Page 18 of Finding Home
“Daddy,” Lila calls from her bedroom, and I find her in her white dress with purple polka dots.
“You’re wearing your lucky dress,” I say, and she nods. “Why?”
She puts her finger to her lips and smiles. “If I tell you, Daddy, it won’t be lucky.”
“Ahhh. Is your dress why you called me?”
She shakes her head. “I need help with my hair. Can you do pigtails?”
I grab the brush off the top of her dresser and sit on the edge of her bed. She immediately sits on her knees between my legs, and I start brushing her hair.
“Daddy, do you know how to french braid?” she asks, her r sounds not coming out fully.
“No, I don’t, Peanut. Why do you ask?”
“Lucy had really pretty braids yesterday. I wanted to have my hair just like hers.”
It’s situations like this that emphasize how hard it is not having Renee around. As Lila grows up, there will be more and more she’s going to want to do and experience that I know nothing about. I make a note to start watching some online tutorials for french braiding so hopefully I can do them for her one day.
As I secure the hair tie around the last pigtail, there’s a knock on the front door, and for some reason, I feel nervous. Lila’s already left her spot on the floor between my legs and is in the hallway calling, “Come on, Daddy,” and I shake my head, following her. I pull open the door and am momentarily stunned by how gorgeous Chloe looks. She’s wearing a light-blue sundress with little white flowers on it. Her hair is in gentle curls.
She smiles down at Lila when she excitedly says, “Hi, Miss M.”
“Hi, Miss Lila.”
Lila grabs her hand and pulls her towards the kitchen, and Chloe quickly looks at me before allowing Lila to lead her away. When we get to the kitchen, Lila holds out the flowers for her. “I picked these for you, Miss M. Do you like them?”
I stand in the entryway to the kitchen, watching them as Chloe crouches in front of Lila, taking the small bundle of flowers from her and putting her nose in them. “I love them. I’m going to put them in water and beside my bed as soon as I get home.”
Lila’s grin grows, and she points at Chloe. “I like your dress.”
“Why thank you. I like yours.”
Lila grabs the side of her dress and twists in place. “It’s my favourite.”
“Well, it’s a very pretty dress. I see why it’s your favourite.”
The timer on the oven goes off then, and I move past them, turning it off and pulling the lasagna out of the oven. “Dinner’s done.”
“We’ve gotta wash our hands, Miss M,” Lila says before walking towards the downstairs washroom.
Chloe follows her, and I listen to them talk as they wash their hands and I finish setting the table before washing my own in the kitchen sink.
The girls come back, and Lila takes her normal seat, and I pull the chair across from her out for Chloe. She smiles softly as she tucks her dress close to her thighs and sits as I push the chair in. I take my seat at the head of the table.
“This looks amazing,” Chloe says, and for some reason, that has me puffing my chest out with pride.
“Dig in,” I say and start putting some salad on Lila’s plate while Chloe cuts into the lasagna. We quietly load our plates, and when Chloe bites into the lasagna, she moans around her fork. I immediately take a sip of my water and clear my throat.
“This is really good,” Chloe says, and I wipe my mouth with my napkin.
“Thank you,” I half grunt.
“My daddy’s a really good cook. Last week, we ate a lot of frozen food because everything was in boxes.”
I hold back my groan as my daughter throws me under the bus about what I’ve been feeding her since we’ve moved, but Chloe being who she is, offers me a reassuring smile.
“I’m sure the move was busy. When I moved out of my parents’, I don’t think I cooked for two weeks,” she tells Lila. “You must be excited your dad’s cooking again.”
