The Princess Daddy

Jess was a pretty girl at three-and-a-half years old. Golden brown hair, curly at the back, baby blue eyes, a button nose, and the biggest of dimples to accompany her bright smile. It wasn’t very long ago that she learned to walk, but with the pace at which Mommy and Daddy had to keep up with her, it seemed like she had been walking since the day she was born.

Daddy had finished work for the day and was now sitting on the couch watching the game while Mommy was at the gym doing her working.

Jess ran into the living room and hopped up onto Daddy’s leg that he had stretched across the leg rest and rode it like a horse, her face inhabiting a smile.

“What do you want kiddo?” inquired a startled Daddy.

“Daddy, let’s play,” she requested, batting the thin lashes on her charming little eyes.

“I’m trying to watch the game,” he said, “they still have a little while to play.”

Jess leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her expression transformed from smile to frown, glaring into Daddy’s eyes.

He chuckled, giving his head a shake. “Did you know that when you were just a small baby you would sit right here with me and watch the game without a sound?”

Her expression remained unchanged.

Daddy shrugged. Twisting his lips, he concluded he wasn’t going to change the little girl’s mind. “Okay, what do you want to play?”

Disappointment turned to joy as she leapt from his leg and raced out of the living room as fast as her tiny legs would allow.

Daddy scratched his head in wonder, remaining seated.

Pushing the door to her bedroom open, as quickly as she entered, she ran out, dragging a pink child-size suitcase behind her. Dashing back into the living room, she placed the baggage at Daddy’s feet.

“What’s that?” he asked.

Jess simply giggled with excitement, crouching down to open the suitcase. From it, she pulled out a pink and purple wig and a tiara. “We’re going to play princess. Here, put these on,” she instructed.

Daddy’s eyes widened as she handed him the wig and crown. “You want me to do what? Put these on?”

“Yep,” was her response.

He held an item in each hand, juggling his eyes between them. “You’re joking right?”

“No silly,” she answered, “put them on.”

“Oh boy,” Daddy gasped, placing the wig on his head. It was much too small for him as it was meant for a child. “It’s too small,” he cried.

“Oh well. Don’t be such a big baby Daddy and keep it on. And put the crown on too,” she ordered.

“Alright,” he said, slipping the tiara on over top of the wig. He pushed the crown on as tight as it would go to ensure that it wouldn’t fall from the imitation hair.

Jess’s grin expanded even further across her face, pushing her dimples deeper into her cheeks. She put her hand back into her suitcase, pulling a wand topped with a sparkling pink plastic heart from it. “Here Daddy, you’ll need this too,” she said, handing him the toy.

A strange look crossed his face as he took the wand. Was he supposed to cast a spell he wondered?

Again, Jess dug into her luggage, taking out a pink tutu. It contained snaps making it adjustable. “Here Daddy, to be a princess you need to put this on.”

“A dress,” he cried, “that won’t fit me. Look how big my tummy is, I’m too big for it.”

Jess shrugged, throwing the tutu onto his lap. “Try to make it fit Daddy, you can do it.”

He rubbed his tear ducts, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t believe this,” he complained. The tutu was definitely too small, but he did the best he could by just placing it around his waist. He would have to remain seated to create the illusion that it was a proper fit.

Jess was having a blast dressing Daddy like a princess. She looked him over to notice something missing. Going back into her baggage, she yanked a pair of small purple high heel shoes from it. She held a shoe in each hand, glancing between the footwear and Daddy’s feet. “You have big feet Daddy. I don’t know how these are going to fit you.”

He nodded in approval. “Yep, they won’t fit sweetie.”

She sat cross-legged, tapping the heels of the shoes together. Then, an idea sprung to her little head. Dropping the shoes, she took hold of Daddy’s socks. “I need to take these off,” she indicated, pulling them from his feet.

He had little choice simply raising an eyebrow, letting her do her thing.

Once his socks were removed, she picked up the footwear, placing each shoe correctly on either big toe. “There we go,” she said, but something else was still missing. She thought again for a second before rummaging through her suitcase. She brought out a small bottle of sparkles, handing it to Daddy. “Put some of this on your face.”

“Are you serious?” he questioned.

“Oh, never mind, I’ll do it,” she decided. Jess stood up and spun the cap off, gently dabbing the sparkles on his cheeks.

The outside door opened as Mommy had come home. She strolled into the living room before halting, directing her sights on Daddy. Her face went red as she started a laugh, pointing her finger at him. She laughed hard enough to draw tears from her eyes that strew down her face.

“What’s so funny?” he asked. “Haven’t you seen a princess before?”

Mommy couldn’t contain herself, dropping to her knees, giggling much harder. She was nearly rolling on the floor.

Jess took a couple of steps back to get a good look at him. She scratched her chin, displaying a puzzled look upon her observation. “You’re not a very pretty princess Daddy.”

“I’m not?” he asked.

“No,” she responded, “your tummy needs to be smaller and you have to shave.”

By this time, Mommy was now rolling on the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

Daddy’s jaw dropped in disappointment. “You mean to tell me that I sat through this entire ordeal, for you, and now you’re telling me that I don’t make a very good princess?”

Jess nodded, followed by a series of giggles. It made her day that Daddy played princess with her. She was as happy as a little girl could be.

“You look ridiculous,” Mommy commented through her laugh.

“Yeah Daddy,” said Jess, “you better take all that off now.”

A smile crossed Daddy’s face, slowly pulling the wig and tiara from his head. He too started a chuckle of his own. He could only imagine how he looked. It was a funny thought.

Jess hopped back onto Daddy’s lap and joined him in a laugh. He was very silly looking.