Chapter 20
“Momma!” Angela cried out joyously, rushing across the wide expanse of the great room as soon as Helen and Raj stepped off the elevator. “I was a rabbit this morning!” she announced. Angela wrinkled her nose as she continued, “Emily was an elephant. It’s not as fun being an elephant.”
The young babysitter chuckled as she followed Angela at a more sedate pace. “We learned about various animals this morning, reading about their habits and what foods they enjoy.”
Raj laughed when Angela rushed over to him, wiggling her tiny fingers in a silent demand to be lifted into his arms. He couldn’t believe how easily this tiny human had accepted him.
Perhaps it was more appropriate to say that Angela had adopted him. He’d become her minion and he loved it. Soon, he’d have to put his foot down and this tiny dictator would need to adhere to some rules. But for the moment, he was enjoying getting to know his daughter and spoiling her as much as possible.
“Are you ready for lunch?” he asked, tucking her shirt down so that it covered her belly.
Angela wrapped her arm around his neck and nodded. “Yeah. Can we have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”
Raj mentally groaned at the idea. He hated peanut butter, but that question told him his daughter wasn’t allergic to nuts. He’d read about what a horrific allergy that could be.
“I think that the chef might have made something a bit more interesting than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” He looked at her in mock seriousness. “I hope that someone who had the courage to face down an elephant while pretending to be a rabbit, might be brave enough to try new foods.”
Angela considered his comment seriously. After just twenty-four hours, Raj knew his little daughter was always up for a challenge.
Sure enough, she put her thumb to her chin, obviously having seen the gesture on someone else, then nodded. “Yes. I like different foods. Momma is always trying to sneak foods into my macaroni and cheese.”
Raj looked over at Helen, who had pulled off her sweater and was watching them with amusement. When he lifted an eyebrow, silently asking for clarification, Helen explained, “I put cauliflower and spinach in the cheese mixture in order to make it healthier.”
Raj nodded, thinking that was a pretty brilliant way to get kids to eat better. “What about spinach and broccoli on pizza?” he suggested. Immediately, mother and daughter made identical faces of revulsion.
“Ewwww, Daddy! Broccoli doesn’t go on pizza! Pepperoni goes on pizza!”
He laughed, hugging his daughter for a brief moment. He felt a reciprocal tightening of her arm around his neck as he carried her to the dining room table. He set her down in her booster seat, then sat down beside her. Almost immediately, the butler nodded and three servers stepped through the door, setting down plates in front of each of them.
The three of them chatted while eating lunch, Angela devouring a small bowl of pasta with a creamy tomato sauce and vegetables shaped into a happy face. Angela happily ate the olive eyes, carrot nose, and celery mouth before digging into the pasta. Meanwhile, Helen and Raj enjoyed a more sophisticated meal of rice pilaf and grilled, seasoned chicken with a glass of crisp, white wine.
By the end of the meal, Angela was fighting to stay awake. She’d eaten more than half of her pasta, and could barely keep her eyes open, her head bobbing as sleep threatened to overpower her. Apparently, the morning had been extraordinarily active.
Helen smothered her smile at her daughter’s efforts to stay awake. The little tyke didn’t want to miss out on anything. Helen caught her when her head nearly hit the table, scooping Angela up and cradling her.
“I’ll put her down for a nap, then I’ll start digging into the details,” she whispered, turning to put Angela into bed. Helen knew that Angela would sleep for at least an hour and a half. Helen paused before leaving Angela’s bedroom, wondering if she would be strong enough to keep her hands off of Raj.