"Ah! Uh-ooh! Ewww!"
Davion turned his head down to the tiny human holding his hand - his daughter, Krystal. Her mouth was turned down and her tongue stuck straight out in a comical display of disgust. She waved her heart-shaped wand in front of her face as if to reprimand it, then threw it forcefully to the ground.
"What's wrong, Nee-nee?" Davion asked.
Krystal at first seemed not to notice her father's question and simply considered the toy she'd thrown in front of her, staring intently as if she expected the wand to jump off the ground and attack her. Soon though, satisfied no assault was imminent, Krystal turned her attention to her father.
As Krystal craned her head up to meet Davion's eyes, her tongue retreated into her mouth, and the corners of her lips plunged downward into one of the most exaggerated frowns Davion had ever seen. It reminded him of the Gateway Arc in St. Louis.
"Nee-new?" he plied.
"Tha na cannie, doddie," she informed him, pointing at the styrofoam wand with a child-size bite mark in it.
Davion threw his head back and let out a short, bellowing laugh. "No, that's not candy, baby," he chuckled.
Krystal looked once again at the discarded toy, then back up at her father. A single eyebrow rose sarcastically on her face, and she lowered her head so that she stared sternly at her father from under her brow. "Doddie, I'ma needa cannie," she advised him.
Davion once again let out his deep, full laugh. "You got it, Nee-nee. Let's get moving."
Davion took his daughter's free hand and swung her smoothly onto his shoulders. She giggled as she rose above his head.
"I luh you doddie." Krystal said as Davion began to walk.
"I love you, too, Nee-nee."