You're Three! I Thought The 'Terrible' Year Was Two?

“We go to park Ama?” We were in the bathroom; Jess was sitting in the bathtub, in bubbles that came to just below his waist while I was gently messaging shampoo in his wet hair. “Look my boat Ama!” He held up the blue and white tugboat. “Boat go ‘tooooot, tooooot!’”

I smiled at him, “So it does!”

Jess went ‘toooot, toooot’ a couple more times before turning to ask me again if we were going to the park. “We get Linny and go to park!” Jess threw his hand up in the air, sending bubbles flying in every direction when he mentioned going to get Lindsay.

“Sorry Sweetie,” I dipped my hands into the water to wash the excess shampoo of my hands before reaching for the small pail on the edge of the tub that Josh told me he used to rinse the soap from Jess’ hair. “We can’t go to the park today,” I told him as I moved him as far back from the taps as I could. “Daddy is taking us to nana and papa’s house.” Turning on the cold water a little, I glanced at Jess to make sure he was still where I left him and then I turned on the hot until the water was luke warm.

“No!” Jesse slapped his boat into the bubbles causing some water to splash upwards. “Jesse no go to nana and papa! Jesse go park!”

“Sorry Jesse we can’t go to the park today but we can play at nana’s house.” Turning off the water, I moved down towards him. “Come let me rinse the soap out of your hair.”

“No!” He stared at me. “Jesse say Ama and daddy go park!”

“I would like to take you to the park Jess but we have to go to nana’s house.” I reached for his hand and once again asked him to come closer so I could rinse the soap out of his hair.

“NO!” He screamed, waving his arms frantically in front of him.

“Ouch!” I jumped back as his tugboat came down across my wrist. “Jesse that hurt.”

“I sorry!” He yelled.

“Hey what’s all the yelling about?” Josh appeared in the doorway with the dishtowel in his hand, he didn’t look too happy at all. “Anna?”

I started to tell him what happened but Jesse cut me off. “Daddy Ama say we no go to park! Jesse say we go!”

“Is that so?” Josh sort of grinned. “Well Jesse, daddy says that we aren’t going to the park, we are going to nana and papa’s house.”

“NO!” Jesse threw his tugboat at Josh. “Jesse go to park!”

I stared open mouthed at Josh, who stared at Jess in disbelief. I knew I had never seen Jess act this way and by the look on Josh’s face, he hadn’t either. “Jesse,” Josh spoke slowly as he bent over to pick up the boat. “We are going to nana and papa’s house.”

“Jesse no go!” Jesse crossed his arms over his chest. “Jesse go to park!”

“No,” Josh knelt down next to me and held out the boat to Jess. “You can’t go to the park today.”

“Jesse can!” He slapped the boat from Josh’s hand and leaned forward, staring up at Josh. “Daddy mean!”

Josh flinched as if Jesse struck him. “Daddy isn’t mean –”

“Yes!” Jesse exclaimed. “Daddy mean!”

I didn’t know what to do, I was too shocked to say anything or even move. Plus, I didn’t know if I should say anything. Josh leaned forward until his face was inches from Jesse’s defiant one. “Daddy said we are going to nana and papa’s house,” he said with more calm than I thought was possible. “If you think that is mean, then I’m sorry but that’s how it’s going to be. Now,” he pressed his hands against the tub and pushed himself up off the floor. “Let Anna rinse the soap out of your hair, it’s time you got out of the tub.”

I kept my eyes on Jesse as he stared up at his dad. I thought for sure he was going to tell Josh that he wanted to go to the park but he lowered his head and softly said, “Otay daddy.”

Jesse didn’t resist at all when I asked him to come closer so I could rinse his hair, in fact, he didn’t say a word at all until I had him wrapped in a towel and we were heading out of the bathroom.

“Ama?” He spoke so quietly, I almost didn’t hear him which was unusual since he was up in my arms.

“What Jesse?”

He lifted his head, his big blue eyes sad as he asked me, “Daddy love Jesse?”

“Oh my God Jesse!” I moved him from my hip around to rest against my stomach and I hugged him tight. “Of course daddy…” I trailed off; I thought it would be best of Josh spoke for himself this time. I walked towards the kitchen where Josh was putting away the last of the dishes. “Honey?” He turned towards me and I motioned to Jess.

“What’s wrong?” Josh came towards us. When he was close enough, he placed his hand on Jess’ back and lowered his head. “Jesse tell daddy what’s wrong.”

Jesse cuddled up to me when Josh spoke to him, I didn’t think he was going to answer his dad but he turned his head to look at Josh. “Daddy love Jesse?”

“What?” Josh glanced at me before turning back to Jesse.

“Daddy mad at Jesse. Daddy no love Jesse.”

Josh sighed, “Jesse,” he tried to take him from me but Jesse wouldn’t let go. “Fine,” he sighed once more and took both of us in his arms. “Just because daddy gets upset Jesse, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you!” Jesse lifted his head off my chest. “I love you very much Jesse, nothing will ever change that!”

“Jesse sorry daddy,” he reached for Josh and Josh pulled him out of my arms, hugging him tight to his chest. “Love you daddy!”

Josh gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I love you too Jesse.”

I smiled at the both of them, I was so happy that the moment in the bathroom didn’t end up being worst than it was. “Come on Jesse, let’s go get you dressed.”

Jesse pushed away from Josh’s chest to look over his shoulder at me. “We go to nana and papa’s Ama!”