Dave looked over at the young girl he had adopted four years ago as she ate the spaghetti he prepared and stroked his beard. Her mousey brown hair was thicker than he could manage and stuck up at odd angles. Spaghetti sauce covered most of her tanned skin.
"Tare Bear, can you try to use your fork like Daddy taught you? You're getting sauce all over yourself." She took her fork, scooped up some sauce and placed it on her arms.
"Better?" She asked with a laugh. The station was understaffed meaning Dave had to work longer and harder hours. He decided that fighting her determination to be messy was not worth the little energy he had.
"Sure kiddo but why even put it on there?" She set her fork down and reached her slimy hand to her chin. He continued eating while she thought.
"It's fun," she eventually concluded. "And it feels so smooth! Daddy try Daddy try." The excitement in her eyes was enough to convince him. Without hesitation he reached into his spaghetti and pulled out a noodle. She laughed with joy even though the noodle slipped out of his hand before it could reach his mouth.
A while later he found her sitting upside down reading The Hobbit. Well, looking at the pages. Pre-school wouldn't have taught her all those words and sounds just yet. The blanket they had found her in lay across her chest. The blanket had a word embroidered on it, Taron. The social worker decided that it must be her name. Her tiny feet kicked in the air while her fingers traced the page as a look of frustration grew on her face.
"Daddy?" She called, flicking her golden eyes from the page to meet his.
"Yeah?"
"How, how come Gandalf let the dwarves," she stumbled over the word 'dwarves'. "Into Billow's house when he didn't even ask?" Concern was etched into every part of her face. Dave couldn't seem to get any words out. "Billow is sad Daddy because they broke into his house! You should arrest them and save Billow!"
"Where did you hear that story?" He finally managed to choke out.
"It's right here Daddy," she said pointing at the book. "Well, are you going to arrest them or not? Use your badge and light. Then they'll listen for sure!"
"You read that? Right now?" She nodded in a way that said 'yes please keep up'. "But you've only just started to learn." She placed a hand on his arm.
"Don't worry Daddy, it's very easy once you know all the sounds the letters make. I can teach you." Dave stared at his almost five year old daughter. Maybe this is normal for children. He certainly wouldn't know. He'd find out at the end of the week though when she took her evaluation at school.
"Thats great Taron." He gave her a toothy grin. "I'm proud of you." She flipped around and wrapped her spindly arms around his neck. "But that doesn't change bedtime." Her lip stuck out and fake tears began to form in her eyes.
"But, but I wanted to watch the Princess Bride," she whined. Why had he let her watch that movie?
"For the second time today?"
"Yes," she wailed. "It's always better the second time."
"Then you can watch it again tomorrow." He kept his voice light but authoritative.
"Why do you treat me like a criminal?" She looked down dejectedly. All an act.
"Would I race a criminal to their bed?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"No," she said, perking up a bit.
"Then I guess I'll have to race ya." He took off without looking back, she was faster than she looked. She was beside him in a matter of seconds with her blanket pulled across her shoulders, easily matching his speed walk. He let her win, as always. She leapt onto her bed and began to flex her muscles. He laughed. "What is this?"
"You!" She laughed too. "You do it in front of the mirror a lot."
"Hey, now that's some top secret stuff!" She collapsed on her bed in a fit of giggles. He jumped over to her bed and began tucking her in far too tight.
"I'm not a burrito, " she laughed. He pushed her mop of hair out of her little face.
"You sure about that?" Dave scooped up his daughter and wrapped her in her blankets. She laughed the whole time. "You're a little Taritto." She cackled obnoxiously.
It took him a while to calm her down after that. When he had tucked her in (the normal amount) and given her a kiss on the forehead she asked him a question she had begun to ask more and more frequently.
"How come I don't have a mommy like all the other kids?" He couldn't tell her that most of the women in his town were married and the ones that weren't didn't want a long-term relationship with a child in the mix.
"Mommy's are nowhere near as fun as Daddy's, I promise." She looked skeptical. "Listen kiddo, I need you on my side. It's just you and me against this crazy world." He smiled and she smiled back.
