Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 27008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
I was going to have to be careful with what I promised him…and I was going to make sure I only answered questions when I was awake and clearheaded.
“That’s right.” I finally brought us to a stop in front of the small playroom that was ours for the night. “I like picking out surprises for you because you’re the cutest boy when you’re excited.”
Especially when it just took things like cereal to make him happy.
Easy to please was not a bad thing, though.
He bounced on his toes, nodding and taking the whole conversation wonderfully seriously. “You said I was cute when I was oversharing too.”
Ridiculous.
I might’ve made a rude sound, but it had Joseph giggling again. “There’s no such thing as oversharing between a boy and his Daddy.”
He peeked over at me and raised one shoulder in a half shrug. “You said confidence is…sexy.”
“Because it is.” I couldn’t help but chuckle as he smiled wider.
Joseph was trying very hard not to giggle as he questioned me, but the grown-up word was making it difficult. “What about being shy?”
The laughter in his tone had faded, but as far as I could tell, he didn’t seem worried, simply curious. “When my boy is shy, I want to pull him into my lap and cuddle him. I want to take care of him all the time, but especially when something is hard or making him nervous.”
He slowed the swing of our hands as he studied the door, lost in little thoughts. “So you like lots of things about your boy?”
I wasn’t sure where his mind had jumped to, but I took the question seriously and turned so we were face-to-face. “I like lots of things about you, ketzel.”
He giggled at the Yiddish word, his love of languages coming through. “I’m not a kitten, Daddy.”
“Hmm…” I pretended to think, even tapping my chin with my free hand as his eyes danced with laughter. “Sometimes confident and outgoing. Sometimes cheeky and silly. Sometimes soft and cuddly. Yes, I think you’re a kitten. Just a very tall one.”
He laughed and wiggled closer as I kissed his nose. “You’re silly.”
Joseph didn’t seem to mind that, though.
“I think you’re silly.” He was the one giggling after all.
That just seemed to entertain him even more, but he hadn’t forgotten his goal.
Surprises.
“Hurry, Daddy.” He stepped closer, herding me like a dog I’d had as a kid. “Please…”
Joseph was much cuter than Max had been.
“Hmm, I think you can ask more sweetly.” I wasn’t going to push him for anything he wasn’t ready for, but I thought leaving the request vague would help encourage him without demanding anything.
“I know.” He stretched up, raising himself the two inches or so that he was shorter than me, and leaned in to kiss my cheek before aiming big eyes at me. “Please, Daddy.”
Oh.
“How can I say no to such a sweet little boy?” My sweet little boy.
Joseph beamed and nearly danced with excitement as I reached behind myself and opened the door of the playroom that was ours for the next few hours. “Let’s go see what we can play with.”
“Oh, Daddy…” As he stepped into the room, Joseph’s words trailed off and his eyes widened.
The playroom was just as fun as ever, but I could tell that he’d seen my touches right away. Leading him over to the center of the room, I waited on the thick fuzzy rug as he took everything in. “Daddy, bubbles.”
I’d picked up every messy toy he’d said he wished he’d been able to play with while he was traveling, and we were going to have a little night with everything he’d wanted. “And play dough.”
Thank god he hadn’t asked for glitter.
Ben would’ve killed me.
Joseph’s eyes widened when he turned and saw a table in the corner with three different kinds of overly sweetened cereal on it along with a thermos full of cold milk. “And cereal. Oh, Daddy, lots of cereal.”
He was in love…with my cereal choices.
Oh well, it was a good first step, right?
“Lots of cereal for my sweet boy.” He giggled, stepping closer and wiggling against me. “Come on, ketzel. What should we play with first?”
Playing…that was my only goal for tonight.
I wanted to see him relaxed and happy and letting the stress from the real world fade away. It wasn’t just the traveling that weighed him down; the loneliness that came with it seemed to be the most stressful part of his life.
Joseph looked around, wide-eyed and bouncing again. “Um, bubbles…and…and…oh, books, Daddy. Books.”
Bubbles and books and then lots of cereal.
Seemed like the best first date ever.
****
“And then…” His rambling explanation about what we should do next was cut off as he yawned, but he didn’t let that stop him. As soon as he could close his mouth, he started again. “And then we can do the play dough again. I have to make you dinner.”