Ready. Set. Hunt.

Saturday morning, despite going to bed really late the night before, Jordan was wide awake at 6am and he didn’t leave me alone until I was as well. “Why?” I groaned as I buried my face against his chest. “It’s Saturday, why can’t we sleep in, just a little? Please Jordy?”

“Come on!” He poked me in the ribs, chuckling when I batted his hand away and whined my displeasure. “It’s a beautiful day, the…” he trailed off and I felt him move away for a moment. “Well, it’s still dark outside but I’m sure it’ll be a beautiful day once the sun appears. And you know what today is?”

Groaning, I rolled away from him. “The day I leave you for depriving me of my beauty sleep?”

He laughed. “No, it’s House Hunting day! And we also get to pack more and have dinner with your family.” Sliding across the bed towards me, he cradled my body with his. “Leaving me isn’t on the agenda today, especially not when you begged for my earth moving demonstration last night.”

“I never beg.” I mumbled. “Besides, a gentleman would never bring it up, if I did.”

“What makes you think I’m a gentleman?”

“My next boyfriend will be.”

With a chuckle, Jordan told me that was good news. “It won’t last though. You’d be bored and begging me to take you back.”

“You are very lucky I love you Jordy.”

He never uttered a word as he crawled over me and came to rest before me. I thought he was going to let me sleep so I let my eyes fluttered closed and I was ready to drift off into dreamland when I felt his fingers brush my cheek. “Jordy…” I reached for him.

“I knew you wanted me,” he whispered as he engulfed me in his arms.

****

“Jenna. Oh Jenna! Where are you?” Jordan’s excitement hadn’t worn off all morning. It was a little annoying but on the plus side, he did finish what he set out to do in no time at all. Now he was sitting in Jenna’s room, looking around frantically for her as she giggled uncontrollably underneath her favourite blanket. “Anna? Babe, have you seen Jenna? She was just here!”

“I don’t know,” I pretended to be just as concerned as he was as I stood in the doorway watching the two of them. “She didn’t come out here.”

“She couldn’t have just disappeared,” he frowned. “Could she?”

I smiled, “Jordy I think –”

“Peeboo!” Jenna threw down her blanket and laughed. “Peeboo Dada!”

“Jenna!” Jordan gasped in fake surprise. “There you are! Daddy thought you ran away!” He went to reach for her but she threw the blanket over her head again. “Oh no!” Jordan exclaimed. “Where did Jenna go now?”

Once again, the blanket flew down and Jenna giggled, “Peeboo!”

“Peek-a-boo!” Jordan exclaimed as he grabbed her sides and started to tickle her until she fell backwards in a fit of giggles. “Daddy’s got you now!” He laughed as he collapsed next to her, lifting her into the air as he rolled onto his back. “You are Daddy’s little girl, aren’t you J-Roll?”

Jenna, in response, covered her eyes and quickly uncovered them.

“Peek-a-boo!”

“Peeboo!”

Jordan and Jenna exclaimed at the same time and then collapsed into yet another fit of laughter, together.

I stood in the doorway and watched them bond. It was nothing if not heart warming to watch but I had to break it up, Jordan needed to shower before we headed out to view houses. “Jordy?” I walked into the room and they both turned to stare at me. “I hate to break up your playtime but aren’t you going to shower?”

“Yeah…” He trailed off. “Did you shower already?”

“Not yet.”

“Well then,” he gave me a smile and told me to get on it. “I’ll take one after you.”

“Ok,” I shrugged as I headed for the bathroom. I wasn’t about to remind him that he took longer to get ready than I did, that’s why I asked him about the shower.

I had only been in the shower for maybe two minutes when the shower curtain drew back and Jordan appeared in front of me. “What are you doing? Where’s Jenna?”

A smile spread across his face as he gazed at me naked before him. “I need to shower,” he replied innocently as he reached for me.

“But…but…” All thought left my mind momentarily as his lips trailed along my collarbone. My eyes drifted shut and I felt all the usual emotions start to twirl around inside me whenever his lips touched my skin. It was heaven and I was seriously getting lost in it.

“Peeboo Dada!”

“Jordan!” I squealed as I pushed him away and tried to cover myself from Jenna’s innocent eyes. “What is she doing there?”

“What?” He chuckled as he turned to kneel down and lean over the edge of the tub to where Jenna stood. “Hey J-Roll, did you pee?” He leaned further out and shook his head. “You didn’t! I thought you said you needed to go potty?” He gave her a stern look and she pouted. “Don’t give me that look,” he spoke sternly but softly. “I want you to sit on the potty until you pee. OK?”

Jenna stared up at him like he just told her Dora was just a cartoon. Her tiny bottom lip trembled and I know that she never heard him talk like that before; at least, not directed at her.

“OK Jenna?”

She shyly glanced my way before turning suddenly and disappearing beyond the curtain.

“That’s it,” Jordan grinned. “Daddy loves you Jenna.”

When Jordan returned to me, he tried to take me in his arms but I slapped his hands away. “How can you? With Jenna…?” I motioned towards the curtain.

“What?” He looked so confused. “Jenna had to potty, I had to shower. What did you want me to do? Leave her out in the living room where she could get into all sorts of trouble?”

“You could’ve waited,” I told him. “You could’ve waited until after I showered so I could keep an eye on her while you showered.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s not like I’m the first parent to ever think of showering when his kid is in the room.” He paused briefly. “What do you think most single parents do? Wait until their child is asleep to use the bathroom?”

“It’s just…”

“Anna,” he grasped my hands and pulled me to him. “It’s not like I didn’t think this through. Jenna isn’t going to be scarred for life.”

“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

Jordan grinned, “Well….”

With a gasp, I lifted my hand and hit his arm. “Jerk!”

****

When Jordan strapped Jenna into her car seat mid afternoon, she made no bones about not wanting to be locked down. Kicking and screaming there was nothing Jordan could do calm her down. His pleas when unheard and his feeble attempt at bribing didn’t even cause her to halt her actions, not even for a moment. Jenna wasn’t feeling great and she wanted the entire world to know.

“It’s going to be a long and difficult day,” Jordan stated when he jumped into the seat next to me. “I just hope we make it through with our sanity still intact!”