find the elephant that can get peanuts out of Chelsea’s pockets.” He grabbed Joey’s hand and headed in the direction of the elephant house, warning Joey to keep his eyes peeled for a place they could buy peanuts.
R EBECCA THOUGHT THE DAY at the zoo was turning out to be a lot of fun after the bizarre start. And Chelsea was right. Bill fit right in and entertained Chelsea when the other two adults were involved with Joey.
Joey was having the time of his life. His father was spoiling him rotten. He’d had peanuts, cotton candy, chocolate candy and several colas. Now Jeff was announcing they needed to stop for lunch.
To no one’s surprise, Joey said he wasn’t hungry.
“That’s because your father has been feeding you junk food all morning,” Rebecca said.
Joey, sitting beside his mother, tugged on hershoulder and whispered, “I don’t think they know, Mommy.”
“Know what?” Rebecca whispered in return.
“About him being my daddy. He may want to keep it secret.”
“Is that why you never call him Daddy?”
Joey nodded his head.
Rebecca had noticed the way her son avoided calling Jeff Daddy or even by his first name. She had started to say something several times, but she hadn’t wanted to embarrass Jeff or Joey. Instead, she bent over to kiss her son to show him she understood and cared.
“What is it?” Jeff asked, his face showing obvious concern.
“Joey was warning me not to call you his father in front of the others in case you were trying to keep it a secret.”
“Mommy!” Joey protested.
“Joey, they already know I’m your daddy,” Jeff said hurriedly.
“I think that may be why he’s never called you Daddy, either,” Rebecca added, staring at her son with tears in her eyes.
“Is that true, Joey?” Jeff asked.
“I didn’t know if you’d like it,” Joey said, staring down at his athletic shoes, too embarrassed to look up at Jeff.
“We should’ve talked about this before now. It’s my fault. I didn’t want to rush you about calling meDaddy. I’d love for you to call me Daddy, but if you don’t want to, you can call me Jeff.”
This time Joey looked up at Jeff. “Are you sure?”
“I’m very sure.”
“Then I’d like to call you Daddy.”
Jeff picked him up and hugged him tight against him. “Boy, that sure sounds wonderful coming from you.”
“What a touching moment,” Chelsea said with a lot of sarcasm.
Bill stood, took Chelsea’s arm and practically dragged her away from the table.
Jeff paid them no attention. “I’m glad we’ve got that settled, Joey. I was afraid you didn’t like me.”
“Aw, Daddy, I always like people who buy me peanuts, popcorn, candy and colas.”
It took Jeff a moment to realize his almost-four-year-old was teasing him. When he finally figured it out, he grabbed Joey and began tickling him. Joey was shrieking with great joy.
Just as Rebecca was calling the two males in her life to order, Bill and Chelsea came back to the table. Much to everyone’s surprise, Chelsea apologized to Jeff if she’d seemed insensitive a few minutes ago.
Jeff stared at her blankly, not really sure if she was being sincere or if Bill was forcing her to apologize.
“Well, it makes you sound so old,” Chelsea said, trying to explain her behavior.
“So I guess you don’t want Joey to call you Mommy?” Jeff asked with a grin.
It was hard to determine which one looked more horrified, Joey or Chelsea.
“Daddy was just teasing, Joey,” Rebecca said quietly.
Her words reassured Chelsea, also.
“He can call me Chelsea.”
“And if you keep on wearing those overalls,” Bill pointed out, “in a few years they’ll think he’s your date instead of your stepson!”
Chelsea burst into tears and ran away from the table. Both men looked helplessly at Rebecca. She got up from the table and followed Chelsea over to a tree under which she was standing.
“Chelsea, what’s wrong?”
Chelsea hurriedly rubbed away her tears.
R EBECCA THOUGHT THE DAY at the zoo was turning out to be a lot of fun after the bizarre start. And Chelsea was right. Bill fit right in and entertained Chelsea when the other two adults were involved with Joey.
Joey was having the time of his life. His father was spoiling him rotten. He’d had peanuts, cotton candy, chocolate candy and several colas. Now Jeff was announcing they needed to stop for lunch.
To no one’s surprise, Joey said he wasn’t hungry.
“That’s because your father has been feeding you junk food all morning,” Rebecca said.
Joey, sitting beside his mother, tugged on hershoulder and whispered, “I don’t think they know, Mommy.”
“Know what?” Rebecca whispered in return.
“About him being my daddy. He may want to keep it secret.”
“Is that why you never call him Daddy?”
Joey nodded his head.
Rebecca had noticed the way her son avoided calling Jeff Daddy or even by his first name. She had started to say something several times, but she hadn’t wanted to embarrass Jeff or Joey. Instead, she bent over to kiss her son to show him she understood and cared.
“What is it?” Jeff asked, his face showing obvious concern.
“Joey was warning me not to call you his father in front of the others in case you were trying to keep it a secret.”
“Mommy!” Joey protested.
“Joey, they already know I’m your daddy,” Jeff said hurriedly.
“I think that may be why he’s never called you Daddy, either,” Rebecca added, staring at her son with tears in her eyes.
“Is that true, Joey?” Jeff asked.
“I didn’t know if you’d like it,” Joey said, staring down at his athletic shoes, too embarrassed to look up at Jeff.
“We should’ve talked about this before now. It’s my fault. I didn’t want to rush you about calling meDaddy. I’d love for you to call me Daddy, but if you don’t want to, you can call me Jeff.”
This time Joey looked up at Jeff. “Are you sure?”
“I’m very sure.”
“Then I’d like to call you Daddy.”
Jeff picked him up and hugged him tight against him. “Boy, that sure sounds wonderful coming from you.”
“What a touching moment,” Chelsea said with a lot of sarcasm.
Bill stood, took Chelsea’s arm and practically dragged her away from the table.
Jeff paid them no attention. “I’m glad we’ve got that settled, Joey. I was afraid you didn’t like me.”
“Aw, Daddy, I always like people who buy me peanuts, popcorn, candy and colas.”
It took Jeff a moment to realize his almost-four-year-old was teasing him. When he finally figured it out, he grabbed Joey and began tickling him. Joey was shrieking with great joy.
Just as Rebecca was calling the two males in her life to order, Bill and Chelsea came back to the table. Much to everyone’s surprise, Chelsea apologized to Jeff if she’d seemed insensitive a few minutes ago.
Jeff stared at her blankly, not really sure if she was being sincere or if Bill was forcing her to apologize.
“Well, it makes you sound so old,” Chelsea said, trying to explain her behavior.
“So I guess you don’t want Joey to call you Mommy?” Jeff asked with a grin.
It was hard to determine which one looked more horrified, Joey or Chelsea.
“Daddy was just teasing, Joey,” Rebecca said quietly.
Her words reassured Chelsea, also.
“He can call me Chelsea.”
“And if you keep on wearing those overalls,” Bill pointed out, “in a few years they’ll think he’s your date instead of your stepson!”
Chelsea burst into tears and ran away from the table. Both men looked helplessly at Rebecca. She got up from the table and followed Chelsea over to a tree under which she was standing.
“Chelsea, what’s wrong?”
Chelsea hurriedly rubbed away her tears.
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