I’m right on time to pick up Lucy, but as usual, Serena is running late. She just woke Lucy up, so my daughter isn’t even dressed yet. My ex-wife knows I hate it when she cuts into my time with Lucy. Part of me thinks she does it on purpose.
“You know I pick Lucy up right at eight o’clock. We have been doing this for three and a half years,” I say, not to be a dick, but to let her know my expectations.
“Serena, my time with Lucy is so limited, I want to spend every second I have with her. You need to make sure she is ready at eight.”
Serena cocks that damn eyebrow of hers, which means she is gearing up for a fight. I might just give her one for keeping Lucy away from me.
“Daniel, Lucy was tired last night. Ron and I took her to the waterpark, and the sun took a lot out of her. You don’t have to be so demanding.”
“Look, you and your doctor boyfriend were able to convince a judge to only let me see my daughter for twenty-four hours a week. That is absolutely ridiculous to begin with, and now you are taking time away from that.”
Just as Serena is ready to respond with her usual snide comment about how I can’t take care of my daughter because I am just a fisherman, my sweet little tomboy comes running down the stairs.
“Daddy, wanna see my new baybing suit Mommy bought me?” Lucy asks in her sweet little voice.
“Of course I do, sweets. Did Mommy pack it so we can go swimming after we fish?”
“I packed all by myself, Daddy. I’m going to kindergarten soon, so I have to be indepredent.”
I love it when she mispronounces words, but I know I should help her learn the correct pronunciation. I bend down to look her in her beautiful green eyes. “It’s independent, Lucy, and you just take your time growing up.” I ruffle her long blonde hair, and she giggles.
Lucy grabs my hand. “Let’s go get my pancakes. I’m hungry like a bear.” Gosh, she cracks me up.
My daughter gives Serena a quick wave, and we race out to my truck. As usual, I let Lucy win.
We talk about our plans for the day on the ride over to Hazel’s Diner. It’s our typical Saturday plan, no deviations. Part of me thinks that Lucy’s life with Serena is so fast-paced that when she is with me, she likes to slow down. I appreciate the downtime too.
After we both finish our breakfast, we head over to the causeway so we can get our usual fishing spot. By now, the serious fishermen are already gone.
Lucy and I have matching beach chairs, although hers is much smaller. I grab her pole out of the truck while she sets up the chairs. She doesn’t need a lot of help baiting the hook, although it does depend on the type of bait we are using. Today’s delicacy is chunks of mullet.
“Daddy, may I have a juice box?”
“Yep, I’ll get it for you. Just let me clean my hands.” Fruit punch and bologna sandwiches are the standard fishing fare. Then of course, ice cream on the way back to my condo.
Handing her the drink, I inquire about her week. She fills me in on all of the new dinosaurs that she has learned about. I also hear about her friend Timmy, who is going on vacation, or as she calls it, vercation. Lucy rarely talks about Serena and Ron. I often wonder what she tells her mom about her time with me.
* * *
After catching a few small fish that we throw back, we head back to my condo. We each put our swimsuits on and head out to the community pool.
After an hour of “Watch this, Daddy” and “Pretend you're a shark, Daddy,” we get cleaned up and ready for dinner.
“What do you want for din din tonight, sweets?” I don’t know why I even ask because the answer is always the same. She is watching a show on cats, but she manages to hear me.
“Can we please have pizza with pineapple on it?”
Yep, always the same.
“Are you sure you don’t want something different, Lucy?”
“I’m sure. Mommy and Ron never get pizza.”
I know this to be true because Serena is a health nut and wouldn’t be caught dead eating pizza. I, on the other hand, love pizza.
“OK, I’ll order it, and you pick out the movie for tonight.”
“Yes!” Lucy shouts with a little fist pump in the air.
Somehow I think she is going to try to talk me into letting her watch Jurassic Park, but it’s not happening.
* * *
Finally, after pizza and a movie about a dog that can talk, my little sweetheart fell asleep on the couch. Looking over at her, I still can’t believe she is mine.
Lucy has been such a blessing even in the midst of my painful divorce. She always makes me feel so much better about life. Seeing it through her innocent eyes has made me realize what family is all about.
My thoughts suddenly drift to Nicole and our date tomorrow. I’m both excited and nervous about taking her out. Excited to share my passion of fishing with her but nervous that I’ll like her too much.
It’s been difficult to date lately. The few women I have been out with really like the fact that I own part of my father’s business. When they find out about Lucy, well, let’s just say that suddenly they are too busy to hang out.
It’s OK though. I don’t want to waste my time on a woman who doesn’t want to share my attention with my number one girl.