Page 45 of All Too Well
Ainsley lifts her hand. “I swear.” She taps Rose’s nose and heads back into her room to change.
I stare at the door, doing my best not to imagine her pulling her shirt off while she was definitely not wearing a bra. Then removing those shorts. I wonder what kind of underwear she has on, or does she not wear that either? Is she completely naked? If there was a fire and I went in there, would I get to see everything I’ve dreamed of, only just barely gotten to touch?
“Uhh, Daddy?”
I blink and move away from that line of thinking and see my daughter with her hand on her hip. “What?”
“I asked if you packed me a snack?”
Right. A snack. “I did.”
“A good one?”
“I packed the one you’re going to eat,” I say with a shit-eating grin. Rose opens her bag and sighs in relief when she sees the bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, her favorite. She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my middle. “Oof, what is this for?”
“Being the best dad in the world.”
“The world? All for a bag of chips?”
Rose looks up at me and nods. “My favorite chips.”
“Even if you worry that you’re going to be late?”
She nods. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
A second later, Ainsley opens the door. “Was that fast enough?”
“Yes!” Rose releases me and runs to her. “Can we go now? Please!”
I release a sigh. “Fine, let’s get Ainsley her coffee, and then we can get you to your competition.”
We head to Prose & Perk, where she comes out with coffee for the both of us. “Thank you.”
Ainsley smiles and I feel it in my chest. “Of course. Now, I warn you, this coffee is hot too. So, you know, don’t try to do it as a shot.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and turns to Rose, ignoring my glare of annoyance. “Tell me all about this competition.”
Rose launches into the details and explains the costumes and how she’s the youngest on the team. Seeing her this excited makes all the craziness worth it. Rose has always been an easy child. She was a great baby, never had tantrums, and when we moved to Ember Falls after my mother died, we were all each other had.
Which further solidified why my choice to walk away from a career that would’ve had me gone all the time was worth it.
“I love my team and the friends I have,” she says with joy in every word.
Ainsley smiles. “That’s the best. I can’t wait to watch you!”
We pull up to the large building, which is where the competition is being held, and find her coaches.
“Why don’t you double-check your bag so we can go?” I suggest.
Rose lifts her bag. “It’s good.”
“You have your makeup, extra hair ties, uniform, warm-ups, and anything else I forgot to mention?”
Rose nods. “Yes. Bye, Dad.”
“Bye, Rosebud, break a leg.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and then hugs Ainsley.
