Page 84 of Loving Kai

Kai toddled off, and Abe looked at the few dishes in the sink. He’d settled into a routine, and the kitchen was generally pretty clean. He shook his head. “I’ve been domesticated by a two-year-old.”

As he set the last clean dish in the dish drainer, his phone rang. He dried his hands, then checked the caller ID. It was Maggie, and he sighed. He’d tried to keep things casual between them, but it had been hard. She wanted to help, but having her around felt too comfortable, and he wasn’t ready to accept those feelings yet. He needed time to just be Kai’s father.

He answered the call. “Hey, Maggie.”

“Hi. Did I catch you right at dinner?”

“Just finished the dishes.”

“How’s the little prince doing? Did he have fun at the river?”

“It was great. He didn’t want to leave. We threw a hundred rocks, chased some minnows, and nearly got eaten by a dog.”

“Goodness.”

“The dog didn’t really want to eat us. But I wasn’t sure at first. How was work?”

“Semi-busy. Not too bad. I was wondering if you and Kai wanted to escort me to Memorial Day in the Park?”

“Aren’t we working the booth?”

“We’re on the same shift. Eleven to two. After that, we’re free to enjoy the festivities.”

“Um…sure. Yeah. Kai would love that.”

“And how about you? You sound hesitant.”

“No, I’m not. It sounds fun.”

“Okay then. It’s a…plan.”

“You could’ve asked me tomorrow at work.”

“I know. I just thought about it and wanted to…have first dibs.”

“Right. I do have a pretty long list of people wanting to spend Memorial Day with me.”

Maggie laughed. “I hear you’re quite popular.”

When a crash came from the living room, Abe went to investigate. “Um…I need to go.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Kai just knocked the table with the lamp over.”

“Is he okay?”

Kai looked up at him with a confused look on his face. “Yeah. He’s deciding whether he should cry or not.”

“He’s waiting to see what your reaction is.”

“I guess. I need to take care of this.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”

Abe ended the call, then knelt beside the table. The lamp didn’t seem broken. “What happened here, kid?” Kai’s lip quivered, and Abe smiled. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.” Kai held out his arms, and Abe picked him up, then stood. “Everything is fine.” He kissed Kai’s forehead, which felt a little warm. He rested his cheek against it. “Hmm. Let’s get you in the bath. You’re probably just warm from playing.” He set the table upright, returned the lamp to its place, then headed for the bathroom.

He poured a lukewarm bath, but Kai didn’t seem interested in staying in for long. When he was in his pajamas, Abe took him to the couch to read his bedtime book. Kai leaned against him and listened quietly instead of wanting to turn the pages.