“Yes, let’s do it!” Johnny exclaims.
They go into the kitchen. I take the time to go into the home office and catch up on some work. With it being Fall break, I took the week off, but I knew I’d need to do a few things. Especially this one thing.
“I’ll be in the office for an hour or so,” I holler towards them.
“Have fun!” Johnny squeals and I hear Candy laugh.
I go to my office, open up my home safe and look at the ring I know I want to see Candy wear for the rest of her life. It was my mother’s ring. It’s not huge or over the top. It’s simply stated with a round diamond, and it sits on a platinum band. My mother’s ring is sitting inside a jewelry box and sitting next to it is my father’s matching platinum band. These rings, they were meant for us and I know if my parents were still here, they’d love Candy as much as I do.
A smile comes to my face, I know just how I want to propose to her. I close down my computer and head out to the two loves of my life.
Reaching the kitchen, I see both Candy and Johnny at the peninsula and there’s baking ingredients from one end of the counter to the other. The thing that makes my heart melt the most is them smiling and laughing together.
“You two sound like you’re having way too much fun in here,” I’m walking towards them, Johnny has chocolate on his cheek, and Candy has some on her nose.
“Daddy, there’s no such thing,”
“Yeah, what Johnny said,” Candy replies, as they finish dunking the last of the cake pops in the melted chocolate.
“Ready to start cleaning up?” she asks Johnny. I know how Johnny feels about cleaning up anything. Pouting starts, then some foot stomping, and then he finally gives in.
“I guess, but I’d rather eat the cake pops instead,” he says, with a frown.
“Well, since they have to set for a little while, this will give us something to do. Then we can eat a couple of them. How does that sound?”
“Can Daddy help us? It’ll go by faster, too,” he barters. That boy, he’s always trying to negotiate a deal.
“Wait, what? How am I getting roped into this?” I question them, as I start working on the stack of dishes in the sink. Some can go in the dishwasher but for the most part, I’ll be handwashing these.
“Since Daddy’s doing the dishes, how about you help me clean the counters and then we’ll clean the floors? That way, we all work together?” Candy responds and then we all get started on cleaning the kitchen, as one big happy family.
26
Candy
Fall break came and went fast, almost too fast. We’re going into November now already. Kelly found another college student and we brought Anne in. It’s really relieved a lot of the stress. I’m able to pick Johnny up from school early a day or two a week. Sometimes he comes to the bakery with me, or we head home and cook dinner together while waiting for Dylan to come home from work.
I even noticed Dylan is cutting his hours back, too. Every day this week he’s been home earlier and earlier.
We moved the rest of my stuff during Johnny’s break and I have to say our styles meshed really well. Some of my furniture we donated. Dylan’s four-bedroom house wasn’t completely furnished, so what I kept we worked into the mix, and our house finally feels like a home now.
Johnny and I are out back, and he’s on his swing set. My eyes haven’t left him. He’s a dare devil, every time he swings too high, I swear my stomach plummets and I hold my breath until he’s back on solid ground.
My breath hitches again, “Johnny, please be careful.” He’s now climbing on the wall and scaling towards the top. I get down from the porch and head to him. I know kids like to have fun, but if something were to happen to him, my heart would break.
“Watch me, watch me,” my head is tilted back as he’s talking to me.
“I am,” I mumble under my breath and curse when I see him wobble, praying it was only loud enough for me to hear.
“Daddy!” Johnny screams and that’s when the wobbling becomes more like a tumble. I move to where I’m underneath him, ignoring that I can hear Dylan tossing out, “Son of a bitch.”
“No bad words,” Johnny says with a garble and then he’s falling. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to catch him completely but at least it’ll help break his fall.
His arms are flailing as he comes tumbling backwards. I’m already under him, somehow brace my legs, even though my knees are knocking.