Chapter 12

"Good morning, my love."

"Good morning, Daddy."

Somehow, I'd managed to wake up before my boy which was rare, especially given what today was. I'd already been to the hotel gym, opened the sliding door to the patio and ordered breakfast, which had just been delivered.

"Rise and shine, time to eat and get this very busy day started."

"Ouch." Jamie winced, and I immediately went to him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Daddy. Just well and thoroughly fucked. Thank you very much, by the way."

"Not sure that's something to thank me for given you're in pain. I'm not usually that… primal. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Of course, I am. Tell Primal Daddy he can come and visit me anytime." The little shit winked as he rolled out of bed and strolled his naked ass across the room and into the bathroom.

"Primal Daddy, huh?"

He came out wearing one of the hotel robes and sat across from me. "Yes. That was some primal level sex last night and I was green all the way." Silly boy snagged a piece of bacon and nibbled it. "How long before we have to leave?"

Once we got there, Little Jamie would go nuts. Hopefully, I was prepared for that. "In about an hour. Plenty of time to eat and get ready, which reminds me." I went to my luggage and pulled out the prezzie I'd brought for him. "This might come in handy today."

Shredded paper flew everywhere and in typical Jamie fashion, he squealed. "A Sloffers backpack. Thank you, Daddy!" He leaned across the table and puckered his lips. I couldn't refuse those perfect lips.

"You're welcome. Figured you might want to put any new prezzies you get today in it to keep your hands free." Was my credit card prepared for this trip? Likely not.

"Good thinking. It's so cute." He hugged it tightly.

When I had spotted that backpack online, there was no way I could pass it up. It was perfect for my boy. "Eat up, our day is filled with a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes that aren't flip- flops." He had a penchant for the rubbery noise makers.

"I brought my sneakers. Have you been to that zoo before?"

"Once during vet school. We had a break and a group of us came down. It was a blast, but I know today will be better because I get to see it with you." For all the things I had done and seen in my past, none of that compared to doing those same things with Jamie. He found good in everything and brought so much joy to my life.

"You say the sweetest things, Daddy." He kissed my cheek then finished getting ready.

"Sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. All present and accounted for so let's roll." I double-checked once we were both ready to ensure we had what we would need. The rest we could get at the park, such as water and snacks. No use bringing food or drinks only to have security throw them out at the gate.

The hotel was fairly close to both the zoo and SeaWorld, and it only took about thirty minutes—which by California standards was nothing—to get to the San Diego Zoo. I presented the online tickets to the guest services person, and they gave us each a park map. Jamie tucked his inside his backpack for safe keeping, muttering something about making a scrapbook of our vacation when we got home.

"All right, sweet boy," I opened the map all the way and cringed. "That is a whole lot of steps." I pointed out where the sloths were. "And we're here. Where do you want we want to begin?"

"Mmm, let's start at the beginning, that way we do a loop."

"Smart boy. Let's go."

We went through the Wildlife Explorers basecamp rather quickly. It was packed with children, so Jamie just ran through the water play area fast while I stood by holding onto his backpack. That was until he saw the axolotl exhibit. After that he made his first stuffie purchase of the trip along with a tube of plastic animals for Henry and Chase. He wasn't as impressed with the reptile house, but he was ecstatic to see the tortoises. He literally stopped and took pictures of every animal we came across.

"Look, Daddy!" Jamie pointed up. "There's a ride that goes across the park."

"Do you want to take it?"

Vehemently, he shook his head. "No, thank you. I do not care for rides. Not that I have been on any, but it scares me to watch them on TV."

While the one overhead was not the same as what I'm sure he envisioned, I respected his wishes and silently thanked him. I too did not care for those whirly-twirly, make-you-vomit rides.

"Monkeys, Daddy! So many monkeys."

My boy's excitement drove me to each exhibit and no matter how tired I was, I would press on, for him. Jamie was the reason we were on this excursion, and I would do anything to ensure he had the best trip of his life. By the time we got through the Lost Forest, we both required a break and food, and this seemed the perfect stop given the numerous food options.

"Hey, Daddy, can I see the map, please?"

I set up his dippy sauces—thankfully they had his favorites—while he mapped out the rest of our day.

"Can we see the polar bears next?"

"Absolutely. Eat up then we will pop into the shop and on to the polar bears."

So far, expenses had been kept at a minimum but given we'd not been to his favorite stuffie friends' enclosures yet, I knew things were about to get crazy.

"Daddy, look, polar bears swimming. I didn't know they could swim."

"Of course they do, silly boy. They love the cold water and ice."

Stuffie purchase number two. Once he saw the polar bears, he had to have one. Evidently, so did Henry and Chase. As much as he loved the penguins, I was surprised when he didn't grab one of those as well. I was pretty sure he had the map memorized by now and knew exactly where we were headed.

"Look, Daddy!"

I had heard that so many times today I gave up looking anywhere he wasn't already.

"They have a baby George, and you can feed the big ones." I

got him a handful of the food we could purchase the feed the giraffes, and he giggled when their tongues touched his hand. I got several fantastic shots of my boy smiling wide as he fed them, and I couldn't wait to print and frame one.

"Have you been texting Henry and Chase all your pictures?"

"Yes, Daddy. They're just as excited as I am."

Highly unlikely but I got the gist of it.

"What's our next stop?"

"Kiki!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Yes, Kiki." We had tried to see the sloths, but they weren't available today and while Jamie was disappointed, he wasn't overly sad because he knew he'd get up close and personal with them at SeaWorld.

"I love koalas so much."

"More than sloths?"

"Nope, the same."

A million pictures later, into the Urban Jungle store we went for stuffie number three. A koala cousin for Kiki. On the way out, we hit the main gift shop and we each picked out a beach towel for tomorrow's beach trip.

Huge reusable shopping bag in hand, I loaded one very tired boy into the vehicle. "Did you get to see all the animals you wanted?"

"Oh, Daddy, it was so wonderful. I didn't get to see a panda like Patty, but I did get to see a red panda and they were really cute. No Sloffers but we will see his family at SeaWorld." Yawn. "My feet hurt but it was totally worth it. Can I soak them in the ocean at the hotel?"

"Yes, you may soak them in the bay." Though it was likely I would have to wake him up for that. "I think dinner in the room again tonight. What do you say?"

"Yes, please, Daddy."

Sure enough, I had to wake Jamie to get him inside, but he did keep his word to soak his feet in the water. He barely made it through dinner before I hauled him off to shower and tucked him in. He was asleep before I had finished getting ready for bed.

The next morning, I let him sleep in since nothing we were doing today came with any time restraints. I was checking the daily news and emails on my iPad when he woke.

"Morning, Daddy." I smiled at his cute, yawny mumble.

"Good morning, my sleepy boy. How do feel today?"

"Still kinda seepy and a little sore, but good. Today we get to see the ocean, right? We can relax, lie in the sun, and dip our toes in the water."

"That we will. I am taking you to Pacific Beach. You can swim there, too."

"The ocean is gorgeous, but scary. I think I'll only go in to my knees if that's okay?"

"Of course it is. I never want you to do anything that scares you. Stoplights are effective for more than just sex. If something makes you nervous or is scary, all you have to do is say no or red and it stops."

"Like clowns?"

"Ha-ha. Yes, my love, like clowns, though Daddy is not a fan either." Why in the hell would anyone think a clown was fun entertainment for a child? They were scary as fuck with all the crazy makeup and evil cackles.

We took our time with breakfast and lounged around for a bit before we left. Once we'd parked, I reached behind my seat in the car and handed my boy the bag that was there.

"Another prezzie, Daddy?"

"Yes. It makes Daddy's heart happy to give you gifts."

"A sandcastle set and bucket!" Jamie jumped forward to hug me, but the seatbelt yanked him back. "Stupid seatbelt. I wanna hug my Daddy." He scowled at the safety device.

"Here." I released the belt and hugged him.

"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweet boy. Now, let's go look for seashells."

"Yay! Seashells."

Thankfully it was a weekday, and most were at work, so the crowd was light. We claimed an area of the beach and laid our towels out on it. After we snapped a couple of selfies with the ocean in the background, I slathered my boy in SPF50 and off he went, giggling as the waves drenched him. I dove in and swam a bit, but Jamie didn't like that at all, so I stayed above water next to him after that.

"Daddy, when I can't see you, I worry the ocean got you. It scares me."

"I'm sorry, my love. I will stay here right beside you where I belong."

He visibly relaxed and returned to his digging.

"What are you looking for?"

"I dunno. Just seeing what's down there."

Eons of sand but bursting his bubble I would not be held responsible for.

"Are you getting hungry? I saw a wall of food trucks by the shops."

"Think they have tacos?"

"Not sure, but why don't we go see?" I gathered our towels, and we headed toward the trucks. Sure enough, my boy got his tacos and I opted for a burrito then we found a place to sit and dug in.

"It's so pretty here, Daddy."

"Yes, it is. Are you excited about SeaWorld?"

His head bobbed up and down. "Yes, I get to see the Sloffers."

"Yes, and a lot of marine life that comes from this very ocean." We finished eating and disposed of our trash. "Anywhere else you want to go today?"

"Can we put our stuff in the car and go into the shops along the boardwalk?"

"You bet." We spent a couple of hours popping in and out of shops and picked up a couple of trinkets before we called it a day.

Jamie collapsed on the bed as I sat the bags down. "What a fantastic, relaxing day. You scheduled everything perfectly, Daddy. Is it okay if I go shower?"

"Silly boy, of course it is." I'm sure he had sand in places he'd rather not mention. As I unpacked the shopping bags and repacked them in one suitcase, I was glad we each brought an extra one, though one of them was now filled, and we still had two more parks to hit. I set it aside and stepped into the shower as Jamie came out. As much as I loved the ocean, it was nice to wash it off.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, sweet boy?"

He had curled up with Sloffers in one of the hotel robes. Remote in hand, he flipped through the TV stations. "Tonight, do you think we could order dessert and watch a movie and relax?"

"That sounds wonderful to me." With the sweet treats ordered, I locked the balcony door and once it was delivered, we started the movie. Halfway through we both passed out.

Vacations were meant for resting so falling asleep at eight thirty was justified.

Right?

* * *

"What time does SeaWorld open, Daddy?"

"Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine." I tickled him for emphasis. "Is somebody excited?"

"Very, Daddy. But I'm hungry, too."

"Let's get dressed and eat in the café before we head out, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." His little ass darted over to the dresser, humming as he got dressed. Once the sloth backpack was in place he was ready to roll.

We had a wonderful breakfast and were more than ready to walk it off. Our first stop once we entered the park was to check in for the sloth encounter. By the time we arrived Jamie could hardly stand still he was so excited.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome. My name is Carrie, and I will be your SeaWorld Ambassador today for the sloth encounter. Who's excited?"

The kids that had gathered cheered, and Jamie did as well.

"That's great. The sloth is one of my favorite animals, but they sleep a lot so please don't yell and wake them up. You don't want to scare them, do you?"

"No," the group whispered.

"Very good. And while you are allowed to take pictures and stand close, you are not allowed to touch them. Let's form a line and follow me inside."

The sloth enclosure filled with oohs and aahs as the kids glanced up and saw the sloths in the trees. "Now, who can tell me why sloths spend the majority of their time hanging upside down?"

One boy around the age of ten raised his hand. "Because it's more comfortable for them."

"That is the condensed version, but yes. The way their internal organs are situated it is more comfortable for them in that position."

"Did you know sloths basically have their own ecosystem within their fur?" she asked them.

Jamie gazed up at me as though asking if I knew and I winked.

"It's called a microcosm. Algae, insects, and fungi grow within their fir. Not only does the sloth provide an ideal environment for them to flourish in but the sloth also benefits from it as well."

"Come on through and take as many pictures as you'd like. Feel free to ask anyone wearing the same uniform as me any questions you may have."

We found a sloth hanging just above Jamie's height and moved toward it.

"Daddy, take lots of pictures. I need the perfect one to frame for my playroom."

I took far too many, but he'd have several to choose from.

"Would you like me to take your picture together?" Carrie asked us.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." I handed her my phone, and she took several and then moved onto another family.

"Daddy, this is something I'll never forget," my teary-eyed boy said. "You made one of my biggest dreams come true."

"Well, I have another surprise for you. Have you taken all the pictures you wanted?"

"Yes, this was so amazing."

We came out of the sloth encounter, and I led him around the corner to...

"Build-A-Bear! Daddy!" He hugged me and squealed as every other child in the area did the same upon entering with their parents.

"Pick your animal."

That took far longer than the entire process did, but he finally landed on one. "We are at SeaWorld, so I need an orca stuffie to take home. Now, it needs an outfit."

In the end he made an orca wearing a rainbow tutu and a blue SeaWorld crop top. All I could do was shake my head and smile. My boy was happy and that was all that mattered. After a long day of petting stingrays, cheering on penguins and growling at sharks—yes, my boy growled at a great white to show how badass he was—two very tired park attendees made their way back to the hotel and slept like a rock.

The next day we spent lounging by the hotel pool and after dinner we packed our bags for our third and final leg of the trip that would be the true test for this Daddy. One crazy huge park and a million children. How did the mouse do it?

I'd booked us two nights at the Disneyland Hotel, having had the forethought that we'd be too exhausted to walk or drive back to an off-site hotel at the end of the day. This way we could take the monorail in and out. We loaded up the car, which included Jamie lining the back seat with his new stuffies who had to share seatbelts, and off we went. Two hours later, we were checked in.

"Daddy, look, a Mickey Mouse head." Jamie decided to point out every hidden Mickey and decoration shaped like the famous mouse's head from the time we pulled up to the valet until we got to our room.

"Our room has Disneyland on the wall. And fireworks on the floor. Daddy!" He spun around. "The lamp has Mickey's head on it." He ran into the bathroom and squealed. "Daddy, the lamps in here are Mickey's hand!"

Good lord, if he was this excited about our room, how would he react tomorrow? "Who's your favorite Mickey Mouse?"

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice." He held his arms out and leaned side to side as he walked. "In Fantasia he carries heavy bucket's and walks like this, and the water sloshes out of them."

"Silly boy. It's still early, do you want to hit Downtown Disney? Our park tickets are for tomorrow, but we could check this part out tonight."

"Yes, please." He jumped up and down.

We took a stroll through Downtown Disney and of course ended up in the largest Disney store known to man. Straight to the Sorcerer's Apprentice display Jamie went. "Daddy!"

"I know, grab the one you want." No use arguing about stuffies. "Grab the matching beach towel while you're at it, too, and you can use it at the pool."

"Thank you, Daddy."

We picked up a couple of things for Henry and Chase and I also purchased a Disneyland picture frame. I had picked up one from each park so I could put a favorite picture of us in each one to display at home. From there we picked a restaurant and ate and after dinner, we bought some sweet treats from the chocolatier before returning to our room.

"Jamie, here's the map of Disneyland." He hopped up on the bed beside me to see the iPad. "What do you want to see first?"

"Let's do a circle again. Start to finish so we can see it all. What about you, Daddy? Where do you want to go?"

"Star Wars Galaxy Edge for me. Those are the movies I can watch over and over." I remembered my parents introducing them to me when I was younger. I'd been a huge fan ever since.

"That will be so much fun. I'm excited for Main Street where they have the parade and toon town. But I want to see everything."

"We will do our best, sweet boy. Now, it's time to sleep. We have a big day ahead of us."

* * *

There were no words for the madness we entered. This was every child's dream and every parent's nightmare. From the long lines to get into the park to the wall of bodies you had navigate your way through. Never had I been happier to have a boy that didn't ride any rides. Those lines had two-hour waits for them.

"Jamie, please hold my hand."

"Okay, Daddy."

I swear we stopped in every store, every candy stand, every everything. We took pictures in front of the castle and with characters but when we got to my stop it was like I had become the Little.

Jamie laughed. "I like Little Daddy."

"This is my jam."

"Your jam? Nobody says that." Jamie rolled his eyes. "Silly Daddy."

We snagged the last spot to make your own light saber and I swear that was one of the coolest experiences I had ever had. My saber would hang on our living room wall like a piece of art. Jamie took my picture in front of the Millennium Falcon and with a stormtrooper and we had lunch in the Cantina. I was in heaven.

"I like smiley Daddy."

"Thank you for humoring me during the wild trip through my childhood." I had purchased a couple of souvenirs for home, including a killer coffee mug that was designed to look like the interior of the Falcon and easily held two cups of the magical elixir.

"On to Toon Town!" Jamie announced as we finished lunch.

My cute Little popped in and out of every house and posed for pictures the entire time. I had too much fun taking them. We breezed through Fantasyland, but Tomorrowland he stopped to pose for pictures with Buzz Lightyear and Woody. The plan was to stay for the parade and watch the fireworks and by the time we got through every section of the park they were setting up Main Street for the after party.

As we watched the fireworks that lit up the castle, my sweet boy turned and hugged me. "Someday, Daddy, I'm gonna marry you right here in front of the princess castle and all our friends will be with us."

"You are, are you?"

"Yup, I am."

I couldn't wait for the day to make that dream come true and wondered what it would take to make it happen

THE END