Page 20 of Single Dad's Christmas Cookie

“I was able to keep Amelia busy and working on some projects while we kept each other company. I could get the cooking I needed to get done, and she had an appropriate amount of attention.”

“At some point in time, you’re going to have to tell me how you do that.” He stood and carried his coffee cup to the sink. “I can’t seem to be able to get any work done whenever she’s around.”

“I could make some wild guesses as to why that’s happening, but there’s so many possibilities that I’m not even going to begin. You have to figure out what works best for you.”

“Amelia likes to talk,” he said.

“Yes, she does. We spent a lot of time talking yesterday. But talking doesn’t interfere with my cooking. I don’t know what kind of work you do or if you’re on the phone all the time, but that could be one aspect to consider.”

He glanced down at his watch. “Well, speaking of having to be on phones, I do have a conference call scheduled. Have a good day.” He started to walk out of the kitchen.

“Couple of quick questions, Bryan, before you go.”

He turned, his eyebrows raised.

“Do I have to wake Amelia up, or will she wake up and come down on her own?”

“She’ll come down on her own.”

“Great. Exactly how interruptible are you? Not at all, or is the unconscious and bleeding rule an absolute?”

He pondered that question for a moment. “Not an absolute, but try to keep the interruptions to a minimum.”

I nodded. “Do you need me to let you know when she’s woken up?”

“A quick text wouldn’t hurt.”

“I can do that.”

“What time do you want lunch? Or…?” I let the question hang.

“I’m not sure. I’ll come in when I’m hungry,” he said.

Okay, that seemed reasonable.

Lunch ended up being leftover soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The day was going smoothly. Amelia and I decided we needed to make more strings of popcorn garlands to wind around the stairs’ railings.

“Why don’t you pop a couple of bags of popcorn?” I suggested to Amelia. I pulled another bag of cranberries from the freezer. There were two bags left that should be more than sufficient for anything I would prepare for Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner.

“Should we watch a movie?” I asked.

“Can we?” Amelia’s eyes went wide, and a smile lit up her face.

“I don’t see why not.” There was a large screen TV on the far wall in the kitchen. There wasn’t any reason we couldn’t use it towatch an animated Christmas movie while we continue to make decorations.

“You don’t know how to work this thing?” I asked her. I stood in front of it and glanced around.

“Use the remote, silly,” she said.

I began looking around on the furniture near it to see if the remote had been placed on a side table or somewhere convenient since it wasn’t obvious. As I looked around, the TV clicked on.

“Hey!” I jumped and turned.

Amelia was smiling mischievously with the remote in her hand as she stood well across the kitchen, behind the counter.

“Where was that?”

“In the drawer where Emma keeps it,” she said.

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