Daddy is sitting beside me on the
well-worn blue and white striped couch.
I feel his
Big
Warm
safe
arms wrapped around my little body.
In the dim yellow light
the white glow from the TV dances on the floor just like the football players
dancing on screen.
From down the hall laughter touches our ears,
along with the sound of
splashing water.
Mommy is using her teasing voice, and Lacey
is giggling hysterically
as the bathwater is sucked
down
the
drain.
I can tell Mom is drying Lacey with the ducky towel
because of her signature “Quack Quack!”
We hear the pitter-patter of toddler feet
racing down the hall
right before we see Lacey round the corner in her
red footy pajamas.
Her short blonde hair
is disheveled,
and I notice Dad raise his eyebrows,
his reaction lets me know he’s going to say something

clever.
“Hey, kid, nice hair-do,”
Daddy says in his goofy voice.
I want to interject too.
“Yeah, Lace, nice do-hair!”
The giggles rack my body
and Daddy shifts
his weight
and I feel him
laughing too.
Daddy and I,
Always
a team.