4. Tucker
“Where’s my Riley girl?” I call when I swing open the front door. I toe off my shoes, making sure I don’t track any dirt on the floor that I’ll have to clean up later.
Little feet patter on the hardwood floor, rushing towards me. A smile spreads across my lips when I spot my baby girl. My entire world.
Squatting down, I hold my arms open wide. She collides with me, making me lose my balance and fall flat on my ass. I’d do it every day for the rest of my life if she keeps hugging me like this.
“Daddy!” She squeals in my ear. “I missed you so much! Tomorrow, can I please go to work with you? Please, Daddy, please!”
“I guess I can let you tag along.” I tickle her stomach. “But you need to wear old clothes because we’re gonna get dirty.”
“Deal! Are we going for our hike?” She jumps off of me, bouncing on her toes with excitement. Riley clasps her hands in front of her chest, puppy dog eyes and an adorable pout adorns her face. I could never say no to my baby girl.
“I don’t know… I”m feeling kinda old right now.” I fight to hide my smirk. “I might need some help feeling better. Do you think Dr. Olivia Toots-A-Lot has time to see me?”
“Yes!” Riley spins, darting to her room to grab her doctor coat and tools. She’s back at my side in seconds, pulling out her stethoscope and thermometer from a small bag.
“Tell me the truth, Doc, am I old?”
“Hmm…” She grips my chin in her small hand, tilting it this way and that, examining me. “You’re a little old… but I think I can make you all better.”
“Oh, thank goodness we have you in this town! I don’t know what I’d do without you!” My praises make her giggle. I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy anything more than hearing Riley laugh.
She scribbles something illegible on her notepad before handing it over to me.
“What’s it say, Doc? My eyesight is too bad to read, I think I”m getting older by the second.” I squint as hard as I can, making her laugh even harder.
“You need fifty kisses a day from a girl.” She adapts a serious face, nodding eagerly.
“From any girl or one in particular?”
“It has to be from a girl who loves you.”
“No! But no girls love me! I”m gonna stay old forever!” I fall flat on my back, throwing a hand dramatically over my face to hide my smile.
“Oh, Daddy! I love you more than anything in the whole wide world!”
My arm drops off my face, I sit up slightly, and narrow my eyes on her.
“More than Gran’s pies?”
Riley taps her chin, acting like this is the most difficult decision she’s ever made.
“I correct myself… I love you more than anyone in the whole wide world!”
“I’ll take it!” I throw an arm around her, yanking her with me when I fall down on my back again. “I’ll take my fifty kisses now!”
She grabs a hand and starts peppering my skin with kisses, counting after each one.
“Don’t forget this one.” I hold out my other hand. “And my cheek, it’s feeling really old.”
She rolls her eyes but does as I ask, peppering my cheek with kisses. I open my mouth to tell her the other side is feeling old, but she holds up a hand.
“I”m getting to it, Daddy. You’re being really impatient today.” She shakes her head before returning to kissing me. “Ok! Fifty kisses done! Let’s go for a hike!”
I jump off the floor in a single movement, stretching this way and that.
“Wow, Doc! I feel young again! What would I do without you?”
“You’d be an old man,” she deadpans. She’s gone in the blink of an eye, running off to get ready for our hike.
“You’re an amazing dad,” Ma says, walking out of the kitchen, a towel in her hands. “Malory doesn’t know what she walked away from.”
My chest tightens at the mention of my ex-wife. Riley will most likely never know her mother and though I feel bad, I”m doing the best I can to raise her in a happy home full of love.
“I saw Colt today…” I ignore Ma’s comment about Malory, I don’t want to talk about her. Our relationship and marriage were a huge mistake, the only reason I don’t regret it is because without her, I wouldn’t have Riley.
“You see Colt every day, Tucker. Tell me what you really wanna say.”
“Skylar’s back,” I whisper.
“Skylar? Skylar Barren? Like the same girl who left you a decade ago?”
“Yes, Ma.” I scrub a hand down my face, letting out a sigh. I don’t know why I brought it up, I should’ve waited until she found out on her own. Now she’s going to dissect every single word that tumbles out of my mouth.
“Shit, Tuck. How are you doing with that? Have you seen her?”
“Not yet… I don’t know, there’s this ache in my chest. If she hadn’t lost the baby, who knows how different my life would be right now.”
“You can”t think like that, darling. The ‘what if’ game only leads to sadness. Your reality is you lost your first baby and the girl you loved. It sucks big time and none of us will ever get over that loss, but you have Riley now. My suggestion… focus on the ones you got, not the ones who left you.”
“I”m all set and ready to go, Daddy!” Riley bounces into the kitchen, doing a little happy dance.
“Can you give Nanny a hug and thank her for taking care of you?” I squat down and fake whisper in Riley’s ear. “Make sure you give her lots of kisses, she’s looking a little old today.”
“Tucker Owen Donahue!” She swats at me with a towel, barely missing me as I jump away.
“Love you, Ma!”
“I”m gonna beat your ass if you call me old again! I don’t care if you’re twenty-eight years old! You don’t call your mama old!”
“He said, a little old, that’s not too bad, Nanny. And you said the naughty word for butt, Daddy says we can”t say that.”
“She isn”t wrong!” I yell out of my bedroom door. I quickly grab a sweatshirt in case it gets chilly.
“Tucker! I”m gonna get you back for this!”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” I smirk, walking back into the kitchen. I kiss Ma’s cheek, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Can you lock up? I wanna get our hike finished before the sun goes down.”
“Yeah, anything for my baby boy.” She rolls her eyes, but her love for us is clear as day.
“Riley wants to come to the shop with me tomorrow, so I won”t need you to watch her.”
“You know she’s gonna have to start school next week, she can”t be your little shadow anymore.”
“Well, then let me enjoy my last week with her following me around.”
“Nothing’s worse than your baby growing up.” Ma gives me a sad smile. “Dinner is in the fridge for when you get back. Pop it in the oven for thirty minutes.”