Almost - m.c

Chapter 23

"Well mommy kisses someone now."

Michael's P.O.V

"Daddy why is the park so far?"

"It's not, Addie. It takes like seven minutes to walk."

"It feels like forever."

"We'll be there soon! Once we turn at that corner, it's less than a block away."

"I don't know what a block is."

"That's okay. We'll be there in two minutes."

"Can you carry me?"

"Addison, when you asked me to go to the park, you promised you'd walk the entire way." Addie still liked to be babied quite a bit so I was trying to force her to walk this distance.

"Please? I'll be too tired to swing if I walk all this way."

"Addison, you'll still have plenty of energy once we get there."

"But dad." Addison pouted as we stopped walking to wait for the signal to cross. "Please? I walked almost all of the way."

"You can walk it, I promise. Look. You can see the top of the slide. We're basically there."

"Oh." She then giggled. "You don't have to carry me then. Silly me. We're here!" & then Addison tried to run but I was holding her hand so she couldn't quite drag me along. "Come on!"

"Go run. I'll meet you at the swings."

"No! Race ya!" Addison began running off towards the swing & since she said she'd race me, I had no choice but to run beside her. Addison was laughing the entire time as she looked behind me, a huge smile plastered on her face since she was winning the race. "I beat you! I beat you!"

"You did." I leaned down to give her a high five. "What is your prize for winning?"

"You can push me!"

"I tried to teach you how to swing yourself, remember?"

"Well yea but you can push me since you're a slow poke."

"Alright, alright." I picked her up as I put her in the swing before I kissed the top of your head. "I only will because you're so darn cute."

"I know I am." She was all smiles again before that turned into giggles as I was standing behind her, now pushing her as she wished to go higher & higher.

I loved my weekends with Addison. It didn't matter how long my week felt, how busy I was at work, how much I had to pay in my bills, how lonely I felt at times. As soon as I saw her, that didn't matter.

I'd have shit weeks if it meant a weekend with my daughter.

"Okay. I'm done. Now slides."

"Alright." I pulled the swing to stop it before she jumped off. "Go climb up & I'll catch you at the bottom."

Addison climbed up the ladder before she sat at the top.

"Are you ready for me?"

"3, 2, 1!" I counted her down before she slid down to me. "Yay!"

That lasted for about twenty minutes as she climbed up & slid down, climbed up & slid down. But as any child would, she eventually became bored.

"Can we go in the sand box now?"

"Of course." I told her. "Let's go."

I sat on the edge of the sand box while Addie sat in the sand, getting it all over her, as she began digging.