Page 76 of Baby Boy

“Okay, let me help.” Jace held his hands out and Avery pushed all the stuffies at him.

“My binkie?”

Jace looked around the bed but didn’t see it. “I don’t know, boy. You had it when you fell asleep.”

Avery jumped into the middle of the bed and started to pull the blankets up and scrounge around under the pillows. “Where is it?” He sounded close to panic.

“We’ll find it,” Jace told him. “We have others.”

“Avery turned watery eyes at him. “But I like that one.”

Damn, Jace was going to have to find it, then. He motioned for Avery to climb off the bed before passing over the three stuffed animals. Avery took them before yanking his lily off the bed and wrapping them up.

Jace started to straighten up the bed as Avery waited by the bedroom door. It wasn’t until he had the bed nearly made that he spotted the pacifier between the mattress and wall.

“Here we go!” He pulled it out and held it up.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

Jace looked over his shoulder. Yeah, Avery was losing what energy he had. “Let’s go, boy.” He guided Avery down the stairs and didn’t stop until his boy was sitting at the table with his stuffies in the chair beside him.

Jace grabbed the sippy cup he’d already prepared with orange juice out of the fridge. He handed it over to his boy then went to the stove where the oatmeal was warming. He spooned some into a colorful bowl for Avery and then some into a normal bowl for him.

When he returned to the table, Avery had his head lying down.

“Head up, boy,” Jace ordered.

Avery sat up and scrunched his nose at the bowl.

“Eat it all and I have special snacks for you,” Jace told him.

“Promise?” Avery picked up his spoon and bent over the bowl.

“Yes, sweet boy. Eat.”

§ § §

AVERY

Avery took the first bite of oatmeal and smacked his lips. It actually wasn’t bad. He looked up at Jace with narrowed eyes.

“Fresh apples and cinnamon,” Jace told him.

He’d been tricked. After Avery had confessed once to Jace he didn’t like oatmeal, his Daddy had said he could change his mind. Avery hadn’t believed him. But yeah, this was good. He took another bite. “Mean Daddy.”

Chuckling, Jace shook his head before pointing his spoon. “Watch it, boy. Unless you want some corner time.”

“No, Daddy. I’ll be good.”

Avery went back to eating his breakfast, thinking about everything that had happened last night and this morning. Jace had come to him. Had looked for Avery and taken care of him. Just like a real Daddy.

He peered over at Jace and his heart filled with the sweet look he was giving him.

“Can you drink more juice?” Jace asked. “I really want to get you rehydrated.”

“K.” He picked up his sippy cup and took several more gulps.

Breakfast passed quickly with Avery drinking two cups of juice and eating all his oatmeal. After Jace had cleaned his face and hands, he was sent into the living room to play. He was tired again so instead of sitting down on the floor to play with toys, he lay on the couch and used his stuffies as a pillow.

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