his beemer into the parking lot, Chase couldn’t remember the last time he’d picked up Parker. He was excited to surprise his little guy and hoped Betsy didn’t mind him arriving a half hour early. Pulling the front door open, he marveled at how quiet it was inside. He guessed the kids were playing out back on the jungle gyms. The reception desk was vacant, so he entered his code in the keypad and advanced toward the main room.
He faintly heard Betsy’s voice through the door. He opened the door and realized it was story time. All the kids were sitting in a semi-circle on the floor in front of Betsy. He spotted Parker’s curly head, seated front and center, and smiled. A chip off the old block. He hated to interrupt, so he just stood in the back listening. Her calming voice captivated the kids. He wished more teachers could teach like her. Without a book, Betsy was telling a story about dragons and elves. He listened, not wanting to interrupt, and enjoyed watching the children and Betsy’s animation as she told the story. When she spotted him over her wire-rim glasses, Betsy paused, smiled, and said, “Parker, I think you have a special visitor.”
Parker turned and his eyes lit up, “Daddy!” He glanced back at Mrs. Stanton with adorable puppy eyes. When she nodded, Parker jumped up and darted to his father’s outstretched arms. As other kids began rumbling, Betsy said, “Story time isn’t over yet.” It was all she needed to say. She held court without raising her voice and in an instant, the room of twenty or so kids fixed their gazes back on her. Chase marveled at her uncanny ability to hush a bunch of three and four year-olds. He wanted to bring her to his next board meeting.
Holding Parker in one arm, Chase waved to Betsy with the other, marveling at how much he’d grown just in the last couple of weeks.
“Where’s Oksana?” Parker asked. Chase lifted his free hand and crossed his forefinger over his lips, then lowered the hand to open the door. “Shhhh. Let’s not disturb story time, son.”
Once outside, he said, “I wanted to pick you up today.”
“Yippee! Can we go shark fishing? Can we, Daddy?” Parker’s brown eyes with hazel flecks lit up as he spoke. Chase melted.
“Not today. That’s for a weekend when we have a full day.”
“Do you promise?”
“Absolutely, I already talked to the captain of the boat and he says he’ll take us where all the sharks are.”
“Are there any dragons?”
“No, I think dragons are only on land.”
“Nah ah. Dragons are in the water and they breathe fire out of their mouths. And, only the elves are safe from them.”
Chase thought, oh to be young and to believe in dragons and elves, Santa, Easter Bunnies, and Tooth Fairies. Rather than dispelling the myths—and facing the wrath of Betsy for spoiling her story—Chase shifted gears. “You wanna play minigolf?”
“Can we?” After drawing a big nod from Chase, Parker said, “Yayyyyyy!”
“And maybe afterwards, we can go to Chuck E. Cheese.”
“What about Oksana?” Parker’s expression shifted to concern.
“Nope, I gave her the night off. Just you and me kiddo.”
“Will she be back?” Parker asked.
“Of course. Oksana said to say ‘hi’ and she’ll see you for breakfast.”
Though the heat index dictated air conditioning, Parker insisted they drive with the top down. Chase played his mp3 file named “Parker Tunes” on the stereo, drawing a beaming smile from his energetic son. “Shake my Sillies Out,” and “Baby Beluga” were quite a departure from classic rock but the silly sing-a-long with Parker was just what Chase needed. He didn’t realize how uptight he felt until he sang, “I gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out, and wiggle my waggles away.” Chase occasionally listened to Raffi when driving alone to remind him of his son—and to lighten up his mood, but nothing beat the real thing. Moments like this were father – son bliss.
Parker wanted to
He faintly heard Betsy’s voice through the door. He opened the door and realized it was story time. All the kids were sitting in a semi-circle on the floor in front of Betsy. He spotted Parker’s curly head, seated front and center, and smiled. A chip off the old block. He hated to interrupt, so he just stood in the back listening. Her calming voice captivated the kids. He wished more teachers could teach like her. Without a book, Betsy was telling a story about dragons and elves. He listened, not wanting to interrupt, and enjoyed watching the children and Betsy’s animation as she told the story. When she spotted him over her wire-rim glasses, Betsy paused, smiled, and said, “Parker, I think you have a special visitor.”
Parker turned and his eyes lit up, “Daddy!” He glanced back at Mrs. Stanton with adorable puppy eyes. When she nodded, Parker jumped up and darted to his father’s outstretched arms. As other kids began rumbling, Betsy said, “Story time isn’t over yet.” It was all she needed to say. She held court without raising her voice and in an instant, the room of twenty or so kids fixed their gazes back on her. Chase marveled at her uncanny ability to hush a bunch of three and four year-olds. He wanted to bring her to his next board meeting.
Holding Parker in one arm, Chase waved to Betsy with the other, marveling at how much he’d grown just in the last couple of weeks.
“Where’s Oksana?” Parker asked. Chase lifted his free hand and crossed his forefinger over his lips, then lowered the hand to open the door. “Shhhh. Let’s not disturb story time, son.”
Once outside, he said, “I wanted to pick you up today.”
“Yippee! Can we go shark fishing? Can we, Daddy?” Parker’s brown eyes with hazel flecks lit up as he spoke. Chase melted.
“Not today. That’s for a weekend when we have a full day.”
“Do you promise?”
“Absolutely, I already talked to the captain of the boat and he says he’ll take us where all the sharks are.”
“Are there any dragons?”
“No, I think dragons are only on land.”
“Nah ah. Dragons are in the water and they breathe fire out of their mouths. And, only the elves are safe from them.”
Chase thought, oh to be young and to believe in dragons and elves, Santa, Easter Bunnies, and Tooth Fairies. Rather than dispelling the myths—and facing the wrath of Betsy for spoiling her story—Chase shifted gears. “You wanna play minigolf?”
“Can we?” After drawing a big nod from Chase, Parker said, “Yayyyyyy!”
“And maybe afterwards, we can go to Chuck E. Cheese.”
“What about Oksana?” Parker’s expression shifted to concern.
“Nope, I gave her the night off. Just you and me kiddo.”
“Will she be back?” Parker asked.
“Of course. Oksana said to say ‘hi’ and she’ll see you for breakfast.”
Though the heat index dictated air conditioning, Parker insisted they drive with the top down. Chase played his mp3 file named “Parker Tunes” on the stereo, drawing a beaming smile from his energetic son. “Shake my Sillies Out,” and “Baby Beluga” were quite a departure from classic rock but the silly sing-a-long with Parker was just what Chase needed. He didn’t realize how uptight he felt until he sang, “I gotta shake, shake, shake my sillies out, and wiggle my waggles away.” Chase occasionally listened to Raffi when driving alone to remind him of his son—and to lighten up his mood, but nothing beat the real thing. Moments like this were father – son bliss.
Parker wanted to
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