Beaming Love

Ice Cream

A few years later

"Hey honey!" I open my arms, waiting as Elle runs up to me "How was school today? Did you have the best day ever again?"

"Yeah! We made pictures! I draw baby!"

I pull away as she shoves a paper in my face that's full of random scribbles. She places her hands on my belly, moving them around like crazy to get the baby to kick while I try to figure out what exactly the drawing is.

"Aw that's so pretty. You'll have to hang it on your fridge at home."

"Aunt Jen?"

"What baby? Is the strap too tight?" I start buckling her into the car seat, but trying to get around her is much harder now.

"Uncle Brad say we get ice cream today."

"Oh he did?"

"Yeah!"

"Well uncle Brad says a lot of things. Maybe we can go see him at work and he can take us for ice cream."

"I want nanilla and pinkles!"

I start driving as she goes on and on about her crazy day at school not leaving out any details. She talks so much and so fast that she doesn't even notice me not saying anything and blocking her out. I start to hear the music eventually knowing she must have finally given up and quickly glance back to see her taking off her shoes.

"Elle we're going to be at uncle Brad's work any minute, you need to keep those on or you can't get out of the car."

"But I wanna show my toes."

"Why?"

"Mommy painted them."

"Well I'm sure they look beautiful but you can't walk around set without shoes and I can't carry you anymore."

"Cause baby get big?"

"Yeah, the baby keeps growing. She's excited to meet you."

As soon as we pull up to the set, Brad is practically running over to meet us. He quickly opens Elle's door shoving her shoes back on as I make my way around the car to see what he's so excited about.

"I have a surprise for both of you. You're going to love it."

The two of them lead the way hand in hand as I slowly follow looking around at everything, trying to figure out what they're trying to film in this disaster surrounding me.

"Oh my God you walk so slow now. Her legs are like a quarter of yours and you can't keep up." Brad eventually waits for me once he sees how far behind I am. I flip him off as I make my way up to them.

"I can't help it. She's laying so forward now it's harder to walk."

"You waddle!" Elle looks up at me laughing "Like penguin."

"She's not wrong..."

"Oh shut up. This is all your fault."

He eventually leads us to a huge ice cream cart he managed to get on the set causing Elle to freak out from pure excitement.

She runs right up to the window jumping up and down to be able to see all the pictures while Brad stand with her reading everything even though she's already made up her mind.

"What kind do you want?" Brad turns to me as Elle orders hers "They only have normal stuff here not any of the weird combinations you've been eating."

"Just get me the vanilla with some peanut butter cups and chocolate syrup.  I'll try to be normal today."

I drag Elle over to a table while Brad waits for everything trying to entertain her.

"What do you think you're going to do with your mommy and daddy when you go home tonight?"

"We play with my new toys. And cower."

"Annnnd daddy say we go playground!"

"Sounds like you're going to have a fun night." Brad walks over with everything, sitting next to me "Are you going to tell us all about it next week?"

"Yeah."

"Oh I forgot," I turn to Brad so only he can hear "They asked us to watch her Saturday night so they can go out.  I told them I'd have to ask you first."

"You think she'll sleep if we watch her?  Won't be like last time when we had to take turns being up with her?"

"Well she is three... so yeah there's a chance that happens."

"As long as she doesn't eat all my cereal again.  That was mean of her."

"So if that was mean, what would you consider it when you threw out my leftover pizza the other day?"

"A favor.  It had pineapples and pickles on it, Jen.  I was saving our child from having to eat it."

I look over to see Elle holding her ice cream cone, standing on the edge of the bench ready to jump off and play.

"You better sit down or you're going to drop your ice cream. You can't get a second one."

"I wanna play."

"Well then put the ice cream on the table and you can go play."

"You won't eat?"

"I promise I won't.  Just stay right here."

She lays the cone on the table letting the whole thing roll around before running over to the grass to play with the other kids that all look like they're up to no good.

"Maybe she shouldn't play with all of them," Brad gets protective as he watches "They were poking each other in the face with sticks earlier.  One almost lost an eyeball."

"Well then go get her.  She loves playing with you anyway."

I steal his ice cream as soon as he gets up, watching as he runs up to grab her from the pile of children that are fighting over rocks and where to throw them. 

He pulls her away from them, helping her look through the grass for little leaves and twigs so they can try to build a little house out of it.

"Look!" She runs up to me holding a leaf excitedly "It's pink!"

"That's so awesome!  Go tell uncle Brad you want it at the top of the house so everyone can see it."

Brad helps her place it on the top once she runs back over, listening to her tell him all about the little house and where she thinks all her dolls can sleep. 

"Did you have fun today?"

I turn to her as I start driving, waiting for a reaction. 

"I think you made uncle Brad really tired."

"I had sooo much fun."