you sat on the couch with your daughter in your lap, her tiny hands gripping a stuffed bunny as she kicked her legs excitedly. riki was on tv, performing with his usual energy, his bold outfit making him stand out even more.

“papa!” she squealed, pointing at the screen, her eyes wide with excitement.

you laughed, smoothing down her hair. “that’s right, baby, that’s papa.”

she giggled, bouncing up and down. then, as if struck by an idea, she started waving both hands dramatically, mimicking riki’s dance moves in her own wobbly way. her little voice sang along, though the words were mostly gibberish.

“look at you, dancer just like papa,” you teased, adjusting her so she wouldn’t fall off your lap.

she turned to you with a proud grin, then pointed at the tv again. “papa funny!”

riki was making a playful face during the performance, and she found it absolutely hilarious. she threw her head back, laughing so hard that she almost toppled over. you had to hold her steady, laughing along with her.

then, out of nowhere, she smacked a kiss onto the screen, leaving a tiny handprint behind. “love papa!” she declared.

your heart melted. “he’s gonna love that, baby.”

when the performance ended, she clapped wildly, cheering in her tiny voice. she turned back to you, eyes sparkling. “again?”

you chuckled, grabbing the remote. “okay, one more time.”