“Any day with my girl is perfect.”
“I want popcorn. No ice cream. No popcorn. Oh no, I can’t make up my mind!”
Kent had to laugh as he looked down at Abby. She was wearing a pair of Christmas tights, with pictures of candy canes and snowmen on them and an oversized sweater that came down nearly to her knees. Her hair was pulled back into a high pony tail. Her eyes sparkled with delight. She looked happier than she had in a while and he made a note to take more days off to spend with her like this.
Even though they were in public, so she’d wouldn’t let her Little out entirely, she was still showing signs of peeking out. Like right now, how she couldn’t make up her mind which treat she wanted while at the movies. During their pancakes at the diner earlier, she’d been more subdued, but he’d expected that. She’d worked at the diner for years, and she still wasn’t entirely comfortable going there to eat. And he knew her boss wasn’t that comfortable either. Since Abby left the diner, Gloria had to actually do some work because she couldn’t find anyone who worked as hard as Abby did.
He gave her an indulgent look. “Why don’t you have both?”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “Both?” He could tell the idea hadn’t even occurred to her. She hadn’t been going back and forth in the hopes of getting him to offer to get her both. “I can’t, the food here is so expensive.”
“Baby, I want popcorn too. And now, I think I also want an ice cream. After all, it’s my day off. I’m gonna indulge.”
“Yes, but you went to the gym today. I didn’t. And I had pancakes. Maybe I’ll just have a bottle of water.”
He leaned in even though there was no one close to overhear him, he figured it would make more of an impression. “Little girl, do I need to take you back out to the truck and warm your bottom?”
Those eyes went even wider. She bit her full lower lip worriedly. “No, Daddy,” she whispered.
“Then I expect I won’t hear any more nonsense like that from you, will I?” h
e asked sternly.
“No, Daddy.”
“Right. I want you to wait right here while I go get the ice creams and popcorn. No moving from this spot, understand?”
“No, Daddy.”
“That’s my good girl.”
Abby waited for Kent to get back. She was so excited that they were going to the movies together, it was all she could do not to bounce around in excitement. There weren’t many people since it was a weekday. The movie they were going to see was a kids’ animated one she’d been dying to see for ages.
She just couldn’t believe he’d taken off the whole day to spend with her. When Kent returned, she smiled widely at him.
“Right, come on, let’s find a bathroom so you can go before we head into the movie,” he told her.
“I don’t need to go, though,” she told him.
He raised an eyebrow. “We’re about to go into the movies, you need to go before we do so we don’t have to leave halfway through.”
She scowled, dropping her lip. “I don’t gotta go.”
“Sweet girl, that wasn’t a request. All little girls have to go to the bathroom first. You’re going to at least try. Understand?”
She frowned but nodded, not wanting to argue over something silly on such a great day. Without any more argument, she walked into the bathroom. To her chagrin, she actually did need to go. She swore sometimes Kent knew her better than she knew herself.
When she walked out of the bathroom, he gave her a knowing look.
“Go potty, baby girl?”
She blushed, but there was nobody nearby. “Yes, Daddy.”
He kissed the top of her head and then drew her close against him, his arm heavy around her shoulders as he directed her towards the theatre room. “That’s Daddy’s good girl.”
She practically glowed as they took their seats. Daddy placed the popcorn on the arm of her chair and then unwrapped her ice cream. “Better eat this quickly, baby. Before it melts.”
She grabbed it and started licking. Ice cream. Popcorn. A Christmas movie. And Daddy.