Page 6 of Leo
“No, sweetheart. Pop-Pop is at the home,” Isaac told her and I noticed his use of ‘the home’ instead of at home. He must be older.
When I saw Dezi’s lower lip start to quiver, I pointed, “You might want to start swinging her again if you don’t want a full-blown tantrum on your hands.”
“Oh, sh-sugar,” Isaac’s eyes widened and he pushed Dezi so she was swinging again and the distraction worked. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” I shrugged and leaned against the side pole to the swing set. “I work with kids her age to four every day. Comes with the territory to notice the signs early so I can nip them in the bud.”
“You’re good. Wish I’d had you around the past ten months,” Isaac whispered in a way I wasn’t sure he meant for me to hear. But I did.
“What happened in the past ten months? Has Dezi been sick?”
“No, nothing more than a cold,” Isaac assured me with a stricken look like he couldn’t imagine his little girl being sick. But all children got sick. “Oh, your frozen fruit trick helped with her teething, by the way.”
“Glad to hear it,” I smiled at him and was struck speechless when he smiled back. The man had straight white teeth, and his eyes scrunched up in a way that had me weak in the knees.
“How is the school year going?” Isaac asked, and I was confused until he pointed at the logo on my polo shirt. It had the charter school’s name.
“It’s been great. Nacho started Kindergarten and I’m at the daycare,” I told him, unsure if he really wanted to know or was just being polite. I checked on Nacho, who was climbing downand likely wanted to go for a run next. “They are highly rated and we both like it there.”
“Do you have a card?”
Looking back at him, I blinked a few times before realizing Isaac meant a business card. “Yeah, I do, actually,” I checked my pocket and pulled out one of the cards the school gave me to hand out to parents of current or potential future students. “The school’s number is on the front.”
Isaac held the card as he pushed Dezi, but then he met my eyes, “What if I want advice on Dezi’s teething? Will this number reach you?”
“Oh.”
Was he asking for my number? The man had serious Daddy energy, even if it was only for his own daughter. Daddies were my kryptonite. Or catnip? Whichever meant I wanted them but they were never as into me as I was into them. I wish I could find a Daddy into me who wasn’t just looking for the role in the bedroom
Plus, Isaac gave me straight vibes, but he may truly want to reach me for advice. If he was single, and his dad was in a home, he might be alone on raising Dezi. I took the card back and pulled a pen out of the pocket of my shorts, scrawling my cell number on the back.
“In case you have questions about Dezi, that’s my cell.”
“Thanks,” Isaac smiled and tucked the card into the breast pocket of his jacket right as Nacho ran up.
“Tío, I’m hungry now. Can we go home?”
“Sure, mijo,” I agreed, though I had enjoyed seeing a certain hot dad. “Say bye to Isaac and Dezi.”
“Bye,” Nacho said without pause before tugging me towards the sidewalk. “Can I have tamales?”
“I think I have leftover chicken and mole,” I told him, sneaking a peek back to see Isaac taking Dezi out of her swing. At least leaving abruptly got me out of the awkward situation of talking to the hot dad after giving him my number.
Who knew if he would ever use it, but a voice in the back of my head told me I’d hear from Isaac again.
Chapter four
Isaac
Early October
At my wits end, with applesauce on my formally clean white shirt, I was ready to pull my hair out. If I did, I’d be competing with a certain needy little girl whose hair was all over the place from a prolonged tantrum.
Dezi had been kicked out of my building’s day care for the second time in a week. For biting.
“Will you eat some of the frozen peaches for Daddy?” I implored, but Dezi only cracked one eye and ramped up her screeching.
Dezi might be teething again, but according to the daycare director, Dezi needed socializing. She told me this like I was an idiot while I dragged my normally sweet little girl kicking and screaming.