Charlie was a surprisingly easy baby, though it’s not like I had much to compare her to. Around seven o’clock each morning, she’d wake up, which was a couple of hours after I’d already begun my day, having risen early to tend to the animals.
I would get her out of bed, take her out to collect the eggs from the coop, and she’d keep me entertained while I fixed breakfast. Stella would take over with changing her, getting her dressed for the day, and feeding her.
While not world-changing, allowing Stella some extra rest gently nudged her toward accepting support. She deserved a break after having done everything herself for so long.
In the last week, Charlie’s newly acquired skill of walking had resulted in an unprecedented amount of chaos throughout the house. She suddenly decided one morning to stop crawling around on the floor and started toddling up and down the hallway as fast as her little legs would take her.
Subsequently, she had also decided that she was done breastfeeding. That was a sore spot for Stella, and I could see the disappointment in her eyes as she imagined missing her quiet evenings with her girl. The realization that this long and challenging chapter was ending brought a mix of relief and melancholy.
I wished I could turn back time, erasing the looming dread of a terrible father and letting her relive those precious moments with her daughter, filled with joy and laughter instead of worry.
I hadn’t considered the realities of parenthood, but watching Charlie, a sharp pang of regret struck me—I’d missed key moments in her life. I had to remind myself that I was not her father, and as much as I was enjoying our time together and falling more and more for her and her mother every day, I couldn’t just jump right into being a family man.
Charlie and Stella were a solid unit, their combined strength felt like an unbreakable wall against the world. It was going to take more than fixing breakfast and letting Stella sleep in each morning to prove that, to me, this was a long-term commitment.
I found myself daydreaming of a time farther into the future and envisioning a little boy or girl with Stella’s emerald eyes staring up at me from my arms. Those quiet moments where I dreamed of creating a life together always filled me with an effervescent sense of calm.
We hadn’t known each other long, but the warmth of hersmile and a flash of white teeth against rosy cheeks sent shivers down my spine, melting my heart instantly.
My phone pinging with a text on the counter broke my daydream of a future with Stella. I picked it up and swiped it open, a grin breaking out across my face. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of planning, a meticulous strategy taking shape in my mind, all for the chance to finally get a date with Stella.
Angie: You got it. I’d love to watch her!
I had texted Angie late last night as a thought came to me about what I wanted to do for our date.
We had made no plans beyond her agreement, but I’d been silently plotting the perfect first date for the perfect woman.
“Masssss!” Charlie yelled from her high chair, bashing her fists down in defiance. Since she’d learned to walk, she hated being confined. Apparently, that also included meal time.
Having just finished her breakfast, I knew it was almost time to get her ready for her day at Ray’s. Stella had to work at the boutique, so Ray offered to keep her at her house for a while. If I could keep the little girl with me all day around the ranch, I would, but I’m sure heavy machinery and nap times wouldn’t mix well.
“Okay, okay!” I said, as I walked over to extricate the toddler from the apparent prison conditions of her high chair.
I knelt and set her down gently on the floor before taking a cloth and wiping her hands and face clean.
“I think it’s time we go get mama up. What do you think, little one?” I asked, ruffling her curls.
“Mama!!” she shouted as she took off like a shot down thehallway towards Stella’s room. I hung my head, taking a fortifying breath, and followed behind her.
It was Charlie’s world, and we were just living in it.
She waited impatiently outside her mother’s room, her small hands outstretched, unable to reach the doorknob. Her tiny fists clenched, and her brow furrowed in toddler frustration. Her look was so reminiscent of Stella, it made me chuckle.
I tapped lightly on Stella’s door before twisting the knob to release the spitfire she called her child into her sanctuary. Charlie dashed toward the bed, her small feet padding softly on the carpet, while I watched from the doorway. She tried to scramble into bed with Stella, but her short, chubby legs, like little sausages, couldn’t quite make it.
Stella rolled over and picked her up over the side of the bed, depositing her with an exaggerated plop on her lap. Her mussed hair and the pillow creases on her face showed she’d slept well. The soft light of dawn illuminated her face, highlighting the calm in her eyes, a beauty so profound it transcended understanding.
“Mama, up!” Charlie said, taking Stella’s hand in hers and attempting to pull her from the covers. A burst of laughter escaped Stella’s lips as she over-animatedly tumbled backwards onto her pillows, the sound a stark contrast to the previous quiet of the room.
“Mama sleepy,” she sighed dramatically as Charlie continued her attempt to pull her from the bed.
“Mama UP!” she groaned, growing increasingly frustrated at the fact that her twenty-pound frame couldn’t move Stella even an inch. With a groan, Stella slowly rose, the effort palpable, as if Charlie’s pull was working. Charlie’sresounding laughter was infectious as she “pulled” Stella into a sitting position.
“Okay, I’m up,” she said, finally looking up to catch my gaze. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw her; she looked absolutely stunning, radiating a calm confidence.
“Morning, Cowboy.”
“Mornin’, Trouble”
