Page 116 of Daddy's Pride
Lack of TV trays didn’t stop me as I improvised with a baking sheet. I managed to snag a divided dish with cute animals on it and a set of small dishes for his dippy sauces. After I washed them I scooped a bit of each food item onto his plate, set it all on the tray and carried it out to the coffee table.
“Here we go, sweet boy. Let me grab your juice box really quick.”
“Okay, Daddy.” He hummed a cute tune as he colored away. A cartoon I wasn’t familiar with played in the background.
“All right, sweet boy, dip, dip, dip away.”
“Yay!” he cheered as he dipped his eggroll, wiggling and singing his dippy song. The world could crash around us for all I cared. As enthralled as I was, or maybe entranced was a better word, with this boy in front of me I could care less about anything else.
Gods, I was falling hard and fast for this boy.
“What are you going to name your new giraffe?” It was so cute. He had the new stuffie standing up on the table. Right in front of him but far enough away from the food he wasn’t in the splash zone.
“Hmm.” He tapped a finger to his lip. “George. George the Giraffe.” He smiled fondly at the new addition to his collection.
“George, it’s wonderful to meet you. I hope you enjoy your new home.” And I hoped one day my home would become our home and George, Sloffers, Kiki, and Jamie would all live here.
It dawned on me how boring and mundane my life had become. Now with Jamie here it was alive and full of color. My parents were going to adore him.
Jesus, I’d gone from zero to sixty faster than a Lamborghini.
Jamie colored and sang silly tunes as he filled page after page with bright colors and love. I ran out to the car and grabbed a couple more things. A new bedtime story, tubby toys, and bubbles in case he wanted a tubby later.
“All done, Daddy.” He handed me the pages he’d ripped out. “For your fridge. A sloth for Sloffers, a koala for Kiki, and a giraffe for George so when we’re not here you can ‘member us.”
“Sweet boy, I will never forget you and if I had my way, you’d never be far from me.” I kissed his forehead. “Let’s hang these up. Why don’t you put your coloring stuff in the drawer under the coffee table for safe keeping.”
I cleaned up the food while he sorted that out and hung the pictures on the fridge. The smile on his face when he saw them was nothing short of amazing.
“You hung them up, Daddy.” He beamed and swished his hips to a silent tune.
“I said I would and look, there’s the one you made at Henry’s house.”
He threw his arms around my waist. “My Daddy is the bestest.”
“That’s ‘cause my boy is. Now, one question remains.”
Those big blue eyes stared up at me. “What’s that, Daddy?”
“Does my special boy want a tubby?”
“Tubby time!” he shouted as he ran down the hall, clothes landing all over.
I picked them up, laughing as I followed that cute, naked ass. “Let Daddy get the water going.”
“And bubbles. Don’t forget the bubbles, Daddy.” Jamie was very serious about his bubbles if the stern look on his face had anything to say about it.
“I won’t. Why don’t you reach into that bag on the counter and see what’s in there?”
“Yay!” he shouted, dancing in place. “Frogs!” Jamie ripped the bag open and dumped them in. “Turtles and rubber duckies!” he announced as he tossed them in.
“Given the dance you just did, do you need to potty first?”
“Oh, yes.” He tiptoed off to the toilet room and took care of business while the water filled. “I’m back.”
“So I see, and naked as the day you were born. Take my hand and I’ll help you in.”
Carefully, Jamie stepped over the side of the tub and sank in.