Page 5 of Bonds of Shame, Bonds of Lust

Too hard. I looked at the daycare form on the counter. Farm trip. Emergency contacts, plural, and the little ‘s’ sitting there at the end of the word. Olive branch. "Hey, Aaron, I'm putting you as the second contact for Jess at daycare. You need more responsibilities."

Silence for a second.

"No, I fucking don't. But that's one I actually want. Use the joint number with Josie."

"Good idea. Now that there's a woman in the loop, she's safe."

He laughed. "Jesus, you are never going to let me off the hook for that one, are you?"

"Brother, I don't have any fucking idea what you're talking about, and I gotta go. Call me after nine," I said, and hung up on his reply. I win. Not easy with Aaron.

I made breakfast, first for me, then an hour later for the tiger. She loved meat, of course. Sausage and eggs, and a V8. Only kid in the world who liked V8.

As soon as the aroma hit her I could hear her feet hit the floor.

She came down two minutes later. "Uppie," she announced. Up she went and I got my kiss on the cheek, given seriously. Then the squirm like I was kidnapping her. "I'm hungry!" She devoured her food and got her red mustache. Like a tiger after a kill, I'd once told her. That stuck.

Then she got her purple rubber boots. It hadn't rained in nine days.

"These ones."

"Those are rain boots, Jess."

"They're walking boots."

I could probably win this, but it'd be a Pyrrhic victory. Tactical retreat. "You're right, get them on, kid."

She sat down on the hall floor to do it, both hands, jaw set, tongue out one side. Nothing better in life than watching her struggle and succeed. Or watching her do anything. She got them on the wrong feet and stood up. She looked down and stamped once on the tile like the floor had cheated her.

"Left one's on the right," I said, expressionless. Poking the bear.

She glared at me. "That's how I want them."

Then my face cracked a smile. Dangerous. She only sniffed at me, and I almost laughed. Best part of my day, losing to my girl.

She made it up two stairs going back for her jacket before she stopped and put a hand on the railing.

I was there instantly, crouched, one hand on her back, the other finding her wrist without looking like that's what I was doing.

"Little rest," I said.

"I'm fine."

"I know. Little rest anyway." Her heart was going fast because she'd run up two stairs at seven in the morning. I counted twenty seconds and tripled it. Her lips were good. Her nails were good. She was already impatient with me, which is the single best sign there is.

"I’m going now!"

"Yeah."

She went. I wanted to follow her, but that's not useful.

She came back with the jacket on backwards, arms through the sleeves, zipper up her spine, delighted. I bit my cheek to control the urge to fix it. Pretty sure she did this on purpose.

"Daddy. Can worms hear?"

"I don't know." How did I not anticipate this exact question?

"You know lots though."