Addie nodded seriously. “I know. They sometimes do at school.”
Everyone laughed, and the mood lightened. Steph gave me a glance that said we’d be returning to Drew’s decision later.
Dad put a hand over his heart. “Addie, we’ve bonded today, haven’t we? Not all boys are stinky.”
Addie squirmed to get down and raced over to my dad, holding her arms out to get picked up. He immediately complied. I guess they really had bonded, likely over how to feed Chief from the table.
“We’re friends, Sam. Do you want to have a dance party?” She threw up her jazz hands to show her excitement.
“Dance party, huh?” Dad asked.
“Yep, we can do that while we clean up,” she said.
Dad looked to me, then to Mom. “We’re cleaning up?”
Addie looked at him very seriously, taking her hands and putting them on either side of his face, some truly serious eye contact. “Sam, we all have to clean up. Many hands make light work, ya know. And then, we can sing the cleanup song.”
Ivy leaned over to me. “It’s from Teri’s and also preschool.”
Steph leaned in to both of us. “I don’t care where it’s from. I just want to see if she gets him to clean upandhave a dance party.”
“If she does, she’s a miracle worker,” Drew muttered.
Dad looked over to all of us. “I’m standing right here. You know that, right?”
We chuckled, but Addie was still waiting for an answer.
Dad looked back to Addie and said, “Sure, princess. We can have a dance party while we clean up.”
Addie raised her hands up. “Woo-hoo!”
Mom came up to Addie and Dad. “What music do you like to listen to, Addie?”
“Whatever is on Jakey’s phone. He has Fleeing Max,” Addie said, bouncing in my dad’s arms.
Dad looked back to me, and I called, “Fleetwood Mac.”
The three of them turned to head toward the kitchen. Drew, Steph, Ivy, and I fell into step behind them with the dishes from the table.
Addie’s hand was twirling some of my dad’s hair as she spoke in a soft voice. “You guys are lots of fun. I wish you were my nana and pop-pop.”
Ivy’s head spun to catch my eyes and Steph sputtered.
Mom didn’t falter. “Is that what you call your mom’s parents?”
Addie shook her head. “No. They are Grandmother and Grandfather.” We made it to the kitchen, and my dad moved to the counter, lowering Addie to sit on it. “Mom says they’re nice, but they aren’t a lot of fun.” Her little legs swung back and forth off the counter. “My friend Trevor in class calls his grandparents Nana and Pop-Pop. He says they’re nice and fun. I’d like that.”
Steph moved to squeeze Addie’s knee. “My girls call them Nana and Pop. It’s pretty cool that your names are so close.”
Addie nodded thoughtfully, then looked at my dad. “If you were my grandad, I’d still call you Pop-Pop.”
Dad kissed her on the nose, then met my eyes as he whispered his reply, “Deal.”
Drew laughed behind me.
Well, shit.
21
