Author’s Note: A fun little fluffy piece for Damien, Camille and little Sophie in honor of @Choices-September-Challenge day 24 prompt of ‘Animals.’ I hope it makes you smile today!
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“Daddy! Daddy, please! I promise I will help take care of him!” Sophie pleaded incessantly, her face betraying her as it lifted into a hopeful smile. Her eyes widened and her long blonde lashes fluttered deceptively.
Damien groaned internally, but made sure not to expose any emotion in his stern expression. “I’m sorry, Sophie … we are not going to get a dog.” His five-year-old daughter opened her mouth to interject, but he swiftly cut her off. “Even if you promise to take care of him!” Sophie’s face dropped, her eyes filling with unshed tears. And the sight of it Tore. Him. Apart.
He bent down in front of her on the sidewalk, the window full of bouncing, barking puppies yipping on his left side. He lifted her chin with his index finger and met her eyes, giving her a heartfelt stare. “Sophie, I know how badly you want a puppy … but it just doesn’t make sense in New York. Mommy and Daddy work all day, and you have school … who’s going to take him out to walk him during the day?”
Sophie’s jutted bottom lip slowly curled back under the top one as she peered up at her father, then she nodded in understanding. “Okay, I understand.” She sighed heavily and looked back towards the active puppies bounding about the pet store’s pen longingly. “But- “ she started, pausing for a minute as she giggled at one puppy grabbing another puppy’s ear in his teeth and tugging, causing both of them to go tumbling backwards in a somersault. “But, can we at least go pet them?!? I promise I’ll just play with them, I won’t ask for a puppy again!” She turned back to her father, immediately recognizing her victory in his look of complacency.
“Okay, Squirt … we can do that. But you promised- no more puppy talk!”
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“What is this?” Camille questioned as she walked into to apartment, her brows lifting as she noticed the new fishbowl sitting on her entry table.
“Um, yeah, about that …” Damien started.
“Damien Nazario, why the hell would you get another creature for this house that we have to take care of?!?” Camille fumed as she kicked off her shoes and hung her purse up by the door. “How did we end up with a friggin’ beta fish?”
“He’s for Sophie …” he replied sheepishly. “And his name is Bruiser.”
Camille’s face softened as she noticed the embarrassed look on her husband’s face. “Alright, and how did he end up here?” She asked, her tone less aggressive than before as she bent down to examine the blue fan-finned fish swimming through the crystal-clear water.
“She asked for a puppy again …”
“You know we can’t have a puppy! Who’s going to walk it? Who’s going to bathe it? Who has to pick up it’s shit?!?” She blurted out, panic suddenly settling back in as she turned to peer at her husband.
Damien placed his hands on both of her arms, rubbing them in a calming manner as she finished her rant. “I know, I know. We can’t get a puppy. Not in this apartment at least.” He looked around the front entryway to the tiny living room that opened up to the dining area and compact kitchen. He finally settled his gaze upon his petite wife, a sly smirk curling he corners of his lips. “I figured compared to a puppy, a little fish was a fair compromise to appease Soph for now. Don’t you think?” He cocked his head to the side with that crooked smirk, the one that Cami had a hard time resisting.
Camille smiled warmly, her frustration fading as the idea sunk in. “And who is going to feed this fish every day?”
“Sophie promised to take care of Bruiser.” He replied proudly. “She can handle a fish, I’m sure.”
“And who is going to clean the fishbowl every other week?” Camille raised her brows in question. Checkmate.
Damien’s jaw dropped for a moment, but quickly shut as he cleared his throat to respond. “Oh, well, of course I’ll be helping her … it’s a joint effort.” He grinned wide, placing a quick peck to her cheek as he bent down to peer in the bowl at his new finned friend. “Only the best for our Bruiser.”
Camille chuckled, her anger melting away at her husband’s inability to not spoil their daughter. She shook her head and started walking towards the kitchen to get dinner ready. “Well as long as that’s clear …”
Damien slowly stood up straight, his gaze still observing the fish swimming before him. “It did get me thinking though …”
Camille took a step back and looked around the corner of the kitchen, a puzzled look on her face. “Thinking about what, Damien? It always scares me when you say something like that …”
Damien laughed and walked to his wife, placing his arms around her and a kiss to her forehead as she melted into his arms. “Hmmm … just thinking maybe it’s time to get a bigger place. Maybe somewhere in Brooklyn, with a small yard and more square footage and-“
“Damien, are you pregnant?!?” Camille jested, her eyes laughing in the dim light of the hallway as she beamed up at him.
“I’m serious, Cami … I mean, Sophie is five now, she needs rooms to play, to ride a bike, maybe even someday have a dog … “ his voice trailed off, a look of nostalgia spread across his features.
Cami perched up on her tip-toes to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “I understand, D. I know what you mean. Maybe it is time to start looking for a bigger home. For our future.” Damien turned his head to look down at her, his eyes widening at her unexpected agreement.
“Really?” His cheeks lifted in a smile. “I wasn’t sure you’d agree.”
“I want what’s best for our family. This was never meant to be our forever home when we moved in here with a newborn baby, and I think now’s the time.”
“Good. We can start looking this weekend? No rush, just keep our options open?” Damien suggested, unable to hide his triumphant grin.
“No rush, just keep our options open.” Camille placed one more kiss to her husband’s mouth, this time lingering a moment before separating. When she finally stepped away, she gave him a giddy smile as she walked into the kitchen. Damien chuckled, pleased with himself and his brilliant idea.
“Oh Damien!” Cami called from around the corner.
“Yes Baby?” he asked curiously.
She peeked her head around the wall one last time. “Don’t think this means we’re getting a dog.” She winked and then turned on her heel with a grin.
END