Daddy
Daddy is acting weird. Like, really weird. He keeps looking at his phone and smiling at it. Who smiles at a phone? It’s not like it tells jokes.
And now he keeps buying Mr. Nick coffee, even though Mr. Nick said he can pay for his own coffee. I heard him say it! But Daddy’s like, “Oh no, I got it.” Weird.
And his face keeps getting all red, like a big tomato. Daddy hates tomatoes. He always says, “Yuck, Remy, I don’t want tomatoes on my burger.” But now his face is all tomato-red every time Mr. Nick talks to him.
Adults are so strange. I think they need naps. Or maybe juice. Juice fixes everything.
Daddy is happy, and Remy likes that a lot. Daddy happy is the best kind of Daddy. For a while, Daddy is sad, and it makes Remy’s tummy feel all twisty. He doesn’t like it when Daddy is sad. It makes the house quiet and heavy, and Remy doesn’t know how to fix it.
But now, Daddy is smiley.
He laughs more, and his eyes don’t look tired anymore. Lately, Daddy wakes up extra early to go get coffee. Remy thinks coffee is gross—it smells weird and tastes yucky.
Because happy Daddy is the best kind of Daddy. And if Mr. Nick and coffee make Daddy happy, then Remy likes those things too. Even if coffee is gross.
But Daddy also seems stressed. He takes sooooooo long getting ready now! He stares at his closet forever, and then he keeps fixing his hair, which is silly because Daddy’s hair is always curly no matter what he does.
And Remy doesn’t like being left out. Mr. Nick talks to Daddy more than him now, and that makes Remy a little mad at Daddy. Mr. Nick was his first! They’re best friends! Daddy can’t just come in and start being friends with Mr. Nick too. That’s not fair.
It’s not just that, though. It’s also because Mr. Nick talks to Daddy a lot. And that’s his Daddy. His! Mr. Nick is his best friend, and Daddy is his best friend, and Remy doesn’t want to share. No way. No sharing!
Remy crosses his arms and pouts just thinking about it. Grown-ups are so weird, and now they’re making everything confusing. Mr. Nick and Daddy can talk, but they better remember who was here first.
Remy was here first!
Daddy looks happy, like coffee is his favorite thing ever. But Remy isn’t so sure about that anymore.
Because lately, it feels like Mr. Nick is the one making Daddy happy, not coffee. And that makes Remy mad. If Mr. Nick keeps talking to Daddy so much, what if Daddy stops being around?
Remy’s little hands curl into fists as his mind races. If Daddy isn’t there, then what? Remy doesn’t have a mommy. And if he doesn’t have a mommy or a daddy, then he has no one.
That thought makes Remy’s tummy feel twisty and his eyes start to sting. He doesn’t want to be alone. He loves Mr. Nick, but Daddy is his Dada. He can’t just… leave.
Remy’s lip quivers, and he sniffles loudly, catching Daddy’s attention. “Hey, bud,” Daddy says, crouching down next to him. “What’s wrong?”
But Remy doesn’t know how to say it. How to tell Daddy that he’s scared. That he doesn’t want to share. That he doesn’t want Daddy to be taken away by Mr. Nick or anyone else. So, instead, he just throws himself into Daddy’s arms, holding on as tight as he can.
Daddy hugs him close, rubbing his back. “Hey, it’s okay, buddy. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
But Remy isn’t so sure. He holds on tighter, just in case.