He looks over, at the seat on the couch, next to him. Zafirah sits next to him, reading a book.
"Hey, why don't you come over here?"
"Reading," she answers.
"Why don't you read to me?"
"No."
He picks her up. He plants her on his lap. "No? I think you might want to change your mind."
"No," she shakes her head.
"You leave me no choice," he warns. She looks up at him with a smile. He starts to tickle her. She giggles uncontrollably. Finally between giggles she is able to squeak out, "Daddy!"
He stops, and looks at her. "You want me to stop?"
"Please."
"Ok. Will you read to me?"
"Ok."
He holds the book out in front of them. "What are we reading?"
"Green Eggs and Ham," she answers him.
He looks at her, wondering if it was just a lucky guess. He turns the page. She looks at the page, then up at him.
"Go ahead," he insists.
"I am Sam. I am Sam. Sam I am."
He stops her, "Zafirah."
"What, Daddy?"
"You can read."
"Yes."
He points to a word. "Can you tell me what that word is?"
"Green," she answers.
He lifts her off his lap. He leaves the book on the seat of the couch. He carries her into the kitchen. He goes through the drawers until he finds a pencil, and a notebook. He sits her on the counter. He writes down a word, and then holds it up for her to see.
"Do you know what the word is?"
"My name."
"Your name?"
"Zafirah," she answers.
He scribbles down another word. He points to it. This word too, starts with a Z.
"Ziva," she replies.
He scribbles down a third word, that starts with a Z. He holds it up for her to see.
"Zebra. What's that?"
"A zebra? It's kind of like a horse. Do you know what a horse is?"
"It goes, 'nay'," she responds.
"Well a Zebra looks like a horse, but it has black and white stripes."
"Daddy, read."
"Zafirah, why you go get your clothes, and get dressed?"
"And read?"
"No. We can read later."
"Daddy..."
"I want to take you to the zoo."
"The Zoo?"
"We can go see a Zebra."
"Ok."
He lifts her off the counter. She races into her bedroom. He follows behind her. When he reaches her room he flips on her light. She goes over to the dresser, and opens up the drawer.
"What do you want to wear?" he inquires.
"Dress."
"What color?"
She points to a blue dress, "Blue."
She sits in her stroller, with a tiny pair of sunglasses, and a blue hat on, when his phone rings. He pulls the phone out of his pocket, as he lifts her out of the stroller, to get a better view of the monkeys.
"Hello?"
"What are you doing?"
"Looking at a monkey."
"Are you calling her a monkey?"
"Not Zafirah, we're looking at an actual monkey."
"Is that what all the noise is?"
"Yeah."
"Where are you?"
"We're at the zoo."
"Oh."
"Did you know that she can read?"
"What do you mean?"
"She doesn't just look at the pictures in the books, she can read them."
"Tony, don't be ridiculous. She's smart, but..."
"Ziva, I'm serious. She started reading Green Eggs and Ham to me this morning. She doesn't just have it memorized, either. She read it to me. I thought that maybe she just knew the words. But she doesn't. She can actually read."
"I think that you're having delusions."
"I'm not. You'll see."
"Is everything ok?"
"Yeah. It's fine."
"Daddy," a little voice interrupts.
"What?"
"Hungry," she answers.
"Zi, I've got to go get her something to eat."
"Will you put her on the phone?"
"Hold on."
He puts Zafirah back into her stroller, and hands the phone to her.
"Mommy?" she guesses.
"Hi. Are you having fun?"
"Yes."
"Where are you?"
"The Zoo."
"What have you seen, at the zoo?"
"Monkeys, and zebras, and tigers, and frogs."
"Are you having fun?"
"Yes. Mommy?"
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"I am at work."