Page 31 of Daddy's Little Chaos Gremlin

“This is perfect,” I replied, touched by his thoughtfulness with the cupcakes. “And I super appreciate you making mini-cupcakes. I really do like sweets, I’ve just always been afraid of indulging. What are feel-bads?”

He chuckled at that, and I could tell that he loved to laugh. He wasn’t the least bit scary, either, just tall and muscular with a demeanor like Daddy’s, stern and laser focused. I was glad that I wasn’t a food thief like Tristan. I’d have been shaking in my socks at the thought of facing his wrath if I went raiding. Something told me he’d have as many creative punishments as Daddy and probably some that would involve scrubbing pots and pans.

“Just feelings, kid, just feelings,” he replied. “Food is supposed to be a fun experience, not something to fear. I don’t think people ever realize how much you can traumatize someone, especially a child, when you criticize the way they eat. As long as you’re putting something in your belly, we’ll get along just fine.”

“As yummy as this is you won’t have a problem with me eating.”

“Good, as long as we’re understood,” Theo said. “I picked up a few sets of shallow bowls and small dishes, which will help me keep my measurements right. You just let me know anytime something needs changing, or you need something added to the list of things that you can’t stomach.”

Worry hit me as I stared across the table at him. “Are you sure it won’t be too much trouble to do that every day?” I asked.

“My title is personal chef, not head cook at the buffet stand. That means I tailor meals to the individual people in the home, I don’t just make blanket dinners. Tristan doesn’t eat pork, so when I make bacon, his is turkey. Rowan won’t touch rice no matter the color or flavor. Says it looks too much like a pile of maggots to him. I can see it, sort of, but I love me some rice and Tristan is a huge fan of fried rice bowls, so when I make them, Rowan gets rice noodles or Lo Mein instead. Would you like rice or would you prefer noodles?”

“I love rice noodles,” I said, pleased to have been given options and to already feel comfortable enough just in talking to him, to be specific about the kind. “I like fried rice, too, especially when it has fluffy egg pieces in it.”

“Theo’s are the fluffiest,” Tristan pipped up before immediately diving back into his favorite dish.

His bowl was almost empty while mine was, whoa, almost empty, too, even when I’d just been nibbling while listening to Theo. My tummy didn’t feet stuffed, either, not even after I took a few more sips of my smoothie. I just felt good and excited to see the rest of the house.

“I do pride myself on that,” Theo said. “You can ruin a whole dish with rubbery eggs.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Daddy added.

“I think a few virgin daiquiris will be in order tonight, too,” Theo said. “I still have plenty more strawberries left.”

“You make sure you throw a shot or two of the good stuff in mine when you’re making yours,” Daddy said, prompting a chuckle from Theo.

“When I mix up that fruit salad, I’ll make some sweetened lime juice to drizzle over it, and some cream for the top,” Theo said. “Would you like me to put some aside in small portions, so you’ll have a snack to go with your between-meal smoothies?”

Daddy smiled and gave me a little nod, letting me know that it was completely up to me.

“I’d love that,” I said and watched Theo’s face light up in a grin.

Performing in front of crowds had taught me how to read people. He really was okay with having to do a little extra just for me. It would have been more than enough to get three meals a day that I didn’t have to worry about scrounging up or retrieving from a cramped kitchen space where two people were fighting. Tensions had been simmering on the last leg of that trip, so much so that Paulie and I had taken to warming things over the campfire while we tried not to listen to what was going on inside the RV. A few times people had complained about the noise, and once we’d had to pack up and move in the middle of the night, when Paulie’s folks had pissed off the couple next door so bad they’d bypassed the campground manager and just called the cops.

Okay, so it hadn’t been the noise that had been the biggest issue, it had been the way Paulie’s mom had dressed and the way she’d only chose to practice her splits and contortions when the husband had been outside of their trailer, unabashedly drooling over everything he saw. It had been a big part of the argument, too, only Paulie and I had just thought she was doing it to get his dad’s attention, since he’d been super busy lately and constantly leaving the campgrounds to meet up with people and work out the details of the gigs he’d been setting up for us. There had probably been some truth to that, too, but by then, I’m guessing there had been a lot more to it.

This space felt nothing like the vibe in that RV. It was tranquil and laid back here. The conversation over the meal slipped into one that involved Daddy and Theo chatting about a mixed martial arts pay-per-view that they intended to watch later in the week and if a wing platter or meatball subs would be best to accompany the entertainment.

“How does wings and cheesecake bites sound to you boys?” Daddy asked.

“Real wings or fake nuggies?” Tristan asked. “Please no fake nuggies. Wings are supposed to have bones in them, otherwise, they’re just cut up pieces of chicken breasts.”

“There will be real wings or no wings at all,” Daddy promised.

“I love wings!” I declared. “And cheesecake bites sound awesome.”

“Just make sure you pick up an assortment this time,” Theo chastised, prompting a sheepish grin from Daddy. “I know you don’t mind chocolate on top of brownie batter, on top of more chocolate, but some of us wouldn’t mind a little cookies and cream, or even key lime on occasion.”

“You tell him, Theo,” Tristan said, happily waving his fork. “Even strawberry swirl would be nice occasionally, and he completely forgot to get my cappuccino and cream bites last time.”

“In my defense, I took one look at the chocolate covered espresso beans on the top and started picturing you with the zoomies and me spending the rest of the night having to chase you just to bundle you into bed.”

I glanced over at my new big brother just in time to see Tristan scowl and begin to pout. “Awe, it wouldn’t have been that bad.”

“There were three beans on top of each piece,” Daddy declared. “That’s two more beans than you should ever be allowed to consume at once.”

It felt good to sit at a table where everyone was laughing, happy, and giving one another shit like the families on television. It had been like that when I’d first joined Paulie and his parents, whichwas what had made me fall in love with living on the road with them. It was all that I needed to see to know that I was going to love living here with Daddy, Tristan and Theo. I just hoped it lasted forever this time.

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