Page 14 of Daddy's Little Camping Trip
“Can we go look at the train?” He grabbed for my hand, towing me toward the tracks ringing the room. “I think there are bears in one of the cars.”
And Bridger said I’d be the only bear here.
Chapter Eleven
Quill
It was officially the funnest day ever—and we weren’t even done. I could not believe a day of camping could fill me with this much fun. I was ready to start looking at RVs…not really, but the idea wasn’t as appalling as it would’ve been last week. So, that was a step in the camping-loving direction.
The look on Daddy G’s face when he saw me in my favorite onesie, with a teddy bear that matched me, and my favorite knee-highs—that was everything. I’d been hesitant, unsure which direction I should go. The last time he saw me, I was a bit less little, a little more sexy, I would say. This time, I went full-out.
And he appreciated it.
The evening was winding down, which meant Ms. Lily was having a story hour. I always loved her story time. She had a way of reading the books that made them come alive, and it wasn’t in that fakeI’m reading to youvoice some people used. There was something so genuine about it, like she had written the book and was actually telling us the story.
Today’s theme was bears. Because woods. And bears.
She started with a book about a bear with mittens. It was rhyming and silly and fun. We chuckled and giggled as she turned the pages to show yet another animal with another silly rhyme. Daddy sat behind me, and I couldn’t help but lean back into him. He was warm and safe in a way I hadn’t experienced in a really long time. No…that wasn’t true. Ever.
The second book she read was one of my all-time favorites—We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. I loved it as a child. I had it memorized, but Ms. Lily somehow managed to make it even better. She added motions, so we all stood up, at least all thelittles did. But my daddy was cool like that, and he stood up with me.
Notmydaddy. I needed to stop thinking like that. It was only going to get me hurt.
She read the story, and those of us who had it memorized from our own childhood said it with her as we made the motions: walking, swishing the grass aside, squishing in the mud, swimming through the water, climbing up the mountain, tiptoeing in the cave… Screaming as we saw the bear and then running backward through all the steps until we went back home, upstairs, under the covers, and swore we would never go on a bear hunt again.
Of course, that plan failed because we all immediately decided we needed that story again. And again. And again. And after the fourth time, Ms. Lily promised we could read it another day. There were some grumbles—until she pulled out a huge book, almost as big as she was. It wasGoldilocks and the Three Bears.
Only, in this version of the story, Goldilocks was the villain.
We laughed and laughed as the story got more and more ridiculous. Although, thinking about it, she was kind of the bad guy anyway. But still—it was so much fun.
And then to top off the evening? She combined crafts with sugar.
We got to decorate bear cookies—with way too much frosting, a whole bunch of candy, and sprinkles that were almost like glitter.
“This was so much fun, Daddy G,” I said. “Thank you for playing with me tonight.”
“Thank you, my sweet. I had so much fun too. You’re very well-behaved.”
I looked up at him. “Even when I ate two cookies?”
“Yes, my sweet boy. Even when you ate two cookies.”
We stayed behind and helped clean up a little, even though Miss Lily said they had it. And they did—the staff were already cleaning it all up—but this was far less about making sure everything was clean and far more about buying a little more time with Daddy G.
There were no more activities for the night. The expectation was that we would all go to bed because tomorrow was gonna be another long day. If I could delay that bedtime, I was going to. But eventually everything was put away, and it was time to leave.
I grabbed Daddy’s hand, not wanting to go but knowing I had to.
“Walk me home, Daddy?” It came out just as needy as I felt, but he just smiled.
“Why, absolutely. I have to protect you from the bears.”
“Not all bears, I hope.” I squeezed his hand and winked.
“Oh, you don’t need protecting from me, sweet boy. I promise.”
And then he kissed my head.
