Page 34 of The Enemy Face Off

By now I've learned a valuable lesson—bathing a toddler means you're going to end up wet. There's no use trying to prevent it, but I can try to minimize it.

I wipe water off my brow as Jonah stops splashing and engages in his second favorite bath time activity—pushing his two floating boats around the tub. He's got a big grin on his face as he makes them race each other through the water. Occasionally, he collides the boats together, pretending they're in a crash, and giggles as they bounce off one another.

He's such a great kid. Playful, energetic, and unafraid of anything. The exact opposite of his sister. Josie is much more serious, calm, and cautious.

That actually works in my favor. Because while I'm busy chasing after Jonah, I can count on Josie to always be close by, keeping a watchful eye on things.

Like, right now. She's happily sitting in the corner of the bathroom reading a book about crayons that have come to life.

I turn over my shoulder to look at her…and her chair is empty.

"Josie," I call out.

Nothing.

"Josie!"

No response.

What the heck do I do now?

I can't leave Jonah alone in the tub, but I have to find out where Josie has wandered off to. Why hasn't anyone invented away for parents to clone themselves so they can be in two places at once?

With no answer after shouting again, I quickly scoop up Jonah, wrap him in a blanket, and hurry off to look for Josie.

I find her in the kitchen drinking a glass of water.

She stops drinking and looks at me like I've lost my mind. She might not be too far off with that assessment.

"You all good, sweetie?"

"Yep." She lets out a satisfiedAhhh. "I was thirsty."

Think, Milo. Think.What's the best way to handle this situation? I don't want to scold her for simply getting a glass of water because she hasn't done anything wrong. But I do need to tell her that while Daddy may still be young, having constant panic attacks is a surefire way to an early heart attack—without scaring her.

"I have an idea," I say to buy myself some time since I currently have no freaking idea. "Let's play a game."

"What sort of game?"

"Uhhh…a game where we tell each other things."

"How do you play?"

"Well, for instance, when I'm giving Jonah a bath and you're reading a book and want to leave to get a glass of water, you let me know before you go."

"That doesn't sound like a very fun game."

"Oh, it is. It's so much fun. And hey, you can tell me things that I need to know. That way, we always know what's going on."

"I guess." She places her glass by the sink and walks over to me. "Can we play the game now?"

"Sure, sweetie. What do you want to tell me?"

"You're getting water all over the floor!"

"Huh?"

I look down, and she's right. I may have bundled Jonah up but I'm soaked and dripping water everywhere.

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