“The emergency numbers are on the fridge. The baby should stay asleep all night. If she wakes up just give her a pacifier.”
“Daddy! Lookie!” I looked up from the candy pile I was sorting out. “I got a dollar!” Zoë was holding a clean green dollar bill in my face. I took it from her hand.
“Who gave you this?”
Zoë shrugged and went back to sorting the pile of candy that was in front of her. “Clare!” I called to my wife who was in the hallway talking to the teenager who was going to baby-sit Zoë and Anya for a couple of hours.
Clare looked at me, annoyed that I was interrupting her speech she was telling the girl, who, by the way, had no idea what she was getting into baby-sitting MY kids. “What Taylor?” Clare asked.
“Zoë got a dollar bill!” I called back to her, holding up the green paper in the air. I shifted my legs to the other side of my body because my foot fell asleep, and leaned to the right with my right hand on the ground. Clare laughed and went back to showing the baby-sitter where the baby’s bottles were. I looked over at Zo, “Mommy’s mean, she doesn’t care.” I held a finger to my lips and handed her back her dollar. “But shhh I didn’t say that.” Zoë got into a fit of hysterical laughter which got me going too. When I calmed down I looked out over the piles of candy we had sorted out by type, size, and like-or hate. “You made out pretty well, young lady,” I praised my daughter.
“I know, Daddy.” She said. She crawled over to me on the rug and waited while I sat up and crossed my legs. Once I was sitting cross-legged Zoë climbed into my lap. My daughter leaned her head back on my chest and I slid my arms around her front, hugging her to me closely. She looked up at me. “You can have all the snickers bars.”
“Thanks, kid! My favorite.” I reached over her and grabbed one off the floor. I opened it and offered her a piece. She made a face. I shook my head, “a kid that doesn’t like snickers,” I shrugged, “go figure!”
“Daddy what time is it?” Zoë asked with a yawn.
“Almost nine!” I exclaimed looking at my watch. “Daddy and Mommy’s party will be starting soon and it’s time for all Pink Princesses to get to bed.” I patted Zoë’s legs and stood up, taking her along with me.
The baby-sitter and Clare came back into the living room. I walked over to them with Zoë, still in her princess costume, attached to my hip. I handed Zoë off to the baby-sitter and helped Clare with her coat. I was pulling mine on while Clare said her good-byes to Zoë.
I leaned over and kissed Zoë’s forehead. “If Anya wakes up you help Kate with her, all right?”
Zoë nodded and yawned again, bigger this time. I laughed and smoothed her hair gently. “Now you go upstairs with Kate and get in your PJs and get some rest.”
“Daddy can’t I stay up for another hour, please?” Zoë begged.
I looked at Clare. “It’s Halloween,” I begged my wife with a smile.
Clare rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Oh all right. Just one more hour.”
I smiled at Zoë. “Just make sure she’s in bed by ten thirty,” I told Kate.
“Will do,” Kate promised. She bounced my daughter on her hip gently. “We’ll watch TV or read a story, right Zoë?”
Zoë nodded excitedly.
“Sounds good to me,” I told her. “Have a great time, girls!” I opened the front door, allowing the cool air to filter into the room.
“Daddy!” Zoë said. “Your mask! Don’t forget your mask!”
“Oh yeah!” I ran back into the living room, grabbed my half-face mask off the floor and dashed back to my wife. “Thanks, kiddo!” I kissed Zoë one more time and waved bye as I took Clare’s arm and escorted her out the door.