The boys didn't know why their daughter had a southern accent.
They lived in Ohio, she had never been out of Ohio, and neither of the boys had accents.
But she did, and it was the funniest thing ever to them.
Ruby was still quite young, and she didn't really have a huge vocabulary, but she could manage to convey what she wanted most of the time.
Tyler was cooking dinner, Ruby eating her goldfish in her high chair.
"Are your goldfish tasty, RuRu?" Tyler asked with a smile.
"MMMMMMMMMMMMMHM."
Tyler chuckled and nodded. "I'm glad you like them."
A few minutes later, Josh walked in from work.
"Hi honey," Tyler smiled, kissing his lips.
"HEY, BUD!" Ruby yelled with a wide grin in the most country accent the boys had ever heard.
They both bursted into laughter.
They would have paid so much money to have that on video.
"Hi, RuRu!" Josh said with a wide smile.
"HEY, BUD!" She grinned again, more than happy that her daddy was picking her up.
Tyler and Josh couldn't stop laughing, Josh kissing her cheek as he held her. It was absolutely hilarious. Not only what she was saying, but her accent made it even funnier.
"I looooooooove you," Josh smiled, kissing her nose.
Tyler pulled his phone out of his pocket and started filming, smiling at Ruby as she looked over Josh's shoulder at him while she hugged him.
"Hi, RuRu!" He smiled.
"HEY, BUD!" She yelled with a grin, waving excitedly.
Tyler giggled, so happy he got it on film.
***
15 years later, Ruby was 16 and was asking if they had any home videos of her when she was a baby.
"Oh my gosh, you would do this thing whenever Josh came home from work," Tyler giggled. "You had this thick country accent that neither of us knew where it came from. You didn't grow out of it till you were six. But you'd yell 'hey, bud!' At him, and it was the cutest thing ever."
He showed her the video, Ruby laughing and shaking her head.
"I don't believe that," she giggled.
"It's on video! You have to believe it!" Josh chuckled.
Tyler watched it over and over again, remembering back when they were all so young.
He and Josh were only 25, Ruby could barely walk. They'd take her to get ice cream and she'd be so excited all the time, even when she didn't know what was going on.
She was still that sweet little girl who yelled "Hey, bud!" Every time her daddy walked in the door.
Except she didn't yell "hey, bud!" Any time her dad came in.
But she would still give them both big hugs, and she was still the sweetest daughter they could have ever asked for.
