Babe,I want you to meet Tess. I love her, and I hope that’s okay.
I couldn’t know whatshe’d say, and I was fine with that. Beth was gone, I was in love again, andnothing was going to change either of those facts. Still, I thought about Tessnow, waking up to my late wife’s gaze, and I considered how I’d feel if thetables were turned. I’d feel adulterous and remorseful. So, for her sake, Igently laid the frame underneath a sheaf of papers.
Beth’s pictures andmemory would forever be a fixture in my life. They would always be in theliving room, in the girls’ room, but for the first time, I felt it wasinappropriate to have them in my bedroom. Likethatwas being unfaithful, to the new love in my life.
So strange, when justmonths ago, I could hardly fathom the idea of moving on.
The girls were awake. Iheard their chatter just outside my door in the kitchen and I mentally preparedmyself for the questions, as I pulled on my t-shirt and pajama pants. I wasbeing honest when I told Tess I wasn’t worried about it, but worried or not,thiswasuncharted territory.Sleepovers. Girlfriends. Who knew how they’d handle it?
I quietly slipped frommy bedroom into the ruckus of little girls wearing princess dresses and unicornshirts, and quietly closed the door behind me before making my presence known.
“Good morning, ladies,”I greeted them.
“Hi Daddy,” Shellyreplied cheerfully, skipping by.
“Shelly-belly, youcan’t wear that to school,” I dictated gently, taking a long look at herstriped, rainbow-colored socks and pink, sparkly dress.
“Yes. Ican.” She crossedher arms defiantly and stared up at me like our roles had been reversedovernight.
“Your teacherspecifically asked that you don’t wear very long dresses,” I reminded her,folding my own arms and staring her down with a steely glare. “Remember howthat little boy tripped on your dress last week?”
“He wasn’t watchingwhere he was going!”
“That might be true,but there are still rules you have to follow.”
“No Barbies in thepotty!” Annabel chimed in pointedly.
I nodded in herdirection. “Exactly. Like no Barbies in the potty—”
“And no candy forbreakfast,” Lilly grumbled, as she begrudgingly grabbed the box of Happy-O’sfrom the counter.
“That, too.” I pointedat my oldest before looking back at Shelly. “Andno long dresses at school. You can wear one of your otherdresses, but not that one. Okay?”
“This is a freecountry, Daddy,” Shelly argued, standing her ground.
I couldn’t help butsmile at my personal princess of reason. Where she heard this stuff, I had noidea. “I know, Shelly-belly, and you’re right. But unfortunately, your teachercan get you in trouble for not following the rules. So, how about you changenow, but as soon as you come home, you can put that dress on again?”
She glared at me for amoment, considering the bargain, and then nodded. “Okay. Deal.” She retreatedto her room, sulking all the way, and I hoped she would one day become a lawyerand take care of her dad in his old age.
I slid my hands up andinto my hair, mussed from sleep—and sex.I surveyed the kitchen and my daughters, setting my mind back into the normalmorning routine. Annabel was still in her pajamas, and she needed to at leasthave her shoes on, before she and I drove Lilly and Shelly to school.
Lilly was dragging achair to a cabinet, where I cut her off, opening the door and handing her abowl. “Thanks, Daddy,” she said with a smile, and I sighed contentedly. Theyall seemed to be in good moods today. It was going to be an easy morning.
“Annabel,” I said,addressing my youngest, and she turned to peer up at me from her booster seatat the table. “What would you like for breakfast?”
“O’s,” she repliedsimply.
“Making my life easy.”I grabbed another bowl from the cabinet and waited for Lilly to finish pouringher cereal before I did the same for Annabel.
Shelly emerged from thebedroom, wearing another, shorter dress—just as sparkly, and just as pink—andin some four-year-old need for rebellion, she had also added a tiara. Ploppingdown at the table with a determination I felt proud of, I asked if she’d likesome. She simply nodded.
“Giving me the silenttreatment?” I asked, sliding a bowl toward her, filled to the brim withHappy-O’s.
“No,” she replied.“Justthinkin’.”
After hurrying into thebathroom and returning with the hairbrush, I set to work raking it throughLilly’s hair first. “Thinking about what?”
“Miss Leann wears longdresses.”
