"Noooo. Mummy!" Y/d/n screams as she clings to me.
"Please, bubba. You get to sleep at nanny and grandads. You love nanny and grandad." I insist.
I stroke her back calmingly as she wraps her arms around my neck. Penny, Alex's mum, tries to help too by stroking her hair.
"Come on, darlin'. Let mummy and daddy go now. I'll let you stay up to watch a film before bed and if you're a good girl then grandad David will get us some sweeties from the shop." Penny tries to persuade her.
Y/d/n just pushes herself further into me. I sigh and Penny looks at me sympathetically. Alex walks back into the room.
"Ready to go?" He asks me.
"Y/d/n not happy that you're going, Alex. She won't let y/n go." Penny explains.
Alex tries to take her from me, but she has none of it. She cries and screams.
"Stop it now, Y/d/n! This is really naughty." Alex says sternly.
"No!" She screams back, she punches and kicks him.
"Take her upstairs, Alex." David, Alex's dad, suggests helpfully.
Alex takes her, kicking and screaming, upstairs.
"You can stay in there until you're done being mean!" He shouts and I hear a door slam upstairs.
I put my head in my hands.
"I don't know what we're gonna do. She does this all of the time now. Last time we just couldn't do it anymore, so we gave in. But we can't just not go out. Y'know?" I sigh.
They both nod.
"Alex was the same. He was so attached to me."Penny relates. "They grow out of it. You've just got to give her some time."
"I should go check if Alex is okay." I nod.
I walk upstairs quietly. I spot Alex standing outside of his old bedroom. The sound of y/d/n crying for me can be heard through the door.
"Your mum said she should grow out of this."
"Hopefully." He huffs. "We will go out tonight. She can't always get her way. She needs to learn that she can't behave like this."
I nod.
"Daddy? Please, daddy. I want mummy. Please?" Y/d/n cries out.
My heart squeezes and I look up at Alex.
"Don't give in to her." He warns.
"I'm not. I just- owww. It makes me so sad when she's like this. Maybe I can just talk to her. She's calmed down now. I promise I won't give in, but I can't leave her in there like this." I pout.
"Ok let's go in together, but I'll talk to her. You'll baby her too much. You need to be more harsh. I know you feel bad, so let me do it."
I nod.
He opens the door and we both step inside. Immediately she comes running to me. I bend down and hold her for a while.
"I'm sorry, mummy." She sniffs into my shoulder.
I pull back and wipe her tears away. I kiss her cheeks.
"You need to say sorry to daddy not me."
She looks over at Alex and moves to where he's sat on the bed. She looks down at her feet.
"Sorry, daddy." She apologises.
"I forgive you for hitting me, baby. But you need to stop being naughty when me and mummy are going out. We don't go out lots without you, do we?"
"No."
"And you like staying with nanny and grandad, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Ok, so then everything is okay. You don't need to get upset. It's only for one night and you always have fun. We'll be back in the morning and if you've been a good girl then maybe we can get you a special treat. Yes?" He offers.
"Yes."
He grabs her and cuddles her to him tightly.
"Ugh, I love you so much baby." He smiles, kissing her head all over.
"I love you, daddy." She giggles.
I smile at how perfect they are.