Oliver focused his attention from the TV to Millie, who was leaning against his thigh with a thoughtful look on her face. He smiled tenderly at the little girl, the spitting image of her mom, down to the little cute glasses perched on her nose. Unfortunately, she had inherited her myopia too.
“There is a baby in Mommy’s tummy.”
He nodded, waiting for the next question, because he knew there would be one. Millie was not shy or introverted, but she enjoyed her own company and could entertain herself for hours, playing, creating her own little world, and mostly reading, or at least what her still basic reading skills allowed her. And she always had questions about everything.
Felicity and Oliver had been surprised when they had told her Felicity was pregnant that she didn’t ask more about it, just acknowledging that she would get a little sister or brother in a few months, and seeming rather happy about it. Oliver knew now that she had to cogitate a bit more about it first before coming back to them.
He let out a half-laugh, half-choke at her question. “I…yes, I did,” he said, flushing slightly at the picture it evoked in his mind. He braced himself for the next question.
Of course she would come and ask him that when Felicity was at work and they were alone. He cupped her cheek with his hand, tickling the back of her neck softly.
“Your mom and I will explain that to you when you’re a bit older, ok?”
There was a beginning of a pout, but she finally nodded and Oliver’s shoulders relaxed slightly. At 5 year old, she was in a ‘Daddy is always right’ phase so he enjoyed it while it lasted.
“Do you remember when I was in Mommy’s tummy?”
That one he could answer truthfully. “Of course I do. I used to tell you stories so you wouldn’t move that much and let your mommy sleep.”
That made her laugh. “Really? What stories?”
“The same kind I’m reading to you now.”
Truth be told, most of the time it had been crappy jokes to make Felicity laugh and lift her spirits about facing that unexpected pregnancy, and he wanted the baby to get used to his voice. Of course back then he had no idea how important and essential Millie would become to him. How such a tiny person had surreptitiously taken such an enormous place in his heart.
She put her head on his thigh and he wondered what was going on in that brain of hers. But she just asked, “Can I watch TV with you?”
“As if you have to ask. Come here.” She climbed on his lap and snuggled against his chest. “I’m watching sports though. It’s not very interesting. You want me to change?”
“No, I can watch sports with you, Daddy. It’s ok.”
He smiled before pressing a smile on her forehead, tightening his hold on her. Someday she would be a brilliant young woman and she would go her own way, living her life, and whatever she did he would always be incredibly proud about her. But right now she was still his baby girl who wanted to cuddle and he was going to savor every minute of it.
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