Page 113 of Daddy, Take Me Away
“Sounds good. Tinsley is going to be so excited. This will be huge for her—for us.”
We worked out a few more details before ending the call. I was straightening the kitchen area when the sound of tiny feet running hit my ears.
“Tinsley?” I called, concern evident in my voice.
“Halp, Dada!” she cried back. I ran through the sitting area and almost plowed my baby over.
She climbed up me and I wrapped her right in my arms.
“Hey, hey. What’s wrong, baby?”
“Scared,” she sobbed into my shoulder. Patting her naked back, I swayed her back and forth. “What scared you, little one?”
“Bad d-dream.”
“Aw, baby. I’m sorry.” I kissed her forehead and carried her to the oversized chair in the living area. “I’m so sorry you had a bad dream, but I promise you’re safe now.”
We rocked for several minutes before her breathing slowed enough I felt like she could talk to me.
“Can you tell Daddy what the bad dream was about?”
“Nu.”
“That’s okay, baby,” I assured her. “You don’t have to tell Daddy right now, as long as you know it wasn’t real and whatever it was that scared my girl so badly, can’t really hurt you.”
She nodded into my neck and even though I wasn’t happy with her answer, I knew that I would have to be satisfied for right now.
“How about a warm baba?”
Another nod into my neck.
I carried her into the kitchen and made quick work of fixing her a warm bottle. Settling us into an oversized rocking chair, I held the bottle to her mouth. She latched and started to nurse the adult Little girl sized nipple. I patted her diapered bottom, hoping to calm her racing heart. A shiver racked through her and I frowned. It must have been one hell of a nightmare.
She finished her bottle. I stood, carrying her into the bedroom and locating her pacifier. Sucking the nipple hard, she seemed to unwind a tiny bit. I laid her in the bed and soothed her whines while I climbed in beside her. “Daddy’s right here, baby.” I pulled her close, and flipped on the television.
“Moobie?” she asked around the nipple. Television during bedtime was a “no-no” rule in our house, but tonight I felt like she needed it.
“I think it might chase the rest of the bad dream away, what do you think?”
She gave a tiny nod. I found a Barbie movie she loved and started it.
“Barbie!” she babbled in excitement.
I patted her butt as she rolled on her side and snuggled into me.
Several long minutes went by before she pulled her peep-pie out of her mouth.
“You died.”
“In your dream, baby?”
“Yeah. We were tubing in the lake and we didn’t know it was taking us to the waterfall. You went over before I could warn you.”
“Oh, baby, that was a terrible dream,” I said, wrapping my arms around her tighter.
She shivered again and I pulled the quilt over her.
“It’s okay, baby.”
