Warning. Warning.
“Maybe she peed her pants?”
“Hm. Except it’s her face that’s wet. Where is your water bottle?”
“I don’t know, Daddy. It must have gotten lost.”
Please don’t look in the fort. Please don’t look in the fort.
She should have known her luck wouldn’t be that good. He crouched down, then searched through the fort. When he came out, he held a nearly full bottle of water. “What did Daddy say about drinking your water?”
“Um, my memory is a bit faulty, Daddy.”
“Oh, I think your memory is just fine,” Brick replied sternly. “Daddy told you that you were to drink all of this water, didn’t he?”
“But Daddy, it was a lot of water and I only have a little belly.”
“That you do. But I bet if this bottle were filled with that iced coffee crap you drink, then you wouldn’t have any bother.”
He might be right about that. But she wasn’t going to agree with him.
“What was the rule?”
“If I drank the coffee, I had to drink all the water.”
“And did you?”
“No, Daddy.” She thought that was obvious.
“What do you think we should do about that?”
“Get a smaller water bottle?”
“No. Although I think we should get you a special water bottle. I’ll order one online.”
“I have lots of bottles, Daddy.” She led him to a cupboard and opened it.
Brick’s eyes widened as he took in the mermaid-themed drink bottles, baby bottles, plates, cups, and cutlery. He drew out one of the larger bottles. “This might work. Can I write on it?”
She nodded curiously.
“Got a marker pen that won’t rub off?”
“Um, I think so.” She skipped over to her desk. Because why walk if you could skip? She found him a permanent marker, and he drew lines on the bottle then wrote numbers going up in twos beside each line. Then he did the same on the other side.
“This shows you how much water you should drink by ten a.m. up until eight p.m. We need to refill the bottle at two p.m. Understand?”
She wrinkled her nose. “What’s up with your obsession with water, Daddy?”
“It’s good for you.” He tapped her nose playfully. “Come and eat lunch, then we’ll deal with your naughty behavior.”
“I wasn’t naughty.”
“You were trying to make your doll drink your water.”
“She looked thirsty,” she defended.
He gave her a look. Then he took her hand and led her to the table, where he’d set a plate of sandwiches.