No Idea What You're Talking About

Nevaeh sat in her godfather's lap with her pacifier in her mouth, she only ever wanted it when she was getting ready for bed and when she slept. Though she was sleepy and rubbing her brown eyes she seemed to listen intently to Horatio's voice read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood.

"I think someone is sleepy," Horatio said, kissing Nevaeh's head, closing the book at the end of the story.

True to what her parents had thought, Nevaeh wasn't going to sleep the night in a room alone. Horatio had set up a bed for himself on the sofa next to the crib. Nevaeh might sleep in the crib if she saw Horatio was just feet away. If not, taking her into his bed with him wasn't a problem. In fact he almost hoped for it. The eleven-month-old fell asleep after only a few moments cradled in Horatio's arms. He kissed Nevaeh's cheek before laying her down in the crib putting her favorite 'sleeping buddy,' her gloworm next to her. He ignored what Eric and Calleigh had told about putting Nevaeh to bed; when she's really tired just put her down. She might fuss a bit but she would fall asleep very quickly. The same went for if she woke up during the night; don't go to her right away, she might just go back to sleep. The parents had only learned to do this and stomach any crying a few weeks prior, finally realizing their daughter needed to learn to start put herself to sleep alone. When they had told Horatio to do this he scoffed.

"Listen," he said. "When I have her, I'll do it my way. Uncles have different rules."

Eric called a short time later to check on his daughter.

"Your baby?" Horatio said with a smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I just put my baby down for the night."

A few days ago and once again tonight Nevaeh had called Horatio "dada." Eric wasn't offended, his daughter had also said that to his own father a few times. At this age she certainly knew what man in her life was daddy, if someone were to point to Horatio or anyone else other than Eric and ask "is he your daddy?" Nevaeh would shake her head fiercely. Horatio never referred to himself as "dada" and never encouraged her to call him that. Nevaeh most likely got "dada" for his father because Pavel was called "dedushka" Russian for grandpa. Chlorinda was "abuela" Spanish for grandma. The couple often spoke to their grandchild in their respective native languages as well as English.

Eric laughed.

"And let me guess, you're lonely already?"

Horatio just laughed in reply.

Both knew it wasn't the last time uncle Horatio would see Nevaeh tonight. She would be awake again around 10:30 for a bottle.

Horatio picked the baby girl quickly when she woke and started to fuss. As often as she were at his home she was used to her room and her crib and she didn't recognize where she was when first woke up from sleep.

"Hi there, sweet cheeks," Horatio said. Nevaeh's tears stopped even before they started. "There. You're all right. You just didn't know where you were, did you?"

The baby smiled.

"Daddy said not to pick you up so fast," Horatio said, giving her an Eskimo kiss as he walked to the kitchen for her bottle. "But you know I don't listen to him or mommy. When you're over here, you're mine."

Another no-no from mommy and daddy; Horatio read Nevaeh another story when she didn't go back to sleep straight away. And when she only slept for a few minutes before waking up and putting her arms up to him he didn't hesitate to carry her to his room and tuck her into bed with him.

"How many of the rules you think Horatio's over there breakin'?" Calleigh asked, hugging into her husband's shoulder while they watched tv.

"Every one of 'em," Eric smiled. "He scoffed at me when I told him about if she wakes up. She's probably asleep in his bed with him now. And I bet he probably even gave her a cookie to go with her bottle at ten."

Wrong. It was a cupcake that Horatio gave Nevaeh, frosting and all, shortly before bed.

Calleigh laughed. "His 'uncles have different rules' means no rules."

Uncle H was only too happy to hear that one of Eric's college pals and his wife had called and were in town. The couple wanted to take Calleigh and Eric out for the day. Horatio was glad to spend more time with Nevaeh on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

"We'll swing by and drop off her stroller in case you guys wanna go out. And oh, Calleigh said you should be good on clothes but you might need to stop for diapers. I called mom and dad they said to drop Nevaeh over there if you get called in."

"No problem."

"We might not be home till tonight. Is that okay?"

"Come on, Eric! Think about that question."

Eric laughed.

"Sorry. My bad."

Horatio thought it was a great idea to walk to the nearby grocery store when Eric dropped off the stroller. He also bought over some children's sunblock. Nevaeh smiled when she saw her daddy but made no move to go to Eric. Her little hands clinging the fabric of Horatio's white t-shirt.

"I think I've been dethroned," the Cuban chuckled.

"I think we have everything we need," Horatio said, adjusting the safety strap on the stroller. "Sunblock on baby, your sippy cup and animal crackers. You don't want your sandals on but I'll put them back here, just in case. And we can't forget your sunnies," he said, placing a pair of baby sunglasses on Nevaeh's face, they were black like his.

Nevaeh grinned at her godfather and kicked her denim capri-clad legs. Horatio smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose. She touched his hair and ears reaching out for a hug in reply. Horatio smiled and hugged the little girl, he knew she loved hugs. he was only too happy to give her plenty.

Walking down the street and then all through the grocery store Horatio only noticed half of the smiles he was getting from women he passed. And then he thought they were smiling at the baby. They were. But they were also smiling at who they thought was the baby's daddy. On the way back home, a pack of diapers in the rack underneath the stroller uncle Horatio decided to stop at the local coffee shop. He brought Nevaeh a small bowl of chocolate-swirl soft serve ice cream. Nevaeh loved every scoop of it. Children getting messy was the law and Horatio purposely didn't wipe Nevaeh's hands or face till she was done with the ice cream. Chocolate ice cream stains on a child's clothes weren't toxic, either. Horatio thought that Calleigh and Eric were lucky that they weren't the kind of people that were neurotic about mess with their baby, because he would have quickly snapped them out of that. Being like that with children Nevaeh's age who were just learning about new food textures and how to feed themselves, which meant being able to be messy often caused other problems with feeding and other areas. And Horatio was not about to let this happen to his goddaughter. A care-free, happy child was comfortable with being messy and Horatio was going to make sure Nevaeh grew up a happy child.