'Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!' A little bundle crashes into Charlie Swan and clings to his leg. 'Leah and I want watuh colos.'

Charlie puts down the trash bag full of weeds and smiles at his daughter. 'Don't you have crayons, Bunny?' he asked.

Bella looks up at him. 'Leah's gunna teach me to paint a flowah' she says earnestly.

'Alright, we'll buy some tomorrow on the way to Aunt Sarah's house.'

Bella draws back from his leg. 'But Rach and Becca will be there.'

Charlie doesn't quite understand. 'Do they trouble you?'He finds it hard to believe. Rachel and Rebecca are the most polite six year olds he knows.

'No, Daddy. But they can't know about the flowah.' Bella says.

'Why not?'

'Leah says we can't show them their birthday card before their birthday.'

Oh. That's what the red circle on the calendar was. Charlie makes a mental note to buy presents.

'Alright, I'll run to the store and get you some. Don't open the door for anyone, okay?

'Okay, Daddy.' She runs inside at breakneck speed, calling out to Leah.

'Girls, come down to dinner.' This is the third time Charlie has called up from the bottom of the stairs.

'Five more minutes, Unca Charlie.'

'That's what you said five minutes ago. Come down or a big bear is going to come up. RAWR.' Charlie hopes his bear impression is good enough. The girls burst into peals of laughter. But they do come running down. When they're almost at the bottom, Charlie picks Bella up and throws her into the air. It's what he does every time Bella comes running down the stairs when he's standing at the bottom. So he's confused when both girls shout 'NO!' Startled, he almost doesn't catch Bella in time. By the time he's secured Bella in his arms, she is crying and Leah's eyes are glistening with tears. Putting Bella down, he gets on his knees. 'Hey, hey don't cry sweethearts. Tell me what's wrong.'

'You spoiled my flowah, Daddy' Bella wails, pointing at the back of her hand. Charlie sees smudged green and yellow paint there. 'Oh honey, I'm so sorry.' Bella continues wailing. 'She drew it herself with her otha hand.' Leah supplies. Charlie feels terrible. But then, he notices his shirt. The wet paint has been transferred just below his shirt pocket, the flower clearly visible. 'Bunny, look. Your flower is right here.'

Long after he has read a bedtime story to the girls, Charlie takes the scissors from the kitchen before heading to his room. Taking off his shirt, he carefully cuts out a square around Bella's flower. The shirt was just a few weeks old, but he doesn't care. The little square of flower is carefully placed in an envelope before being put in his drawer, while the shirt is tossed into the dustbin.