*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated thank-you all so much*
Sitting in my office working on some ideas for kids toys while Journey went out with her security team to buy Zoey a few birthday presents and to make arrangements for her birthday, I told her to leave Zoey with me since she was still down for the nap that I bribed her to take, when I hear my office door squeak open followed by tiny little footsteps across the marble floor. I look up to see Zoey standing next to my desk with a smile on her face. "Hi, Zoey," I say.
"Hi," she responds. "Can we paint now?" she asks.
"We can in just a few minutes. I'm working on something right now," I answer her, "but as soon as I finish we can paint like I promised. Did you have a good nap?"
"Yes," she says crossing one leg over the other, resting her tiny arm on my desk watching me. "Where is my mommy?"
"Mommy had to run out to do some errands so I'm watching you right now. Do you need anything to drink or anything to eat?" I ask.
"No," she says as she keeps looking at me. I try to concentrate on the computer but I can feel her eyes on me as she stands next to me.
"Yes? Can I help you?" I ask not sure how to handle an almost 3 year old. I have never really been around kids in my life except for my sister but she was not that much younger than me. I know nothing about children or know anything about their toys or what they like. I'm lost when it comes to children so I am lost dealing with Zoey most of the time. I just go with what feels right and go with it. Whatever it is it seems to be working.
"No," she says, "but what are you doing?"
"Working," I answer her. "Trying to come up with some ideas, do you want to help me?" I ask.
"Yes," she answers.
"Okay," I say moving back from my desk. I scoop her up onto my lap and sit with her at the computer. "You're a kid right?" I ask.
"Yes," she answers as she nods her head. "Are you a grown up?"
"I like to believe so," I answer with amusement. "So you're a kid do you like to play with toys?"
"I love toys," she answers. "Lots of toys."
"Good," I respond, "so what's your favorite toy?"
"Baby dolls and princess dolls. I really love princess dolls," she says with a sparkle in her eye. "And I like ponies. I want a pony."
"Well, we'll see what we can do about that," I smile. "Do you like unicorns too?"
"Yes," she says with a smile. "They are magical."
"They are," I say with a smile. "So you like ponies and you like unicorns and you like princess dolls as well as baby dolls?"
"Yes," she says.
"If you could have a toy pony or toy unicorn do whatever you wish what do you think you would want it to do?"
"A big pony that I can ride on and it has to neigh and walk so I can ride it like a real pony. It could eat apples and carrots," she suggests making me smile. For being almost 3 she can hold conversations well and she can talk wonderfully but she's full of creative ideas.
"So you would want a pony that you can ride on, that neighs and eats carrots?" I ask.
"Yes," she says.
"That sounds like a good idea," I say as I type in her idea to create something like that. I mark down to make a pony in different colors as well as a unicorn because little girls love unicorns. "What else do you got?"
"A baby doll that looks like a real baby but cries and poops in a diaper," she says before she giggles.
"I can do that," I say with a smile. "Anything else on your mind?"
"More Princess dolls," she says.
"What if I created a line of princess dolls that you can buy that look like you or whatever one you want. One that tells a story and comes with a name what do you think about that? You could dress her up and do her hair, how does that sound? Do you like that idea?"
"I do," she nods making me smile. "I want a doll that looks just like me!"
"We could call them Zoey's Dolls what do you think?"
"Yeah," she says with a smile. "I like that."
"Me too," I say with a smile.
"Can I have a mermaid princess named Zoey?" she asks.
"Whatever you want," I say with a smile as I take note of this other idea we came up with. I don't want to just focus on girls toys but coming up with other toys for boys is much easier for me. I want to focus on younger babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school age children and hopefully I can come up with a product line for teenagers. I think it's time I branch out from game systems, cell phones and laptops. I need more variety toward my name and Zoey's dolls seems like they will be a big hit as well as the pony and unicorn. I can turn them into the number one toy on the market by next Christmas. I save my work and exit out of the page I am on before shutting down my computer. "Are you ready to paint?" I ask.
"YES!" she yells with excitement making me smile.
"All right, I will have Ms. Thomas get everything set up. I'm going to go change into painting clothes. Can you change into painting clothes too or does Ms. Thomas need to help you. Actually I will have Ms. Thomas help you," I suggest.
"Okay," she shrugs as I take her off my lap and set her down on the floor. I look for Ms. Thomas and ask her to help Zoey get dressed to paint and then to set up the easels, the paints and everything out in the garage so we can paint. She nods and takes Zoey to get ready while I go up to mine and Journey's room to change into a pair of sweat pants and a black beater.
Once I am dressed I meet Zoey in the kitchen to take her out to the garage. Ms. Thomas has set up two easels for us and gave us each our own paint set with our own water and brushes. Zoey takes a seat at the smallest easel while I take a seat at the larger easel. Zoey wastes no time as she begins to paint her masterpiece. I follow her footsteps and start to do the same. "So Zoey do you like this house, do you like living here?" I ask as I stroke the brush on the white canvas.
"Yes," she says. "I like the pond."
"Me too. I like the pebble you gave me. It was really pretty, thank-you."
"You're welcome," she says making me smile. "I like paint."
"Me too," I say as I look at her masterpiece. She is just painting colors on the canvas but it looks perfect because it's something that she created from her mind. I plan to hang it in my office. I need a little more color in my life. I have lived a life of seclusion. I never invited women into my home, my home has been like a museum all black and white but when Journey moved in it added a little color to my life. It helped me to relax and be a little more care free. No one has ever been able to make me feel this way. That's how I know Journey is the one and now with Zoey in the house my life is even more colorful nothing is planned out and everything is go with the flow kind of life now and I think I enjoy this life much better. "What kind of TV shows do you watch?"
"Paw Patrol, Elena, Sofia, PJ Masks and Sesame Street," she answers me as she paints.
"I know a little about Sesame Street," I say, "is Big Bird still running the street?"
"Yes," she says with a giggle. "Big Bird is still on the show."
"What about Elmo, he still talking in third person?"
"I don't know," she giggles. I smile at her tiny giggles it's the sweetest sound I have ever heard.
"Bert and Ernie still living together?"
"Yes," she answers. "Do you like Sesame Street?" she asks.
"I did when I was a little boy. We only had a couple channels. I watched a lot of Sesame Street. I am sure it is different now than it was when I was little. I am sure they are teaching calculus now."
"No," she says. "They teach Spanish!"
"Well, that's good. It's always good to speak a different language. So what's this Paw Patrol about?" I ask. "I never heard of it."
"It's about dogs that save animals," she answers. "I like Everette and Skye they are my favorites," she says. "It's a good show. I like when they save the baby turtles."
"Sounds pretty cool what about Elena and Sofia?"
"They are princesses," she says.
"I figured," I say. "I like your picture."
"Thank-you. It's you, mommy and me," she says, "under a rainbow with a unicorn."
"That's beautiful," I say with a smile. "I love it."
"I like yours too. Do you like flowers?" she asks.
"Yes, I love flowers. Do you think I should get your mommy some flowers?"
"Yes," she says, "lots and lots of flowers."
"Okay," I say. "I'll order her some of the prettiest roses in the world. How does that sound?"
"Good," she says with a smile as we go back to painting and talking. I never knew that talking to a three year old could be this fun. I never thought I could have a fun conversation with a three year old but she surprises me. I enjoy every minute of my afternoon with Zoey.
We follow our fun afternoon having pizza for dinner that Journey orders and then follow dinner by watching a Disney movie of her choice in the living room before she takes a bath. While she takes a bath I hang her painting in my office and stand to admire it. I smile at the perfection in the picture. "She's asking for you," says Journey as she comes into my office.
"Okay," I say with a smile. "Is she done with her bath?"
"Yes and she wants you to read her a bedtime story."
"I can do that," I say. "Look at that picture," I say pointing to it. "I think it adds just enough color to my office what do you think?" I ask as I wrap my arms around her waist resting my chin on her shoulder.
"I think it looks beautiful. You're really enjoying this dad type thing aren't you?"
"I never thought about having kids. I never thought about having a three year old in my house. I don't know what to do with kids but she teaches me something new every day. We had a really good afternoon today."
"I'm glad," she says with a smile as I kiss her neck softly.
"And she's a creative genius. We came up with Zoey Dolls which will be a line of princess dolls with a story about their lives."
"That sounds pretty cool," she says as I take in her scent. "I think that you should go to her. She wants you to read to her."
"Okay," I say reluctantly breaking my hold from her. "After she goes to bed you're going to bed."
"But I'm not tired," she says as she bites her lip.
"No one said anything about sleeping," I say with a smile before I leave the room and make my way upstairs to Zoey's bedroom.
She's already in bed holding a book about a princess in her hand. I sit down on her bed and take the book from her. I open it so she can see the pictures as I read to her. She rests her head on my shoulder as I read her a bedtime story. "And they lived happily ever after," I finish.
"Will we live happily ever after?" she asks me as I close the book.
"Of course," I say with a smile.
"Am I a princess?" she asks.
"You're my princess," I say. "I'll make sure your mommy and you both have your happily ever after."
"Okay," she says. "I love you, Dean," she says shocking me as she hugs me. I tense up as she hugs me and I then I relax and hug her back.
"I love you too, Zoey," I say with a smile. "It's time for bed. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she says with a smile as she lays down in her bed and I put her book down on the nightstand. I cover her up with her blanket and lean down to kiss her cheek.
"Goodnight, Zoey," I say with a smile.
"Goodnight, Dean," she says making me smile. I lean down and give her one more kiss on her forehead before I leave the room. I turn the light off and shut the door on my way out.
*A/N: What did you think of Dean spending time with Zoey? Do you think that helped with their relationship a bit? What do you think of Zoey giving Dean ideas for his toy line? Did she have good ideas? What did you think if their painting session and Dean reading her a bedtime story? Were you surprised he hung the picture up in his office? What about Zoey telling him that she loves him? Will he see to it that Zoey and Journey get their happily ever after? Please review and thank-you for reading.