AN: Sorry for the delay. Got some health complications that slowed my writing speed. You can expect at least 4 chs this week.
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Charlie was stretched out on the living room couch, laptop balanced on his knees. He squinted at his Ameritrade account, muttering like a bookie on Derby Day.
"Come on, Pfizer. Daddy needs a new guitar string," he whispered, clicking buy and sell like he was swatting flies.
The little graph spiked upward. He grinned.
"Ha! Who's the genius now? Suck it, Warren Buffett."
The house was quiet. Lisa and Laura were off in Hollywood recording a podcast, something about promoting the new EP and proving that women who share the same guy could still share a microphone without strangling each other. He was alone, except for the occasional sound of Berta moving through the kitchen like a cleaning tank.
Charlie's phone rang. He picked it up, and it was Kate's number. He answered with a smirk already in place.
"Hey, sweetheart. What's up?"
Kate's voice came through. "Charlie, I'm in Malibu doing a magazine shoot, and my sitter canceled on me. Could you keep an eye on Lily for a few hours?" She sounds exhausted since she was halfway through her schedule.
Charlie leaned back in his chair. "Absolutely. Bring her over. I was about to start yelling at CNBC for fun, but this sounds healthier."
"You're a lifesaver," Kate said, relieved. "She'll be no trouble. She loves spending time with you."
Charlie smiled. "She's a great kid. Swing by whenever."
[30 minutes later] [Berta left by now]
The doorbell rang.
"That'll be her," he muttered to himself, slapping the laptop shut and standing up.
He crossed the room quickly, opening the door to find Kate standing there, a bag slung over her shoulder and a tired, but affectionate, smile on her face. Lily, her daughter, was standing beside her, holding a small stuffed animal in one hand and looking up at Charlie with wide, trusting eyes.
Kate wasted no time stepping forward, her lips meeting his in a quick kiss. It was soft, but with the kind of familiarity that had settled in over months of dating.
"Hey, you," she murmured, her voice low but warm. "You're a lifesaver. I swear, I don't know what I'd do without you."
Charlie grinned and pulled her into another quick kiss, this time with a little more intention, before pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes.
"Anytime. Besides, I was about to get into a fight with a bunch of people on CNBC, so this is a definite upgrade."
Kate laughed softly, shaking her head. "You and your stocks," she teased. "Just make sure you don't teach my kid how to trade before she can even tie her shoes."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "It's never too early for the basics. But, sure, no stock tips for her yet."
Turning to Lily, who was still standing there, eyeing him with a mix of curiosity and affection, Charlie bent down to her level. "Hey there, kiddo," he said, smiling warmly. "You wanna come inside?"
Lily nodded eagerly, her little hand reaching up to grab his, her stuffed bear tucked under her arm. "I like your house," she said as she took a quick look around, her voice soft and sweet, though there was an obvious sense of comfort in it.
Charlie felt his heart soften at the sight of her. He had always been good with kids, but there was something about Lily that made it even easier to slip into the role of a semi-authoritative figure without any of the pressure. She was just a kid who needed a little love and attention, and he could give her that without hesitation.
He stood up, still holding her hand, and guided her inside. "Well, we've got snacks and toys, and I bet we can find something fun to do."
Kate chuckled. "Thanks again, Charlie." She leaned in, brushing a quick kiss on his cheek, before heading to her car. "I won't be long."
"No rush," Charlie said with a smile.
He closed the door after she left.
He turned back to Lily, who was already halfway across the living room, her stuffed animal bouncing along with every excited step.
Charlie smiled to himself, feeling a quiet sense of peace. For all the noise and chaos of his world, moments like these—simple and easy—reminded him why it all seemed worth it. He might not be a perfect role model, but he was trying. For Kate, for her daughter, for his own sense of balance.
"You want to watch a movie, or we could make cookies?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter as Lily ran over to him with her stuffed animal in tow.
Lily's eyes lit up. "Cookies!"
Charlie laughed and held out his hand. "Alright, let's make some cookies, then. You know what they say: the more cookies, the better the day."
As they got to work on baking.
[A Few Hours Later]
The kitchen was a mess of flour, sugar, and sticky chocolate chip dough. Lily, her tiny hands covered in flour up to her elbows, giggled as she scooped a heaping spoonful of dough onto the baking sheet, half of it spilling onto the counter in the process.
Charlie couldn't help but laugh, despite the mess. "You know, kiddo, you're supposed to keep the dough on the sheet, not all over the kitchen."
Lily giggled again, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "But it's fun!"
"Fun and messy," Charlie said, grabbing a towel and wiping down the counter, though he wasn't in any real rush. "Alright, let's try to make the next one a little less fun, okay?"
Lily nodded seriously, then immediately picked up another spoonful of dough and flung it onto the sheet, with a big grin plastered across her face. Charlie shook his head, but he couldn't help but smile.
"Good enough," he said, sliding the tray into the oven and setting the timer. He pulled a chair over and sat down next to Lily, who was now trying to lick the chocolate on the spoon without making it too obvious. "You're a sneaky one, huh?"
"I'm just tasting," she said innocently, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. I'm sure you're just tasting."
"Yup," Lily said, popping the spoon into her mouth. "Tasting choco syrup."
Charlie chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "Alright, kiddo. We've got some time before the cookies are ready. You wanna do something else?"
Lily thought about it for a moment, her small brow furrowing in concentration, before she hopped off the chair and dashed over to the pile of toys in the corner. She grabbed a stuffed dinosaur and rushed back over, holding it up to Charlie.
"Dino! You play with me!" she demanded, her voice full of authority for someone so small.
Charlie smirked, amused by her intensity. "Alright, alright. But I'm not going easy on you just because you're four. But before that, I think, we should clean up."
So, they cleaned up and then started playing.
Lily grinned, her expression serious now as she handed him the toy. "Dino says you have to play, or he'll stomp you."
Charlie took the stuffed dinosaur from her, pretending to examine it like it was a valuable relic. "Well, I guess I better play nice, then." He made the dinosaur's head bob up and down. "Hello, Dino. I'm Charlie. I'm going to be your new friend."
Lily giggled and plopped herself down on the floor, watching Charlie intently as he maneuvered the dinosaur. She then picked up another toy, a small stuffed rabbit, and placed it in front of Charlie's dinosaur.
"Dino wants to be friends with bunny," Lily declared, her little voice serious again.
"Dino is a nice dinosaur," Charlie said, making the dinosaur bow in front of the bunny. "He's very polite."
Lily nodded gravely, her eyes wide and focused. "Bunny is nice too. She likes cookies."
Charlie grinned. "Well, in that case, she's going to love the batch that's about to come out of the oven."
They continued to play for a while, with Charlie and Lily acting out various adventures for the stuffed animals. Dino and Bunny went on a treasure hunt, fought off imaginary pirates, and even hosted a tea party where Charlie pretended to sip air from an invisible cup, earning a delighted laugh from Lily every time.
Eventually, the timer went off, signaling that the cookies were ready. Charlie stood up, brushing flour off his hands, and walked over to the oven, pulling out the tray. The smell of fresh cookies filled the room, and Lily bounced up and down in excitement.
"Cookies!" she yelled, running over to the counter.
Charlie set the tray of cookies on the counter, letting the warm, sweet scent fill the kitchen. He grabbed a cooling rack and started transferring the cookies from the hot pan, while Lily stood by, hopping from one foot to the other, her excitement palpable.
"Are they ready yet? Are they ready yet?" she asked in her tiny, impatient voice.
"Almost. Gotta let 'em cool down first," Charlie said, smiling as he worked. He could practically hear her little brain working a mile a minute, waiting for the moment she could devour them.
Lily's eyes were glued to the cookies, and she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Can I eat one now?" she asked, as if she was negotiating with the cookie gods.
Charlie chuckled, setting the last cookie on the rack. "Not yet, but soon. Patience, young grasshopper."
Lily frowned, but then her expression shifted to a playful grin. "Okay, I can wait. But only because I'm so good at waiting."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? You sure about that?"
She nodded vigorously, crossing her arms over her chest in a way that made her look like a tiny diva. "Yup. I'm the best at waiting. I can wait... for like, a hundred minutes!"
"Well, in that case, we've got a lot of time to play," He said, wiping his hands on a towel before sitting back down on the chair. "What do you wanna do next?"
Lily tilted her head thoughtfully, and after a few moments of serious consideration, she declared, "I wanna play a game!"
Charlie smiled. "Alright, what kind of game are we talking about here?"
Lily bounced over to the toy chest, opening it with dramatic flair and pulling out a brightly colored board game. "This one!" she announced, holding up a game of Candy Land. "It's my favorite!"
He grinned. "Candy Land it is. Let's see if Dino wants to play."
Her face lit up. "Yes! Dino loves Candy Land!"
They set up the game on the floor, and Charlie did his best to follow Lily's rules, which, it seemed, changed every few minutes. Her imagination was in overdrive, and Charlie was happy to let her run the show. She treated the board as more of a backdrop for her grand adventure than a game with actual rules.
"I'm going to win this time!" Lily said, moving her piece with a flourish. "But Dino is gonna help me, okay?"
Charlie nodded solemnly. "Of course, Dino's a pro. Can't win without him."
They played through several rounds, with Lily getting more excited by the second as she worked her way through the candy-themed world. By the time they were on their third game, the cookies were cool enough to eat.
Charlie stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "Alright, I think it's cookie time."
Lily squealed and immediately ran to the counter, where Charlie had already placed a small plate with two cookies for each of them. She grabbed hers and took a big bite, her face lighting up with joy as she chewed.
"Mmm! So yummy!" she said, her mouth full of cookie. "Best cookies ever, Charlie!"
Charlie sat back down at the table, grabbing his own cookie. "Glad you like them. I'd say they're a pretty close second to my stock portfolio, but that's probably not a fair comparison."
Lily laughed, then took another bite, wiping a crumb from her chin. And after she finished the cookies.
"I want more cookies later," she said, a touch of demand in her voice.
Charlie shook his head. "You've already had two. You don't want to get cookie overload."
She pouted dramatically. "But it's tasty! More cookies, please."
He chuckled. "Alright, one more."
"You are the best," she said, hugging him before taking the cookie from his hand.
By the time they finished eating and playing, it was close to 4:00 PM. Charlie wanted to put her to sleep, but she refused and kept him busy.
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway made Lily's eyes widen. "Mommy!" she yelled, rushing to the front door. Charlie stood up, stretching out his stiff back, and made his way to the door just in time to see Kate pull up.
Kate waved as she got out of the car. "Hey, Charlie. Thanks again for watching Lily."
"No problem," Charlie said, smiling. "She's a great kid."
Lily was already running to her mom, excited to see her after a few hours apart. "Mommy! We made cookies!" she yelled, practically vibrating with excitement.
Kate knelt down to hug her. "That sounds amazing, sweetheart. I'm glad you had fun."
"C'mon in," Charlie invited her inside.
As Kate picked Lily up in her arms and was about to go inside, Lisa's car stopped near the garage door.
"Looks like the girls are back," He said.
After parking the car, Lisa and Laura got out.
"Hey, Kate," Lisa greeted her as she walked toward the main door. "You look exhausted."
"Well, worked 12-hour shift," Kate replied with a sigh.
Laura quickly ran over to Lily, "Hey there, little angel. How are you doing?"
"Little sleepy but we made cookies for everyone," Lily replied with a large grin.
"Dang! 12-hour shift. Alright, Kate. You are getting my special massage tonight," Charlie said as everyone walked inside the house.
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