and watch TV. It’s not long after that I send Maddi to take a shower—and make out with Courtney on the couch.
When Maddi comes back out in her pj’s, we watch one of her shows. Then we follow her into her room to read a story and tuck her in.