“Christmas.”
Yes, then he’d be happy and then he’d be nice.
More big Daddy grumbly sighs and huffs but he reached over and fluffed my hair. “That’s really making it up to your mother, Chipmunk. What can I do to make it up to you?”
It was my turn to make a big sigh like a Daddy.
“We need to go around again so you can think this time, don’t we?” Daddy Levi made dramatic sounds but he was a good boy and kept walking when I nodded. “I thought so.”
Yep.
Round and around again.
And again.
“I gotta be selfish, right?” I thought that was the plan but Daddy Levi made big sounds and looked up like he was talking to Santa or the spirits or God.
Hopefully one of them listened.
Oh, hopefully he knew who he was talking to…it’d be rude to talk to God when Santa was listening.
“It’s not selfish to make sure I remember to be nice to you.” Daddy Levi frowned and didn’t seem to believe it, but he was kind of stubborn. “The Christmas stuff would be making it up to your mother since I was inadvertently rude to her.”
“You’re a good Daddy and will be nice.” He’d remember now. “But I’ll help.”
Yes, I was a good helper.
“Playing.” Yes, he was a Daddy so he could play with me. “You have to play with me.”
Daddy Levi tripped over something invisible but he caught himself and didn’t crash. “Playing?”
“Yep.” Playing was a good way to remember to be nice. “You have to play with me.”
It wasn’t selfish to give him what he wanted…even if that was consequences.
“That’s…that’s fair.” Daddy Levi’s frown said we had to go round again, so we did and he thought and thought. “How…how many times?”
“Lots. Ten million billion trillion times. You were a meanie when I wanted to say hi. I’m nice, so I should get to say hi to the Daddy I know.” I was so smart Daddy Levi groaned and rubbed his face again.
“I was mean to a little.”
Yep.
But since he knew he’d been naughty I didn’t say it out loud.
“Okay, yes, playing is fair, but ten million billion trillion times is way more than a lot, so let’s say ten times to make upfor it.” Daddy Levi kept walking, so he knew how to be good once he’d learned his lesson.
“Ten times.” What could we play? We needed a plan. “I want cartoon times and movie times and a nugget dinner time and coloring time and…and more playing.”
Yes.
That was a good plan.
Daddy Levi tried not to laugh but he made a funny sound. “That’s a good list. And nuggets are much better than soup.”
I giggled when he tried to give me a frowny face. “Soup? I wasn’t that mean.”
Daddy Levi hated soup.
