Daddy's Boy

Feeling Little

I glanced at my phone on the way in the door and frowned. Time was sure flying by, and it was getting close to one of my least favourite times of year. Edmund knew something was up when I came out in my pajamas and didn't hop into his lap. I slunk onto it and laid my head on his shoulder. He waited a minute, just petting my hair until he thought I was ready to talk.

"Everything okay baby? What's bothering you? Tell Daddy." He cooed into my ear. I grumbled a little but he was right, I should get it off my chest.

"It's almost my birthday. I don't like my birthday." I mumbled to him. He looked at me in surprise.

"Why not? Don't you celebrate it?" He asked me. I nodded reluctantly.

"Every year. My parents would invite all their friends, have some big catering company come, get everyone to sing me happy birthday and then send me off to bed with a slice of fancy chocolate cake that tasted bitter and weird." I replied dejectedly. He looked at me all grossed out and it made me laugh.

"Good thing they aren't invited this year. Just you and me baby, we can celebrate just the two of us. Okay?" He looked hopefully at me and I didn't have the heart to say no. I nodded reluctantly, hoping that, like most things we did together, my birthday would be better. I spent the night getting in Edmund's way because I was feeling especially clingy.

He made me write my birthday on the calendar for him, and then put a little blue heart next to it after I was done. It felt strange to think that I was going to be yet another year older. I felt like I should be getting younger with how much more relaxed and free I felt. Maybe this was a second chance at a real birthday, like all the kids at school used to brag about.

I was kind of looking forward to it, with Edmund in charge this year. In fact, I was excited when he picked me up from work that day. I was beaming when I came in the door to balloons all over the place. I jumped and bopped a couple, giggling to myself as Edmund tried to get me to go to our bedroom and get in my pajamas. He got out a new set of them, with little blue puppies on them.

"Oh my god! They are so cuuute." I gushed. He grinned at my reaction and helped me into them. I was bouncing now, so excited to see what else Edmund had ready for me.

"Alright, you can open one of these to play with before dinner." He took me in the living room and there was a small stack of wrapped gifts sitting on the coffee table. I couldn't see very well, the tears popping up in my eyes without my permission. He did this for me? I was almost afraid to destroy the beautiful wrapping job he did.

The bow was all sparkly and curly. I hugged a box to me and closed my eyes to savour the moment. After a deep breath, I took the bow off and stuck it to my hair. Then I carefully began removing the tape. I heard Edmund snickering and looked over with a frown. He raised a brow at me.

"What?" I demanded.

"You are supposed to rip it open." He told me. I looked surprised.

"Why? It's pretty." I looked back at the paper with little red and green dinosaurs on it.

"I don't know. I suppose it is more fun that way?" He grinned at me. I looked at him distrustfully.

"Really? But what about the paper?" I tilted my head. He laughed again.

"What about the paper?" He seemed confused, but very amused.

"It is cute. What if I want to keep some?" I asked him. He face-palmed and then gave me a look I didn't quite understand.

"It's fine. I have more. Okay?" He bargained with me. I nodded and looked back at the box. What the heck. I tore the paper open with my fingers and smiled to myself as I heard it rip. Okay he might be right about it being more fun to tear it. I grinned even more when I saw the Lego set inside. This was great. I hugged it to my chest and waddled over to him.