These Lines Were Never Established

Panama was a success. Hayley loved it, Travis learned a lot as a father, and he learned Hayley could guilt trip his father into doing something for him. All around it was a good trip. He also learned how much he loved being called dad, or daddy. The sound of it made his heart swell with pride.

“Daddy!” Hayley chirped running threw the house. They’d just gotten home about an hour ago. “Daddy?” She called again stopping in the middle of his empty room.

Rushing to the bedside she pulled the blankets up peering under the dark bed. Dusty bunnies, dirty jerseys, old socks, and empty travel bags stared back at her. “Daddy?” She called under the bed as if he’d pop out of one of the bags. Huffing she stood up straight looking around. “Eyes no nos wher’d he goes.” She grumbled down at Tito watching her. The tiger simply shrugged. “Hmp!” Stomping her foot she wandered out of the room.

“Daddy!” She called still looking around.

Travis stopped lowering the paint brush as he listened. He figured this was going to be the one few moments of peace he would get after putting Hayley down for a nap on the couch. Plane rides took everything out of her and he was a little glad. Now he had time to work on her room with out her being too nosey.

He’d never known had nosey and pushy kids where till she arrived. She had to know everything he was doing as he was doing it and she had to know then! No later! Then! It always made him laugh but made it hard to surprise her. She knew when he was lying like a little lie detector.

It was probably his DNA in her going off like a little buzzer at him.

“Daddy?” Hayley’s voice rang threw the house as he put the paint brush away. With a glance at his watch he groaned. Not even a full hours worth of painting, yet his hands said other wise. He had pink paint splattered everywhere on him.

“Well, good thing I don’t paint for a living.” He whispered pulling open the door and closing it tightly behind him

“Daddy?” She whined jumping on the spot. Where was he?!

“Hayley!” She turned with a wide smile as he began walking down the hall to her. “What are you yelling about?” He laughed picking her up.

Hayley’s attention automatically when to the prinks spots and splattered of pink paint on him. Poking at one of the wet dabs on his shirt she giggled as it coated part of her hand. With another giggle she smacked her hands together and pulled them apart to look at the little transfer of pink on her once clean hand.

“Hayley!!” Travis whined bouncing her wildly. She giggled loudly clapping her hands. “What were you yelling about?” He asked once he’d stopped bouncing her. Hayley just simply stared at him. “Why where you yelling for me?” He asked a little slower for her.

“Oh! Gi Gi wans yew!” She chirped at him wildly.

Travis frowned. His mother was here?

“Did you wake you?” Hayley nodded wildly. “I can see that. Someone’s had some juice too, didn’t they?” Hayley nodded again, only this time with a wide smile and a little quicker movement.

Laughing Travis headed down the hallway and to the stairs. Hayley paid no mind to where they were going, she simply kept poking at the paint splatters on his shirt and forearms, giggling as the pretty pink color covered his skin as well.

“Hey sweetheart…why…?” Debbie trailed off seeing her son covered in pink. “Room?” She asked simply. He only nodded and watched as she gave his a stern looking moving past the pink on him. “What did you do to your father?” She barked at him.

Hayley looked up at the harsh and stern tone startled as Travis stepped back just as surprised.

“I didn’t do anything to him! He,” Pointing Travis gave a wide eyed look to get his point across. “He decided he wanted to pull a Baywatch with the boat at full throttle and broke his pelvis! I didn’t do anything! I,” He pointed at himself still trying to get a clear point across that he was innocent. “Wasn’t even driving the boat. I thought he just slipped a disc, not that he broke anything major like that!” Debbie eyed her son.

“Hayley.” Humming the little girl, who’d gone back to the paint on her father’s shirt, looking up startled. “Did daddy hurt Pop Pop?” She cooed.

Shaking her head Hayley looked up at Travis.

“No. Pop Pop falled off da bah-oht. Eyes seen ‘im.” She gave a sharp nod like she saw Jolene do all the time.

“And where was daddy?” Debbie asked. Travis rolled his eyes at his mother trying to pry information out of a toddler.

“Eyes sip on ‘im!” Hayley giggled. She had been sitting on Travis’s lap when Robert, or Pop Pop did his Baywatch move right into the hospital.

“Told you.” Travis sang putting Hayley down.

Whining she held her arms up to him. She still wanted to play with the paint on his shirt! She couldn’t do that from the ground. Travis simply took her hands, but didn’t pick her up. Hayley settled for playing with the paint on his hands, there was more there anyway.

“Fine. You didn’t do it. But I can’t believe you let him go threw with it!”

“What was I supposed to do? Tie him down? I told him he shouldn’t do it that he’d hurt him self. But noooo,” Travis laughed looking down at Hayley as she giggled. “He’s Mr. Invincible and doesn’t listen to anyone, so he goes and breaks his pelvis. Not my fault!” He stopped as Hayley pressed his hand sto her cheeks. “Hayley!” He gasped pulling his hands away noticing she was not covered in what paint had been on him.

Laughing at her grinning he face he sank to his knees.

“Look at you, you’re a mess now girl!” Debbie smiled heading into the kitchen calling back that she was making lunch. “You’re all pink…” he whispered. Hayley reached up grabbing her hair. “No! Hayley!” He had no idea how to get paint, even a small amount of it, out of hair. “You’re covered…” He breathed as she giggled. “You like the color?” He asked defeated as she kept messing with was paint on her that wasn’t dry.

“Uh-huh! Is peetty!” She giggled loudly touching his cheek with her hand. Little paint transferred over onto his face.

“Good.” He smiled. Atleast he knew he picked a good color, whatever color card of pink he took out of the card hold. That was how he picked it. Walked to the pink section grabbed a darker pink and bought a can in hopes it would work. He’d done the same with the purple. Jolene and his mother had called him and idiot while the guys he knew praised him on picking good colors. “I’m glad.” Hayley simply gave him an award winning smile. “You’re gonna break boys hearts and scare me half to death when you get older…” He breathed down at her sadly knowing that smile would get her whatever she wanted out of him let alone a boy her age when she got older. “You’re gonna be the death of me…” he laughed picking her up. “Lets go see what Gi Gi’s making.”

“Eyes ‘ungy!” Hayley chirped as they entered the kitchen, nodding at him. Travis simply laughed at her.

“Me too!” He stated with a sharp head nod.