Page 163 of Ice Darling
Mom’s car rumbles to life outside, and I look up quickly. I did my best to subtly chase her out of the house before Cordelia arrived, and now, I regret that choice. Should I call her back?
“Gordie!” I call.
Her tiny feet appear on the stairs, and then it’s followed by the rest of her. I turn to my daughter, chuckling when I see the glitter all over her face.
“Why do you have glitter everywhere?” I ask, dropping the spoon and reaching out to dust her hair.
“Grandma was helping me make a card for Cordelia.”
My eyes widen, and I turn pale. “You…told Grandma Cordelia was coming tonight?”
“Mm-hm.” Gordie bobs her head.
I wince and think back to the last hour that I was scrambling around the house, cleaning every wooden surface, shining the mantle with furniture polish and spraying all the pillows and curtains with air freshener.
“What are you doing?”Mom had asked the moment she saw me frantically dusting the rugs.“Is someone coming?”
“Does someone have to come over for me to clean my own house?”
Mom had narrowed her eyes and carried on to the second floor where she met Gordie in her room.
I smack my forehead.
“Should I not have told her?” Gordie asks, shrinking back.
“No, no. It’s alright.” I kneel in front of her and place my hand on her hips. “I know you’re excited about Cordelia coming over?—”
“Aren’t you excited too?”
I clear my throat and massage the smile off my face. “That’s not the point. We have to be normal. We don’t want to pressure Cordelia or make her feel uncomfortable.”
“Why would she feel uncomfortable?”
That’s a good question.
Gordie giggles. “Daddy, you’re acting weird.”
She’s right.
In my defense, I haven’t been on an actual date since Gordie was born. I’m nervous that though we’re the same age, I might be a bit old-fashioned compared to Cordelia.
I have a child, and I’ve spent most of my time focusing on raising Gordie. A lot could have changed in the dating world since then. There may be new rules I’m not aware of.
Somewhere deep in the house, my phone rings. I set an alarm to mark the time when I should get myself and Gordie ready for the date tonight.
“Alright, pumpkin.” I scoop Gordie up and tickle her belly as she shrieks with laughter. “Time for a bath. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I help Gordie with her bath, and then I allow her to pick out an outfit. She chooses a Hello Kitty T-shirt, a bright blue skirt, and leggings.
I love watching her personal style evolve. Sure, right now we have very…unexpected color coordinations, but I remember a time when I was dressing her in hockey-themed onesies just because I could. The moment Gordie could dress herself, she started gravitating toward Hello Kitty and wore clothes of every color in the rainbow.
“Is everything okay at school?” I ask, pulling the shirt over her freshly washed hair. There are still a few stubborn pieces of glitter after the bath, but at some point, I had to give up.
“Mm-hm.” She turns the motorcycle Cordelia gave her around and around.
“And are you still having good thoughts in class?”
“Mm-hm.”
