Page 3 of Yours To Hold
“Does that mean I can’t wear it?” Willow asks, peeping over my shoulder.
“No.” I set her down on top of the dryer while I start the load again. “Why don’t you wear that new hoodie Uncle Logan got you?”
Willow crosses her arms in a pout. “But I wanted to wear my dress!”
I pinch the space between my eyebrows. Coffee is needed before I can deal with a little girl who can’t wear what she wants to. “Pipsqueak, I’m sorry. But you know, if you wear the sweatshirt today, you can wear the dress tomorrow.”
“Will it be clean?”
If I remember to put it in the dryer when I get home. “Yes. I promise you it’ll be clean.”
“Okay. I’ll wear my sweatshirt.”
She hops off the machine and runs through the kitchen.
“Not through the water!”
I hear her giggles as she splashes through.
Is it too early to go back to bed and start this day over?
Being a single dad is one of the best and hardest things I’ve ever done. With Willow’s mom stationed overseas and agreeing that Willow should stay in Dixon to not uproot her entire life, all responsibility falls to me.
Not that I mind. I love every minute I get to spend with that little girl. But mornings like this one make me wish I had an extra set of hands. Someone to remember the laundry. Someone to make the coffee.
Hell, someone to just get up with her so I can get more than four hours of sleep after working all night.
It’s not going to do me any good right now. Starting the washer, I shut the lid and grab old towels to start mopping up the water.
The coffee machine finally kicks on—thank God that’s automatic—and I head back to Willow’s room. She’s sitting on the floor reading Daisy a book. Daisy’s muzzle is resting in her lap as Willow strokes the not-entirely-yellow fur on her head.
“And they lived happily ever after.” Willow drops a kiss on Daisy’s head. “That’s my favorite part.”
“Okay, Willow. Let’s get Daisy cleaned up, and then we can get breakfast at the diner before we go and see Uncle Peter.”
Willow sighs. “Does that mean you’re working today?”
I nod. “I know, I’m sorry. But Uncle Peter needs my help.” And the last thing I want to do is let down another one of my siblings. “I promise we won’t be long, and you can get pancakes for breakfast.”
Her tiny face screws up in thought, considering my answer. “Can I get chocolate chips on my pancakes?”
“As long as we have fruit with it too.”
Willow would eat nothing but sweets if I let her.
“None of the mushy orange stuff though. I don’t like that.”
“Gross. No one likes cantaloupe.”
“But yes to chocolate chips.”
“Let’s get Daisy cleaned up first. I don’t want her staying blue forever.”
Willow giggles. “She’d look funny blue.”
“She does. Next time get a paper towel instead of using her, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
