From across the hallway

Part 20

Thirty minutes later and Wade and Emily had arrived back at his place, her little paw clutched inside his, gently.

She had asked to walk, which he had of course obliged her, and she had even cheekily asked him for an ice cream, which again he of course, was unable to say no to.

So now, as he fiddled with his keys, he gave a chuckle as he glanced down to see the tiny brown-haired toddler, her face and hands covered in sticky chocolate ice-cream.

She had definitely cheered up from earlier. Kids really were pretty resilient. But as long as Wade was here, no one was ever going to treat her like that again.

He was still slightly furious about that woman's attitude, but during their walk home, guilt had crept over him.

How the fuck was he going to explain to Missy that he had got Em kicked out of day-care?

Well, in honesty, he knew that Missy would not have wanted Emily to go back there anyway. But he knew that money was tight for her as it was, without this to worry about too.

As he pushed open the door he bent down and hurled up Emily into his arms.

"Come on, Chicken Little," he uttered flashing her a smile, as Emily licked runny chocolate ice-cream from her paw.

She was a mess, and Wade could feel that through her little pink leggings, her butt was still soaking wet.

He couldn't have her sitting around in this state until Missy got home.

"Well aren't you a hot mess?" he said raising an eyebrow, as Emily babbled happily in his arms. "What does your Mommy usually do when you're like this?"

Wade hadn't even realised that Emily had been able to hear him, which was often the case if she wasn't looking directly at you when you spoke. But to his surprise, she peered down at an ice cream drip making its way slowly down her arm and opened her little mouth...

"Baff," she muttered. "Baff, baff, baff!"

Wade chuckled, heading inside his apartment and kicking the front door shut behind him.

Wade's place was only small, and a bath was not a luxury he had, just a shower. And the toddler definitely looked too young for one of those...

Suddenly he had an idea.

Pacing quickly through into the kitchen, he plonked Emily down onto the counter before starting to fill up the kitchen sink.

It would be a tight squeeze, but it would do.

Emily looked curiously over at what he was doing.

"Noh, I noh baff in ther!" she said giving a giggle.

But Wade looked back at her, raising a scarred eyebrow towards her.

"You arguing with me, Em-bear?" he laughed, as he placed his hand into the warm water to test it, and switched off the faucet.

She gave another shy little giggle, as Wade advanced on her, making to tickle her sides.

The tiny toddler let out a shriek of laugher, attempting to wriggle away from him, but Wade grasped her tiny legs gently.

"You arguing?" he repeated, causing her to cackle.

He tugged off her little brown booties, then her red coat. That was the easy part.

Wade, didn't have much experience with kids and getting Emily to peel off her wet leggings, pink shirt and pull-up diaper was another story altogether.

She knew of course, how far she could push him, squirming and moving about as he wrestled with her, laughing cheekily as she did so.