M A R I A N O -
Being a father is a blessing, but very stressful.
I groaned in annoyance as I chased after Rylee, embarrassed at the stares I got from a few elderly people as they passed by. She ran around the park giggling with the biggest smile on her face, her brown curls bouncing & flowing in the wind beautifully.
"Dammit, this baby is fast." I said to myself as I finally caught up to her. I grabbed her arm & lifted her with one hand carrying her in my arms.
"No." She whined, wiggling in my arms attempting to free herself. I stared at her without uttering a word, & she immediately stopped her movement & got quiet.
Even though she's only two, she knows "the stare" entirely too well.
I headed back toward the playground where we originally were & put her down. She stood there for a few seconds, & I nodded.
I watched her carefully not moving my eyes off her, too afraid to blink. In a blink of an eye, your child could be gone & I refuse to let it happen with my child.
I watched as she ran over to the grass with her small bow-legged legs. She bent down & grabbed a yellow flower from the ground, then analyzed for a second touching it with her finger before she ran over to me & handed me the flower.
"Thank you mami." I smiled at her.
She then returned to the grass & picked up another flower, this time running in the opposite direction, directly towards a woman. I groaned & instantly got up chasing after her.
I watched as she ran over to the woman & the woman just stopped looking at her with a soft smile. Rylee then handed her the flower & the woman's smile grew bigger, my heart warmed.
"Thank you, angel." The beautiful woman spoke softly, bending down & softly caressing Rylee's cheek before pulling away. She then placed the flower behind her ear.
I approached them & quickly picked Rylee up, putting a safe distance between us. Although the woman looks kind, she could be the opposite.
"I'm sorry." I said instantly. Not everyone likes to be approached by random children.
"It's fine, she's the most beautiful baby." She smiled at me & I nearly melted.
Damn, she's gorgeous.
"Thank you." I smiled & she nodded. She waved at Rylee with a smile before walking away.
YOU ARE READING
Choosing You
RomanceAmara Diallo and Mariano Rodriguez. "Opposites attract." They say. Boy were they right. A young Guinean woman with nothing to lose, meets a father who's lost everything in life. Mariano Rodriguez is a father to a 1 year old baby girl, Rylee. From l...