𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐆𝐨 (𝐮𝐡 𝐨𝐡)

25. Daddy's day

Ray's pov

Man, I ain't gonna lie-when Kimoni first said she had to work all day, leaving me solo with Joelle, I felt a little bit of panic. Don't get me wrong, I love my baby girl to death, but usually, Kimoni's the one who actually knows what to do with day-to-day stuff with her. I'm the fun dad, the fun guy. But today? Today was all on me.

"Alright, baby girl, it's just me and you today," I said, looking down at Joelle, who was already wriggling around in her high chair. "We gon' have us a Daddy-Daughter Day. You ready?"

Joelle just giggled, her chubby hands reaching out for me. I picked her up and kissed her cheek, her baby scent filling my nose. Damn, it's been almost a year and I still can't believe she's mine. I had a baby?

After getting Joelle dressed in one of those cute little outfits Kimoni always picks out-a pink Minnie Mouse sweatsuit since it was getting cold outside -I strapped her into the car seat and headed out the door. I figured we'd start the day simple. Breakfast at the café down the street. Easy, right?

Wrong.

Soon as we got there, I realized I had no idea how to order and juggle a baby at the same time. Joelle was squirming in my arms, reaching for everything, I forgot to grab the carrier out the car. I tried to read the menu and not drop her. I must've looked crazy.

"Can I get a black coffee and...um, oatmeal ?" I said to the barista, who was giving me smile "first-time dad" she asked looking at Joelle. "Yeah." I chuckled.

"You want blueberries or strawberries with that?" she asked, her eyes flicking to Joelle.

"Uh, yeah, both," I answered, trying to hold Joelle's hand back from grabbing the napkins off the counter. "And can you make sure they're not too hot? For her?"

The barista smiled, clearly amused. "Sure thing, dad. I'll bring it out to you."

I sighed in relief and found a table near the window, plopping Joelle down in a high chair. I pulled out some of her toys to keep her busy, but she was more interested in the salt shaker. I didn't even try to stop her. Hey, whatever works, right?

The oatmeal came out, and I let it cool before scooping small amounts for her, blowing on them to make sure they were cool enough. I held some up to her, and she gave me that two teeth grin before chomping down. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe I wasn't doing too bad after all.

That is, until she decided oatmeal was more fun to throw than eat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I exclaimed as a sticky clump of oats sailed across the table, landing on the floor with a splat. Joelle laughed, clearly proud of herself, while I tried to pick up the mess with one hand.

This was definitely not as easy as Kimoni made it look.

We managed to finish breakfast without too much more drama, and I figured a walk in the park might help Joelle burn off some energy. The park was only a few blocks away, so I got her strapped back into the car and headed over.

Once we got there, I found a spot near the playground where other parents were hanging out. Joelle's eyes lit up at the sight of the colors, and I knew we had to try it. I got her settled into one of those baby swings and gave her a little push. Her laughter was like music, filling the air as she swung back and forth.

"Daddy got you, baby girl," I said, smiling up at her. "Ain't nothing better than this, huh?"

But, of course, that peaceful moment didn't last long. As soon as I took her out of the swing, Joelle started fussing, her little face scrunching up in that way that meant she was about to go off. I quickly realized I hadn't thought about nap time or, more importantly, her bottle.