“Jesse,” growled Jake, directing a stern stare at his son. “It is not your birthday. It’s Melody’s. You will get plenty presents next month when it’s your birthday”
“Want presents today!”
“No,” stated Jake firmly. “And, if you keep yelling and stamping your feet, you won’t get to come to the party. Do you want to spend the whole day in your room alone?”
“No!”
“Then behave. It’s that simple,” replied his father calmly. “Now, sit down at the table and finish your breakfast.”
“No!”
“Jesse!” growled Jake, taking a step towards him.
Instantly, the little boy scampered back to his seat at the table.
“Thanks,” sighed Lori softly as she hugged Jake. “He’s so damn stubborn.”
“Wonder who he takes that from, li’l lady?” he teased, kissing her on the forehead. “I’m going to jump in the shower.”
“Don’t be too long. Miss M must be awake by now.”
“I’ll be quick. Promise,” assured Jake, kissing her again.
With a towel wrapped around his waist and his long hair dripping, Jake stepped out of the en suite bathroom into the master bedroom to find Melody sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed.
“Good morning,” greeted Jake, tightening the towel around his waist. “Happy birthday.”
Smiling, the little girl reached out to hug him. Taking a seat on the bed, Jake pulled his daughter into his arms and held her tight, “How does it feel to be five?”
Melody giggled, “Same.”
“The same?” teased Jake. “But you’re not the same. You’re five! You start school after the summer. You’re all grown up!”
“Stop it, Daddy,” giggled Melody. “So far, five feels a lot like four did.”
Laughing, Jake had to agree with her.
“Have you had your breakfast yet?”
“No,” confessed Melody quietly.
“Well, go and get breakfast then we’ll see if there are any birthday presents to open.”
“Mommy promised me an American Girl doll,” said the little girl as she scrambled down off his knee. “I hope she looks like me.”
“Those dolls are ugly,” Jake tormented her. “You’d be better off with a bear from that store where you stuff your own.”
“They’re not ugly,” protested Melody indignantly. “Becky let me play with hers one time. She said Mommy bought it for her in New York when she was my age.”
Remembering that first trip to New York well, Jake grinned, “Yeah, your Mommy bought Becky her doll. It’s ugly too!”
“Daddy!” shrieked Melody. “You’re nasty. Becky’s doll isn’t ugly.”
“If you say so. Now go and get some cereal,” suggested Jake. “Ask your Mommy to pour me a coffee too, please. I’ll be down in a minute.”
As Melody skipped down the hall singing to herself, Lori smiled. Quickly, she put down the bowl she was washing at the sink, turning around in time to see her daughter bounce into the room.
“Happy birthday, baby girl,” said Lori, reaching out to hug her.
“I’m not a baby, Mommy!”
“You’ll always be my baby girl,” declared Lori, holding her tight. “My precious five year- old baby girl.”
Giggling, the little girl squeezed her mother tight.
“Oh, Daddy asked for some coffee. He’s getting dressed.”
Silently, Lori prayed that her husband had at least been wearing a towel when he’d come out of the bathroom. With a smile, she said, “I’ve just made a fresh pot. Now, what does the birthday girl want for breakfast?”
“Cheerios!”
“Go and sit down then, Miss M,” instructed Lori before turning her attention to her young son. “Jesse, do you have something to say to your sister?”
“Happy birthday,” said Jesse. “Want to open your presents.”
“No!” wailed Melody shrilly. “They’re my presents.”
“But I want birthday presents,” protested Jesse tearfully.
“Jesse!” yelled Jake from the doorway. “Come here!”
The little boy froze.
“Come here! Now!” stated Jake firmly, his tone even.
“Not time out!” wailed Jesse. “No, Daddy!”
“Five minutes, Jesse. Move!”
“No!”
“Ten,” said Jake, holding the door open.
“Daddy!”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“But Daddy!” screamed the little boy without moving from his seat at the table.
“Twenty minutes, Jesse. No more arguments. Time out seat. Now!”
Tearfully, the little boy climbed down from his seat at the table and walked out into the hallway. The “time out” seat was a wooden monk’s bench that sat in the hallway outside the lounge room door. There were no cushions on it. Nothing to make it comfortable. Just a bare polished oak wooden bench seat.
“Twenty minutes,” stated Jake plainly as the little boy clambered up to take a seat. “Not a word. You don’t move from here. Understand, Jesse?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“I’ll be watching and listening.”
Returning to the kitchen, Jake poured himself a mug of coffee then popped a cinnamon raisin bagel into the toaster.
“Lori, any bacon?” he asked as he added sugar and half ‘n’ half to his coffee.
“In the refrigerator. Middle shelf to the right.”
“Thanks,” replied Jake as he searched for the bacon. “Melody, do you want any?”
“Two rashers, Daddy.”
“Magic word?”
“Please, Daddy,” answered Melody politely.
“Coming right up.”
Pouring herself a coffee, Lori whispered to her husband, “You just can’t take the school teacher out of the rockstar, can you?”
“I guess not,” conceded Jake with a mischievous grin. “That son of ours is hard work.”
“I’ll not argue with you there,” agreed Lori quietly. “And I’ll not have him spoiling Melody’s big day.”
“He won’t. Twenty minutes out there will calm him down.”
“Shame he’ll miss her opening her presents,” mused Lori, regretting that their son’s poor behaviour was spoiling a family moment.
“I’ll spin breakfast out,” replied Jake with a conspiratorial wink.
“I love you, rockstar,” said Lori, reaching up to kiss him.
Twenty minutes later, Jake declared that it was time to open presents. His daughter’s patience had impressed him but he had kept her talking about the party so the time had
