“Look who’s finally up!” Ayden giggled as I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. I heard Justin chuckling from behind the stove making it obvious he told her to say that.
I rolled my eyes and went to pour myself a cup of coffee but Justin shooed me away so instead I sat down next to Ayden. “Good Morning Ayden,” I smiled before kissing her forehead. It’s so weird now that she’s back. It’s like she never left, but I remember the time she was gone all too well.
“Good Morning Sari! Daddy’s makin pancakes! Mix a pancake, r32;Beat a pancake, r32;Put it in a pan. r32;Cook a pancake, r32;Toss a pancake, r32;Catch it if you can!” she sang the song, complete with hand movements repeating it a few times until Justin joined in and she stopped. “Daddy! Stop singing! You’re ruining it!”
“I’m ruining it?” Justin asked with a laugh, “You think my voice is that bad?”
“Yeah Daddy, cause I’m singing it and you’re ruining it!”
I laughed at Ayden’s sudden attitude shift all because her father, the professional singer, was singing and ruining her song. It’s so cute that he’s this huge celebrity around the world but to his daughter he’s still a dorky father just like every father is.
“Where is your mother?”
“Granny went to get her hair cleaned and made pretty!” Ayden answered for her father, she’s in quite the mood today.
Justin nodded his head in agreement as he placed a plate of pancakes in front of me and cut up Ayden’s, “Did you sleep ok, Sari?”
“I did, thank you. These look good.” I’m still getting used to this domesticated Justin. To think of all those years that I had to cook for him because I thought if I didn’t he’d starve. He tricked me real good.
“They taste good too, huh?” he smiled up at me before turning his gaze back to the pancakes in front of Ayden. “After breakfast we’re going to head on down to the park. Granny says they put a new playground in with a cool merry-go-round so I think we should check it out. What do you think Ayden?”
“I think yeah!” she hit her hands on the table and giggled, “We gotta go on the merry-go-round!”
“Someone’s a little crazy today,” I said as I took a bite of the pancake, “Mmm. God Justin, you’ve really been holding out on me.”
He laughed as he sat down across from Ayden and I, “Are you coming Sari?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
The walk to the park was a little longer than I expected. I’m definitely not complaining but it’s just a little weird that Justin wanted to walk when he usually would rather drive. I realize how different it is that we’re here, in Tennessee, where no one is even giving him a second look as he walks down the street. I like it here, I really do.
Justin stood in front of the gate ready to go over the rules before Ayden rushed in the playground, “No throwing sand, no screaming, play nice with the other kids. Got it?”
“Got it! Let me in Daddy! I wanna go play!”
“Go play! Be careful!” Justin opened the fence and Ayden ran in like she was running a race. “She’s gone crazy today,” he laughed as I followed him to a bench.
“I think so, I’d say she’s getting back to the way things were before everything happened.”
“Oh yeah, she’s been back there for awhile.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the new playground running around with Ayden like we were both three years old again. I’m having much more fun on this little vacation that I thought I would. After awhile Justin decided it was time to go but Ayden wasn’t having it. He grabbed her hand and got down to her level managing to talk her out of her tantrum before it escalated into something much more.
“We’re going to go home and see Granny, but we’ll stop and see Miss Judy on the way home.” Justin grabbed Ayden’s hand and smiled at me, “Ready?”
I nodded my head and followed them out of they playground, “Miss Judy?”
Justin nodded his head, “Miss Judy. She’ll like Sari, huh Ayden?”
“Yeah!” Ayden giggled as she held her other hand out for me to hold, “Miss Judy will like you a lot cause she like me a lot and I like you a lot too!”
“Listen to my girl with her transitive theories, watch out Aristotle!”
“Aristotle’s that guy on Blue’s Clues, right Daddy?”
“Yup, you got it kid,” Justin answered with a chuckle. At some point, maybe, I’ll get used to him being a good father. Until then I’ll just stand here in awe like an idiot.
We walked into a small corner store that looked like something out of a Mark Twain book. There was a big porch with two old men sitting on rocking chairs talking about the weather. I feel like I’m in a country music video. Justin didn’t even get completely inside the store before a lady screamed. I thought Justin liked it here because no one made a big deal with him, she seems to be pretty impressed by him, that’s for sure.
“Justin Randall, is that you? I need to check my glasses here, I didn’t think you’d be comin! I hear you’ve been in town for a few days and it ain’t like you to stay away from here for so long. Where’s that little pumpkin of yours?” she continued talking without giving Justin, or anyone else for that matter, a chance to respond. “I was talkin’ to your Mama the other day, she said you’d be comin’ by. I’m so glad ya did, how you doin’ sugar?” She has the biggest southern accent I’ve ever heard; I’m having a hard time understanding her.
“I’m doing good, how are you doing Miss Judy?” Justin asked, his southern accent coming out more than I’ve ever heard it. It must be contagious.
“I’m doin just fine,” she said as Justin hugged her tightly, “Where’s your little princess?”
“Hi Miss Judy! Memba me? I’m Ayden!”
“Do I remember you? Oh come on now Ayden, it ain’t been that long.” Miss Judy laughed and picked up Ayden, placing her on a stool by the counter. “How you been sugar plum?”
“I got big, huh? I’m a big girl now!”
“You sure are. You got so big. I knew your Daddy since he was a little kid, even smaller than you. He’d come in here every day and get the same thing, a sweet tea and a snickerdoodle. He never brought any money though, but he had those big blue eyes and that big bright smile we couldn’t ever turn him away.” she smiled and looked at me, noticing me for the first time, “and who is your friend?”
“This is Sari!” Ayden answered with a huge smile, “She’s my favorite! She’s my favorite so I said she’s gonna be your favorite too! Huh Miss Judy?”
“Nice to meet you,” I answered quietly as I walked to the stool next to Justin.
“It’s a pleasure darlin’” she pulled me into a tight hug before going back to the other side of the counter. Justin laughed a little and gave me a look, I need to get used to this southern hospitality and all the hugs.
“I told her we had to stop here and get some of Miss Judy’s sweet tea.”
“I’ve never had sweet tea before,” I answered honestly, “Well I mean besides Nestea or something.”
“Nestea?” Miss Judy just about shouted, “Where did you find this girl? Nestea ain’t sweet tea, it ain’t even tea, it’s junk. I don’t want you drinking that junk anymore, do you hear? This, my darling, is tea.”
“Sorry,” I answered softly while Justin and Ayden laughed. I feel like a complete idiot here, I should have studied up on my southern stuff before leaving. I took a sip of the sweat tea, or more like the nectar of the gods. My goodness this is possibly the best drink I’ve ever had. No, scratch that, this is definitely the best drink I’ve ever had. “This is amazing.”
“You’re darn right it’s amazing, you remember that. No more of that fake tea crap darlin’.”
Miss Judy sent us back to Justin’s mother’s house with two gallons of her sweet tea and made us promise that we’d come back again before we left. She also promised me that she’d send some back for me so I never have to drink that fake tea again.
When we got back to the house Justin’s mother still wasn’t home. We were so tired that we crashed on the couch and Justin put on some Dora the Explorer to keep Ayden occupied, since she’s the only one in the world that seems to never get tired. When Dora told her to get up and dance, Ayden jumped up quickly, following exactly what the cartoon told her to do.
Justin stood up and joined in, dancing around with his daughter being a little sillier than he was supposed to be. Ayden would not have it. She placed her hands on his stomach and pushed him back to the couch. “Stop Daddy! You’re ruining it!”
“How am I ruining it? I’m just doing exactly what Dora says.” Justin asked with a chuckle, throwing his hands up.
“Cause she’s not telling you to do it, she’s telling ME to do it! You can’t do it Daddy, you don’t know how to dance!”
I laughed at her comment while Justin gave me a look, “Ayden, you’re Daddy is a very good dancer.”
“Not like this kinda dancing though! I promise he can’t do it right cause he’s too silly.”
“I am not too silly, I’m being very serious.”
“Not uh!” Ayden yelled, clinching her teeth together and pushing Justin down again before he could even get up. “You’re doing it wrong! Daddy sit! And Stay!”
“What am I a dog now?” he laughed.
Ayden tapped her finger on her chin before speaking, “Daddy, can I get a dog?”
“No. You’re a master at changing the subject Ayden. Go dance before Dora stops.”
“Come on Sari, I want you to dance with me.”
“You do, huh? Sure” I answered with a smile, looking at Justin as I stood up. Yes, I am throwing it in his face.
Justin shook his head as he sat back on the couch while I grabbed onto Ayden’s hand and followed Dora’s instructions to help save her little friend whose name I don’t know. I don’t usually watch these shows with Ayden; I’m usually busy cleaning or cooking and put this on to keep her out of my hair for a little. There’s a big difference between the way everything’s been going on recently and the way it was a few months ago. Ayden seems like she’s grown up so much. She’s still tiny, although she has grown a lot, but I mean she’s matured a lot more. I really missed her so much and I can’t even begin to explain how good it is to have her back.
“Can we let Daddy join in just a little?” I asked Ayden after looking over at Justin. He honestly looks pissed off. “Dora needs all the help she can get.”
“OK, fine. Come on Daddy! You gotta help Dora find Boots!”
Justin smiled and stood up, following the instructions carefully doing his best not to be too silly. It’s difficulty not to be silly when we are two adults bouncing around the living room doing what a little cartoon character is telling us to do. But Ayden’s the one in charge here, and we’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy.
When Justin’s mother came home awhile later Ayden ran and followed her into the kitchen. I followed Justin outside to help him bring in the trunk full of groceries she bought on the way home. “So my mom is going to watch Ayden tonight so we can do something,” Justin said as he handed me a few bags.
“So we can do something? Like what?”
“Something,” he repeated giving me that half smile he’s been giving me a lot lately, “Don’t go trying to ruin the surprise Sari, just go with it.”
“OK,” I answered softly trying to figure it out. A surprise? What kind of a surprise would Justin have for me? Why would he have a surprise?
“You’re overthinking it again,” he answered with a chuckle.
“Sorry. What time?”
“We have to leave by four.”
“Four? That’s not really tonight.” Four is more like afternoon, late afternoon but still afternoon. Definitely not night, that’s more like seven or eight.
“Fine, late afternoon. Sorry for the confusion. Go get ready.”
“Alright, let me get the rest of the bags first.”
Justin placed his hands on my back, “Go get ready. I got the bags. Go dammit!”
“Fine,” I laughed, “I’m going. But I could use a hint as to where we’re going so I know what I should be wearing.”
He stopped and mimicked what Ayden had done earlier, tapping his chin with his finger, “It’s fancier than a tractor pull but not as fancy as prom.”
“Gee, thanks for narrowing it down.” I answered with a giggle, and now I’m back to the embarrassing giggling.
“Anytime Sari, anytime.”
