And that’s both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.
“Good. I’m excited, too. You wrote out her routine, right? I remember she sometimes naps in the afternoon, but what time? Oh, and allergies, she doesn’t have any, does she?”
My brain starts firing at top speed again as soon as we begin to walk up toward the house, and Leo tugs me to a stop at the bottom of the steps to his front porch.
“Tippy, calm down, babe. She’s an easy kid, I promise. No allergies, no weird sensitivities. She might nap, she might not, but she slept well last night, so she’ll be okay either way. You can stay here and play, go to the park, the beach, wherever. I’ve set out extra clothes, her bathing suit, sunscreen, and anything else I could think of. There’s snacks and lunch ready in the fridge, and she’s hoping to convince you to order pizza for dinner. She likes ham on it, but no pineapple.” Leo counts off on his fingers as he lists everything he’s prepared, and my eyes widen further and further.
“Wow. You did all of that already? I didn’t even remember half of that stuff.”
He chuckles. “I’m her dad, babe. It’s my job to remember all of that.”
The sense of overwhelm I’ve managed to squash down threatens to rear up again.He’s a dad.And I’m just…a dance teacher.
No. I’m a damn good dance teacher, and a good person. Leo trusts me with his little girl, and we’re going to have fun.
There, that’s the pep talk I needed.
“Alright, let’s do this.” I march up his steps, Leo jogging up behind me. I can still hear him laughing to himself, but I don’t really care that he knows I’m nervous.
“Rena!”
Violet’s happy shriek comes from the direction of what I’m guessing is the kitchen, and I head down a short hall that way. Sure enough, she’s strapped in a booster chair at the table, scooping what looks like oatmeal into her mouth. Half of it drips off the spoon and back into the bowl, a bunch more gets smeared on her face, and I guess some of it actually ends up in her mouth.
“Welcome to the first step in spending a day with my daughter,” Leo murmurs in my ear. “Trying not to laugh at how much food she gets on her face versus how much she actually eats.”
His fingers stroke up and down my spine and I shiver at the contact. It’s delicious and slightly naughty, seeing as his oblivious toddler is right in front of us. I lean back into his hand and turn my head slightly to whisper back at him, “Note to self, no soup for lunch.”
Leo snorts under his breath, then to my dismay, he steps away. I immediately miss his nearness, but watching him say goodbye to Violet is pretty much the cutest thing ever.
“Be good, baby girl. I’ll be home later tonight, okay? Rena is going to spend the whole day with you, and when she says it’s bath time, you listen. Got it?”
“Otay, Daddy. Rena baf.” Vi nods solemnly. It’s hard to not laugh, what with the oatmeal covering her cheeks, but somehow I manage.
Together Leo and I walk to the front door where he picks up a black leather satchel. Turning to me, he runs a finger down my cheek before kissing me softly.
“Fair warning, Tippy. She might say she’ll take a bath now, but when the time comes, be prepared for a fight.”
I mime pushing up my sleeves. “I can handle it.”
He studies me for a moment, his eyes warm on mine. “You know I love you, right?”
I nod, unsure where he’s going with this.
“Good. Remember that when my daughter turns into a hellion and drives you nuts later today.”
My laughter follows him out the door, and his grinning face is the last thing I see as he pulls out of the driveway, leaving me alone with his precious girl.
It’s go time.
After breakfast is done and Violet is cleaned up, I let her lead me into her bedroom. My heart squeezes at the photos on her dresser, of Leo holding a tiny baby, looking down at her with absolute amazement in his eyes. There’s one of a woman, too; I’m guessing this is Alexa. It says a lot for Leo’s kind heart that he keeps a photo of the woman who abandoned her daughter, although it also makes me wonder how he’ll handle the inevitable questions when Violet gets older.
Violet shows me all of her favourite toys, then pulls out a book that is clearly well loved. The pages are bent, and Vi makes a show of sounding out her own version of the words. She points at the pictures of all the animals and makes the appropriate noises. It’s freaking adorable and gives me a fantastic idea of what to do next.
“Do you like to read books, Vi?”
The way her eyes light up as she gives me an emphatic nod tells me exactly what I suspected. I think Paige has a kindred spirit in Violet.
“My friend Paige has a bookstore. Should we go and visit her?”