~Beauty Mark~
They're in the kitchen one afternoon. Judith has been happily gurgling and bouncing on Daryl's knee. They've both been carrying on a "conversation" as Judith tries to mimic the cadence and timber of how the adults around her talk. Daryl responds with complete gibberish in kind and Carol doesn't think she can hold it together much longer, this exchange has been getting so oddball. It is endearing how he'll lift his voice octaves and drop the edge to smooth it out for Judith. He doesn't want to scare her. Judith's starting to develop words now and Carol had asked him not to call her ass-kicker because she was afraid Judith would pick it up. Doesn't mean he won't mouth it when Aunt Carol isn't looking. At some point, Judith's focus goes from Daryl's face to the mole on his cheek. She stops to put her chubby little finger on it, quietly speaking in her baby talk. Carol has been amusedly watching while she's piecing together a casserole. She speaks up, "You found Uncle Daryl's beauty mark."
Daryl snorted, "Ain't no beauty mark." he looked back at Judith who had been surprised at the deeper growl in his voice. He raised his pitch and his eyebrows as he bounced her on his knee. "Mens ain't got no beauty marks. Mens gots moles." She reached her little hand out again to try to grab his face.
"Judith, sweetie, men can be beautiful too."
Daryl got the impression the comment was not directed at Judith.
She finally reached his face but when she tried to grab his mole, the texture of his stubble surprised her. Daryl chuckled. He gently took her little wrist and carefully stretched out her fingers with one of his large ones. Leaning forward, he patted her palm with the grain of his grizzled jaw. Now getting the technique, she started to pat the sides of his face and hair in wonder. He grinned warmly. "See? Men ain't beautiful. They can be handsome. Yer Daddy is handsome. Ol' Uncle Daryl looks like a wet pole cat." He could hear Carol's frustrated sigh behind him. His grin spread wickedly as he stage-whispered, "But Aunt Carol smells like one." Soon after he felt a wet dish towel impact the back of his head.