“You all rock. Thank you so much,” Coco said.
“Don’t thank us. Your Daddy arranged it all. I just put together a goodie bag of things you’ll need to take care of her for a while. Don’t blame me on Monday when you’ve got big black circles under your eyes,” Isabella teased.
“She’ll nap when Muffin sleeps,” Roman assured her. “Now, do I get to see this creature?”
“Creature?” Coco said, appalled. “Muffin is adorable!”
She accepted the basket from Sofia, and Roman stepped forward to take the heavy bag. “Look, Daddy. This is Muffin.She’s going to love you as much as I do.” With tears gleaming in her eyes, Coco held the basket where Roman could see her.
“She is tiny,” Roman said and knew he’d love the puppy as much as Coco did. “I’ll hold her when we get home so I can make sure not to drop her.”
“You won’t hurt her, Daddy. I’ll show you how to take care of her,” Coco rushed to assure him.
“Thank you, Little girl. I can’t wait. Shall we head back to the house?”
“Yes, let’s go. I can’t wait to fix the perfect spot for Muffin. She’ll need somewhere warm,” Coco told him.
“A couple of very smart cookies sent me a list of things to order. Everything came today. That puppy is going to live in the Taj Mahal,” Roman joked as he tucked Coco and her precious cargo into the passenger seat before setting all the other supplies in the back seat.
“Thank you,” he called to Sofia and Isabella, who stood with their arms wrapped around each other’s waists. His Little girl couldn’t have landed in any better place than at their clinic.
Coco chattered to Muffin on the way home. She settled the small pup in its new warming station when they got home and took advantage of a short time break between feedings to get everything organized on a special section of the kitchen island. When that was finished, Coco fixed a small bottle and fed Muffin. Instantly, the tiny creature fell asleep.
“Back into her safe spot, Coco. Now, it’s Daddy’s turn to change and feed you,” Roman directed. When she returned, Roman walked her to the nursery and changed her out of her work clothes and into leggings and a top.
“What are we having to eat?” she asked.
“I made some cheesy noodles. I think you’ll love them.”
“Let’s go eat,” Coco said, bouncing on her toes.
Roman dished up a large bowl of his concoction. “Come sit on Daddy’s lap at the table and we’ll try out this new dish.”
He lifted her onto his thighs and tucked a napkin in her neckline. “I think we need to get you some bibs.”
“I’m not eating that, Daddy. Look at all that stuff in there.”
“You’ll hurt my feelings if you don’t try it. Three bites.”
“No way. What is that green stuff? Spinach? Do you have any noodles without the vegetables in it?” she asked, stretching tall to check out the stove for another pot.
“Three bites, Coco.” Slowly, he’d added hints of vegetables to her food. Dr. Richards had given him a list of high-iron foods to supplement her diet.
Roman took the first bite and hummed his approval of the dish. It really was quite spectacular. He had added much more cheese than he would have used in the past to enhance the flavor, hoping it would disguise the healthy additions. “I’d eat this every day.”
His Little girl looked very skeptical. “But there’s green stuff, Daddy.”
“Try it for me, Coco.” He scooped up a couple of noodles.
Reluctantly, Coco opened her mouth a small amount. Before she could change her mind, Roman swooped the bite inside. He watched Coco close her mouth and wrinkle her nose. Slowly, that expression faded as she chewed. She tilted her head as if she were considering the flavor.
Roman took another big bite, hoping to create some urgency for her as he made a dent in the contents. “Mmmm.”
“Don’t eat it all, Daddy!”
Score! She likes it.
“Try another bite, Little girl.” This time he gave her a normal-sized bite. She leaned forward to meet the fork eagerly and chewed, squirming with happiness on his lap. “Not too bad?”
