"JR come back here!" Michael yelled as his daughter escaped from his grasp and ran from the bathroom in just her panties and t-shirt. Her giggles could be heard as she ran down the stairs, and he couldn’t help but smile. He had forgotten how much energy a two year old had. He let the water out of the tub and picked up her dirty clothes, dropping them into the laundry basket before heading downstairs. It was quiet, which when JR was around, was not a good sign. He couldn’t find her in the living room and only the sound of her laughter drew him to the laundry room.

She was sitting on the bench watching as Ben pulled clothes from the dryer, sorting through them until he found a pair of jeans. He stood in the doorway, unnoticed, watching them.

"Stand up JR." Ben said, lifting her to her feet.

"I don’t want to wear those ones Dada." She said, screwing up her nose. "I want the pink ones Grandma Debbie bought me."

Ben looked through the pile of clothes.

"They’re not here JR." He replied. "You’ll have to wear these. Stand up so I can put them on."

"No! I don’t want them." She answered, kicking her feet against the cupboards.

Ben sighed.

"Listen JR. You know Daddy and I are taking you to buy some new shoes?"

"Yesssssssssss."

"Well, Daddy and I are both wearing jeans so if you wear these pretty ones, we’ll all look the same, how does that sound?"
Ben watched JR consider this for a moment.

"Ok." She replied after a few minutes, the big brown eyes she had inherited from Michael meeting his.

"Good girl!" He smiled at her. "Now stand up, and we’ll finish getting you dressed and go and find Daddy."

He lifted her to her feet, and she grabbed hold of his hair to steady herself. He tried not to wince as she pulled at it while he finally got the jeans on.

"Now we need to find some socks." He said, sitting her down again. "How about these Pooh Bear ones?"

"Ohhhhh yes…I love Pooh Bear." She laughed, clapping her hands as Ben put them on her.

Michael walked into the laundry as Ben lifted her off the bench.

"Daddy….Daddy…I’ve got jeans like yours!" she said running up to her father wrapping her arms around his legs.

"And you look lovely Honeybun." He replied, picking her up. "How about we have some breakfast and then go to the mall?"

"I want Cheerios Daddy!"

"If Hunter hasn’t eaten them all!" Michael laughed as he carried her into the living room, sitting her at the table as he went to the kitchen.

Ben finished folding the laundry before joining Michael in the kitchen, making himself a protein shake while Michael filled a bowl with cereal for JR.

After finishing breakfast, Michael got JR ready while Ben cleaned up the dishes before finding JR’s stroller as they both came downstairs.

"Are we all ready?" He asked as Michael sat JR in the stroller, opening the front door.

"Yes Dada…and guess what Daddy told me?" JR said as she grabbed her teddy bear from Michael.

"What sweetheart?"

"He said I can have any shoes I want!" She smiled at him.

"Is that right?" Ben replied, looking at Michael.

"Well, how many choices of shoes for a two year old can there be?" Michael answered.

"Guess we’re about to find out!" Ben laughed as he pushed the stroller down the steps and out onto the street.

The mall was busy, even at this early hour, and they decided to get the shoe shopping done first. JR was getting restless and demanding to be let out of her stroller, and Michael finally gave in, and she skipped happily along, one hand holding tightly to her fathers’ as she swung her teddy bear around in the other.

They found the shoe store and wandered around until they found the children’s section.

"Christ!" Michael said, looking at the walls covered in shoes. "How many pairs of shoes does a kid need?"

"Judging by the display, a pair for every occasion." Ben answered, somehow knowing this wasn’t going to be as easy as Michael had thought.

"Daddy I want those ones!" JR said and Michael shuddered at the bright orange sneakers she pointed at.

"They’re awfully bright JR." He replied, thinking that if his Mother was with them she would have brought them without blinking. "How about these nice blue and white ones?"

Michael picked up a pair showing them to his daughter.

"No! I want them!" She replied, stamping her foot.

Ben tried to hide a smile but obviously did not succeed by the glare he received from his husband.

Michael groaned as JR grabbed the blue and white shoes and threw them on the floor. He could see a tantrum coming so picked JR up.

"Listen Honeybun, I know you like the orange ones, but they wouldn’t look good with your pink pants." He said, reaching up for a pink and white pair with shiny hearts on them. "Do you like these?"

"They’re pretty Daddy, but I want ties!" JR said, running her fingers over the hearts and smiling.

"Ties?" Michael said, looking at her in confusion.

Ben shrugged in response.

"What do you mean ties JR?" Ben asked.

"Them!" JR said, pointing to a pink and black pair with stripped laces in them.

"Oh you mean laces." Ben laughed. "But you don’t know how to tie laces yet."

"You can teach me!" She said, a scowl on her face as she looked at the shoes with Velcro straps that Michael was holding. "Those are babies shoes!"

Michael and Ben exchanged a smile as JR wriggled in her father’s arm, wanting to put down.

Michael lowered her to the floor, and she reached out picking up a pair of bright pink ones with heart laces threaded through them.

"These Daddy!" She squealed with excitement. "I want these!"

Michael took them from here, grimacing when he saw the price tag but knew he couldn’t refuse her request.

"Stay here with Dada, and I’ll see if they have your size." Michael said, walking off to find a shop assistant, hoping like hell they did. JR was a force to be reckoned with when she didn’t get her own way, although most of the time she was happy and undemanding.

He came back a few minutes later, a young girl following him, carrying a box with the much wanted shoes.

"Sit here JR." He said, lifting her onto the child’s seat and removing her shoes.

The young girl took them out the box and slipped one onto JR’s foot, and turned to Michael.

"They seem to be the right size." She said with a smile.

"You’re sure they’re the ones you want JR?" Michael said and was rewarded with a dazzling smile from his daughter.

"Yes please, Daddy!"

Michael went to take the shoe off JR but she grabbed his hand.

"No Daddy, I want to wear them."

Michael looked at the girl who nodded.

"That will be fine." She said, taking the box. "Just come to the counter when you’re ready."

"Thank you." Michael replied before slipping the other shoe on and tying the laces.

JR jumped off the seat and looked down at her new shoes.

"Thank you Daddy….I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee them…they are so pretty." She said, dancing up and down. "Dada do you love them too?" She looked up at Ben.

"They are pretty shoes for a pretty little girl." Ben replied, leaning down and dropping a kiss on his daughters head before reaching for Michael’s hand and squeezing it.

"Guess shoe shopping isn’t so bad after all." He said laughing.

Michael grinned back at him.

"It could have been worse." He replied as JR pulled at his jacket. He looked down at her.

"What Honeybun?"

"I’m hungry!"

"Ok, I’ll pay for the shoes, and then we’ll go and have something to eat." He replied, taking his wallet from his pocket. "Would you like McDonald’s?"

"No, I want ice cream!"

"Ice cream it is then." Michael looked at Ben who had a grin on his face.

"She has you wrapped around her little finger!" He said laughing.

Michael nodded. "I know, but how can I say no to her?"

"The same way I can never say no to you." Ben replied, lifting Michael’s chin and kissing him gently.

"Come on Daddy!" JR yelled, pulling Michael’s hand.

Ben put JR back in her stroller, and they walked out the store, waiting at the door for Michael who joined them a few minutes later, her old shoes in a bag under his arm. He somehow knew they would have a lot more bags by the time the day ended.