Shut Up and Surprise Me

05. Secret Meeting

"So, what is deedo, Mama?"

I put a box of cereal on the table. "Deedo who?"

"The thing you sell. Danielle talked about it with you the other day. Is it like a toy? It sounds like the name of an animal stuffed." Chloe is busy analyzing as I choke on my own saliva. She instantly jumps to the fridge to grab the milk and pours some into my glass. "Milk to the rescue!"

I drink it slowly between my coughs while my daughter stares at me with concern. In her toddler years, she learned that milk was what to drink when someone choked. Running to the fridge and grabbing a carton of milk has become an automatic response of her when she sees me struggle to breathe.

"Better now?" she asks when my cough dies down.

I nod and drink the rest of the milk. "Much better."

"So, deedo."

"Right. Dildo," I say, clearing my throat a few times. "You're right. It's actually a toy. But, it's a toy for grown-ups."

She raises her eyebrows. "Grown-ups have toys too. Cool!"

"Yep. It's slightly different from the toys you have, but basically, they have the same function."

Chloe shakes her head as she pours cereal into her bowl and mine. "Nuh-uh. Toys have no functions. They are just toys."

"Of course toys have functions, and they're for playing. To have fun."

"What do grown-up toys look like then? Can I see them?"

It looks like an erect dick, which no way in hell I will show it to Chloe right now. I groan inwardly, cursing at Ashton's mother who planted the topic into Chloe's head. "I'm afraid it's strictly for adults; it's not for kids to see." When I see her face drop, I quickly add, "Just like some movies, there are movies that are not for kids to see because they can harm young children. It's exactly the same."

It takes several seconds of frowning before she finally replies. "Okay."

"You need a haircut, by the way," I say, changing the subject while pouring milk into my cereal bowl.

Chloe brushes her wavy hair with her tiny fingers. It almost reaches her waist level, but unlike her previous fixation on braids, she prefers to let her hair loose lately. "I like it long like this."

"I know, but it still needs a trim to keep it healthy. I'll make an appointment with the salon this weekend."

"Fine." She takes the milk I pass to her. "When can I color my hair?"

"Not until you're sixteen. I would say eighteen is the best age."

Chloe sighs. "Why is it so long?"

"Because it's a strong chemical. It might give you long-term side effects if you have it at a young age, and I don't want to gamble with that." I squint my eyes at her. "Do you want to dye your hair?"

Chloe bobs her head since her mouth is full of cereal.

"Uh, okay... Which color do you want?"

"Blonde," she replies after swallowing.

"Why blonde? Don't you like your natural hair color better? I like your chestnut hair."

She shrugs. "I don't mind brown, but I think blonde is just cooler."

"I see."

One thing I've noticed about my girl nowadays is that she cares more about her appearance. Her fashion taste has changed a hundred eighty degrees, she stays away from dresses, and she has a growing interest in makeup. It's nothing heavy though; only a few fruit-flavored lip balms and pastel shades of eyeshadows. I'm sure it's just a phase in her pre-teen years.