Something About Blending

Emerson chased her son trying to catch him as he ran at group of birds in Central Park and laughing when then scattered in his wake. Looking over his shoulder and seeing that his mum was running after him Theodore squealed and shot off running as fast as his chubby legs could take him. “I’m going to get you Teddy,” Emerson called following in pursuit of her five year old. Looking around for a place to hide Teddy took a sharp right and wriggled into a bush. “Oh no! Where’s my Teddy?” Emerson cried pretending as though she couldn’t see him. “If I can’t find Teddy I can’t take him to Aunt Piper’s for tea,” she continued and heard him giggling. Before she could reach into the bush and grab Teddy from his hiding spot he took off running again. Trying not to laugh Emerson followed continuing their chase game. Emerson was running when Teddy went down. She took off sprinting towards her now crying son but someone got there first. “Wow there buddy, are you okay?” the man asked crouching down to be level with Theodore. Theodore tried to stop crying but the blood on both his scraped knees made it hard. “Hey Teddy, you’re okay. Just a scrape. See you’re okay,” Emerson said wiping off his knees with a wet wipe from her bag and putting band-aids on both scrapes. “See, Mummy fixed it. It’s all better,” she soothed wiping away his tears.
“Thank you,” she said standing up and helping Theodore to his feet. “Any time, I get the parent thing,” the brunette said with a laugh. Emerson smiled. “This is Theodore, he’s five,” Emerson introduced with a smile. Theodore smiled shyly and waved. “My daughter Amelia is around here somewhere,” he said. “I’m Derick by the way,” he said holding out his hand. “Emerson,” she responded shaking his hand. “You look familiar, do you do go to any play groups or anything around town?” Emerson asked trying to figure out where she knew Derick from. He laughed and nodded his head. “The library group when we can make it,” he told her pleased to be having a normal single parent conversation. “We like that one, huh Teddy?” she said with a bright smile. “We have to get going, it was nice to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime,” she said with a wave. Derick watched as Emerson and Teddy walked away hand-in-hand. “Time for tea with Aunt Piper,” Derick heard Teddy saying excitedly. Derick smiled to himself and saw his daughter running toward him.

“Daddy!” she yelled jumping into his arms. Derick spun her in a circle and settled her on his hip. “Did you have fun exploring with Uncle Zoo?” Derick asked calling Mats by Amelia’s name for him. “Yes! We looked for clues of Neverland!” she told him excitedly. Derick smiled and listened as Amelia went on and on about all the evidence she and Mats had found proving that fairies and pirates had been fighting in Central Park. “It sounds like you were busy today. Maybe we should head home for a snack and a lay down?” Derick asked making sure to avoid using the word ‘nap’. ‘Nap’ instantly made Amelia fussy and difficult. “Zucs, we’re heading back for a snack and a lay down. Would you like to join us?” Derick asked as his friend finally caught up with them. “Can we have apples and peanut butter?” Mats asked in a mock excited voice. “Can we Daddy?” Amelia parroted looking up at her dad. “Of course we can,” he said with a smile and heading in the general direction of his apartment.

“Here we go, apples and peanut butter,” Derick announced walking into the living room where Mats and Amelia had set up the couch with pillows and blankets. “Thanks Daddy,” Amelia grinned up at him taking the plate with her apples her favorite way: made into peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches. “Thanks Dad!” Mats exclaimed when he got the same snack as Amelia. She laughed when her godfather called her dad, Dad. “What movie are we watching?” Derick asked as Amelia settled herself next to him with her head on his side. “Guess,” she told him giggling. Peering up at him while he scrunched up his face to think she kept giggling. “Cinderella?” he asked. Amelia shook her head and took a big bite of her apple sandwich. “What about Robin Hood?” he guess again. “Daddy!” Amelia exclaimed exasperated by his second incorrect guess. “Why don’t you tell me then?” he suggested but she just shook her head still wanting him to guess. “Pst, pst,” Mats whispered over Amelia’s head pointing animatedly towards the DVD case left out by the TV. Derick gasped when he saw the movie and looked down at Amelia his face shining with excitement. “Are we watching Peter Pan?” he asked. Amelia shook her head grinning. She was thrilled that her dad was as excited to watch her favorite movie as she was. “Well then we had better play it!” he announced hitting play on the remote and feeling Amelia rest her head on him again.

Halfway through the movie Amelia fell asleep, just like she did every time. “How many times have you seen this movie?” Mats asked curiously. “It’s the only movie she’ll watch when I want her to take a nap so about six times a week,” Derick answered. “Do you even like this movie?” Mats asked with a laugh. Laughing with his friend Derick shook his head. “But she does and I would watch it all day every day if it meant we did something together,” he said. “In the locker room you’re the only guy who never gets teased for being whipped, but I know get because you’re so far passed being whipped. Amelia owns you,” Mats laughed. “Oh please like she doesn’t have you wrapped around her little finger,” Derick scoffed. “Don’t even try to protest I saw you in the park today, she was the pirate and you were the fairy,” he continued. Rather than admit to having his world revolve around Amelia’s happiness Mats switched the subject. “Speaking of, where did you disappear to in the park today?” he asked. “I went to the bathroom and when I was walking back I saw a kid take a dive so I went to make sure he was alright. I ended up chatting with his mom for a few minutes. She recognized me from library play group,” Derick explained. Mats laughed, “We go to the park and you meet a hot single mom who knows you from play group. Play group. Not because you’re a center for the New York Rangers. No, no but play group,” Mats said laughing hysterically. Derick shushed him for fear that he would wake Amelia up and she was terrible if woken up from a nap rather than waking up on her own. “So are you going to meet this mom again?” Mats asked going back to whispering. Derick thought about Emerson for a moment. “I supposed I will, at least at playgroup. I have Amelia to think about too, if it isn’t good for Amelia I won’t do it,” he answered looking down at his daughter.

Notes