Everything For Naomi

1. Daddy's Weekend

Janice blinked her eyes until they opened to sight of Naomi's beautiful tan face across the bed. Her curly hair in her daily nighttime bun and her slim four year old body covered by her favorite purple footie pajamas. The beautiful June, Saturday morning sun beaming through the window, Janice inched out of the bed, trying not to awaken Naomi.

She slowly opened the bedroom door and made her way down stairs to the kitchen. It wasn't going to be long for Naomi to wake up, it was as if she could sense when Janice was still sleeping in front of her or not; she could never go to sleep without her right there. Janice grabbed the fresh strawberries from the refrigerator, an apple from the counter, a cutting board and a knife from the drawer. She grabbed two plup strawberries, cutting them into medium thick slices and slicing the apple into four pieces.

"Mommy?"

Janice spun around and saw Naomi's standing in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her eyes.

"Mommy, what's for breakfast?" Her tiny voice was the warming melody to Janice's ears in the mornings.

"Strawberries and apples. You want me to put them on your favorite plate and what do you want to drink baby?" Janice asked

" No, thank you." Her manners were wonderful to only be four.

"OK. Go sit to the table and I'll bring it out."

Janice took the Dora plate from the overhead cabinet, plating the fruit then walking out to the open dinning room, placing Naomi's plate in front of her. She kissed Naomi's forehead and sat down across from her.

"So, are you happy that you're going to be staying with daddy this weekend?" She asked.

Naomi stuffed her mouth with strawberries and nodded yes. "Is daddy going to make me fruit salad for breakfast like you?"

"If you ask him, he might. I dont know what he has at his house.'

"is daddy nice like you, mommy?" Naomi ate her last strawberry

She struggled to conjure up some sort of answer without possibly diminishing Naomi's father, "I don't know. How about you tell me if he's nice when you get back on Sunday night?"

She nodded yes and went onto eating her apples and humming twinkle twinkle little star with every chew. Janice smiled at Naomi as she hummed. She knew this innocient little girl sitting across from her wouldn't last forever and evenually she'd grow into a girl with her own opinions, independence and have to face this horrible real world where people get shot down "accidentally" and choked to dealth on the sidewalk by police. She feared for Naomi, that her sweet personality would be slammed into pieces and turn her into someone that she's not. She'd have to go through heartbreaks and Janice couldn't shield her from it. She couldn't hold on to her little girl forever.

When Naomi finished her last apple, she went on to put her plate in the kitchen sink.

"Bath time mommy!" Naomi ran up the upstairs, laughing and Janice fiercely speeding behind her through her mothers office and into the master bathroom where Janice scooped up Naomi, kissing her blushing cheeks as she laughed.

"How you do want your hair done today baby? I'm thinking cutting it all off and just be bald." She kneeled down to Naomi.

Naomi shook her head "no" and ran her fingers through Janice's wavy brown hair, "No, I like my hair. I want ponytails today please."

"You know how to start your bath. Don't make your water too hot or too cold and call me if you need your hair shampooed." Janice smiled to Naomi and walked in the office as Naomi ran her bath water and undressed.