Evening Stroll

COVID-19 - School Closure - Day 132

After dinner tonight... I asked NN to join me on an evening stroll.  The sun was hanging with a slight southwest wind.  She and I wrote T-shirt and shorts.  It started out chilly but once we hit our stride, the chill subsided.  We walk out the garage with me awarding her with a piece of gum...something they only get on Saturdays.  (I was buying my daughter's love with a treat.)  About 10 steps away from our driveway, I reached for my baby princess's hand, which she instinctively slipped into mine.  Her hand is much larger now. It doesn't quite fit into an adult hand, but it's taking up more space than years, months, week's past.

I open up with the topic of stress.  Work stress.  Cabin fever.  Taking it out on the family.  I apologized.  She's quick to forgive.  Is that a good thing? I share a bit about work-crap.  And she schooled me on "having grace... on listening... on understanding the other person's point of view."  I listened.  (If she only knew).

Our discussions quickly veered to puberty.  And how she's ready to get her first period.  It was.... nonchalant.  Like talking about the Giants' heinous offense.  

We talked about middle school... how she'll find new friends and she expects it to be drama free.  I reality checked her and said "Sometimes it's not you... it could be your friends."  And like the wacko father I am... I said, "What if your friend likes a boy... and the boy likes you???"  Ohhhhh what kind of father am I?

About this time... her little hand slipped away so she can show me how thin her waist is.  I'm sad... not cuz my daughter is thin, but cuz my NN let go.  I thought about grabbing her hand back... but I hesitated and finally gave in.  It's time to let go.

We talked about boys... how she doesn't hate them anymore.  And I said... "You'll learn that boys are funny and drama-less." She agrees.

The discussion went from boys... naturally... to dating.  How mommy won't let her date until college.  When I pressed why... she said "Mommy doesn't want me to be broken hearted."  I put some ideas into her head... that she might end up be the one breaking a boy's heart.  This set her off on a series of scenarios... and how she really doesn't want to hurt anyone.  All the while... I'm mimicking Mortal Kombat - reaching into someone's chest, grabbing their heart, throwing it on the floor and stepping on it.  Over and over again.  

We finally make it around our block... 1/2 mile.  We either go home or go for more.  I had a feeling she was done, but I asked anyways.  She said... "Let's walk more.  I want to chew my gum longer, there's still flavor."  The gum worked.  It was amazing.

While walking... we hear some bikes blaze by - our neighbor's 2 daughters and dad.  He was having some father daughter time too.  Good for him.  

Around this time... NN finds my hand again.  It was a little cold at this point... and this cold little limb was hot enough to melt the coldest heart.  My daughter isn't old enough to not want to hold her old man's hand.  

We turn the corner... only to see the mother of those daughters' carrying one of them.  I saw a bike lying on the ground, wheel still spinning.  Further up the street, I see dad and the other daughter biking back.  Something happened.  It wasn't major.  Poor dad now had to push both his and his daughter's bike home.

On our second turn around the block... we continued our mindless chit-chat.  How special... MCC.  Where has that gone as of late???  We started noticing on the cement sidewalk, a stamp that says "1959."  Probably a seal of when these streets were laid down.  Geez.... almost 60 years ago?  One after another... I kept pointing it out.  She thought I was being funny.  I was just counting. 

The sun got tired.  It started nosediving behind the Santa Cruz Mountains.  The temperature dropped only to be combatted by the rise in our body temperature.  We both run hot.  She commented on how she doesn't like the colors of the houses.  How the windows look nice on the outside, but inside, the house is a mess.  She talks about her hair.  Her torso.  Her legs.  How she will one day... possibly...be as tall as Bah-B.

And before you know it... we made it back home.  Two times around our block - which ironically... is 1 mile long.  Hmmm... when was the last time we went for a run? Who cares? I just spent the best time with my one and only Nui nui.  Best part of my day.