Page 48 of Daddy's Little Survivor

Daddy had placed several coloring books and stuffies around her so she could color and play while he was working. She was grateful and started to color first, but quickly got bored.

Monroe stood up from the floor and looked at the couch. For the past couple of hours, she had really wanted to jump up and down on the couch. It was so huge and looked so bouncy.

It was calling her name and she couldn't say no.

Grabbing Bunster and Mr. Wiggle, she jumped on the couch and let out a little squeal of excitement. This was so much fun! She didn't know why she didn't think about jumping on it earlier.

"Bunny, you better not be jumping on the couch!" Daddy yelled.

Monroe sat on the couch quickly and pretended she was talking to her stuffed animals.

“That was a close one,” she whispered to Bunster and Mr. Wiggle.

She nodded her head when they both agreed with her.

"Of course, if he asks, I'm going to tell him it was your idea." She pointed at Mr. Wiggle. "You're going to get in so much trouble. Maybe I should put you in time out."

"What are you talking about, Bunny?" Daddy asked.

A little scream came out of Monroe and she turned around to look at him. How much did he hear?

"Nothing!" she said and smiled.

“Okay, you don't have to tell me,” he said. “Were you jumping on the couch?”

"Nope! That was Mr. Wiggle. He wanted to jump on the couch so I let him." She batted her eyes at him.

Daddy looked at her before he nodded his head. Did he actually believe her?

"Okay. I have a couple more things to do in the office but after that, we can spend some time together. Maybe I can take you out on a date?" he asked.

Monroe jumped up and down on the ground with a wide grin on her face.

"Yesssss!" she screamed. "Sorry, Daddy. Inside voices. I'm just so excited. I don't think I've ever been on a date before," she started to whisper toward the end.

"What?"

"He normally had food brought to the house or he would cook, but we never went out. I think he was embarrassed to be seen with me. Not that I would blame him. I didn't graduate high school, got my GED, and never went to college. I never had a good job, either – just working as a sales clerk or a waitress."

"Stop," he said. "No talking bad about yourself."

"What if it's all true? It's not really talking bad about myself if it’s true."

She had no clue where the confidence to talk back to him came from. She would have never thought she could or would want to do this, but with Daddy, she felt comfortable enough to do it.

"It's a rule and it's not true. Just because you haven't had a fancy job or didn't graduate college does not mean you are dumb. I don't want to hear you talk bad about yourself again or you're going to find yourself in the corner or over my lap," Daddy said.

Monroe wanted to argue with him, but she didn't want to find herself in corner time. The thought of him leaving her while she was facing the corner made her skin itch and her breathing pick up.

"Little Bunny?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Daddy. Just thinking," she softly said.

He didn't need to know what was going through her head. It wasn't important and if he sent her to corner time, she would just have to deal with it. Everything in her hoped she wouldn't get sent to corner time.

"Well, I'm going to try and finish up the little bit left and then we can go out," he said. "Be good for me."

Daddy kissed her forehead and walked back to his office. Monroe immediately turned around and looked at Mr. Wiggle and Bunster.

---