GIRL DAD – Sequel to Night of the Full Moon

Will gave it to him. A black tee shirt. But not any old black tee shirt. Not by a longshot. Boldly emblazoned across the front – in pink italic script no less – were the words Girl Dad.

Jay grinned as he pulled the soft cotton shirt over his head. He'd seen guys in the park wearing similar tees as they pushed strollers or swings or tossed giggling little ones into the air. He used to think it was a bit much. Surely if you were a dad and your kid was female, people could figure it out, right? Did you have to advertise it on your chest?

Did he ever think he'd be caught dead in one? No way. Not that long ago, he even wondered if he and Hailey, now lovingly referred to as Girl Mom, would ever take their "thing" to a higher level. They did and everything since then had led them to this moment. Now Jay had the honor and privilege of rocking the Girl Dad shirt.

Today was an important day – the six-month checkup. Jay eagerly volunteered to take the day off. Athena lay on her back on the couch kicking her chubby little legs. Jay pulled up a Facebook group he'd recently stumbled across – "Girl Dads of Chicago."

"There really is a Facebook group for everybody," he said to Athena. As he scrolled through pictures and posts, he was stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you kidding me?" He peered closer at the picture. "I think I arrested this guy on weapons charges last year." He looked at his daughter and tickled her foot. "Pretty sure that's the idiot who made inappropriate comments about your mommy. Except he had facial hair and a ponytail back then."

He shook his head in disbelief and logged off the site. "Won't be joining that group and definitely won't tell Hailey. It'll be our little secret, okay?" Athena wholeheartedly agreed.

He continued searching. "Hold up, this one looks more promising – "First Responder Girl Dads." He read some posts and decided to look at it again later. "I wouldn't be surprised if Herrmann is in this group."

Now it was time to leave for the pediatrician's office. "Can't forget this," said Jay as he picked up his black silicone wedding band. It was way more practical for policing. Plus, he did not want to be mistaken for a single dad with a cute blonde-haired, green-eyed kid. The fact that Athena's eyes were now green like his thrilled Jay to no end.

As he lifted Athena, he got a whiff of something. "Uh oh, I think somebody has a poopy-bottom. We can't leave the house like that." They went to the nursery and set about getting cleaned up. "Athena, as much as I love being your dad, this is not my favorite part of fatherhood." He shrugged. "But everybody poops." Jay had mastered diaper changes early on and soon they were ready to leave.

Now he hoisted the diaper bag to his shoulder. It was his new accessory. Certainly different from the shield and Glock he usually wore. But he embraced it as just another part of his new Girl Dad persona.

Jay had become aware of a pattern in the past six months. When he and Athena were out in public by themselves, single women constantly tried to chat him up. He knew having a dog could attract the opposite sex, but apparently so did a baby. Makes sense, he thought.

Like the woman who just entered the elevator. She eyed him speculatively as she flipped her long brunette hair over one shoulder. "Your daughter is simply precious," she gushed. "How old is she?"

Jay smiled as Athena grabbed his finger. "Thank you. Six months."

For this reason, he made a point of inserting "my wife" into these conversations as much as possible. "My wife and I take turns for doctor's appointments."

The woman's smile faltered a bit. "Oh. I see. That's really good of you."

Fortunately, she exited at the next floor. When the doors closed Jay whispered, "We put her in her place, didn't we?" Athena gave him a little smile and Jay chuckled.

Even in the waiting room, Jay felt eyes on him. What? Don't men bring babies to the doctor? He smiled in return and busied himself entertaining Athena. "Wonder what mom is doing right now? Is she interrogating a suspect? Maybe she's reviewing surveillance footage."

When he glanced up, the woman directly across from him was studying him curiously. "My wife's a cop," he explained.

She nodded. "I get it. My husband is a U. S. Marshal."

The checkup was over and Jay was securing Athena in her car seat. "Let's call mom and give her an update." He called Hailey and they got on FaceTime. Athena immediately recognized her mom and smiled and kicked her feet.

"Hey, pretty girl. Did you get a good report?"

"She did. She's meeting all the six-month milestones," said Jay proudly. "The doctor was pleased."

"Wonderful," said Hailey with a big smile. "That's my girl."

"That's our girl," said Jay. "Don't forget who the Girl Dad is here."

"I would never," laughed Hailey. Suddenly, Kim's voice was heard in the background. Hailey looked off-screen for a moment. "Hey, gotta go. We've got some new leads to check out."

"Copy. Be careful and remember, we love you."

"Love you guys, too," said Hailey as she blew them a kiss.

On the way home, Jay and Athena stopped at the drugstore and grocery store. Again, Jay had to deploy his "my wife" strategy. The woman in line behind him at the drugstore kept talking and asking questions. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry. We're kinda in a hurry. My wife will be home soon."

At the grocery store he was accosted by a twenty-something woman in shorts and sports bra. She appeared to have come from the gym next door. She was asking questions about various fruits. Jay sighed. "Well, my wife really likes this brand of apples." Eventually, gym girl drifted away.

When they safely back in their apartment, Jay stretched out on the couch with Athena resting on his chest. "Baby girl, I don't know how moms do all this stuff. I'm exhausted. They really are superstars. Remind me to tell your mom that."

Before long, they were both asleep. This was how Hailey found her husband and daughter when she got home. She smiled as she watched the two most important people in her life. She noted, with amusement, that Jay was wearing his new favorite shirt, Girl Dad.

Hailey couldn't resist – she snapped a picture with her phone and sent it to her mother and Will with the message: I have the best husband!

Mrs. Upton, also known as Yaya, replied, "Yes, you do."

Will was eating a quick dinner in the cafeteria at Med when he got the text. He really likes that shirt, he responded. Then he decided to call his sister-in-law.

Hailey moved into the bedroom while she chatted. "Like it? He practically lives in it. I swear, he would wear it everyday if I'd let him. I had to hide it the other day so it could be washed!"

Will laughed. "That's Jay. He never does anything halfway." After they disconnected, Will sighed wistfully as he noticed a set of twin girls with their parents at a nearby table.

Maybe one day I can be a Girl Dad, too.

The End

10-12-2021