Some fun

One of my favorite conversations to write happen between Bee and Jack. I love how she knows just how to get to him and the love he has for his daughter is so reminiscent of me and my dad. This excerpt is from “The Unthinkable”

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Jack walked into the mall carrying Bee and they made their way to the pizza place she loved because of the play area. He went to a booth and just as he put her next to him in a booster seat she smiled.

“Daddy peepee,” she said.

He sighed and stood up; thankful they had a private stall bathroom for families. He told the server they would be right back and he took her to go. She looked at the large toilet and held onto him.

“No daddy, don’t wanna. Bee fall.”

“It’s okay, little Bee. I’ll hold you,” he saw her eye the large bowl and her big brown eyes filled.

“I scared. Don’t wanna go.”

He didn’t know why, but he got choked up at her words.

“Daddy will help you,” he said. “Don’t you worry.”

She watched him as he pulled out some receiving blankets from the bag he brought and rolled them up, half covering the toilet. He positioned her on the seat and she kept a death grip on his arm.

“You can go now,” he said, not really happy about kneeling on the bathroom floor. His height made anything else sort of impossible.

“No, wanna go home,” she sniffed.

“How about we sing a little song?” he said as he kept his arm around her. “The itsy bitsy spider came up the water spout,” he started.

She put her fingers together to make the motion with her hands and almost fell in the bowl. Jack grinned and she held onto him tighter. “Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, so the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again,” he smiled as he finally heard her tinkle.

“Thank God,” he muttered as he cleaned her up and washed her hands before scrubbing his own.

“Come on daddy,” she said and held his two fingers in her hand.

Jack followed her back to the booth and they sat down.

******

After lunch, and after disinfecting her again from the gross play area, Jack took Bee to the toy store and looked at the stuffed animals.

“Would you like something?” he asked her as her eyes grew wide at the assortment in front of her.

“I want a bee,” she said as he put her down and she ran to a large stuffed bee. She picked it up and ran back to him. “Daddy want this,” she said and hugged the stuffed animal.

He looked at the price and couldn’t believe it, but he could deny her nothing.

“Okay, you can have it. Should we get one for Tessa while we’re here?”

“No,” she said without missing a beat.

“Are you sure? I think it would be nice if we brought her a present.”

Bee was quiet and Jack saw her eyeing a little boy across the aisle. He smiled as she wrapped her arm around his leg. “What’s wrong?” he asked. She reached her free hand up to him and he leaned over to pick her and her stuffed animal up.

“Why do you look so sad?” he smoothed her long brown hair back.

“I miss David,” she said.

Jack smiled and walked to the next aisle.

“Should we get David a present?”

“Yes!” Bee grinned.

“What should we get?” he asked her.

She thought about it and her dimples were deep and so cute.

“You have a beautiful daughter,” a woman with a young boy walked up to him.

“Thank you,” Jack beamed.

“Hi,” the little boy said to Sabrina.

Bee buried her face in Jack’s shoulder and he looked at her.

“Bee, that little boy said hello to you,” he saw her look at him.

“Hi,” she said shyly.

Jack grinned at the little boy.

“What’s your name?”

“Allan,” he said.

“It’s very nice to meet you Allan,” he smiled.

“I Bee,” she yelled.

“Bee flies,” Allan said and buzzed around them.

“Bee is an unusual name,” the mother said, moving closer to him.

“It’s Sabrina, but we call her Bee,” Jack said and began to get uncomfortable at the closeness of the woman. “It was nice meeting you, but we need to go. My wife is waiting,” he said and turned when Sabrina yelled again.

“Do you have a banana? David has banana and daddy has banana,” she grinned.

Jack turned red and shook his head. “Kids,” he said and they walked away.

“No daddy. We have to get David present,” she said.

He walked to the bin of stuffed animals again and put her down.

“Okay, go pick something out,” he said. She ran to the bin and brought back a doll. Jack laughed.

“Are you sure that is for David?”

“Yes daddy,” she said and handed it to him.

“Uncle Bill might not like that,” he said and realized he was being a sexist pig. Her face showed her confusion and he berated himself for bringing it up. “I think David will love it. Let’s pay and go home.”

“Okay. I pay,” she said and he handed her the money as they approached the cashier.

“Here is my number,” the woman who had come out of nowhere again said to him.

“I’m married,” he repeated, grossed out by her.

“I’m a psychologist. I think it might help your daughter to explore her issues with sexuality.”

Jack looked at her incredulously.

“My daughter doesn’t have any “issues”, she is two and a half. You should really mind your own business.”

“Mind your own business!” Bee screamed.

Jack put the change away and kissed his daughters cheek.

“I love that she speaks her mind. I am lucky to have her as a daughter and I hope she grows up with a healthy attitude and a positive self-image. Excuse us,” he said and took the doll for David and the stuffed bumblebee and smirked at the woman as they left. He loved everything about his spunky daughter and he would never again take a moment with his beautiful family for granted.