Not something their son would need to come downstairs and see.
Vic grabbed his bag and jogged up the stairs. He set the bag down inside the door of Tachina’s bedroom then strode into the bathroom located in the hall. He entered and found Kian sitting beside the tub with a towel around his waist, his hair damp and his curls sticking up wildly. The bathroom smelled like bubble bath.
“Dad!” Kian shouted. He jumped to his feet and raced over to Vic. He slammed into him, wrapping his arms around Vic’s waist. “Did Mom tell you about my wheelie? I can do them now!”
“What?” Vic laughed. She had mentioned something in a text, but he’d barely been able to check his personal messages all day. “When did this happen?”
“Yesterday! I showed Mommy and Auntie Addie! They said they were going to call some people to tell them!” He grinned widely. He backed away and tried to reenact his stunt. “You gotta see it! It’s so cool. I go likevroom, and the front tire goes up in the air like this!”
“I’ve got to see this!” Vic said dramatically. He loved seeing his son so excited about something. He just wished he’d been there, but he’d been working late. By the time he’d left the office, he’d dragged himself home and barely made it into the bed. He’d slept all of a few hours before his phone rang off the hook with the emergency. “Let’s get those teeth brushed.”
Kian’s excitement was palpable. The kid was barely able to brush his teeth while he shared with Vic how he’d beentrying and how his friends had been doing wheelies. Vic grinned, remembering when he and Logan were this age and were doing the same things. His mother would have mini panic attacks when she’d see him and Logan do crazy kid things on their bikes or skateboards.
Tachina arrived and stood at the doorframe. She tried to hide her grin but failed. She made an excuse about needing to check in on something and left. Kian was bouncing around as he brushed his teeth. Once he was done, they made their way to his bedroom.
“Can I show you, Dad?” Kian asked as he slipped on his space-themed jammies.
Vic motioned for him to hop in bed.
Kian dove onto the top of his covers and waited for his reply. “Tonight? It won’t take long!”
“It’s time for bed, Kian.” Vic ruffled his hair.
Kian’s face fell, and he dropped down onto his pillows as if going to sleep was a bad thing.
“But, Dad, I’m not tired,” he groaned.
Vic proceeded to tuck him underneath the blankets. Vic tried to change the conversation and offered to read him a book. He slid in beside Kian who made room for him. He snagged one of Kian’s favorite books about a boy who traveled to the moon. Kian listened intensely, even helping read the book himself. Vic was proud of how smart the kid was. At five, he was reading at a higher level. Kian was half asleep by the time they got to the last page.
Vic closed the book and leaned down and kissed Kian’s forehead then stood.
“Dad, can I show you my wheelie in the morning?” Apparently, even almost asleep, he was still thinking of his amazing trick.
“Yes, first thing.”
“Promise?” Kian’s hand popped out of the blanket, his little finger held waiting.
Vic looped his small finger with his son’s that made it official.
“Promise.”
“Vic,” Tachina murmured.
He hadn’t even noticed that she’d been standing in the doorway.
Her arms were folded, and there was a playful warning in her tone. “No early morning wheelies.”
“We’ll negotiate,” he shot back with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. She needed to understand that a boy and his father would be excited about things such as bike tricks. A kid accomplishing his first wheelie was something that needed to be showed off.
“Goodnight, Kian.”
“Nighty-night, babe,” Tachina said.
“Night,” Kian mumbled before turning over and burrowing down into his blankets. “Don’t forget, Dad.”
“I won’t.”