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“Daddy! Mommy is so mean to me!”
You stifle your laughter as you follow the rapid pitter-patter of bare feet on hardwood floors and see your toddler rush towards Albert like her life depends on it. She's a bit wobbly on her feet when she comes to a stop next to him, but she catches herself on his legs, gripping the material of his pants tightly between her tiny fists, as she looks up at him with wide eyes and a wobbly lower lip.
“Oh? What is she not letting you do now?” Albert asks seriously as he bends down and picks her up without even waiting for her to lift her arms up in a demand to be held. Honestly, you think he enjoys carting her around everywhere even more than she likes being held in her daddy's arms.
“I wanted cookies but she said no more cookies,” comes the forlorn, betrayed answer. Albert gasps dramatically and recoils as if he was hit, which makes your daughter giggle in delight and you snort under your breath. “You so silly, daddy!”
“Yes, daddy is very silly,” you butt in as you come into view properly and start picking up your daughter's mess of toys so you don't trip on them and break your neck. “And he shouldn't listen to a word you say.”
“How could you betray your daughter like that and not give her a cookie, dear heart? Your own flesh and blood!”
“Yeah, mommy!” your daughter yells. “You mean! No cookies for Asha.” You don't even need to turn around to know she's pouting adorably up at Albert and giving him the most heartbroken puppy eyes in the history of humanity. You wouldn't go so far as to call your own daughter a master manipulator but you will say this: somehow, Albert always seems to cave to her demands whenever she pulls those bad boys out.
“I'll give you a cookie, Asha. Come with daddy, let's see what we can find.”
You roll your eyes and give Albert an exasperated look that he completely ignores.
“Don't let her fool you, Al. She's already had one today and she knows it.”
“Nuh-uh! You lying, mommy! You a liar!” Asha protests like the little lying liar you all know she is.
“Exactly. My sweet princess would never lie to me,” Albert completes without missing a beat as his arms tighten around your daughter so he can spin her around in his arms. There's so much love and adoration in his eyes when he looks at her that it makes you want to weep sometimes – he's only ever looked at you like that before Asha came along and even that was hard won. But when Asha got here, it's like something broke open in his chest and finally spilled free. He's so good with her, so attentive and patient and loving – nothing like the man the rest of the world knows, nothing like the man you took into your hands and helped shape into something softer over the course of several years. You might have been jealous if you didn't love the both of them so damn much. You're glad that they have each other, that Asha could give Albert the push not even you could. And there's nothing that makes you happier than knowing that your daughter's biggest fan and staunchest protector is her daddy.
“Uh-huh,” you mutter, unimpressed, and point a warning finger in their direction as he starts walking towards the kitchen in spite of your protests. “She's swindling you. Big time.”
“She could murder me and I'd thank her,” Albert retorts without missing a beat as he kisses the toddler's temple and makes you snort. You're not even sure he's joking, if you're being honest.
“On your head be it. You're in charge of her when she starts trying to bring the house down on top of us from the sugar.”
“I'll help her.”
“Of that, my dear husband, I have no doubt.”
You watch the pair of them as they walk away from you, your daughter cradled safely in Albert's arms and looking up at him as if he invented everything that is good in the world just for her while Albert rubs a hand over her little back in a soothing motion while he talks to her about something you can't make out properly. Two peas in a pod, those two. It fills your heart with so much warmth to watch them. And you can't even be mad at your husband for ‘undermining’ you because you know he'll just take a cookie out, give Asha a tiny crumb, then distract her with something else until she forgets there was more to be had to begin with.
You laugh to yourself when you hear Asha's delighted cheer and profusely loud gratitude towards her daddy. Knowing them, they'll be busy for the next few hours, at least, so you put aside some of Asha's toys in their designated bin then trudge upstairs to take a well deserved nap. They'll come find you when they need you. Until then, it's mommy's alone time.