These Lines Were Never Established

“Hayley!” Travis yelled stumbling to the floor as he watched the nearly naked two-year-old run down the hall. “Do we have to?” He whined over his shoulder at Jolene standing in the bathroom door.

“Yes!” She snapped.

“Then why’d you open the door?” he groaned laying flat out on the ground knowing somewhere in his house a dirty, sticky, smelly two-year-old girl only in ladybug patties was running around and possibly hiding from having to take a bath.

“I had to grab her pajamas because you forgot to grab them like I told you to.”

“I was fighting a little terrorist!” He snapped back at her.

“She’s two. You’re telling me you can’t handle a two-year-old but two back flips?” Placing her hands on her hips Jolene stared down at Travis’s sprawled out form on the floor.

“Yes. Yes I am because I’ve never handled a wiggling, gnawing on my hand and forearm thing that’s smaller than my dogs. Okay? I already told you I’m bad at this.” He snapped bitterly over his shoulder at her. “Okay? I suck at this!” He stood up slowly looking around. “Like everyone says I’m only good with things that have wheels and an engine. If you haven’t noticed she’s got no wheels and despite the fact she never stops, no engine.” He waved his arm down the hallway in the direction Hayley had run.

“Travis…” Jolene whispered concerned as he huffed down the hall.

“Hayley?” Travis called, hearing a giggle he turned watching as she rushed across the hallway. “Hey!” He yelled chasing her. Stumbling and falling he groaned at the fact she crawled between to bookcases. “Get out here.” He laughed at her nearly naked form stuck between the two. “Hayley.” He laughed watching as she shook her head at him.

Reaching in her grabbed her arm, tugging back he froze as his shoulder got stuck in the small space. Huffing he shifted his hip out hoping that would help in, it only accomplished letting Hayley escape from him.

Hayley slipped through the opening the giant had created and took off, giggling as she ran towards the large forest, hiding in a low cave. Hayley crawled under the long glass coffee table glancing back at the still stuck giant, trapped between the rocks. She wasn’t going to let him put her in his boiling soup pot. She was no one’s dinner!

“Jolene!” Travis yelled trying to tug himself out of the bookcases. “Oh come on!” he groaned. “No! No!” He yelled watching one over fall from all the wiggling. All his awards, and a signed jersey and helmet from a hero toppled to the ground. “Oh, man.” He groaned.

Hayley’s eyes widened at the shaking ground, shattering of glass, clunking of metal, and Travis’s protests.

“Travis?” Jolene yelled entering the room. “If everyone okay?” She asked seeing the mess. “What are you doing?” She laughed.

“I’m stuck! Get her!” he pointed at Hayley under the coffee table. Squealing she quickly crawled out from under the table and took off running.

“I got her!” Jolene yelled diving for the toddler. “God….ugh!” Jolene yelled as Hayley took off through another doorway and Jolene slid into the wall. “How did your mom do this before?”

“How should I know? I didn’t even think to bathe her let alone ask if my mom had.” Travis grunted finagling coming free. “Freedom!” He declared arms raised in victory. Jolene laughed as they both moved into the next room, into the living room. “Crap…” he whispered seeing no movement. “Moose! Moose!” He jarred the dog with his foot. “Get Hayley! Get Hayley!” He tried. The tired dog simply grunted walking to the couch and climbing on it.

“Either she’s hiding in the couch,” Jo stated slowly glancing at Travis. “Or that’s a big F.U. from the dog that loves you more than life its self.” She teased. Grunting Travis sighed looking around the room easily, but not seeing any movement. “I’ll check the left side of the house, you check the right.”

“Fine.” Travis huffed.

Hayley looked at all the equipment in the room once she’d gotten to the bottom of the stairs. Looking around the dimly lit room she to notice of absolutely no movement as the lights at the top of the staircase turned on. Rushing from the light with a giggle she began making her way through the room.

Travis flicked on the hallway light looking around. Pulling open the front loading dryer he peered inside it. Sighing he shut it with pursed lips. How did he lose a two-year-old that never stopped talking usually? He could usually hear her from across the house talking to something or someone.

“Hayley?” She giggled at the call of her name as she hid behind something. Her eyes focusing in the dark as a shadow cast down the stairs.

Travis paused, hands on his hips.

“Did you find her yet?” Jolene called from across the room.

“No. Did you?” Travis called back.

“No.” She yelled just as frustrated.

“Damn.” He whispered looking around. “How did I ….” Pushing the door closed he stopped before it clicked closed. “I’m an idiot.” He whispered pinching the bridge of his nose and swinging the gym door open and peering down the narrow stair way. “Start closing doors for the rooms you’ve cleared.”

“Gotcha!”

Heading down the stairs he flipped the lights on as he went.

Hayley turned looking at the lights turn on as she moved out into the cool room through the open door. The cold cement beneath her feet made her shiver as she saw her breath and peered around the cluttered room.

Travis eyed the room, all the few places for a small child to hide. Silently swearing her rushed across the room.

“Oh.” She whispered walking up to one of the big towering machines touching the slick surface she screamed clutching to the thick forearm around her waist.

“You’re not supposed to be out here.” Travis breathed heading back inside, closing and locking the garage door. “You could get hurt.” He huffed heading for the stairs.

“Wa was dat?” Hayley asked looking up at him in aw.

“I found her!” he yelled as he entered the living room.

“Was was dat?!” Hayley asked again more desperately as she watched him.

“Nothing.”

“It not nof’ing! Eye ‘ee it! Wa was it?” She asked again.

“Where was she?” Jolene asked breathlessly.

“She was heading into the garage because someone left the door in the gym open.” Jolene sighed rolling her eyes. “Alright, because I feel like being mean.” Travis watched Hayley’s eyes go wide. “It’s time for a bath.” He growled.

Screaming Hayley began wiggling wildly.

“Eye no baf! Eye no baf! Eye no baf!” Travis held tightly to her as she wiggled wildly, nearly setting him off balance. “No! No! Eye no ‘oop! Eye no ‘oop!” She screamed kicking her legs wildly.

“You’re not oop? What’s oop?” Jolene asked gently looking at Travis who shrugged dramatically.

“Like I know. Stop wiggling!” He laughed down at Hayley still yelling that she wasn’t ‘oop’ and that she wasn’t going to take a bath. Stepping into the bathroom Travis’s muscles began to lock up at the sight of the tub and the reminder that he had to bathe Hayley. “How do I do this?” He panicked looking over at Jolene.

Jolene managed to wiggle Hayley out of her underwear causing Travis’s nervousness to spike through the roof. Suddenly he felt like a pedophile and child molester.

“I can’t do this.” He breathed watching Jolene frown at him. “I feel like a pedophile.” He whispered as Hayley began gnawing on his arm to get free. “Knock it off!” He laughed at her growling and painless gnawing.

“You’re not a pedophile Travis. You’re potentially a parent and if you are, you’ll have to do this all the time unless you want the filthiest child around! You’re a dad.” Hayley stopped moving looking up at Travis.

“Yews a daddy?” Hayley asked gently eyeing him. Suddenly she was seeing Travis in a new light, he was a dad. “I wanna pay wif dem! I wanna pay wif dem!” She chirped happily.

“Thanks Jo. Now I’m a lying pedophile.” He huffed.

“You’re not! And Travis’s kid is all grown up not at home any more. You can’t play with his kid. You’re too little and their too old.” Hayley pouted looking up at Travis. “Don’t look at him for answers.” Jolene laughed. “Now put her in the tub.”

“No!” Hayley yelled kicking wildly again as Travis put her in the tub, splashing water everywhere. “No! Eyes no ‘oop! Eyes no let yew ‘eep me! No ‘eep me!” She yelled as Travis tried to hold her down while nearly drowning in the spray she was kicking up.

“We’re not going to eat you!” Travis yelled startled. “Hayley Marie!” He barked getting her to freeze. “Knock it off now!” He added sternly, Hayley pouted at the water. “Thank you.” He breathed freezing at the washcloth being put on his head. “What is that?” gingerly he removed the washcloth looking at it nervously.

“It’s a washcloth, you put soap on it and scrub all that dirt caked on her off.” Jolene pointed at Hayley sitting with her arms over her chest. “All of her Travis.” He whined at that.

“Like I don’t feel like a pedophile and child molester already, just make it worse.”