Thinking of Jess made my stomach queasy, so I knew we had to proceed with finding a new nanny for Gina while at the same time forgetting about Jess altogether.
Gina was much better behaved on Friday. After my attitude had softened on Thursday, we both went home that night, had a nice dinner, and went to bed early. We both woke refreshed on Friday, and while at work, Gina quietly played and watched her shows on my tablet for most of the day. It was a good feeling that without so many words, Gina knew what I needed sometimes.
I was glad for the end of the week, and on Friday night, I turned off my alarm and my phone so I could sleep uninterrupted.
Surprisingly enough, Gina was the one to wake me on Saturday morning. I didn’t remember moving at all throughout the night, and I woke up in the same spot I’d fallen asleep in.
“Good morning, Daddy,” Gina said from the edge of my bed. Her little head peeked up from the side.
I reached my arm over and pulled her up.
She tucked her chubby legs close to her body and giggled as I hefted her onto the bed. “You’re still sleeping.”
“Yes, I was,” I said, nuzzling her nose.
She sighed. “I’m hungry.”
“Met too,” I said, sitting up. “What do you want to eat this morning?”
“Umm,” she said, lifting her eyes to the ceiling. “French toast.”
“French toast?” I asked. I hadn’t made that in a long time.
“Yeah,” she said. “With syrup.”
“French toast and syrup, it is,” I said, scooping her into my arms.
I carried Gina downstairs, all the while she giggled and squirmed.
“Can I help?” she asked when I put her down in her chair at the kitchen table.
“Sure,” I said. I retrieved a shallow bowl and the carton of eggs from the refrigerator. A half of loaf of bread was left from when Jess went to the bakery several days ago. I placed the bread on a cutting board and cut thick slices.
“Jess lets me crack the eggs,” Gina said.
“She does?” I asked.
Gina sighed. ?
?No. But I want to know how.”
I smirked. “How about I teach you how to do it?”
“Really?”
I kissed the top of her head. “Of course.”
I went over to the pantry and grabbed a stool.
“I want my apron too!” she trilled.
“Your apron?” I asked. I never knew we had aprons. It was one of those things that never crossed my mind.
Gina showed me where two white aprons were hanging in the pantry. I lifted the smaller one off the hook. On the front were two small handprints in green and blue paint with Gina’s name painted in Jess’s handwriting.
Gina put hers on, and I glanced at the bigger apron. Jess’s hand prints were on the front of that one along with several other small hand prints from Gina.
“When did you make these?” I asked, trying not to think of Jess at that moment. The handmade aprons were the sweetest thing I’d ever seen Gina make.