Forget Yesterday

Jack pulled up outside his neighbour’s house, Mrs Krenshaw, getting out the car as soon as he cut the engine. This was the arrangement now – he paid his elderly neighbour to pick Emma up from school and watch her until he got back from work. He didn’t want to impose on Alex again, it wasn’t fair, no matter how much his boyfriend said he enjoyed it. No, Jack wasn’t going to force the responsibility of his daughter on Alex. He didn’t want to scare him off, after all.

“Hi Mrs Krenshaw! Thank you for looking after Emma for three hours, you’re a lifesaver,” Jack said with a winning smile, as the elderly woman opened the door.

“Nonsense Jack, she reminds me of my own grandchildren,” his neighbour chuckled, ruffling his daughter’s hair.

Jack had to bite his lip not to laugh at Emma’s scowl.

“What do we say, Emma?” Jack prompted.

Emma suddenly smiled a smile much like his own, and looked up at the elderly woman.

“Thank you for looking after me, Mrs Krenshaw. See you tomorrow!” Emma said sweetly.

Yeah, Emma was definitely Jack’s kid.

As soon as they were in the car, Emma whined.

“I like Mrs Krenshaw but her kitty cat smells,” she protested.

Jack snickered.

“Well try not to say that to Mrs Krenshaw, she’ll be upset. We’ll never get a kitty cat, how does that sound?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yay! Can we have a doggy instead?” Emma asked eagerly.

“I’ll think about it,” Jack mused.

Emma carried on talking about her day, like how her colouring was getting better and how the sums were far too easy in class but she didn’t tease the boy next to her for getting them wrong and how she liked the cheese in her sandwich today, right up until they got inside their house and Jack shut the door.

“Is Awex coming over?” Emma asked suddenly, taking off her shoes.

“Not tonight, why?” Jack frowned.

“I like Awex,” Emma shrugged, “he’s fun and he doesn’t treat me like a little kid and he lets me colour on him,”

“He lets you colour on him?” Jack mused.

“Yeah, like when he picked me up from school, because he’s already got colours on his arms and hands and neck so he said that I can colour as much as I like! And he says my colouring is pwetty,” Emma said smugly.

Wow. So there was someone else who was as sucker for Emma as he was. That was good to know.

“Well Alex can come over tomorrow for dinner, how about that?” Jack chuckled.

“Oh thank you daddy! Can I call him to ask him though?” Emma pleaded.

“After dinner sweetheart,” Jack smiled.

It honestly was heartwarming how attached Emma was becoming to Alex. He dreaded the thought of what could’ve happened if they hadn’t gotten along.

“Yay! Can I have a juice box before dinner?” Emma asked hopefully, eyes wide like a puppy.

“Alright, but only if you eat absolutely everything on your plate,” Jack nodded.

“I promise daddy,” Emma said.

“Do you really promise?” Jack teased.

“With cherries on top and everything!” Emma nodded, beaming.

“Okay squirt, go wash your hands while I cook something, and you can drink your juicebox while I’m cooking,” Jack smiled.

Emma grinned and hugged his leg before running upstairs, only making Jack smile a little more. She really was something.