Page 51 of Daddy's Reckoning
“It’s not negotiable.” I hated to be that way, but I knew Erin. It had to be this way. This was the most important rule we could have, and I’d happily forgo all others to keep this one. Not that I was going to tell her that. ‘If it's’ your health, your needs, your plans for the future, your worries, your safety, if it’s financial, if it’s emotional… it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, I expect you to tell me, and if you don’t and I find out later there’s something you’ve been keeping from me, then the consequences will be swift and severe.’
Her jaw ticked and I could see her holding back sassy responses.
“It’s important,” I pressed. “I can’t be a good Daddy if I don’t know what you need and how you’re doing.”
“It feels like you’re setting me up for failure.” She pouted.
I smiled and kissed her nose. “I’m sure it does. But that’s not because it’s some kind of trick. It’s because you, my dear, are not good at leaning on other people or asking for help. I know you well enough to know it’s going to be a constant struggle. So, by making it a rule, I’m trying to ease that burden for you of having to decide if you can or should ask for help or not, because the answer is always yes.”
“I get it,” she grumbled. “I just don’t like it.”
“Tough. Dem’s the rules.”
Moving the conversation along, I tucked her hand into mine and laced our fingers together. She tried to pull away, but I held firm. “I’m sorry you’re on bed rest. I’m sure that must be frustrating and scary. Fighting with me is not going to make it any easier or less scary.”
She shrugged, and I could tell she wasn’t ready to give in just yet. That was okay.
“How about I hang out with you, so it’s not so boring or scary?”
She shrugged again. “I guess that would be okay. What are we gonna do, though?”
“Anything you want. We can watch a movie, or binge watch a true crime show… or…” Looking to the nightstand, I grabbed her laptop and popped it open. “Go baby shopping…”
She looked at me like I was a ridiculous child.
“We have a lot of stuff already. We don’t need to buy more yet; it’s too early.”
“We just found out we’re having a boy!” I reminded her, lifting our intertwined hands, and bringing hers to my lips for a kiss.
“Maybe. We might be having a boy,” she corrected. She was arguing, but there was a light in her eyes that hadn’t been there moments ago.
“So… we can buy some boy stuff.”
“And what if the doctor is wrong?”
“And what if he isn’t?” I countered. “If I promise to not go overboard, will you just indulge me on this one thing?”
“Finnnnee.” She drew the word out and huffed, but she wasn’t upset.
Taking the win, I pulled up a popular department store and started adding things to the cart before she could tell me to stop.
Eventually she got into it, and before long we’d added some blue blankets, hats, and onesies, as well as a few sleepers and bibs. I couldn’t help adding a tiny pair of jeans, and a tiny suit.
She raised her eyebrows, but I just smiled. “Imagine the family pictures we could take.” She was lucky I didn’t order tiny Italian loafers to match.
“Okay, fine. But I think we can be done for today.”
“Okay.” I checked out and set the laptop aside.
We returned to sitting in slightly tense silence. After a few minutes, I noticed she was fidgeting, squeezing her hands and rubbing her feet together, shifting her hips.
“You okay?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. I knew she wasn’t, and this would be a good exercise for her to try opening up and following my rule. I’d even give her an easy button on this one. “You need to tell Daddy what’s wrong.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped into a little o. She took a deep breath, and I could tell she was looking for an out, but finally she sighed. “This sucks. Bedrest and…” she waved her hand around. “Platonicness.”
“I agree,” I answered with a smile. My breath hitched. Would it really be this easy?
“I know it’s what I asked for. And it’s what I want,” she continued, dashing my hopes. “But… it still sucks. I’m… these… the pregnancy hormones….”