I hold the fry out of reach. “Then no fry.”
“No.”
Growing up working around the business with my dad, I can frame a house without thinking twice, drywall the most difficult angles. I can field strip a weapon with my eyes closed. Carry a seventy-pound ruck sack for twelve miles.
I’m frickin’ clueless when it comes to raising a child.
“Eat two bites of egg and I’ll let you have two fries with white ketchup.”
She gives me the stink eye, before shoving two decent bites of egg in her mouth.
Dad chuckles. “She does take after you. Stubborn. And you always ate your pizza with ranch dressing. The next few years are going to be fun.”
I take a bite of my omelet. “Dad, we need to make some changes. I’ve been looking at the books.”
“Don’t worry son. I take care of those on Sundays.”
“Dad, I’ve been home a month and all you’ve done on Sundays is payroll and the most pressing bills. And you’re still doing it in a manual ledger book. It needs to be computerized.”
“We don’t have that many clients that we have to get all fancy.”
“Dad, I want to grow the business. I want a house for Ayla and me. I’ll need enough for college for her.”
“Our house is plenty big for the three of us.”
“Dad, the house is yours. You want me to take over running the company. I plan on growing it. I want to hire at least a part time bookkeeper. You’re supposed to be cutting back, taking some much-needed time off. Maybe take that cruise to Alaska you’ve always talked about. Or go fishing with your buddies.”
He looks out the window at the shops across the street. “Been a long time since I took time off. Could use a little something.” Shifting his gaze to me, “You sure you’re up for all this? Moving, managing the job, and the little one?”
“I can handle this.”I hope.
He stands. “Well then, take care of the bill, I’m gonna grab a cup of coffee.”
“Dad, you just had a cup of coffee.”
“I want the good stuff from across the street. There’s a nice little coffee shop over there called ‘Bean Me Up’ that makes great decaf. It’s got some real flavor. I’ll see you later at home.”
I watch him stride across the street like a man on a mission. I haven’t seen him move that fast since I got back to town.
Ayla looks at me squirming in her seat.
“Potty?”
She nods. Oh shit. I was out of pull-ups. She only has on underwear. Grabbing her backpack, I follow the sign to the bathrooms.
Men.
Women.
I spin around looking for the family restroom as two guys walk past me into the men’s room.
A woman walks out of the ladies, and I turn to her. “Do you know where the family restroom is? I need to take my daughter.”
She glances up at me and a niggle of recognition fights for purchase against my desperation to get my little one to a bathroom without an accident.
She shakes her head. “I told them to put one in, but they didn’t listen. You got two choices. I can take her. Or when the last woman comes out, I guard the door, and you go in. I guess you could go to the guy’s room…”
“There’re guys in there. Can you take her? If she doesn’t make it, I’ll come in and clean up the mess.”
