Never Grow Up
Daddy has a Playdate
I was so nervous. I had asked Jasmin out to dinner the other night. I was buttoning my button down shirt and tucking it into my black skinny fit slacks. I grabbed the navy blue silk tie I picked to wear and threw it around my neck to start tying it. Kylee was watching me. She had taken it upon herself to put on her nice dinner dress to match me. I smiled and shook my head. She was staying here with the guys for a night in while I went out with Jasmin.
"Kylee, I told you that it's only me and Jasmin going out," I told my little four year old.
"But you always take my to dinner, Daddy," she replied. I knew she was trying not to cry.
"I know that, but Daddy's good friends with Jasmin and I want to take her out for a night of just her and I talking and having dinner," I told her as I straightened my tie.
"But Jasmin is my friend too," Kylee sobbed.
"I know, shh, I know. But this is Daddy's playdate," I told her, "Daddy wants to have friends like Jasmin and I need to go out to make my friendships last."
"So you're going out to make sure you don't lose her," she asked.
"Yeah, now I will take you out to dinner to your favorite restaurant when we go home to make up for tonight, okay," I wiped her tears away, "Now go change out of your dress. Uncle Jack and the others are waiting to play Go Fish with you."
"Okay Daddy, have fun tonight," Kylee kissed my cheek before she grabbed her clothes from earlier and changed out of her dress.
I put on my suit jacket just as Jasmin walked onto the bus in her dark grey cocktail dress and navy blue sweater with black heels. Her jet black hair was curled nicely and pinned to fall over one shoulder. My jaw dropped at her beauty. I was a lucky guy to take her out tonight.
"Be good to my friend, cousin. I'd hate to see him cry like his daughter," Jack teased.
"Shut up, Barakat," I smacked him on the back of his head.
"Daddy, no hitting," Kylee scolded me.
"He deserved it," I told her.
"Come on Alex, before we're late for the reservation you made," Jasmin smiled and shook her head.
"Jack put Kylee to bed at her time and I'll be back when I can," I told them as I walked off the bus, "Oh and call me if something happens to Kylee."
"Alex, go," Matt shouted at me before the bus door closed behind me.
"You made a good choice for dinner tonight, Alex. I would think you'd kept dating after losing Kylee's mom you are so good at it," Jasmin commented after a sip of her wine.
"I'm a romantic, dates like this come naturally to me. You're the first date I've had since I lost her," I told her after I sipped my Jameson.
"I know it's hard for you talk about her. You don't even say her name," Jasmin noticed, "Kylee was lucky to have had her as her mom. She may not ever meet her, but she got blessed to have a great father take care of her."
"I took over on both parenting roles. I actually wasn't ready to be a dad when she told me we were going to have Kylee. I stayed though, I wasn't the type of guy to up and leave when something changes in a relationship," I told her, "I wanted to be married first before I had any kids, but everything happened out of order. I didn't get to marry Kylee's mom, we were only engaged when she passed."
"I'm sorry I brought her up, Alex," Jasmin said as she wiped the tears that fell from my eyes away.
"You didn't know what she was like," I told her, "Thank you for agreeing to dinner, Jasmin."
"I've been waiting for you to ask me out," Jasmin replied.
"You know, I really like you," I told her, "More than friends."
"So do I," she replied.
"Can we make this a serious thing then, Jasmin," I asked.
"You want to make me your girlfriend? What about Kylee," she asked.
"Kylee likes you. She says you're her friend," I replied.
"Then I'll be your girlfriend. If you and I ever get more serious, I'm willing to marry you and adopt Kylee. I would love to be her mother-figure, I know girls need a mom so they grow up into mothers themselves one day," Jasmin smiled and took my hand in hers.
I'm moving on from her. I need to for Kylee. She does need a mother. I'm not enough for her. I can't be both her father and mother. I know that Jasmin would be perfect to help me raise Kylee.
"Kylee, I told you that it's only me and Jasmin going out," I told my little four year old.
"But you always take my to dinner, Daddy," she replied. I knew she was trying not to cry.
"I know that, but Daddy's good friends with Jasmin and I want to take her out for a night of just her and I talking and having dinner," I told her as I straightened my tie.
"But Jasmin is my friend too," Kylee sobbed.
"I know, shh, I know. But this is Daddy's playdate," I told her, "Daddy wants to have friends like Jasmin and I need to go out to make my friendships last."
"So you're going out to make sure you don't lose her," she asked.
"Yeah, now I will take you out to dinner to your favorite restaurant when we go home to make up for tonight, okay," I wiped her tears away, "Now go change out of your dress. Uncle Jack and the others are waiting to play Go Fish with you."
"Okay Daddy, have fun tonight," Kylee kissed my cheek before she grabbed her clothes from earlier and changed out of her dress.
I put on my suit jacket just as Jasmin walked onto the bus in her dark grey cocktail dress and navy blue sweater with black heels. Her jet black hair was curled nicely and pinned to fall over one shoulder. My jaw dropped at her beauty. I was a lucky guy to take her out tonight.
"Be good to my friend, cousin. I'd hate to see him cry like his daughter," Jack teased.
"Shut up, Barakat," I smacked him on the back of his head.
"Daddy, no hitting," Kylee scolded me.
"He deserved it," I told her.
"Come on Alex, before we're late for the reservation you made," Jasmin smiled and shook her head.
"Jack put Kylee to bed at her time and I'll be back when I can," I told them as I walked off the bus, "Oh and call me if something happens to Kylee."
"Alex, go," Matt shouted at me before the bus door closed behind me.
"You made a good choice for dinner tonight, Alex. I would think you'd kept dating after losing Kylee's mom you are so good at it," Jasmin commented after a sip of her wine.
"I'm a romantic, dates like this come naturally to me. You're the first date I've had since I lost her," I told her after I sipped my Jameson.
"I know it's hard for you talk about her. You don't even say her name," Jasmin noticed, "Kylee was lucky to have had her as her mom. She may not ever meet her, but she got blessed to have a great father take care of her."
"I took over on both parenting roles. I actually wasn't ready to be a dad when she told me we were going to have Kylee. I stayed though, I wasn't the type of guy to up and leave when something changes in a relationship," I told her, "I wanted to be married first before I had any kids, but everything happened out of order. I didn't get to marry Kylee's mom, we were only engaged when she passed."
"I'm sorry I brought her up, Alex," Jasmin said as she wiped the tears that fell from my eyes away.
"You didn't know what she was like," I told her, "Thank you for agreeing to dinner, Jasmin."
"I've been waiting for you to ask me out," Jasmin replied.
"You know, I really like you," I told her, "More than friends."
"So do I," she replied.
"Can we make this a serious thing then, Jasmin," I asked.
"You want to make me your girlfriend? What about Kylee," she asked.
"Kylee likes you. She says you're her friend," I replied.
"Then I'll be your girlfriend. If you and I ever get more serious, I'm willing to marry you and adopt Kylee. I would love to be her mother-figure, I know girls need a mom so they grow up into mothers themselves one day," Jasmin smiled and took my hand in hers.
I'm moving on from her. I need to for Kylee. She does need a mother. I'm not enough for her. I can't be both her father and mother. I know that Jasmin would be perfect to help me raise Kylee.
I just read what you have of this, and absolutely love it. I'm not sure if that last chapter you posted was kind of meant as a final chapter; I guess it could work in a way. But the story is awesome and I really liked what you have of it.
It's been a minute since you've updated, so it's probably asking a lot to update again, but if you weren't finished with this and one day want to update again, I will be here to read. :) Although as it is it could be seen as conclusive.
Idk, but I just wanted to leave this comment letting you know I enjoyed what you did have of this and think you're a great writer. The story is very sweet. :)
12/29/16