“Daddy, can we please go explore again?” That’s all it ever takes, isn’t it? Kali bats those big brown eyes at me and asks for an adventure - a ‘venture, she used to call it, and it melted my damn heart every time - and I’m putty in her adorable hands.
“Sure, angel eyes. Where to today?”
She lit right up, my baby girl, and snuggled right up against my chest. “Oh, thank you, thank you! Can we go play on the river today? I love the way the water rushes under my feet, the way it flutters and wiggles and dances and makes my whole body move!”
I grin down at her. “You know you can steady that, right? Stand on a solid surface? I know I taught you how.”
“I know, but it’s so much more fun this way!” Her tail waggles, and her butt wiggles, and her whole body shimmies with excitement as she grins up at me.
“Okay. Let’s go then, kiddo.”
And just like that, we’re off on another adventure. We check in with Lacey, of course, making sure Kali tops up her belly and that her momma doesn’t mind us going on a little trip, and then away we go across the waves. How on earth she doesn’t get exhausted racing across the ocean, leaping from wave to wave, I have no idea. She used to need to curl up for a bit after we made it that far, but she’s grown enough that she can manage the trip no problem. Shit, when did that even happen?
Anyhow. Scampers right up the river, and I chase on after her, grinning like an idiot and revelling in the feeling of the sun on my shiny iron skin and playing with my happy little girl. Right up ‘til she skids to a halt about two feet away from someone standing a fair bit lower in the water than we are. “Ohhhh, you’re pretty!” she says, her eyes going wide as she stares at the not-so-stranger. Soft sky blue framed in black, with fierce gold eyes. I’ve never actually seen her without her brother, and for a moment I glance around, expecting to see him standing on the shore watching over her.
Nope. No sign of Ty. Maybe that’s for the best.
“Hello, Roma. Kali, this is Roma. She’s...” Daddy’s ex-boyfriend’s sister? “She’s an old friend of mine. Roma, this is my daughter Kali.”
Of course, Kali’s eyes light up even more at the word ‘friend.’ “Daddy, you have a friend? Oh that’s good! Everybody should have friends. Hi, Miss Roma! I’m Kali, and I like your pretty blue! It’s like the opposite of my purple I got from my daddy, ‘cause my purple’s just my hair, and your blue’s everywhere else! Ohhhh and your eyes are cool! They’re like sunshine! Doesn’t she have eyes like sunshine, Daddy?”
I grin and nuzzle Kali, and step a little closer to tuck her up against my chest, then smile and take a look. “Why yeah, you’re right, baby girl. She does have eyes like sunshine.”
“Sure, angel eyes. Where to today?”
She lit right up, my baby girl, and snuggled right up against my chest. “Oh, thank you, thank you! Can we go play on the river today? I love the way the water rushes under my feet, the way it flutters and wiggles and dances and makes my whole body move!”
I grin down at her. “You know you can steady that, right? Stand on a solid surface? I know I taught you how.”
“I know, but it’s so much more fun this way!” Her tail waggles, and her butt wiggles, and her whole body shimmies with excitement as she grins up at me.
“Okay. Let’s go then, kiddo.”
And just like that, we’re off on another adventure. We check in with Lacey, of course, making sure Kali tops up her belly and that her momma doesn’t mind us going on a little trip, and then away we go across the waves. How on earth she doesn’t get exhausted racing across the ocean, leaping from wave to wave, I have no idea. She used to need to curl up for a bit after we made it that far, but she’s grown enough that she can manage the trip no problem. Shit, when did that even happen?
Anyhow. Scampers right up the river, and I chase on after her, grinning like an idiot and revelling in the feeling of the sun on my shiny iron skin and playing with my happy little girl. Right up ‘til she skids to a halt about two feet away from someone standing a fair bit lower in the water than we are. “Ohhhh, you’re pretty!” she says, her eyes going wide as she stares at the not-so-stranger. Soft sky blue framed in black, with fierce gold eyes. I’ve never actually seen her without her brother, and for a moment I glance around, expecting to see him standing on the shore watching over her.
Nope. No sign of Ty. Maybe that’s for the best.
“Hello, Roma. Kali, this is Roma. She’s...” Daddy’s ex-boyfriend’s sister? “She’s an old friend of mine. Roma, this is my daughter Kali.”
Of course, Kali’s eyes light up even more at the word ‘friend.’ “Daddy, you have a friend? Oh that’s good! Everybody should have friends. Hi, Miss Roma! I’m Kali, and I like your pretty blue! It’s like the opposite of my purple I got from my daddy, ‘cause my purple’s just my hair, and your blue’s everywhere else! Ohhhh and your eyes are cool! They’re like sunshine! Doesn’t she have eyes like sunshine, Daddy?”
I grin and nuzzle Kali, and step a little closer to tuck her up against my chest, then smile and take a look. “Why yeah, you’re right, baby girl. She does have eyes like sunshine.”