Using pink soap to wash out her mouth was diabolical. Pink was her favorite color.
“This soap is safe to be swallowed. It will taste very yucky, but it won’t make your tummy sick,” he said as if reading her mind.
He applied far too much of the naughty soap to her pacifier before holding it to her mouth. “You have to keep this in your mouth for four minutes, pretty baby. You need to suck it even though it’s nasty.”
Wanting to be obedient, Palmer parted her lips and he placed the soapy soother in her mouth. The taste automatically made her gag.
“Daddy loves you enough to follow through. I will each and every time.”
Palmer nodded, tears rolling down her face. Even while Beau was punishing her, he was calm and collected. He stroked her face and patted her knee.
She sucked the soother, swallowed the soap, and cried throughout the four minutes. She swallowed so much soap she was worried she was going to poot bubbles.
When the four minutes was up, Beau took the pacifier out of her mouth and helped her rinse and spit before washing off the bulb.
Once he was done and she was in his arms again, she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“I will always give you what you need, baby. Even if it’s a punishment.”
“Does my Daddy know you’re taking me to the petting zoo?” Palmer asked a few days later as she and Auntie Catherine walked toward the area. Palmer didn’t think he did because surely he wouldn’t subject her to more goose poop. She shivered.She was still having nightmares about the last visit she’d had. Plus she looked absolutely adorable in a new blue sundress and pink striped socks. She didn’t match, not even a little bit, but Daddy was helping her learn to break some rules and a blue dress with pink striped socks defiantly broke the rules.
“He does.”
Palmer frowned. “My Daddy, Beau Williams, knows you’ve taken me to the place where nightmares are born on May 28th, a day when I’m already feeling emotionally raw?”
Uncle Sam and Auntie Catherine chuckled. “Someone has on their sassy pants this morning.”
“If I did have sassy pants on, they’d be covered in poop by the time we left,” Palmer grumbled.
“There is your Daddy, Beau Williams, right there,” Auntie Catherine teased, squeezing Palmer’s hand before releasing it.
“Daddy,” Palmer cried. She ran to him and like always he scooped her up. “Did you come to take me away from this horrid place?” She threw her hand over her forehead.
Beau laughed before trying to set her on her feet.
“No, thank you, " she said, seriously, holding her feet in the air.
Laughing, her Daddy motioned for someone to come nearer. Reese walked closer holding the prettiest pink pair of plastic boots Palmer had ever seen.
“I thought you might like these,” Beau said.
“They’re beautiful!” Palmer let him set her on her feet. He helped her slip off her sneakers and slide her feet into the sparkly boots.
“They’re so pretty!” Pippi squealed. “You gotta see if they’re fast.”
“Oh! Good idea!” Palmer tried to run, but Beau snagged her by the back of her dress.
“Umph,” she grunted.
Laughing, he picked her up. “Wait just a second, speedy feet, I have a surprise for you.”
Palmer placed her hands on her cheeks. “For me?”
“For you, pretty baby.” He carried her through the gates and toward the back of the zoo.
“Daddy, I love you so manies, but if your surprise is Ryan Gosling, I might cry.”
“I promise to protect you from naughty goosies today.”