A Father’s Life Chapter 16

Synopsis: Dresses? I didn’t expect my little boy to want to try them, but I guess he just wanted a change of clothes.
A Father’s Life © September 2018 Stacey V. Luster II
Picture of Stacey Alexandria II and his son were drawn by my friend Kiandra Adhira
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy.

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Date: Saturday 03-Nov-18 08:00 (Saturday, November 3, 2018 8:00 AM)

Location: Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America

After days of wearing the same five shirts: red, green Cheers, blue cartoon trucks, orange mixer, purple with cars, and red-blue stripes I figured that he could use a change of scenery. I raise an eyebrow when my son toddles through the girls section and stops in my aisle of boys overalls holding a purple dress adorned with lions, tigers, bears, butterflies, and ladybugs crawling all over it.

Stacey giggles as he spins in place allowing his purple car decorated T-shirt to flutter and show off his blue shorts and sandals, “Daddy!” He waddles over to me holding the dress close, “Can you get this for me, Daddy? It’s got all my favorite animals on it. Plus,” Stacey scans the dress and giggles before turning back to me, “It’s purple…it’s my favorite color.”

I rub the back of my head at my son’s choice. I didn’t expect him to pick out a dress. I…I didn’t expect this at all. “Stace…” I kneel down to him and turn to scan the overalls all matching with blue and minimal animal decoration in the center before turning back to my son, “are you sure? Dresses aren’t really…”

Stacey pouts and crosses his arms over the dress, “Daddy…I want it. Men wear dresses in Japan and in Scotland all the time and nobody says anything. I want it. I want it. Please?” Stacey’s eyes widen and his pout strengthens, “Pwease?”

“Actually they’re komonos and kilts…but I guess he has a point.” I hate when my son does this. He knows I can’t resist his adorable stare. Thankfully, everyone in this town I’ve met so far has been pretty laid back about things. I smile and ruffle my son’s hair, “Of course, Stace.”

Stacey bounces up and down, “Thankies, Daddy! Thankies! Thankies! Thankies!” Stacey waddle-runs toward the changing room down the aisle. When he reaches an open door he turns and bounces, “COME ON DADDY!”

I chuckle as I manever through the aisle and stop at the changing room, “I’m here, Silly Baby.” I follow my son into the changing room and set his diaper bag on the bench to the right of the door. After shutting the door, I turn to my son and slide his shorts down. I smile as I fold up his shorts and place them in his diaper bag before repeating the process with his T-shirt.

I take the dress from Stacey and slide it over his head before threading his arms through. I dart my eyes around my son and take note of the dress stopping right at the dinosaur tapes of his diaper, “Well I guess this’ll make it easier to change and check ya that’s for sure.”

“Heeheehee! Heeheehee!” Stacey spins around causing the dress to twirl in his makeshift wind, “This is lots comfier than shorts all the time. They kinda make me feel restricted. This is lots freer, Daddy!” Stacey waddles toward the door and pushes it open before he waddle-runs out of the changing room, “I wanna get something else, Daddy! Heeheehee! Heeheehee! Weeeeeeeeeeeee!”

I sigh and run after my son whilst his giggles echo across the store, “Stacey…come back here, Silly Baby!” I roar and extend my arms out, “aaaaaah…I’m gonna get my little baby.”

Stacey giggles as he waddle-runs through the dress aisle, “You’ll never catch me, Daddy!” Stacey smiles as he darts over to the boys section of clothing and scans the purple and green striped socks adorned with bears, “Ooooh, these are nice.” Stacey grabs a pair and waddles out of the sock section, missing me picking him up by a few inches.

I snap my fingers as my son waddle-runs toward the end of the aisle and turns back to wag his tongue at me, “You silly baby!” I inhale and beat my chest before I charge toward him with my loud stomping feet, “The Tickle Monster will have you, Stacey. You better run!”

Stacey squeals as he speed waddles past the registers and heads through the dress aisle again, “oooh…how’d I miss this one?” Stacey sits down in front of the purple, red, and green striped dress, “Wow…” He giggles as he scans the butterflies flying through the purple fabric, the cacoons hovering in the red bumpy fabric, and the catipillars crawling through the green grass, “This is really cool! Why can’t they make boy clothes like this?”

I sigh as I stop behind my son and lift him into my arms, “That’s because not many boys like experimenting with different clothing styles, Stacinator.”

Stacey squeals when I tickle his armpits, dropping his socks in the process, “Daaaaaaady! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! STAAAAAAAHP! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!”

“As you wish, Little One.” I cradle my son in my arms and kiss his forehead and cheeks before I set him on his feet, “You didn’t find anything you wanted did you?”

Stacey shakes his head, “I really like this one, Daddy!” He scans the dress hugging his body and giggles whilst he spins in a circle causing crinkles to echo around him, “Heeheehee! Heeheehee! I wanna wear this more than shorts and shirts, Daddy!”

I pick up six matching dresses like the one he’s wearing, “Just in case you want to wear it more than just today.” I smile and guide him toward the register, “They’re really cheap actually.” I scan the tags and nod, “Just $12 per dress. Not bad.”

Stacey giggles and bounces beside me as I walk toward the register, “Thankies for getting them, Daddy. I just wanted to try something different.” Stacey bows his head when we reach the register, “You not mad are you? You don’t think I’m weird do you?”

I set the other six dresses on the counter and turn to kneel to Stacey, “No, Stace.” I pull my son into a warm hug and pat his bottom before bringing him out to my eyes, “I love you regardless. I love you more than ever. Honestly,” I lift Stacey into the air and smile, “I think you look adorable, regardless of your choice of clothes.” I set Stacey on the counter and turn to the register lady, “My little boy does look adorable doesn’t he?”

She nods, “He’s very cute. Never saw an adorable little boy with the courage to wear a dress.” She boops my son’s nose and smiles, “You’re very adorable, Little One.”

Stacey smiles and sniffs, “Thankies.” He swings his legs and turns his smile toward me whilst crinkles echo around him, “Daddy?”

I hand the register lady $84 for the dresses and smile as she folds them up before placing them in a bag. I turn to my son and kiss his forehead before lifting him into my arms, “What’s up, Stacinator?”

Stacey wraps his arms around my neck whilst his legs wrap around my waist, “I love you, Daddy.” He rests his head over my shoulder and watches as I grab the bag to slide into his diaper bag, “Daddy what we gonna do now?”

“Hmmm…” I stroll toward the front of the store and stop at the Uber Honda Civic to open the passenger door, “I dunno just yet, Stace.” I set him in the car seat and buckle him in before ruffling his hair, “What do you want to do?”

Stacey rubs his chin and swings his legs, “Heeheehee! I’m just happy, Daddy! These dresses are so comfy! I’m glad you got them for me, Daddy! Thankies lots!”

I smile as I sit down in the passenger’s seat and buckle myself in, “You’re welcome, Stacinator.” I turn to David and nod, “Back to our hotel, David.”

David nods and smiles back at my son via the rearview mirror before he cruises away from the Wal-Mart, “So your son’s trying out dresses huh?”

I nod, “Yep. He said that shorts are too constricting and that dresses are more freeing. Just something he wanted to try and I can’t deny my little boy anything.” I smile back at Stacey and watch him swing his legs whilst drinking a sippy cup of grape juice, “I love him more than anything.”

David nods as he turns down 27th Avenue North and cruises down Ocean Boulevard before stopping at a red light, “I know. I have a little girl and it’s impossible to deny her anything. I hate when I have to deny her the fifth slice of cake because her pouting nearly breaks my heart.”

I chuckle and glance back to my son before turning back to David, “That’s the truth, they know how to getcha. Gotta love our little ones though.”

“Very true.” David turns down 16th Avenue North then turns onto Ocean Boulevard, “I agree, Stacey. Alexis is my adorable baby girl and I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

……

Date: Saturday 03-Nov-18 10:00 (Saturday, November 3, 2018 10:00 AM)

Location: Holiday Inn Pavilion Resort, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States of America

I lift Stacey out of his car seat and set him on his feet before smiling at David, “Thank you for the ride. It was a joy talking with you.”

David waves at me and my son, “You’re welcome, Stacey. I hope you and your little guy enjoy your day.

I wave at David as he pulls off. I turn to my son and kneel, “So, you don’t want Daddy to paint your fingers or your hair do ya? Heh! Heh!”

“Heeheehee!” Stacey shakes his head, “No, Daddy! I just like the dresses cause they let my legs breathe and they feel lots freer than shorts.” Stacey turns and waddles toward the elevator, “Let’s watch cartoons, Daddy!”

I smile and follow my son toward the elevator, “As you wish, Stacinator.” Once we reach the tenth floor, I leave the elevator with my son waddling close behind me. I open the door and chuckle when my son speed waddles past me, “So what cartoons do you wanna watch, Stacinator?”

Stacey smiles as he lands in front of the TV drawer and pulls it open, “Hmmm…” He scans the shows and pulls out Toy Story before he rises to waddle back toward me, “This one, Daddy!” He waddles back over to the drawer and pulls Finding Dory before returning to me, “Then this one. Can we, Daddy?”

I sit down on the couch and chuckle when my son waddles over to me, “Sure, Stacinator.” I lift my son into my lap and toss the Toy Story DVD toward the TV. When the DVD lands in the tray and closes, the movie begins. I smile down at my son and kiss his forehead when he smiles back at me, “I love you, Stacinator. And you look adorable. Don’t worry, I don’t mind you wearing dresses. As long as your happy that’s all that matters to me.”

Stacey swings his legs and kisses my cheek before turning back to the TV, “Thankies, Daddy. You’re the bestest!”