"Papa!"
"Yes, Leona?" Illya was sitting on his bed reading an H. G. Wells novel with his feet propped up and his back against his headboard. It was a Saturday afternoon and Napoleon had gone into the office hours earlier to teleconference with his counterparts in the other HQs. Leona and her teddy bear Rollo had been involved in a very formal tea party at the foot of his bed with fake tea and real cookies. He smiled to himself when he overheard his daughter whispering to her bear.
"Let's play 'Hide and Seek!'"
Illya feigned ignorance. "How does one play this 'Hide and Seek?' I am not familiar with this." He got a kick listening to the four year old explain things.
"Oh, Papa, everybody knows how to play 'Hide and Seek!' You count to twenty while I go hide. When you get to twenty, you look for me. If you find me, you win and if you can't find me, I win."
"What do I win?"
"Hugs and kisses!"
Illya laughed out loud. "That is a good prize! Are you playing for hugs and kisses, too?"
"Yes. And brownies!"
"Then, I will play." The Russian put his book down and covered his eyes. "Odin, dva, tri, chyetirye, pyatʲ, shyestʲ, syemʲ… (One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…)"
When Papa started counting, Leona left Rollo on his bed and ran out of the room to look for a hiding place. She raced to the living room. I can hide behind this!, she thought as she looked at the drapes. No, Papa is smart, he'll look there first. She ran to her bedroom and looked around. Good! Papa won't be able to find me here! She hid and had to cover her mouth to stifle her giggling so her father wouldn't hear and discover her.
"Dyevyatnadtzatʲ, dvadtzatʲ! (Nineteen, twenty!) Ready or not, Daughter, I am coming to find you!" he called as he stepped into the hallway. He had been tickled as he heard Leona run first into the living room and then into her bedroom. If I find her too quickly, she might be disappointed that she did not do better. He went into the living room. "Are you behind the drapes? No, you are not. I bet you are behind… the couch!" He groaned loudly in pretend frustration. "You have hidden well, but I will find you!" he said confidently as he strode by her bedroom to look in the kitchen. He deliberately ignored the muffled laughter that floated out of there. He banged a cabinet door as he stood at the counter drinking some water to make it sound like he was searching through them for her. "Well, you are not in here, either. Before I go to the other side of the apartment, I think I will look for you in your room."
When he got to her room, he pushed her door all the way open and was about to step in when he spotted her. He stood there trying to keep control of the guffaws that were trying to erupt when he heard Napoleon's key go in the lock. "Daddy!" he called, "Come help me look for Leona! We are playing Hide and Seek and I cannot find her!"
When Napoleon came into view, Illya signaled to him to be quiet and pointed into Leona's room. When Napoleon came alongside the Russian and looked, he had to walk away and swallow his laughter. "Did you look in the living room?" he asked as he held his sides and tried to sound serious.
"Da."
"Let's look in the other side of the apartment. If she's not there, we'll come back to the living room and call her. What's the prize for winning?"
"Brownies."
"No wonder we can't find her. C'mon, Papa, let's go look."
As they walked into the kitchen and quietly poured drinks for themselves Napoleon whispered, "I wish I had a camera! That is hysterical!"
"I am glad you got to see it before the game is over. Nostrovia!" he said softly before downing his shot of vodka. "We will tell her she can have her brownie with ice cream for dessert."
They entered the living room and sat on the couch. "We give up, Leona!" Napoleon announced, "Come out, come out wherever you are!"
Moments later, Leona appeared in the hallway and raced to Daddy's arms. "Ha ha, you couldn't find me, I get a brownie!" she sing – songed in delight.
As Daddy hugged and kissed her happily, Papa asked, "Where were you hiding, Leona?"
"I'm not telling, Papa, so I can hide there again the next time we play!"
"Oh, that is smart thinking. Come, Daddy is going to start dinner. You and I can help him by making a salad." He stood and held out his hand. Leona slid off Daddy's lap and took it.
As they walked toward the kitchen Napoleon said, "I'll be there as soon as I change." Walking to his room his smile grew at the memory of what had just happened and he laughed aloud for the entire time it took for him to change.