The Experiment 2: The Journey

House Husband Duties

Warning:

Please don't read while having breakfast... or dinner. 😬

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"Are you sure you're gonna be okay here?" Dei asked as she stood by the door, getting ready to leave. She spent the last fifteen minutes checking everything and making sure that RJ had all the stuff he and Athena needed for the day. Now she's almost late for work... and she had to take a cab.

"Yea, yea, sure!" RJ replied, his one hand buried inside the pocket of his drawstring pants and the other holding the knob.

"Are you sure?"

"Come on, babe. Stop fussing. I've already tried taking care of Athena before whenever you needed to take a nap. It's fine."

"That was just one hour each time babe, and she was barely two months old. Today you will be watching her alone for 8 hours," she said, eyeing him sternly.

"I know... but we'll be fine, promise," he said, giving her the most relaxed smile he could muster.

"Make sure she doesn't get hold of items that could choke her. Remember, whatever she gets her hands on goes straight to her mouth. Make sure you spray all her toys with disinfectant and always see to it that her hands are clean---"

"Yea, yea, yea... we've already ran through this three times, babe, you're gonna be late," he said, pushing her gently out the door.

"-- I've already ran her food in the processor. She eats only those that I've prepared okay?"

"Okay."

"No junkfood," she said sternly.

"No junkfood," he agreed.

"Don't experiment, Richard Jay."

"Yep, no experiment. Now please leave, you're stressing me out," he pleaded.

"Let me kiss her one last time," Dei said, walking back into the room and kissing Athena, who was calmly sitting on her cradle. "Bye, princess. Don't give daddy a hard time, okay?"

"Come on, babe. You'll be late."

Dei sighed and walked to the door again. "Please take good care of her okay?"

"Of course. Trust me, we'll be fine," RJ said.

She smiled and touched his face. "Thanks for doing this babe. I love you," she said before planting a kiss on his lips. "Call me if there's any problem. Or call Mindy if it's an absolute emergency."

"Okay. Take care, babe. Text me when you get to the office."

He watched her until she had stepped into the elevator and sighed as he closed the door. Then he turned to Athena. She was staring at him expectantly.

"Okay little princess, now it's just you and me," he said as he walked towards her. He sat on the ottoman in front of the couch where her cradle was resting and held her tiny feet. "Daddy's taking care of you today, ok? No mommy, no grandma. Just daddy. So please don't give me a hard time. Alright little princess?"

She smiled and then giggled at his words.

"Okay. Daddy's gonna try to work, but I will sit beside you. Do we have some kind of code? How do I know when you're hungry?"

"Bubbabbabbabah!"

"Nice. I guess I'd just have try and figure it out. You cry that means you're hungry, right?"

"Tattaaaataaatah... tattadaguggggleguh."

"Okay. That makes sense. Now stay," he said holding his hands in front of him as he slowly stood. "Try not to move, I'll just get my laptop. Alright, babe? No moving. Stay."