At three and a half feet tall she wasn't tall enough to reach the back of the counter, even while standing on tippy-toes and stretching her arm as far as it would go. A frustrated scowl marked her adorable, olive-skinned features and she absently pushed a wave of long brown hair behind an ear in a way that perfectly mirrored her mother. While seeking a solution she spotted a folding stool collapsed between the refrigerator and a garbage basket; the girl suddenly smiled with the innocent mischievousness only a four year-old can obtain.
Moments later she was able to slide a blue porcelain container shaped like her favorite
Sesame Street
character to the edge of a stainless steel kitchen counter. Carefully removing its lid, she began digging for the tasty treasures contained within.
Miley suddenly appeared from a hallway to catch the girl with her hand literally in the cookie jar. "Gwendolyn Taylor," she admonished, using her daughter's full name in the exact same way Miley's own mother used to do when Miley was misbehaving, "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Standing on the stool with half her arm buried into Cookie Monster's neck, Gwen froze and shot a surprised look towards Miley that betrayed her guilt, "Nuthin."
"Nothing?" Miley's brow rose, "That's not what it looks like to me."
Gwen looked to the jar and then back to her mother, "Can I have a cookie?"
"Of course not. You know the rules, no sweets before bed; it's not good for you." Miley hoisted Gwen up by her armpits and set her down on the floor.
"But mommy, I'm hungry!"
"How about I slice up an apple for you?"
Gwen stuck her tongue out and shook her head.
"Do want some banana?"
Gwen seemed adamant, "No, I wanna cookie."
Miley knelt to fold the illegally obtained stool and replace it next to the fridge, "Then you can't be that hungry." She patted Gwen's rump, "Now go get your pee-jays on. It's time to get ready for bed."
"Can I play Cap'n Darkness before bed?"
"No more PlayStation, tonight. C'mon, sweetheart... chop-chop!" Miley clapped her hands together, "Daddy'll be there in a few minutes to read to you."
"Okay," Gwen relented before dashing off.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth!" Miley called after her.
Charlie appeared from the opposite direction that Gwen vanished towards. "There's no way," he was saying to a cell phone, "I'm not leaving Marvel to write for DC, even if they
are
offering me Superman." He absently reached into the open cookie jar but had his hand slapped away by his wife.
"No sweets before bed," Miley chastised him, putting the lid back on the jar and lifting it towards a higher cupboard.
"No, I don't care about Batman either," Charlie sighed at his phone, "Sam, I'm the monthly writer on
Captain Darkness
as well as
Amazing Spider-Man
. Those are the books I've dreamed of writing since I was a kid. There's nothing DC can offer me that will lure me away. Yeah. Yeah. Okay... yeah. All right, I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"How's Sam?" Miley asked, wiping the kitchen counter as Charlie hung up.
"She's fine," Charlie set his phone down, "She thinks I should take on another monthly book. I swear, living in New York City has put the zap on her head if she thinks I have the time to take on another comic."
"Sam and her husband don't have any kids," Miley reminded him, "They're more career-focused, him at HBO and her with her rep agency. They don't understand how much time you give your family."
"Brian and I haven't even finished scripting season three of Captain
Darkness
yet," Charlie further complained, "Does she think I don't need sleep?"
Miley placed a hand on Charlie's chest, "Quit stressing and go read to your daughter while I finish cleaning up. But no more Spider-Man; I swear that kid thinks she can stick to walls the way she climbs all over this house."
"All right," Charlie grinned, kissing the top of Miley's head before wandering towards his daughter's room.
He found Gwen lying on her stomach in the middle of her bedroom floor, working on a coloring book with Crayons scattered all around her. "What are you doing?"
"Colorin," she looked up at him.
"Coloring?" Charlie feigned shock, "But it's bedtime!"
"I wuz waitin' for you, daddy!"
"Did you brush your teeth?"
Gwen bobbed her head in an affirmative.
"Let's see," Charlie crouched beside her.
Gwen proudly opened her mouth wide.
Charlie leaned in real close before widening his eyes, "Holy cow, what's that?"
Gwen gave him a quizzical look but continued to hold her mouth open.
Reaching between her lips Charlie snatched the tip of her tongue between two fingers, "There's a big worm in here!"
Gwen giggled loudly.
"Let me see if I can get it out of there," Charlie tugged playfully. "Uh-oh, it seems stuck!"
"Thas mah tugue..."
"What?" Charlie kept hold of her wriggling tongue, "I can't understand you with this big worm in your mouth..."
"Thas mah togue!" she continued to giggle.
Charlie finally let go, "Oh, that's your tongue? It looks like a big worm."
"No it don't," Gwen grinned broadly, "You're so silly, Daddy."
"Yeah, that's what your mom says, too." Charlie scooped his daughter up and carried her towards the bed, "What should we read tonight?"
Ten minutes later, once finished with her cleaning, Miley arrived and leaned on the door jamb to Gwendolyn's room. She smiled warmly at the vision of her daughter curled up next to Charlie in bed as he read a comic book to her. Gwen kept interrupting him and asking what different words meant. "Daddy, what's 'invulnabilty' mean?" she would wonder and Charlie would patiently pause to explain the words to her every time. It warmed her heart so much that Miley didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
When she was obviously growing drowsy, Charlie closed the comic book and told Gwen they'd finish the next night and kissed her on the forehead.
Miley approached and kissed her as well, "Good night, sweetheart. I love you."
"I love you too, Mommy," Gwen murmured as Miley tucked her in.
Switching off the lights and leaving the door cracked open, Charlie and Miley retired to their own bedroom down the hall.
"Are you okay?" Charlie worried, seeing a hint of moisture gathering at the bottom of Miley's eyes.
Miley bit her lip and nodded with a smile.
"Then why do you look like you're crying?"
"Because, silly, I am." Miley wiped at her cheek, "I just love her so much, you know? And you're so good with her; I sometimes wonder if I'm half the parent you are."
Charlie chuckled at her insecurities and wrapped Miley in his arms, "Are you kidding me? You're the most incredible mother in history. Gwen worships you; she acts like you; she talks like you; she always wants to dress like you. Miley, you're our daughter's hero."
Clutching her husband, Miley sniffled happily against his chest, "I know, I'm just so proud of how good a father you are. I love you, Charlie."
"I love you too," Charlie kissed her.