Dada and Nicky
Remy likes that Daddy and Nicky are friends.
It’s so fun! They go to the coffee shop every morning now, and Remy always gets a doughnut. A chocolate one with sprinkles! Sprinkles make it the best ‘cause they’re like little rainbow dots on top!
Daddy and Nicky talk a lot. Like, a lot a lot. They laugh, too, and when Daddy laughs, Nicky smiles, and then Daddy smiles back, and it’s like they’re playing a smiling game or something.
Remy doesn’t get all the stuff they say—it’s boring grown-up talk—but he likes hearing Daddy laugh. It makes his tummy feel warm, like pancakes fresh off the pan.
But sometimes, Remy gets a teeny bit sad.
Daddy keeps talking to Nicky instead of him, and Remy just wants Daddy to look at him! He wiggles in his seat or swings his feet really fast under the table, but they just keep talking. So he shows them his doughnut, all proud, and sometimes Daddy ruffles his hair, or Nicky says, “That’s a super cool doughnut, bud!”
That makes it better, though. ‘Cause even if they don’t talk to him the whole time, it’s okay. Nicky makes Daddy happy, and Remy likes seeing Daddy happy.
It’s like the sun’s shining just for them when Daddy smiles.
Remy thinks Nicky and Daddy being friends is the best thing ever. Like magic, but for mornings. And magic mornings with doughnuts are the best mornings of all!
Remy likes school now!
And he likes Mr. Nick even more. Mr. Nick is the best teacher ever, and he makes everything fun, like counting games and singing songs about the ABCs.
Remy even has a friend now! Her name is Imogen, but he calls her Immy because it’s easier to say. She’s a teacher too, and she’s super nice. She hangs out with him at playtime and sometimes helps him build dino caves in the sandbox.
Mr. Nick keeps telling him to try and make friends his own age, but that’s hard. The other kids don’t like dinos like Remy does, and they always want to play house. Remy doesn’t like house! He doesn’t want to be the dad or the dog or whatever weird thing they make him pretend to be. Dinos are way cooler.
Immy gets it, though. She doesn’t make him play house, and sometimes she even roars like a T-Rex with him, which is so cool.
But Mr. Nick keeps saying, “You’re such a smart kid, Remy! I bet the other kids would love to play dinos if you just asked.”
Remy doesn’t believe him, but that’s okay.
As long as Mr. Nick is there to push him on the swings and Immy helps with dino stuff, school isn’t so bad after all!
Every time they leave school, Daddy and Mr. Nick always say “Hi” to each other. But their “Hi’s” are soooo long. They just stand there, staring at each other, and then their cheeks get all red like strawberries.
It’s kinda weird.
Grown-ups are weird.
But Daddy’s happy again, and that’s what matters. Remy missed his Daddy being happy. Daddy used to look tired a lot, but now he smiles, and it’s like the whole world is better when Daddy smiles.
Remy doesn’t really know why Daddy and Mr. Nick look at each other like that, but maybe it’s because they’re friends.
Really good friends.
And friends make you happy, so that’s okay with Remy. As long as Daddy keeps smiling, everything is awesome!