A/N: I just love myself some Jimel being cute parents:) I think it's my favorite to write Jimel with Katie when she's little. The toddler is almost three in this chapter. Enjoy! xx Mariah

Ages:

Jim - 32
Melinda - 28
Katie -3

It was a sweltering July afternoon in Grandview that Jim was spending in his air-conditioned home with his family.

He hadn't had a day with them in almost a month, but he finally had a full weekend off with his two favorite girls, just in time for Katie's third birthday on Sunday.

"You ordered the cake right?" Melinda asked as she made candy bags for the few kids that were coming over for the party on Sunday.

"Yes, ma'am. I ordered one Disney princess cake for our little princess." He said, walking over to her, his hands wrapping around her waist slowly as he snuggled my head into her neck. "One of us should probably check on her. A quiet Katie always means bad things."

"Very true," she whispered, tying the last ribbon closed before she leaned into his arms. She kissed the inside of his arm, smiling. "Last night was amazing. I miss our late nights."

"Me too," he whispered, his hands moving her tank top enough to slip his hands up and under her bra, cupping her breasts. "You were incredible." His mouth touched her neck as he whispered that to her, pulling back just enough to startle her from the loss of contact. "I'm going to check on her."

"Alright, I just have to put this stuff away because I promised her we'd all go to the park." She sighed and then tied a rubber band around the M&M bag, putting them in the fridge so they wouldn't melt. "And yes, I know. It's like ninety-eight outside. We are going to melt to death. You know how it always is around her birthday."

"Yes, I know." He said, walking toward the living room. "What about the pool? She loves swimming and it is perfect on a day like this. Plus, my super how wife in a bikini."

"Who said I'd wear a bikini?" She laughed, walking with him. "I have stretch marks and I don't like showing that much skin."

"Please... I will give you a massage later and tote Katie around so that all the girls know I'm taken by both my daughter and you." He whispered, waiting for her. "And you look beautiful in a bikini. Better than any other woman could ever look like in a swimsuit."

"Ugh, you're too amazing. Too perfect." She said, pushing him toward the front room. "I will wear a bikini. Now go."

He found their daughter sitting on the carpet just like Melinda and he had situated Katie a half an hour before with paper, crayons, and her favorite cartoon, but she's not coloring but clutching her stuffed toy, hugging it tightly to her silently.

She looked at her father, her sweet face crumpled in sadness as her little heartbreaks. "Jelly Bean!" She muttered as she shows me her toy. "She's hurt, daddy… look!"

Just then, he realized that her beloved bright orange lamb, worn and stained from the years the doll had spent being clutched, cuddled, kissed, and vomited on by his daughter — and scrubbed and disinfected by his wife and himself— was missing a leg. The leg was in his daughter's other hand as she helplessly tried to attach it to the rest of its little body.

The more she tried, the more tears rolled down her cheeks until he pulled her up gently and gave her a warm hug.

"Don't cry, Katiebug." He said soothingly, "Daddy will make it all better just like I do at work."

"Fix Jelly Bean, daddy?" She repeated him, sniffling hopefully. "Like at work?"

"Of course!" He assured her, kissing her cheek. "I will get some thread and Jelly Bean will be as good as new. Then mommy and I are going to take you swimming because it is too hot for the park, okay?"

"Yay!" The three-year-old was delighted at her father's proposition. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too princess." He said and swung her up into his arms, a fit full of giggling coming echoing around as he brought her to the kitchen. "Honey, where is the thread?"

"Is something needing thread?" Melinda asked, putting the last of the party stuff away.

"Jelly Bean lost an arm," he placed Katie on the counter.

She still held the orange lamb tightly to her chest, tears still fresh on her cheeks.

"Oh no!" Melinda embraced the little girl, kissing her cheek. "Is she alright?"

"She has a bellyache," Katie explained, pouting. "But her arm really hurts mommy."

"Is that right? Well, I will have a magical kiss for jelly bean, if she wants it." Melinda said, puckering her lips as a distraction for Katie as he looked for a needle and thread. "The supplies you're looking for are in the bottom drawer."

Katie brought the lamb to her ear, listening to her soft words. "Jelly bean says I can have her kiss because you are my mommy." Katie grinned.

"Oh yeah? Good thing I love kisses from you." Melinda smiled, smothering kisses on their daughter.

He smiled at his wife fondly, knowing that she was preoccupying their girl while he began to fix her toy to make her happy. She was not surprised though since she had always made that little girl smile in her time of need.

Before long, Katie was looking over, arms crossed over her chest, as he set up a needle and a thread to start the mending process. As soon as she realized what was going to happen, however, she started and lets out another cry.

"The needle will hurt!" Katie gasped and then grabbed her father's arm. "She doesn't like big needles and neither do I... daddy please."

Just a few weeks ago, Katie had to go through the poking and prodding of what happens when kids get chickenpox. Melinda still remembered how strongly her little arms had held onto her as she whimpered in pain following the IV. Even her daddy couldn't make that feel better.

It seemed like the memory was still strongly imprinted in her little mind too.

"No baby, she won't feel a single thing." He replied, winking. "Daddy's got this."

"I hope so," Katie pouted.

"Don't worry princess. Your daddy is the best at this kind of stuff," Melinda reassured her with a soft squeeze of her hand.

A few moments later, however, the little girl squirmed and looks at him with a sad frown. "Dah-dee?" She asked, tapping his shoulder.

"Yes, love?" He said, finishing his stitch, his eyes glancing at her for a moment.

"Jelly is hurting. She wants me," she whispered, squeezing her mom's hand.

"Well, daddy is all done princess." He said, smoothing a bandaid over the lamb's arm. "I think that Jelly needs a hug from her favorite girl."

"You're the best!" She squeals and hugs the lamb tightly. "We still going swimming?"

"Yes, we are," Melinda said and lifted her off of the counter. "Let's get ready."

"Can we skip?" She giggled and did a little spin once her feet touched the ground, her brown hair spinning around with her.

"We can!" Melinda said, down at her level now as she kissed her once.

He didn't know he could love two people so much.