Chapter Five
Beck
“I’m a good helper, Daddy. Help, help, help. Roll, roll, roll. Ohhh Daddy, look how pretty and happy the sunny lellow is.” Who knew painting was so much fun? And messy. But fun.
“You, my little Bunny, rival the yellow rays of the sunshiny walls. But yes, the yellow is very sunny and bright.”
Lellow was more fun to say than yellow. “Awe,” I hugged him, but the roller was naughty and tagged his shirt. “Shoot, sorry Daddy. Bad roller,” I scolded it.
“That’s okay, Bunny. More memories of this wonderful day to remind me of it later. You’re doing very well, are you sure this is your first time painting?”
“It really is. You’re a good teacher, Daddy.” He was so patient with me. I was a lucky boy to have him for my daddy.
He chuckled. “Not much to teach when all we’re doing is rolling. I’ll do the trim and edging unless you wanna give it a whirl?” I stood back and glanced at the pretty baseboards Daddy had just installed and shook my head. “I don’t wanna mess it up.”
Daddy kissed the top of my head. “No worries, Bunny. You keep rolling and Daddy will get to work on the details.”
The paper Daddy used to cover the floor before we started crunched beneath our feet. Kind of a funny sound so I hopped across it over to the table all our painting stuff was on to turn on my music playlist. “Shoot.”
“What’s wrong, Bunny?”
“My fingers are all painty. I don’t wanna get it on my phone.”
“No worries, sweet boy, Daddy’s got you. Which playlist do you want?”
“Umm, how about the dance party one?”
“You have four of those.”
“Pick one, Daddy. I trust you.” I couldn’t tell if he was laughing with me or at me. Hmm…
Whatever, I shrugged it off and danced toward the bedroom window that looked out into the backyard.
Daddy did such a good job designing it. Pretty rocks around the pool, a table that was a real live firepit.
The shiny rocks looked so pretty when the flames danced around them.
Palm trees and flowery desert plants. “Daddy, can we swim in the pool soon?”
“Sorry, Bunny, it’s still too cold. Maybe around your birthday we can.”
“Ooohhh, but we can still use the ‘coozie, right?”
“Yes, my love,” Daddy was doing a whole lot of laughing at his boy today, “we can use the jacuzzi year-round. Maybe tonight after we free your body of paint splatters, we can take a soak.”
I glanced down at my shirt, or what there was left to see of it. “Oopsie.”
“And that is exactly why Daddy gave you an old T-shirt and shorts of his to wear today. Let’s get two walls done before we break for lunch. Okay, Bunny?”
“’Kay, Daddy.” I got back to rolie, poley…. “Daddy, can we watch Rolie Polie Olie later?”
Daddy got his thinky face on. “If we can find it. That’s an older cartoon and it might take a bit of searching to find. But I’ll do my best, sweetheart.”
Daddy would find it. He’s a magic man.
“Daddy, daddy, the magic man. Finding cartoons as fast as he can,” I sang as I rolled. Once I reached as high as I could go, I stopped. “Daddy, do you want me to get the ladder and finish the tippy top spots?”
“No, my love. I do not want your silly little behind dancing around on a ladder. Daddy will take care of that but thank you for being a big boy and asking first.”
“I’m Daddy’s good boy.”
“Yes, you are and I’m very thankful for that. Why don’t you wash your hands and bring your coloring books in here while Daddy finishes.”
“Another good Daddy idea.” I put my roller in the tin thingy for Daddy and skipped across the hall to the bathroom.
Pooh, I hadn’t noticed my shirt had wet paint and it got all over the countertop while I washed up.
Guess I better clean that up too. What a messy, messy boy I was today.
Good thing Daddy already loved me. No take backsies.
Daddy had bought me a carrying case just for my coloring stuff that folded out into a desk for me to use to color on.
It had a handle and special areas for the coloring books, crayons, and my colored pencils.
Sometimes I like to use those instead of crayons.
If I pushed too hard, they broke, then I got a bad case of the sads and felt sorry for ruining them.
I sat over by one of the walls we weren’t painting until after lunch and started making Daddy a new picture for the fridge. All the shiny silver was almost covered, but he just put the new ones over the old, so they all got to stay up there.
One picture led to another, then I found a cute little bunny holding a big bunny’s hand, so I had to color it ‘cause it was just like Daddy and me. I was just finishing up when Daddy sat down beside me.
“Such pretty pictures, Bunny. Time for a break, lunch is ready.” I blinked up at him. When did he make lunch? “Here’s your plate.”
“Thank you, Daddy. We’re having a picnic in my playroom. Yay! Can we do it again sometime?”
“Absolutely, Bunny.”
We munched on sammies and tiny pickles and nummy chips. It was a perfect tiny food lunch day which made it even more fun. “Thank you for cutting my sammie into tiny triangles, Daddy.”
“You,” Daddy kissed my forehead, “are,” then my nose, “welcome.” Then came a big peanut butter and jelly kiss right on the mouth.
“Daddy, you did that on purpose,” I giggled and licked the jelly from my lips.
“Maybe I did and maybe I didn’t. Ready to tackle the blue walls, Bunny?”
“Yes,” I shimmied my booty. “The baby blue walls will go sooo pretty with the lellow ones. Like the sun and the sky all in one room.”
“Indeed, they will, sweet boy. Let Daddy get our picnic cleaned up then we’ll get back to work.”
I put away my coloring desk while Daddy did his thing. Then we got back to work and rolled until our arms hurt. How Daddy did this for a living I’ll never know. But this time, he was doing it for me, which is what pushed me to keep going even though my feet hurt and I was super seepy.
“Daddy,” even to my own ears I sounded whiney. “Are we almost done?”
“Yes, sweet boy. Daddy just needs to finish this section of edging.”
Buuuttt…I got bored. And there was paint just sitting there. And a roller and brushes and paper on the floor.
Every littles ideal canvas.
Or at least it was for this one.
“Look Daddy, a handprint turkey.” I made blue ones, and lellow ones and white ones. I’d have made other colors too but those were the only three we had.
“Yes, you did, though it appears you have more paint on you than the paper.” Daddy sighed and stared at the mess I’d made.
“Are, are you mad at me, Daddy?” Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t… Phooey.
“Sweet boy, please don’t cry,” Daddy hugged me even though I was covered in paint. He didn’t care about that. Daddy loved me. “I’m not mad. Honestly, I’m trying to figure out how to save your pretty pictures. It’s oversized and I don’t want it to get ruined. Please, sweetheart, don’t cry.”
“I’m,” sniff, “sorry.”
“Shh,” Daddy’s arms felt so good. “Let’s get the lids on the paint and let your mural dry. Daddy will figure out where we can hang it up later.”
“Wha-what? Hang it up?”
“Daddy keeps all your art, my love, and this picture is no different. You were a good boy and kept yourself busy and didn’t get into trouble while Daddy finished the room. I think you deserve a treat for that, don’t you?”
“M-maybe.” Did I? I was so confused right now.
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up then we’ll have treat time.” Daddy banged the lids on the cans then took my hand and led me into the bathroom. “Let’s get you washed and paint free.”
Daddy started the water and stripped us both down then we got in. The warm water felt so good but Daddy washing me was the best. He scrubbied my hair until I was all mushy.
“Bunny, how did you get paint in your ears?” Daddy wiped it out with the rag.
“I dunno. My ear itched and I scratched it, so I guess it was then. Sorry, Daddy.”
“Baby, you need to quit apologizing so much. Things happen, but all that matters to Daddy is that you’re safe and happy. Paint in your ear, spilling a drink, none of those mean anything. Just adds another layer to what makes you my sweet Bunny and I love every messy inch of you.”
It took a lot of scrubbing to get all the paint to go away, but Daddy didn’t complain. Actually, he seemed to have fun and whispered sweet words about how helpful I was today the whole time.
If I was his good boy, then why did I feel so sad?
“Bunny, don’t be sad. You’re Daddy’s good boy, daddy’s happy boy and Daddy has just the thing to cheer you up. I don’t know who made you feel like you were bad, but they’re gone and if Daddy ever runs into them, he’ll give them a piece of his mind. Nobody makes my Bunny feel bad.”
Daddy was so silly, but he had a way of making the sads go away. No more mean people in my life ever, Daddy would make sure of that.
“Wait here, Bunny.” Daddy put my pj’s on me then went into the closet and came back with a big bag. “Daddy has a special gift for you.”
“Ooohhh,” I was so excited. “What is it?”
“I’m not ruining the surprise, open it and see.”
I pulled out a big, white, fuzzy… “It’s a bunny robe, Daddy and bunny slippers. Put it on me!”
“What’s the magic word?”
I hugged and kissed him. “Please and thank you, Daddy.” He got me all bundled up. “I’m a bunny, Daddy. Hop, hop, hop.” I had slippers and pj’s and a fuzzy robe. And my onesie Jobe made me too.
“Silly Bunny, let’s get you some cookies and milk before bed.” Cookies were good, and all, but I was more interested in what else Daddy had hidden in the closet. “Little one, what are you getting into?”
“Do you have other prezzies hiding in there, Daddy?”
“Well, if I do, I’ll be moving them soon. Is my good boy being naughty?”
That hit me hard. I didn’t mean to be naughty, but he was right, I was being bad. I shut the door and turned around. “No Daddy, and I’m sorry for that. I just get excited is all. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Thank you.”
With nothing else said, no sweet words or don’t apologize, I felt properly reprimanded. Thankfully, it came without pain, unlike it had when I was growing up.