Chapter 6 #2
“Hi, Miss Mia.”
“Good morning, Tella!” I smile down at her.
“Come on, T,” Caleb says, reaching to usher her downstairs. “The pancakes are going to get cold if you don’t eat them now and you know how much you dislike cold pancakes.”
She scrunches her nose in disgust. “Yuck.”
I try to suppress a small laugh with the back of my hand as I follow the two of them back down to the kitchen. Tella climbs up onto one of the stools and Caleb quickly gets her situated with a plate of pancakes, butter, and syrup.
He takes a step away as I sit down next to her. “You have my number in case you need anything.” He pauses, his throat bobbing as he swallows. “You have Andi and Riley and—”
“Caleb,” I interject, raising my eyebrows at him. “We’ll be fine and I’m fairly certain I have everyone’s phone number that you’re about to list.”
He huffs a chuckle. “Okay, sorry.” He clears his throat and turns to Tella. “You be good for Miss Mia.” He leans forward, kissing the top of her head. “I love you.”
“Love you too, daddy,” she says around a mouthful of pancakes.
“I’ll be back after practice,” he says, directed at me now. “Eat some of the pancakes. They aren’t as good when they’re reheated.”
“We’ll be here.” I smile at him, tipping my chin, not commenting on the pancakes. I’m not ashamed of my body’s inability to tolerate gluten, it just feels like a bit of a burden at times. Sometimes it just feels rude or awkward to turn down food because of the ingredients.
Caleb’s movements are slow as he makes his way toward the garage. I watch him for a moment—the way he pauses as he turns the knob and glances back over his shoulder. He looks at Estella first, his eyes lingering before bouncing to mine.
He gives me a small nod before finally slipping through the door, closing it behind him. I know this has to be hard for him. He’s not leaving his daughter with a stranger, but it’s clear he’s leaving her with someone he doesn’t fully trust.
I need him to trust me. I need him to feel comfortable so he’s not worrying about Tella when he needs to be focused on his career.
“Miss Mia, eat before they get cold,” Tella reminds me, half scolding me as she pushes an empty plate in my direction. I look at the pile of pancakes, back to the plate, then at the little girl next to me.
“You can just call me Mia,” I say, as she takes another bite of her food. “I already ate breakfast, but don’t tell your daddy, okay?”
Tella swallows down her food, a grin breaking out across her lips. “So, it’s a secret?”
I nod, biting back my own grin. “I don’t want to hurt his feelings by not eating the pancakes.”
Tella bobs her head in understanding. “I won’t tell him. Cross my heart,” she promises, drawing an X across her chest. She directs her attention back to her food, shoveling another forkful past her lips. “Do you say bad words?”
My eyebrows pull together, confusion washing over me. “Sometimes, but I try not to.”
“Well, if you do, you have to pay,” she informs me, giving me a very serious look. “Daddy has a swear jar, but you can just put your dollars in there too.”
My lips press into a straight line. “I don’t think I brought any money with me.”
Tella gives me a mischievous look, a twinkle in her eye. “You better not say any bad words then.”
“I will try very hard not to,” I assure her, stifling a laugh. Tella’s quite mature for her age. Her vocabulary is advanced and the way her mind works just seems a bit different than other children.
“Good,” she tells me, her chin dipping again. She finishes up her food and I take the plate to wash it. Tella follows me to the sink, pressing up on her tiptoes to watch what I’m doing. “Do you want to play with my dolls?
“I would love to,” I say, turning to face her as I dry the plate and find the cabinet it belongs in.
“We can only play with the girl dolls,” Tella says, grabbing my hand to pull me along with her.
“Why’s that?”
“Because boys are gross,” she scoffs. “Everyone knows that.”
A laugh escapes me as she heads up the stairs first. “They are, aren’t they?”
“Mhm,” Tella nods, leading me up to her room. “Except Daddy, but he isn’t a boy. He showers and smells good.”
“Well, that’s good to know.”
When we reach her room, I have to step around some toys to get to her dollhouse. Just as I’m about to crouch down, I step on something sharp that digs right into the center of my foot.
“Dammit!” I cry out, dropping down onto the ground to remove the toy heel from my foot. “Ouch, that hurt.”
Tella stands beside me, her eyes narrowing at me. “You said a bad word.”
My eyes widen as I look up at her. “Oh no.”
Tella stares at me for a second before a mischievous grin lifts the corners of her lips. “It’s okay.” She waves her hand dismissively as she moves to sit on the floor next to me. “I won’t tell my Daddy you don’t have any money.”
“I didn’t say I don’t have any money.”
Tella shakes her head at me. “It’s our secret.” My lips part and I’m about to argue with her when she grabs a doll and hands it to me. “This is Penelope. You can be her.”
I stare at the little bossy girl for a moment before a smile cracks my face. Tella starts to tell me the whole backstory for her dolls and what I can and can’t do with them. She’s a sassy little thing, but I like her.
There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that she won’t grow up to be a strong woman.
And I know it has everything to do with the way Caleb Ford is raising her.