Page 18 of Holding You
“Wonderful.”
“I won’t lie. I think?—”
“I was talking to Susie,” Ruby says in the sweetest voice, shooting a wink at her, then following her son down the hall.
Susie nudges my leg with her foot.
“I think she likes you,” my daughter whispers, and like before, my laugh is loud and deep.
Yeah, no. That's not it. Not even close.
“Why are you laughing, Dad? Don’t kids tease the ones they like? You told me that once.”
Shit. I did.
I grab the container, snap the lid back on it. “I think her son did something wrong and she’s upset. Care to share what that was and if you were a part of it?”
Susie shakes her head.
“I see. That’s how it’s going to be, huh?”
No response.
I put the cookies in the cupboard and lift my daughter off the counter and over my shoulder, one hand holding her in place and the other tickling her side.
“To the trampoline we go!” I say, and Susie instantly squirms with laughter.
“No, no, last time you bounced me, I thought I was going to go over the net.”
Facts. I might have gone a little too hard that day, but she was having fun, and her giggles were so infectious.
Nothing motivates me more than my daughter's happiness.
It will always be my priority. No matter what people say.
“Looks like this will be attempt number two.” I let out an exaggerated evil laugh.
“No, no! Okay, I’ll tell you.”
I slow my steps on the back patio. We stand in front of each other. I cross my arms, and she mimics me.
“Max spilled the salt cup into the second batch of cookies and didn’t tell his mom. So, we took cookies from batch one and rushed them over here to be sure we got the good ones before she found out.”
I don’t really have any follow-up questions aside from who has a cup of salt sitting around and not a shaker, but that’s not exactly what needs to be addressed right now.
“Did you see him do it?”
Susie’s bright smile fades.
She nods.
“And you didn’t tell Ruby?”
She shakes her head.
“Should you have told Ruby?”
She nods.
