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‘Wish you didn’t have to race off to work for the afternoon, Dani.’ Malcolm grumbled as he set the dishes in the sink from lunch. ‘Mia was looking forward to you being home right when she gets back from school.’
‘I wish I didn’t either, Malcolm, but I’ve got three people off sick and the replacements won’t make it in till after 4 pm. I’ll be home as soon as I can.’ She slipped on her jacket and kissed him on the cheek.
‘Mommy. Hugs!’ Gracie stretched up her hands and Dani picked her up for a big hug. ‘Kiss kiss!’ Gracie landed two wet kisses on Dani’s cheek and giggled.
‘Oh you little giggler.’ Dani smiled and tapped her daughter lightly on the nose. ‘You be good for daddy and I’ll be home later.’
‘Yes mommy!’
With Dani gone and Mia in school, Malcolm was left to get the rest of that weeks column written as Gracie played happily on the floor of his office. He looked up when his daughter threw one of her toys against the wall with a soft thud. ‘Why are you throwing your toy, little lady?’
‘Wanted fly.’ Gracie explained as she toddled over to pick it up. ‘See!’ She threw the plush bear in his direction to thump against his leg. ‘Fly!’
‘Careful there. Don’t just be throwing any toy around.’ Malcolm picked up the small bear and then grabbed his daughter as she came near. ‘Up you get. Sit quietly on my lap while I finish this up, okay?’
‘Yes, daddy.’ Gracie took hold of her bear again and sat on his lap, her head resting on his chest.
An hour later, and with the prospect of 2 more hours before Mia would be needing picking up from school, Malcolm got up with Gracie in his arms. The little girl had nodded off against him as he had written his column. ‘Let’s get you into bed for a proper nap.’ Heading up the stairs to her bedroom the little girl woke up and began to cry when he tried to tuck her into her own bed.
‘No! Want stay you.’ Gracie kept hold of his arm.
‘What? Don’t you want to nap in your bed with your toys?’
‘No. You!’ She managed to grab hold of his neck to cling on.
‘You want to nap with me?’
‘Yes! Nap daddy!’
‘Okay, only for a little while though. I have to make dinner later.’ He lifted her from her bed and went to the master bedroom. Gracie clung on to one of her favourite toys, a large stuffed owl that was close to the same size as she was. Although, as Malcolm shifted her in his arms, his youngest daughter was growing up fast.
With Gracie comfortably curled up close beside him, Malcolm lay on the bed with his legs outstretched reading a book. As the afternoon wore on, Gracie slept happily and he found himself nodding off too. Without waking his daughter, Malcolm slid down on the bed until he was laying flat himself. Curling an arm around his daughter, he fell asleep.
Gracie woke to the sound of her father snoring steadily. She wriggled a bit happily against him, enjoying the warmth of his body and the protection of his arm around her. One of her little hands grabbed hold of his large thumb. Her other hand continued to clutch her owl toy. No longer sleepy, she began to talk quietly to her toy, her fingers releasing her father’s large thumb to pick at the owl’s large wide eyes.
Malcolm slept on, more tired than he realized originally. Gracie, awake now and wanting to play, wriggled out from under his arm sat up on his wide chest. Yes, she was growing but she could still easily sit on her father. Turning her owl to face him, she made as if it was dancing on his chest. Malcolm didn’t stir.
‘Owl says whoooo.’ Gracie sang softly, remembering the words from one of her cartoons she liked to watch. ‘Whooooo. Whooooo.’
The sound of Gracie singing finally roused Malcolm to open an eye and find himself looking right into two large wide eyes. He cracked open his other eye and Gracie, giggling, kept the owl staring right at him. Malcolm stared right on back.
‘Who’s there?’ He asked, not blinking.
‘Whoooooo. Whooooo.’ Gracie answered back.
‘Is that Mr. Who?’
‘Whoooooo. Whoooooo.’
‘Hello Mr. Whooooo.’ Malcolm replied. ‘You have big eyes, Mr. Whoooo.’
‘Whooooo!’ Gracie couldn’t hold back her giggling.
‘That’s not a Whooo!’ He cried out and sat up suddenly, catching the little girl in his arms. ‘That’s Gracie!’
‘Daddy!’ The owl toy fell to the bed as she wrapped her arms around Malcolm’s neck to hug him tight.