The Trouble Toddler

Chapter 13: butterfly

Peter p.o.v

It took us a couple of days to get Lexi settled in. She had an upmost difficulty with letting go of her independence. But with each day passing she accepted she was only a young girl in need of her mommy and daddy.

Julia and I made a great team. We both showed her it was fine with being dependent on us. Right now, she accepted everything we gave her. She accepted her diapers, pacifier, and toys. The most wonderful thing of all was her acceptance of us. She wanted to be with us all the time. Julia found it concerning, I did not. I think the only reason why was because Lexi was lost, and we helped her. We are her source of assurance.

I was reading the paper when I heard my little girl calling for me. "Daddy! Daddy!" She was running with her little legs towards me. "Daddy!"

"Yes sweetheart?" She held up a paper with something scribbled on hit. "What is it what you have here?" I put her in my lap, and she showed me the sheet.

"Look, look, butterfly." I could not help but to laugh. Yesterday she had learned that word after seeing it fly in the garden and she kept repeating it. I think her favourite animal is a butterfly for now. "Its very pretty sweetie, well done." I kissed her head.

"Pretty?" She asked with her big brown eyes focused on only me. "Yes pretty, like you."

She giggled. I loved her little sounds. How long we have waited for a child and now she is finally with us. I had told Julia multiple times we could stop with trying and just live with the fact we could not have a child of our own. Only like she did with her work, she never gave up.

Unfortunately, in the end she had to. After a second opinion from a gynaecologist, she finally admitted she was not capable of having a child.

For three whole months she had buried herself with work. She did not want to listen my comforting words. She only wanted to speak to her clients for her job. Then when she finally turned around, I had opted to adopt a child.

Again, she did not want to listen to me. She repulsed the idea of having some child from another mother, her words not mine. It took me two months to convince her of the idea. I have to say I was quite surprised I managed to get us signed up with the programme as I had lost hope multiple times.

But my fight resulted in having this beautiful little girl in my lap sleeping. When I noticed she had closed her eyes I picked her up and laid her down in her crib together with her pacifier and zebra.

When I came back into the kitchen, I felt two arms around my waist. "Babe?" I put my hands upon Julia's. "Yes?" I knew something was wrong by the tone of her voice.

"My company called, and they need me."

I sighed. "But you promised," I begun. "I know what I promised but they really need me." I let go of her hands and turned around. Showing how displeased I was with right now. "Your family needs you as well Julia. Is family more important than your work?" I knew it was low of me to let her choose between those two, but she had promised me. Promised she would not go to work for two weeks even when they asked her to.

It was now Julia who sighed. "I know what I promised, I am anything but forgetful. But do you want me to lose my job?" Her brows raised, showing a clear expression of her annoyance with me.

"You would not lose your job. They know no one is better than you are. So just call them and tell them you come back like you said in the first place." I reasoned with my wife.

"Actually, nobody can the job but me. So tomorrow I am going." She walked away from the kitchen. I wanted to chase her and tell her no, only I knew I would lose again. Julia was a feisty and dominant woman who knew what she wanted. So, I turned around towards the counter and started making lunch.

The next morning when I woke Lexi up, Julia was already gone. "Hello there, sweetheart." I greeted my sweet girl. "Daddy?" Lexi said with a hoarse voice. She rubbed her eyes and when she knew it was indeed me, she held her little arms up. "Daddy!"

I laughed. "Well, someone is happy." I picked her up and changed her in a clean diaper. "Let's get you some breakfast."

Entering the kitchen, I put her in her highchair. Just when I gave her, her breakfast she asked me, "Where mommy?"

Dear lord, help me, I thought.

"Mommy is to her work sweetie." I caressed her little head in the hopes she would not get upset. "But I want mommy," she started.

"Mommy will be her in the afternoon Lexi. Now it will be just us. So how about a daddy-daughter day?" I hummed.

"Want mommy, want mommy!" I sighed. I called Julia on my phone.

"Peter, babe, I am quite busy at the moment. Can't it wait?"

"No, it can not. Your daughter is asking for you." I held the phone away from my air so she could hear Lexi chant 'want mommy' repeatedly.

"Peter, she has to learn we can't be there for her all the time, so teach her. I'm busy." With that she hung up on me.

I had to take a couple of deep breaths so I would not vent my anger towards Lexi. After breakfast Lexi calmed down as I kept her busy with butterflies. I would so each time a different one on my phone, so she was kept being distracted by the fact her mommy was not home.

Maybe she did have some attachment problems.

Thanks for reading and stay safe!